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Topic: Dealing with Kids at a gig. - Page: 1

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Hey guys.

I had a gig at a birthday party today. The birthday girl was 21, but she had like a bunch of younger cousins present. They were like constantly running around, almost brought the speaker stands down while playing catching. Just as I was done, and about to pack up, this kid ran over to my booth and pressed the tonearm on my turntable down really hard on my vinyl and moved it back and forth againt my vinyl. Broke the needle and my vinyl now has scratch marks all over. Worse part is I just bought that stylus last week!!

I yelled at him but it was too late man. damage was done. Really really frustrating. I try not being too friendly with kids when im djing. Cuz then they hang around and wreck ure stuff.

What do u guys do to keep the kids at bay?
 
Inviato Sat 27 Jun 09 @ 3:59 pm
Three words:

Hacksaw. Hefty bags. Shovel.

:D

Nah, seriously....I haven't ever been on a gig where kids are present, but I'd say some kind of red ribbon around the DJ-booth is a good idea. It's also handy to prevent grown-ups spilling beer all over your hardware.

I have a policy that the person who hired me is always responsible for any possible accidents to my property. If a customer in a club would break my mixer by spilling beer to it, I'd send the owner the bill. It's good to inform customers who hire you about this in advance.
 
a cattle prod.

i have 4 kids, and believe me when i say a determined kid will get into and do anything he or she wants. or break and mess around with the most expensive or most essential things you have.
if you're doing a party and there are kids there you make sure you have it in writing, or even better in a legal contract, that any damages caused are paid for out of their pockets.
 
Specify in the contract a line like this... "If you or anyone related to the party or you broke something of the dj equipment you have to pay for it", that work's for me ... im using that line since 1996.

Of course im using that in spanish so... I dont know how to translate it in to english exactly... in spanish says like this...

"Si usted o alguien ajeno al equipo de produccion daña alguna parte del equipo, el contratante debera de asumir la responsabilidad por el pago del costo del daño"..

Uso eso en mis contratos desde 1996 y hasta la fecha no me ha fallado...
 
i had the same problem in my last gig.. the children didn't stop running around my equipment...wtf......so i lost my patience and scream at them.... stop playing around here...you guys have a lot of space to play in the other side ....stop it..the equipment is important but this kids don't realize that they can be hurt ......anyway...i going to write a sign "keep the children off the dj please".i felt sorry for yell at them...but it worked ..they stop.
 
I find that, as a parent myself, it's usually lucrative to take the "parent" role with kids who disrupt your performance or potentially (I'm NEVER away from the system when kids are around) tamper with the equipment. Be firm, but don't yell. This portrays an air of confidence and authority that kids will almost always respond to. I have, however, come to the point where I had to halt the performance and call the client to my table in order to control unruly children, but that is truly a rarity.

ALWAYS get it in writing in your contract that : "if client or their representatives are responsible for damage to the system, client agrees to pay damages for replacement equipment [or however you word it]," and make sure that you define the "system" down to the last wire in your "definitions" section. Let's face it...This stuff is NOT cheap!
 
Duct tape and tie straps work wonders......
 
TearEmUp wrote :
Duct tape and tie straps work wonders......


terry keep your private life away from the forums please...

as for the kids, just give them a smack with the nearest flight case.
 
discjockeydoc wrote :
I find that, as a parent myself, it's usually lucrative to take the "parent" role with kids who disrupt your performance or potentially (I'm NEVER away from the system when kids are around) tamper with the equipment. Be firm, but don't yell. This portrays an air of confidence and authority that kids will almost always respond to. I have, however, come to the point where I had to halt the performance and call the client to my table in order to control unruly children, but that is truly a rarity.

ALWAYS get it in writing in your contract that : "if client or their representatives are responsible for damage to the system, client agrees to pay damages for replacement equipment [or however you word it]," and make sure that you define the "system" down to the last wire in your "definitions" section. Let's face it...This stuff is NOT cheap!


Exactly +1 ;-)
 
tayla wrote :
TearEmUp wrote :
Duct tape and tie straps work wonders......


terry keep your private life away from the forums please...


That is just a shopping list Paul....I was wondering where I left it.....
 
lol....
 

When I have something like this, I always ASK before what type of people is going to be on the party. If there are going to be kids 11 an younger, I always point "What are you going to have for them?" There are many attractions that keep this kids playing in other place, far from DJ booth of course... Kids are kids, they run, yell, cry, fool around, and never NEVER will care about your things... come on I'm having fun with my friends... so, keep things safe... if kids are present, NEVER will carry my turntables and timecodes, of course not... Maybe CDs MAYBE... I will choose to only be there with my PC and midi console. And make arrangements as there are going to be wild chimps all over the place (cause if I can assure my cables and stuff for this kind of situation, sure I would do ok with people and kids all over the place). So I'm not saying children are like any animal, just want to extreme cautions to have all secure as far as possible. Of course a line in contract about liability of customer in case of any damage, is welcome too.
 
i use a hammer cause it will leave a mark (they don't like that) you only have to hit one:D


i once had a comedian ''bomb'' on stage and smash the mike on the floor,and he refused to
pay for it. after 3 years i still haven't recieved the check. (artie lang)
 
Keep a moat with venomous snakes around the DJ table. Seriously though, I feel your pain. I did a wedding once and these two bratty 4 year olds were running around playing tag the whole night, screaming, carrying on, and during speeches too. I had just bought a mic stand the day before and they kept grabbing the arm and yanking it downwards. I asked the mother to tell them to refrain from yanking on the mic stand but she more or less said she couldn't stop them from "being kids". After 6 or 7 yanks on the mic stand the swivel joint was stripped and my mic stand was rendered useless. Grrrrrrrrr!

What I hate about kids at weddings is they want to hear kiddie music like Miley Cyrus or Crazy Frog, but if there are 3 kids out of 300 people I'm not about to clear my dance floor so the kids can NOT hit the dance floor. Kids should be banned from weddings!

The worst is the couples that bring newborn babies to weddings and everyone has to put up with screaming and wailing all night.
 
dizzyrocks2001 wrote :


The worst is the couples that bring newborn babies to weddings and everyone has to put up with screaming and wailing all night.


lol.. and sometimes nowadays the couple thats getting married - it's their newborn!
 
Hahaha. Yeah I guess I should start incorporating a liability clause in my contracts. Safest way to go. But damnnn they can be so annoying sometimes. I had this at a wedding once. A kid snuck up behind me and took one of the microphones and started screaming into it.

I think I should try cordoning off my console. Prevention is always better. Besides at least it would give me a peace of mind knowing they cant get near my stuff to wreck it. I was too distracted yesterday trying to to shoo the kids away, that i fumbled a little with my music.
 
bailing wire, chicken wire, 4 posts to make corners with, a car battery and jumper cables....problem solved.











Michael
 
Land mines, a flame thrower, and machine gun turrets with motion sensors.
 
dizzyrocks2001 wrote :
machine gun turrets


Yes, but you need to be careful with these babies, they really heat up. Also, take care when switching out the barrels, wear some good gloves, or you'll burn your hands.
 

Vodka Jellies do the trick, lol
 
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