What should you consider when booking a DJ or musician for an event?
Curious about booking entertainment for an event? Finding the right entertainment can be difficult. Within the entertainment industry, we mainly specialize in DJs and freelance musicians. Below we go through various factors that can be good to be aware of when looking to book entertainment for your event - as well as how we reason.
Hire a DJ
Party DJs - What should I consider here?
There can be a big difference between different DJs. When it comes to events such as weddings, corporate, graduation and other types of parties, we believe it is important that the DJ you hire has a wide repertoire of music to succeed in making as many guests as possible delighted. Playing the right songs regardless of what type of music the guests like is a matter of course, but also something that requires a lot of knowledge. The next question you can ask yourself is how you want this to be performed. Some DJs are good at choosing the right songs but are not great at mixing the songs together. We at Palm Event prioritize DJs who master both parts in order to be able to offer an as full dance floor as possible. For example, is there anything better than when you dance to a good song and the next song, an even better song, in the right key, energy and tempo is mixed in by the DJ?
Another factor to consider is the DJs experience. The more events he or she has done similar to the event you are looking to book a DJ for, the better it always gets. For example, there can be a big difference between a DJ who mostly plays in nightclubs versus a party DJ. Reading a dance floor as a DJ takes time to learn, and differs significantly between different types of gigs. However, we believe that a great deal of experience (tens of years) does not always have to be positive, but also values how musical, active and up-to-date the DJ is today.
"We want a lot of house and sing along - preferably also Eurodisco, like après-ski vibes!"
"Funk, disco, soul... maybe a little hip-hop, like 90's classics" "Hiphop, RnB, dancehall, possibly reggaeton"
Something that can easily be forgotten when booking a DJ is to investigate what music the DJ him-/ herself likes personally. Do you know that many of your guests' and your own heart beat a little extra for, for example, early 2000s RnB or disco, maybe you should try to find a DJ that personally enjoys this as well. Regardless of whether the idea is that the genre should not be played all night, it can be fun to hire such a DJ as it tends to raise the quality of the experience. We have a wide network of contacts and are more than happy to help you navigate the right way so that you can have the best party possible!
Genre-bound DJs, themed parties, AWs and lounge
Finding a DJ who has his own niche but who also can deliver a full dance floor at a party with mixed people is not so easy but they exist. If, on the other hand, you would like a certain genre to be played throughout the evening, we are also happy to assist here. If you wish to book a club DJ who plays Hip Hop, or why not a DJ who plays heavy house, combined with strobe lights, lasers and smoke, that can also be arranged. A lounge DJ who plays luxurious house? 70s theme or Studio 54? Yes, we can solve that!
Hire a live musician
Live musicians - what should I consider here?
Do you wish to hire a musician such as a saxophonist, violinist, percussionist (drummer), pianist and/or guitarist for an event? We have a wide network of contacts and are happy to help you find the right musician for your event!
DJ + live musicians
Since we at Palm Event are DJs, we have a lot of experience with the combination of DJ + live musicians. When thing that is important when it comes to choosing a musician, is to take into account the genre to be played and what type of event it is.
Party! We only hire professional musicians who play well and who can improvise by ear over a DJ's mixes. The musician's ability to integrate with the audience is also something we value. For example, do you want a saxophonist with a high stage presence or is it enough with someone who integrates with the audience from time to time? Do you want a saxophonist, or why not a violinist, who can play the melodies of several classic party songs and who is in sync with the DJ? A percussionist with a solid groove who puts on a show? These are some things to consider when booking a musician to accompany a DJ during a party.
Mingle and lounge! Here, the music you like is advantageously played that you can't really dance to, but rather can rock to. Do you want a pop vibe, a jazzy and smoky New York hotel lobby feeling or maybe a Riviera atmosphere with soulful luxury house? Keep in mind that a musician who is good at jazz is not necessarily as good at pop and vice versa. The choice of musicians according to the atmosphere you are looking for plays a big role. Here we are happy to help you find the musician who can best meet your needs!
Live musicians only
Do you only want one or two musicians during, for example, a social gathering? With our wide contact network, we are happy to help you here too! Don't forget that some form of technology such as speakers, mixer and microphones may be needed. This is something we also can assist with.