Real Gig Stories: Memorable Moments from Dance Floors Past
I’m a gigging singer, musician and DJ with over 15 years of experience working in Canberra and beyond. And over those many years.. OH BOY have I seen some stuff. Here’s just a small sample:
I once had a bride and groom request “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC for their ARRIVAL song to their reception. What a way to start married life! Haha. They walked in and everyone was laughing.
Similarly, we once played Killing in the Name Of by Rage Against the Machine for a first dance. Halfway through, the bridal party joined the bride and groom on the dance floor, and by the end of it the whole reception was up and singing along to the ending of the song. Wild. For more on this, see my post on First Dance Songs!
On a whim, halfway through a dance set at a wedding, a bride asked if we could play “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. The band had never played it, so we pulled up a quick chord chart and did it as a request with NO rehearsal - AND IT WAS AMAZING. The whole room was singing. There was so much demand for Disney music.. we ended up playing 4-5 other Disney requests before the night was through.
And maybe my favourite story:
We once played a fundraising event for a gentlemen who had been in an accident that had left him requiring a wheelchair. Over the course of the night, different items were being auctioned off to raise money for his ongoing care - the event was in a rural town and there was a wide variety of items being auctioned off. Paintings, holiday packages - even a John Deere ride on lawnmower. The event started at 6pm, and we played from 10pm-2am. At about midnight, we start our third set, and I see two people out the corner of my eye jump on the lawnmower. They drove straight past all the tables and started doing doughnuts on the dance floor! WILD! We stopped the set until the mower had been removed..
All of this to say.. I’ve seen a lot! There’s very little that I haven’t seen on a gig yet, so if you’re looking for a musician or DJ who can handle the unexpected, I’m your guy!