Last night my duo The Innocent Bystanders performed for a third time at Lympne Castle in Kent. Its a truly spectacular 13th century Grade 1 listed building.  It has incredible views across Romney Marshes, which apparently inspired Paul McCartney to record an album there in 1979 (I would have been just 1 at the time but some 34 years on, the beauty and inspiring surroundings are not lost on me!). 

Our performance was a surprise for the bride which is quite unusual. Normally the bride will be the one very much in charge of booking a band/duo, but the chap who booked us wanted to surprise his new wife with a romantic gesture to sing the first dance - Always by Bon Jovi.  This isn't a number we'd normally do, so we had to rehearse it beforehand especially for the booking. We set up in The Great Hall, and worked alongside the DJ who was very considerate and allowed us to set up in his normal area so we could clear our gear at the end of the booking when he took over to play music into the early hours of Wednesday morning.

I was also able to try out my new lights - two Mega Par Profile LED par cans from American DJ. I was quite pleased with the look, as you can see they lit up the stage area quite nicely:

As always, the staff at Lympne Castle were helpful and everything seemed to be run very smoothly. We're hoping to be booked back there again soon as its such a lovely venue to play! Thank you to Matthew and Rosie, we wish you both a very happy future together!

My first booking at Cooling Castle Barn in Kent was in 2003, almost ten years ago!  I set up on the Minstrel's Gallery in The Tithe Barn. My presence during the wedding breakfast was a surprise for the bride (I don't mean I just turned up on her wedding day with my saxophone of course...!) I had in fact had several covert emails and letters from the groom who wanted to surprise her with a singer and saxophonist. When I arrived to set up I remember being struck by the beauty of the place, and the surroundings. It also had a peaceful and calming atmosphere. I could instantly see the appeal for couples walking through the door as it feels very welcoming straight away.

In the last few years they have invested and built new accommodation for people (which is good as the bride and groom and their families can stay at the venue, and they also have somewhere to retreat to if they need a moment or two to relax!)  Its no surprise to me that today they have a long waiting list (especially for weekends) and despite the economic downturn they are busier than ever!

After my first booking I was lucky enough to be spotted by the manager on duty at the time, and they passed on my details to the owners.  I wasn't sure if anything would come of it, but I got a call a few weeks later asking me if I would like to attend their annual Open Day as a supplier.  Prior to this I had relied on recommendations and word of mouth and had not advertised my services (apart from having a small website).  However, I decided I had nothing to lose so I gave it a go armed with a few flyers and some business cards!  I was asked to set up on the Pavillion which is a large wooden structure where they hold outdoor ceremonies (see picture below). It was lovely to play from there on a summer's day as guests chatted after the ceremony during the photos. 

The Open Day was a success and they very kindly added me to their recommended suppliers list.  This meant a lot to me as being recommended by Cooling Castle Barn isn't something they do lightly.  You have to meet their professional standards and be very reliable, so I feel honoured that they continue to recommend me ten years on!  They recently stopped all singers from performing outside due to the noise, so nowadays I am usually booked to play inside during the wedding breakfast in The Tithe Barn from The Minstrel's Gallery or during the photos in The Heritage Barn.  This in fact works a lot better than outside, as I am able to play background music whilst people chat and no one has to worry about the weather!  I am also sometimes booked as a duo for the afternoon or in the evening to work alongside their excellent DJ Dan Potter. (see my blog on working with DJs)

I have now performed at Cooling Castle Barn more times than I can remember, and hand on heart, everything always runs like clockwork.  Its one of my favourite venues to play!

As a wedding singer and musician I'm often asked to work alongside a DJ especially when booked for evening entertainment. Its a bit of a mixed bag of course. Most professionals are very considerate and want to work together to create the best evening possible for the bride and groom. However, at times it can become an uneasy relationship as egos can take over and it can quickly become a battle of who can play loudest, or take up the most room on stage!  

I have had many experiences around Kent, London and the South East over the last fifteen years.  Around 8 years ago I was lucky enough to receive a booking at the Rochester Corn Exchange.  To those who are unfamiliar with the venue, it's a huge hall with an impressively high ceiling and large glass windows all around.  I was to perform a one hour live set before the DJ took over.  I had heard about the venue (having played most of the pubs along Rochester, Gillingham and Chatham throughout what I fondly like to call my 'musician's apprenticeship'!) and was excited to have an opportunity to perform there.

The stage was approximately 12 metres wide and 1 metre high at the far end of the hall. When I arrived I had a little surprise. The DJ had already taken his place spreading his sub woofers, lighting rig and heavy duty speaker equipment across the entire stage area.  He'd been told to expect me, but had made a judgement call that I wouldn't require much room and used all the stage space available.  Now, you may perhaps say this is partly my fault as we should have communicated beforehand, but this booking was given to me just one day before the date.  Most DJs I had worked with previously had always assumed I'd need a little space for myself so I felt fairly confident that such a large venue could accommodate us both on the gargantuan stage.  I ended up setting up on the floor in front of the stage area, and my act thankfully went down very well!  Perhaps the DJ was right (if a little unfriendly!) after all?

On another occasion I was performing alongside a DJ in Canterbury and the venue's manager asked him to turn his volume down on several occasions. He seemed to take their requests as a criticism rather than genuine and honest feedback, and refused. After an hour or so, and more warnings than I can remember, the manager calmly strolled over and physically pulled his electrical plug out!  Not great for his equipment, but I do understand the manager's point of view!

Thinking about it, volume can be a little like road-rage. Once a person is in control of a sound system (whether a musician, singer or DJ) they can on occasion behave a bit differently. Perhaps it's the feeling of being in control of a powerful machine, or maybe it's that voice in their head that tells them everyone should like the music they like.  The more professional of us try to put our feelings and egos to one side and  focus on what the audience need, and strive to create an atmosphere where everyone can enjoy themselves.

In 2004 I was asked to perform at Cooling Castle Barn's Christmas celebration evenings.  These Christmas parties are held each weekend throughout December every year. I was to perform in two rooms simultaneously... not an easy task since there's only one of me!  A month before the bookings I was contacted by Dan Potter, a DJ from Sounds Impressive who introduced himself and explained exactly how the sound system worked and how I could feed my signal into both rooms. He also told me what cables I would need and when to set up. I was struck by his professional attitude and how focused he was on making everything run smoothly to ensure all the celebrations were a success.  And a success they were! Dan even turned up early to help me set up my cables (knowing that performing in two rooms would be tricky!)

In more recent years by coincidence Dan and I were also booked to work together at a wedding at Nettlestead Place in Kent.  On this occasion he phoned me beforehand to ask what PA system I would be taking with me.  I explained which I would be using, and he arranged to scale down his system so it matched mine.  This way when I finished playing my set and took a break, his disco would be a similar volume to me, so when I went back on stage it wouldn't suddenly sound quieter!  He also asked to see my set list so he could avoid playing songs that I was due to play that evening.

It's this kind of consideration between musicians and DJs that can make all the difference at a wedding or party.  Working together rather than against one another means everyone benefits... including us!

I have worked with Dan and Sounds Impressive DJs on many more occasions since then, and I highly recommend them to all wedding couples that are looking for a DJ. Not only are they considerate to musicians and singers, they play music that the audience want to hear and have a natural understanding of what songs will work well for a particular event. Not forgetting Dan has some mean beat-matching skills which still amaze me to this day!