This is one of the advantages of knowing a great number of DJs, located all around the south-east of England helping to save the direst of situations.

I'm also a member of SEDA (South East DJs Association) and NADJ (National Association of DJs) so have access to a huge number of DJs in the extremely unlikely situation that I'm not able to make your event.

However, I am self employed and a Professional DJ. This is my sole income and so I NEVER miss any of my engagements. I have only once in 20 years been too sick to perform at an event, and that was in Damascus with an extremely bad stomach. I even made it to an event on crutches when I had broken a bone in my foot the same day playing football.

In short, it would have to be a real catastrophe for me to miss your event. I am not an agent, I will not take your booking and then give it to another DJ. If you book me that is who will be performing at your event.

My dress code is either Black Tie or Smart Casual depending on the event. If you have a preference please let me know. There is a section included on the planning form where you can state your preference.

If the event has a theme I will try where possible to fit in with that theme if I'm pre-informed.

I've worked with a huge number of live acts and am level headed enough to realise that I'm working for you and that the ultimate aim is that you have a great night and so I do not let ego get in the way of working with other performers.

When a client does book a DJ and a band they will often have me playing background music during/after the meal, then the band will play the first dance and do their first set, which is often around 45 minutes. I then take over again for around 30 to 45 minutes after which the band come back on for their 2nd set of 45 minutes. I then take over until the end of the night. This is not set in stone and it can be altered to your preference.

Regarding pricing; Some clients have had an expectation that the DJ would be much cheaper than the usual price in this scenario because he is only playing for a couple of hours. I still have to be at the event the whole night regardless of the actual hours that I'm performing for, so I do not offer a lower price because I am working with a live act.

I can work in any venue that has either a smoke detector system or a noise limiter fitted. I do not use smoke or Haze machines so the smoke detector is not an issue. FYI Haze machines do not usually effect the smoke alarms.

Regarding sound limiters; The sound levels will be adjusted to be within the agreed limit of the venue, this is quite common and should not cause any noticeable quality reduction of my show where the sound limiter has been set correctly.

However it is worth noting that at many venues these have not been installed correctly. They should always be installed by a professional sound engineer but some venues have them installed by their onsite electrician. This can cause problems because a professional sound engineer will take into account the acoustics and size of the room when setting the maximum sound level, most electricians simply install these units on the factory default setting and do not adjust the maximum sound level. This can cause a problem when in use because if the sound level is set too low, then it can make it very difficult to entice people onto the dancefloor, even more so if the bar is in a separate room from the dancefloor.

If the music exceeds the maximum set level then all the power to the equipment is cut and very often the power will not return for a set amount of time, usually between 1 & 5 minutes.

I have worked in some venues such as The Barbican, where the default setting was so low that the sound of the audience clapping set them off and cut the power!

Please note many live bands often have a problem with a sound/noise limiter.

I have found that smoke machines, bubble machines and dry ice are more trouble than they are worth and never use any of them unless specifically requested to do so.

Many venues do not allow the use of smoke machines as they set the smoke alarms off and leave a residue.

Bubble machines and Dry Ice can both cause Health & Safety issues, such as slippery surfaces etc.

As an alternative to smoke I sometimes use Haze machines which is much finer than smoke, creates the same effect and usually does not effect the smoke alarms.

I can arrange to set up equipment at any time that is most suited to your event and this can include setting up during the morning or before the meal, please discuss this when making your booking where I will be very happy to help.

Many clients that opt for the early setup, also will have me play some background music during the meal.

If you do opt for this option you would also be able to use my microphone/sound system for the speeches (assuming that the meal and disco are in the same room).

If you would like background music, but you are having the disco in a different room to the room where you are having the wedding breakfast, this may cause some difficulties depending on how far the rooms are from each other and how much time I am given to move equipment from one room to the other!

In that situation I can provide a 2nd sound system to be used for the speeches and background music while the main sound system is setup in the room to be used for the disco.

Please note that there is a charge for a second PA system and/or early setup.

It generally takes me under 1 hour to set up all of the sound & lighting equipment, and I will usually arrive at the venue just over an hour before the start time.

Only modern vehicles are used, plus the back-up of them being serviced on a regular basis and additionally I have full vehicle breakdown cover.