12 Dec Lockdown – future, past & present
I’ve been DJing commercially now for the best part of 20 years. From clubs & bars in sunnier climates to weddings and private parties across the UK. My professional career has been an amazing journey to date, full of challenges to take on and overcome, but nothing in comparison to the situation we’ve been facing since March.
When the first announcement came through informing us of a National lockdown, my first reaction was complete fear. My gig calendar was jam-packed for 2020 and it was all set to be my record-breaking year – all wiped out overnight. With a young family to support, how on earth were we going to manage with zero income?!? It was an incredibly anxious few weeks as we waited for a financial support announcement from the Chancellor and worked out our own personal lockdown survival plan.
Once the initial panic had cleared and I knew the family would be ok, my focus swiftly turned to my clients. With a huge amount of contracted events initially affected by the restrictions, I needed to help and support these people. A mass rescheduling project began and it proved to be a great success. Retention rates were really high and only a small percentage of events were forced to cancel outright. This coupled with a huge influx of new enquiries and bookings, all of a sudden… the future was (and still is) looking bright.
Spending less time out on the road also has its advantages. It’s not unusual for me to be away from home for several days at a time, travelling between venues across the UK. This time saved, certainly hasn’t been wasted. On top of the extra family time, I’ve been able to update my set up & equipment to give me a fresh new look, improve my lighting control/shows to enhance my performances and spend lots of time working on my skills in my home studio. So apart from the lack of performances, my workload hasn’t fallen off and I actually feel like I’m now in a position to offer my clients an even better set up & service going forward – new video coming very soon highlighting this.
As well as being a Husband, Dad & DJ, I’m also an active member of the Harrogate & District Round Table and our motto is Adapt, Adopt, Improve. For me, this couldn’t be more relevant in the current climate and has been a constant focus of mine. Over the past few months, I’ve been implementing procedures to deliver my services in a Covid secure environment, whilst still being beneficial and entertaining for my clients. It’s been a great challenge and I’m relishing it. The “hype man” role I’ve been playing for so many years has temporarily become redundant and I now find myself performing for a different kind of audience.
Since September, I’ve been working with some amazing people to create their perfect soundtrack for their events. I’ve had weddings in some idyllic locations, performed in a busy distribution warehouse for Amazon and you may have even seen me on a Saturday morning in the awesome converted horsebox outside Snooty Frox & The Wild Plum, Harrogate. It’s an amazing feeling to be back out and performing in front of a live audience after what feels like an eternity away.
For now, as people and businesses adjust to the new rules & regulations, these quirky events are quickly becoming the norm, especially when it comes to festive celebrations. It’s important to know that even in our restricted environment, there are still DJ performance options available to you. So if you’re looking for some inspiration on how you can add some cheer to your work place, or enhance your Covid secure wedding/event with music… let’s have a chat!
Have a fabulous Christmas & stay safe,
DJMG.