This Sunday is the day of Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden's combined Wedding Fair. Come and see us in the Garden Pavilion and have a chat about your wedding. It will be fantastic to see you whether you are a past, present or potentially future client, or even if you just want to ask some questions. No obligations, and the chocs are on me!! The fair is open from 11-3 in the Castle and the Garden. Entry is free, although if you wish to visit the castle or gardens too you will need to pay for that.

Follow-Up - Thank you to everyone who visited me at the Alnwick Wedding Fair. It was a great success and it was fantastic to meet so many new people as well as several existing ones too. The Fair was very productive and resulted in quite a few bookings. Showing large-screen photos of the Moodlighting also created a huge interest which was really nice.

March 2010

March starts with another Wedding - Nicola and Kevin are getting married at lovely Beamish Hall on the 6th. This will be the 2nd time in 3 weeks I've been at Beamish, and I have been getting a lot more bookings for this impressive venue.

Immediately after getting back from Nicola and Kevin's Wedding I'll be unloading and reloading the van and heading straight off to The Alnwick Garden for their Wedding Fair on 7th March as soon as the rest of my 'team' arrive. I wont get to bed Saturday night due to the timings, so please feel free to come along to the fair, and if I look about to nod off - give me a good prod! This year both Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden have combined their Events Management Team and the Castle will also be having it's Wedding Fair on the same day. So - you can visit 2 Fairs right next to each other on Sunday 7th March 2010 from 11-3. Don't forget to drop by my stand and say hello!

Unprofessional and Unethical Behaviour - Whilst it is mildly annoying I suppose it is also flattering to see so many DJs copying (or trying to) what I do. The simple fact is that many will make claims they are unable to fulfil effectively. This could be through lack of experience, insufficient equipment or just a lack of the right attitude.

However, what I am noticing now is that some DJs are gaining high results in Google by placing illicit 'Gateway' sites which are against Google's regulations. These are sites which contain nothing but keywords, names of places and names of venues. Google picks these keywords up and places the sites high in the rankings. Even worse, these sites may contain details of venues at which the DJ has never worked or even visited, but clients may be bamboozled into thinking otherwise. Once the site has sat at the top of Google for a while, it often disappears to be replaced by the DJ's normal site, reaping the 'rewards' of their dishonesty.

What are the implications for you? Well firstly a large part of the selection of a DJ, especially for a Wedding is hiring someone you can trust and respect to be professional and ethical. If someone acts dishonestly to gain your business, how can you be sure they wont be dishonest with you. Secondly, it shows a desperation for a company to resort to these tactics instead of providing a site with clear information, interest and photos and text to prove they are who they say they are and can provide the services they claim to provide. There are plenty of ethical, honest SEO techniques which will give an honest and informative site good rankings in Google, so a company which uses these underhand methods is doing it for a reason.

I pride myself on being honest, open and ethical in my dealings with clients. I promise that you have found my site through ethical methods, that my dealings with you will be honest and that every photo on this website shows events I personally have performed at, that they are all of my own equipment and that each and every service I offer - I do so in the sound knowledge that I have the equipment, experience and expertise to provide that service.

February 22-26, 2010

My webhosting company needed to change servers and this resulted in both my website and my e-mail being down over this period. Everything is working fine now, but it is possible that e-mails during this period failed to be delivered. I always reply to e-mails at the earliest opportunity, so if you have sent me an e-mail and not had a reply please would you re-send it to me, and I will attend to it immediately. Apologies for any inconvenience caused

January - February 2010

Congratulations to Alison and Charles. My first Wedding of the year was the 9th January at Durham Castle. The worst weather in 30 years threatened to ruin this special day but everyone pulled together to ensure everything went ahead as planned. I had been iced in at home since New Year and it became obvious my van was going nowhere. Fortunately I managed to get a rig together which fit in the car, and then discovered even the car couldn't get out of the cul-de-sac. I had another DJ on standby just in case, but with the help of the Land Rover Discovery Owners Club (thanks lads!!) I managed to get winched out of the street by 2 Discoveries! I got to the Castle to discover the heating had broken down due to a burst water pipe elsewhere in Durham, so it was a long, cold day - but everyone pulled together to have a great time. The Ceilidh went down very well (brilliant band!) and my performance was also very well received, with a full dance floor all evening (probably just to keep warm!). Alison and Charles both looked splendid!

February started with more Weddings. I'm noticing that more couples than ever are choosing to have their weddings out of season, and this is a great idea. It means you stand more chance of getting your perfect venue, and also more chance of the best suppliers having availability at perhaps shorter notice. My May-September is mostly booked 1-2 years or more in advance, but the slower months of October/November and January-March not so much. Obviously dates such as those around Halloween and Valentines Day are often booked for Weddings early, but other dates can be available at fairly short notice. As always though, I would recommend booking those suppliers who have to be there in person as early as possible. I am turning down enquiries on a daily basis for prime dates which have been booked months or years ago, and it still amazes me how late some couples leave it before booking their all important evening entertainment.

November - December 2009

The Christmas season started early this year, and December was one of the busiest months so far. In addition to 9 Weddings I had 11 Christmas Parties in the 23 days prior to Christmas. New Year's Eve was spent in the beautiful Alnwick Gardens and everyone had a great time. I have placed photos of some of the best moments here. As well as New Year's Eve I also performed at all Alnwick Garden's  Christmas Parties. The 2 last events before Christmas were Lyndsay and Chris's fantastic Wedding at Auckland Castle on the 19th (Lyndsay's magnificent burgundy dress was incredible) and Adele and Neil's Wonderful Winter Wedding at Whitworth Hall on the 22nd. Both events were badly affected by the awful weather, but in true style both couples refused to allow anything to go wrong, and both Weddings were great successes!

September - October 2009

Well after a massively busy Summer Wedding Season I have finally got around to updating this page! The new Moodlighting service has exceeded all expectations although that was only to be expected once people see just what a WOW factor it gives!

I have now taken delivery of the fantastic S&H DJ Booth which is simply incredible - very elegant and sophisticated with it's warm pea-light bulbs. It is perfect for the Wedding market, and although expensive will ensure the very smartest looking of rigs.

I'm also delighted to announce I can now offer hire of a fantastic range of dance floors, including a sumptuous starlit floor in either jet gloss black or beautiful gloss white. These look incredible and I cant wait to get some photos to show you. I can also offer black and white checkerboard standard dancefloor which looks very cool!

This month I also became a part of the Federation of Small Businesses, as well as becoming Platinum Approved under the Mobile-DJ Accreditation scheme. This is the highest accreditation and it is very rare for a DJ to achieve this straight off, which I did. The scheme grades a DJ on aspects of running a professional Business and is designed to help weed out the cowboys.

Also - as from September 1st I will no longer be offering Karaoke as a service. As most of my work is in the Wedding sector and with the exception of the Uni gigs Karaoke generally is losing it's popularity at private functions. The additional cost of buying these expensive disks each month plus the extra consumables of Karaoke means it isn't a viable option. There are also simply too many illegal downloaders out there offering the service for peanuts.

May - August 2009

Wow - Wedding bookings this year are through the roof.  I've noticed that more and more couples now are having Civil Ceremonies and many of them are using the same venue for the entire day. This makes a lot of sense logistically. It has also increased the number of All Day functions I'm doing. One downside of a Civil Ceremony is that there is no organist or choir, so music is often a problem. The upside of this is that it gives a couple (well the Bride really!) the chance to be more creative in terms of her chosen music for the Processional (Bride's Entrance), Register Signing and the Recessional (Bride & Groom's Exit). Although this is a great thing, it does create the problem of what to play the music through, how to make it sound professional and flow properly, rather than just pressing start and stop on a CD Player or iPod. Fortunately - Colin to the rescue (cue trumpet fanfares!). My new Managed Ceremony Music service has proved fantastically popular and really takes the stress and worry our of the occasion. With a discreet, dedicated small sound system, pre-arranged music which is professionally managed and timed with your Entrance etc, then smoothly faded out at the appropriate moment, Civil Ceremonies can now be as impressive and 'Wow' as Church ones. Just ask for more details!

January - April 2009

Sadness - the Bishop of Durham has decided to close magnificent Auckland Castle as a Wedding Venue and for functions generally. Probably the finest venue in the area, it offers more WOW factor than just about anywhere for miles around. Featured on Don't Tell The Bride, the Politics Show and other television appearances, it's majesty and grandeur have impressed for centuries. In fact, just late last year the Bishop hosted a conference for North East Businesses which was attended by the press, BBC, Lords, MPs, Bank of England and business owners from across the region. In this conference the bishop stated that the North East was well equipped to ride out the current economic climates and with good leadership and positive attitude we would emerge in a healthy state. A few weeks later he laid off all his staff, brought in an external catering company to handle existing bookings, stopped accepting any new bookings and disappeared off to the USA for several months, avoiding press coverage. What a shame he didn't follow his own example, and instead this magnificent part of our heritage will no longer be available to us. I have been recommended supplier at Auckland Castle for several years now and I shall miss working there tremendously. My thanks go to Kim Fryer (ex-manager) and her staff for their years of incredible dedication to the Castle and for their attitude and manner of handling weddings, which is a shining example of how the hospitality industry can be run at a profit whilst offering a superb level of service and quality to clients.

Now the madness of Christmas is over I have a few weeks to chill out a little, decide on my strategies for the coming 12-18 months and spend some time reviewing the previous year.

January is often a time for reflection, and this is the same for businesses. 2008 went very well, and bookings for 2009 and 2010 are showing about 90% are Weddings. Although the Economy is on the back-pedal it isn't stopping people getting married. What is interesting though is that couples arranging their weddings are not only spending more, but being extremely choosy in making sure they get exactly what they want. This is a great thing as not only does it show more interest in actually what their suppliers do and offer, but also allows them to personalise their special day in so many ways. Reports from venues vary - some say business is up whilst others are struggling. It does seem that those offering the more bespoke service are the ones doing well, whilst the ones with 'set menu' type of occasions are having some problems. Wynyard Hall for example is booked up several years in advance for Fridays and Saturdays, as is Durham Castle. The Alnwick Garden have seen huge increases in enquiries and Bamburgh Castle is receiving huge interest for Weddings, especially with the new Summer Marquee

October-December 2008

Nothing much to report - basically still really busy and the Wedding Season really does seem to be lasting all year round now! Sales of Mood Lighting have really taken off and more wedding clients are booking it than ever. Alnwick Garden looks especially magical with moodlighting, but to be honest I am finding they look incredible pretty much anywhere. I have had to turn down a few bookings at places where there just isn't space around the sides of the  room. I dont know why some venues push tables and guests right up against the walls!

July-September 2008

Wow - this year's wedding season was pretty phenomenal, and is still going on!

So far it has been my busiest year for weddings and I have noticed a few changes in trends from last year

Couples are planning a little further ahead now - I already have bookings for 2010 and even a few for 2011.

Many couples are now becoming more aware of the diversity of disco/DJ suppliers out there, and instead of just accepting 'the resident' are actively looking for someone who can provide what THEY want. This is something I have been doing for years, and am delighted to see the changes happening. Bring on the revolution :-)

A lot of couples are now also requesting a particular 'look' to a Disco rig. Whilst most are still happy to have a standard rig, they are asking questions about neatness, tidiness and whether there are advertising boards all over the rig. Quite a few are also asking for a more elegant, discreet look rather than lots of lights etc. I'm delighted to see this, as I spend a lot of time consulting with my clients and ensuring that everything I do is to enhance their day.

May/June 2008

As Seen On TV!!! Back in May I provided DJ services at a wedding which was being filmed for the popular BBC3 series 'Don't Tell The Bride'. You never know - I could be famous (although I won't hold my breath!). The series airs late summer/autumn 2008.

The Wedding Season has hit with a vengeance - I'm delighted to say this year is extremely busy. I've noticed a slight shift in my client base, towards those with more specific requirements, additional services and more all-day functions. This is a great challenge, but real fun, and it is lovely to be so involved in such a special day, ensuring everything goes according to plan. I've also been very fortunate in that all of my clients are such nice people. Having a good relationship is certainly conducive to a great event.

Bookings for the Projection Service and LED Uplighting Service are ahead of my anticipation, which is excellent news, and means I will probably invest in even more equipment for next year (where will I put it all!). Likewise the mini-PA hire is up on next year.

My new 'Ultimate Wedding Package' is almost ready to be announced, and is in response to the number of enquiries I get for all-day functions. Watch this space!

April 2008

It looks as though the Wedding Season has got off to an early start, and already looks like it will be an extremely busy one. I have read a few reports in the Press saying that Weddings are on the decrease due to the current extortionate cost of living. I totally understand a younger couple preferring to put savings towards property rather than their Wedding, but I do believe that just as many people will get married - just that some will wait longer before doing so. Fortunately for me enquiries and bookings have been as regular, and my 2009/2010 bookings are very slightly up on this year's. I think that Couples are starting to book their Core Services earlier, which is brilliant, leads to less disappointment and also shows that those who have got Engaged still believe in showing a long-term commitment to each other by booking things so far in advance. Last week I took my first booking for 2011!

I am also delighted and honoured to announce that I was recently appointed Secretary for 2008 to the National Association of Disc Jockeys. This should be a fulfilling and challenging role, and I hope can help give a boost to the membership in the North East. The NADJ work to improve the profile of the Professional DJ, setting standards of professionalism and development.

January - March 2008

At last I have been able to take a short break and managed to get away for a few days - much needed! Business has slowed down a little as is usual this time of year, and I am taking the opportunity to plan my equipment purchases for the year. For the larger event I will be investing in an Abstract VRX lighting system to complement my existing Abstract equipment. It is VERY nice!

I have now fully launched 2 new services. Firstly the Projection Service, which offers either a large (6x4) screen with full drape kit or a 42" Flat Screen Monitor, plus managed laptop service, including hire of a quality Pentax camera if required. This is a fantastic service for those getting married abroad who wish to share their photos at their UK reception, or for those who wish to share the day's memories with evening guests. Its also lovely if you have loved ones who for whatever reason are unable to attend - by showing photos of them you can feel their involvement. See here for more details.

Secondly the LED Uplighting service is proving very popular. These lovely lights can 'decorate' your venue in accents of colour to match or complement your theme, or in virtually any colour you wish. They can even be programmed to fade between colours all together or alternately if your theme is 2-colour! An essential for Marquees but will give warmth and atmosphere to any decor. Even better, they are cool to the touch so wont make the room uncomfortable or burn inquisitive little fingers, and use very little electricity! More details can be found here.

It seems every update announces Recommended Status with another venue, and I am delighted to announce that exclusive Blackfriars Restaurant in Newcastle now also recommend Colin's Disco for their Weddings and Party events. Susan and her team will go out of their way to ensure that every attention to detail is made to give you a fantastic night!

December 2007

Well December was very different this year! Instead of lots of Xmas parties I still had plenty of weddings - in fact 14 across December, with a 25th Wedding Anniversary for New Year's Eve. What a wonderful end to the year, and a fantastic start to the New Year. The Xmas parties I did manage were all great fun, from the small Karaoke Disco at Tall Trees to Tesco's large Christmas Disco for 300! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my clients for being so great throughout 2007, and I truly hope that continues into 2008. I'm also delighted to announce that I have been appointed Recommended Supplier to lovely Eslington Villa in Low Fell, Gateshead. With a Michelin Star restaurant the food there is fantastic, and the Events Manager, Nicola is putting together some very special Wedding Packages.

October/November 2007

Still no let up! It seems as though the Wedding season isn't ending this year, and my bookings are taking me right through till the New Year. I'm delighted to announce that Alnwick Garden have made me their Preferred & Recommended Supplier. That's a great honour, and added to Auckland Castle, Durham Castle, Hatfield College and several other fine venues in the North East is sure to keep the enquiries coming in! In November I also purchased a new deckstand/lighting truss which is not only very smart, and ingenious, it helps to reduce my setup times for those occasions where I have to set up during the room changeover. It means I can set up the bulk of the show outside the room, then wheel it in, place the speakers, connect up, which up the lights and I am ready to go!

August/September 2007

Phew! It's busy. I don't really have time for much of an update, and apart from just being extremely busy there isn't much actual news! I'd like to thank all my clients though - I have met some wonderful people, had some great meetings and been to a lot of fantastic Weddings! Back in June I started to upgrade my Sound System yet again, and bought a full powered system. Not only does this RCF system sound fantastic, but it fits in with my desire for the neatest, tidiest system around. You will see photos appearing in the gallery and around the site with the new equipment, and I hope you will agree my 'rig' looks extremely smart and tidy.

June/July 2007

Wedding season is in full swing, and so far not only my busiest but also the most enjoyable. Thanks to all my clients - you have all been so friendly and enthusiastic, its been brilliant working with you all!

This year I have also taken on some Summer School Karaoke/Discos, for foreign language students in the UK. So far they have been very successful and great fun. In fact Corporate work generally is increasing, and although very hard work so far I have thoroughly enjoyed it all - even the 13 hour gig after a 150 mile drive, tyre blowout, and only 2 hours sleep from the previous night's Wedding!

Children's Discos have become even more popular this year and I still really enjoy doing them - great fun whether its for 5 year olds or 15 year olds!

No other real news to talk about. Bookings are substantially up on last year, and both 2008 and 2009 are looking like being very busy already. Bookings for my new Mood Lighting service are starting to come in, and I'm looking forward to getting some great photos of them in action.

Oh yes - been doing some research into my business generally and the figures look interesting. Approximately 40% of all my work now comes from recommendation and repeat bookings. Another 40% comes directly from my website, with the remaining 20% split between various directories, the Yellow Pages and direct marketing.

My Client Satisfaction Surveys show that Clients feel real benefit from the pre-event contact I give, including Event Questionnaires and my new Wedding Checklists. Clients also like the way I communicate and discuss their requirements, rather than just turn up and play.

Thanks again to all my clients, and to anyone viewing my website!

April/May 2007

Well the 2007 Wedding Season is truly under way, and so far is looking like a very interesting one too! Several of my Brides & Grooms have practiced unusual First Dances, which certainly adds a different twist to the occasion. On the other hand, many other couples are choosing more traditional songs for their First Dance too, whereas last year it tended to be quite modern songs. Last year's most chosen First Dance was Snow Patrol's 'Chasing Cars'. So far this year the old classics such as Savage Garden's 'Truly Madly Deeply', Stevie Wonder's 'Sunshine Of My Life' and other classics such as Harold Melvin's 'If You Don't Know Me By Now' are marking a return to the real love songs of yesteryear.

I'm looking forward to all my Weddings this year - and so far have bookings at some fantastic venues including Auckland Castle, Alnwick Castle, Morritt Arms, Copthorne Hotel Newcastle, and several other lovely places, not to mention the ones I have already done. Should be a great season!

One thing that I do find strange though is how many couples leave booking their Disco till the last moment, then are surprised that none of the decent companies are available. Please, please choose your Disco carefully and book it as far in advance as possible. I have bookings already till 2010 so at least some couples are getting in early lol! By all means contact me just for a chat if you aren't sure what to look for in a Disco. I don't charge for advice, and even if I am already booked I'll happily try to find someone for you.

Plenty of other parties going on too, and I have done several 16ths/18ths, a couple of 40ths and even a 65th - there is a bit of variety! Also had a couple of Karaoke parties too.

Let's hope its a good Summer weather-wise, and that all the weddings go as smoothly as possible!

February/March 2007

RECENT EVENTS - Well the St Chad's Day Disco at St Chad's College, Durham Uni was a complete blast! 150 very drunken, very good-natured students who had set themselves the task of having the best time imaginable! It was a great night, and the video on my Home Page shows them all doing their thing to the Cha Cha Slide, the Macarena and Cotton-Eye Joe. Those guys love their cheese!

Similarly the Darlington Spraire Lasses thoroughly enjoyed their fund-raiser disco back in January. This under-10s girls football team and their friends/family showed just how much energy they all have. At about 10pm the organiser kicked all the youngsters off the dancefloor so that she and the other adults could dance to 'some proper music' and we played some real Disco hits from the 70s & 80s. The youngsters retaliated by demanding a 'dance-off', but they were no match for the hardened dance skills of the over 30s, who showed them what 'real dancing' is all about!

Other events this last few weeks have included a couple of christenings, 2 more children's parties, a spattering of general birthday parties, and a great surprise 21st party! 2 weddings make up the remainder, including one at beautiful Durham Castle, World Heritage Site.

EQUIPMENT - For a while now I have been wanting to upgrade my sound system. Although it's already of very high quality, I'm always looking to improve what I offer. I've especially wanted to upgrade the sound of my smaller rig.

Well I am delighted to announce the addition of a pair of the incredible DAS DS-115A Active speakers. Being 400watts each they are also extremely powerful and will also help bridge a gap at slightly larger events where the function room is upstairs. With a RRP of almost £2,000 a pair they certainly aren't cheap, but are a definite investment, and allow me to offer an even higher quality service for the money.

Other upgrades include the replacement of my lovely Behringer speaker system with a superb pair of DAS PF-112 mid-top speakers, and Class-D bass bins. The bass bins are lighter than my previous ones, but of equal sound quality. They will also be upgraded in the near future.

A new trussing system is in the pipeline (no pun intended!) for the summer, which will make my setup look even neater than it already does.

BOOKINGS - Bookings are up substantially on this time last year, and my calendar for the summer Wedding Season is filling up quickly. Also, bookings for Xmas 2007 are looking good, with only a few spaces still available. The 2008 Wedding season is about 30% booked, and 2009 following closely behind! Although my prices have risen slightly for the 2008 season, and will again in 2009, I have decided that any 2009 bookings made before the end of this year will be taken at 2008 prices, which will save some of you a little.

OTHER NEWS - Auckland Castle's new Wedding Brochure is due out in the next few weeks, and looks to be an exciting publication. As the Castle's recommended supplier, I have taken some space in it, and already the number of Auckland Castle bookings has increased dramatically. It's a beautiful place for a wedding, and the staff are friendly and highly efficient. They go out of their way to make you feel special and give you the most magical day of your life. My business has been built on similar principles - high quality, reliable and friendly service, which is perhaps why they continue to recommend me. Thank You's due all round!

Photo Gallery Service - Well I knew this would be popular, but so far everyone I have mentioned it to has wanted it! And it's free - perhaps I should have made an extra charge for this service!! Basically it's a great way for your friends and family to see some photos of the night - all in one convenient place. Let me know at the time of booking, and get everyone to send/e-mail me some pics, and I'll build a gallery on my website for you, free of charge, which will stay online for up to a month. Click here for more details.

I'll update this page regularly, well when there is any news to be shared lol!

Colin