DJNI STARTED AS A BIT OF FUN
Chris here! I’ve always had an interest in music and radio. Right since my early school days I’ve has a passion to share music with others. Whether it was end of term at school where I brought in a carrier bag of cassette tapes, a Walkman and portable speakers into class or hiring out some sound gear at College and doing a few special nights for my fellow students on campus, I always wanted to get out there and do my thing. Later in life I’d been to many parties and weddings with old friends, new acquaintances, family members and it was always billed as “The best day ever”, but rarely lived up to the expectation.
Music matters
99% of the time it wasn’t the people, the venue, the weather … it was the music. The same songs being played year after year, regardless of the occasion, the age range of the crowd, the type of people in attendance. It had got to the point where I could almost predict the playlist before I had even turned up.
Something different
I had come to question why there wasn’t a company that was able to cater to something a little different alongside the tried and tested classics ? For example, if I asked the DJ to drop some Mumford and Sons, would give me the thumbs up and play it next or look at me as though I were crazy as he had never heard of them …..How about mixing a Rudimental / Chasing Status type set in at the end of the night ….. ?
Wedding DJ’s who mix
Would we get the response “I’m a wedding DJ …. I don’t mix” Or would he jump straight in and play a banger of a set and shock everyone? Well we found out the hard way that the usual response to these questions from Wedding DJ’s was one of confusion. They were still playing the same playlist they were playing 10 years ago.
New generation
I understand that a new generation of people had grown up and were getting married, and that you can’t get away with keep playing “Lionel Ritchie” and “Jackson 5” every week and expect it to see having the same effect. Every crowd is different, every Wedding has a completely different vibe that needs to be catered to. As a DJ and a music lover I realised that I would be able to meet this need far better than a Wedding DJ who had been using the same playlists for years.
WE STILL LOVE THE CLASSICS
Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a bit of Lionel and MJ, but as a DJ in 2024 and beyond you have to have more in the bag to cater to everyone. People are more musically educated than ever, with independent artists breaking through into the charts on a weekly basis and music streaming at our fingertips. It is important that a Wedding DJ in 2024 not only knows the classics, but is also up to date with the latest bands and solo artists, and we are proud to be those DJs.
DJNI
Did I mention the Christian party thing? Eternity Socials, it’s been going since 2004 and since I’d all the sound and lighting equipment sitting there, I thought I may as well aim at some secular and corporate events, so DJNI was born in the Summer of 2016. Since then I ran the business on a part time basis, enjoying providing memorable moments for people and topping some wages at the same time.
in 2020 Covid hit and it was pretty much game over for a while. I was so thankful to have the day job which helped me keep things together through the tough times. It also helped me grow DJNI believe it or not. With the absence of dancing when lockdown slightly lifted, with my previous Eternity Socials microphone skills I was able to offer games such as Family Fortunes, Mr and Mrs and Quizzes to keep people entertained at evening receptions, although it was a welcome return to see feet on dancefloors again…eventually.
I’ve been able to build the business since then to include a team of great DJ’s who are at the peak of their game, enabling us to do music not just in NI but right across the UK as a whole.
Equipment – We pride ourselves on our sound and lighting setup nearly as much as our professionalism behind the booth. Our lighting equipment and sound systems have the clearest sound with the right punch, giving CD clarity and not just a lot of noise blasting the crowd’s ears, whilst all of the time being played at the right level to suit your party.
We have over £15,000 worth of equipment in our repertoire spanning over three kits in varying sizes to suit all sizes of venues, again we want to have the levels just right for each event, to enable the best possible experience.
Bands have two settings, ON and OFF. This is not the case with ourselves, we pride ourselves on playing music at the right level.
Do you require a wedding band & wedding Dj. We have some brilliant crowd pleasing, floor filling wedding bands and DJ packages. Just get in touch to discuss.
We pride ourselves to be able to keep your guest entertained from start to finish. Playing all the original songs as they were supposed to be heard through a crisp clear sound system.
