Q. What kind of entertainment service do you provide?

A. LME provides "basic" dj’d music entertainment for your home or business event. The term "basic" refers to what is provided: a DJ, music and sound equipment. Fancy visual lighting effects and/or extra services are not included and will need to be discussed with the client if the event requires it.

Q. What kind of events do you do?

A. Last Minute Entertainment can do most events with the exception of school dances. For the most part though, LME has been focusing more on private events. Taverns/Lounges and bars are still being done as this is a great way to have perspective clients who want to observe what is done in a more public setting.

Q. Why are school dances not included in your service?

A. An event such as this would require much more sound and lighting equipment than LME has to offer. Even if I had to rent the needed equipment (which I CAN do), that extra cost would definitely be passed on to the customer and most, if not all, school dances are put together by the STUDENTS, who only have so much they are allowed to spend on the event. I would not be able to reduce my rate low enough to meet the desired price, therefore, I prefer to leave the school dances to the larger DJ services.

Q. Is your music library legal?

(actually, this is NOT a frequently asked question as I have yet to meet anyone that really cares if the music used is legal or not, unless the person looking for a dj is with the RIAA (Recording Industry Artists of America). Even now, the RIAA considers just making ONE copy from an original CD as “illegal” and considering most people make “mixed” cd’s from the originals - to play in their car stereo, computer,or to share with friends,  the phrase “everyone does it” would seem to apply here. Also, remember that in the eyes of the RIAA, If you had a guest who wanted the dj to play a song off a disc they brought with them to the event is also illegal -  it’s a form of “sharing” copyrighted material. But because it’s all the rage on other dj sites and, for some reason, believe it to be a great selling point to make sure you know the status of their music libraries, this information will also be include on this site as well.)

A. Last Minute Entertainment does not download it’s music off “free” or P2P sites such as Kazaa. Our music is purchased from both music shops in the area and off pay sites online  that are payed a monthly fee for music downloads. Where and how these fees are distributed to the artists is not of LME’s concern, that is for the music sites to determine per their own policies. As our music is played via computer, any files downloaded from these “free” sites have the potential for carrying viruses, which could damage our equipment, so we choose only pay sites to download from.

Q. What equipment do you use for your services?

A. All equipment used is “professional” quality -  built for playing music in large public settings. Last Minute Entertainment has recently upgraded all gear to DIGITAL, meaning, we limit the use CD’s or CD players. All the music and sound is run from a PC (although one CD player is kept on hand for guests that have discs they want the DJ to play). A backup PC is on hand, should anything happen to the first one. We use 2 professional-grade DJ speakers rated at 300 watts a piece running off a pro-quality 700 watt amplifier (more than enough power to make your neighbors complain!). We do have 4 backup pa speakers for added surround sound or replacements should something happen to the main units. We currently do have Karaoke equipment, however, I do not offer that service anymore and is only available by SPECIAL request only. I stopped upgrading music for Karaoke, so if requested, be prepared to purchase any music that I don’t carry on hand.

NOTE: I chose not to give the brand names of the equipment I use as I prefer not to give free advertising on this site and if I give free advertising to one company, I have to do the same for all others. If it's important to know the brand names of the equipment I use, you can send me an e-mail and I can send you that information.
 

Q. How can you call your company “last minute” when you won’t do my wedding that’s only a few days away?

A. Firstly, “last minute” refers more to our EMERGENCY services and was partly the reason of the service’s inception - meaning, if you booked another dj and that dj, for whatever reason, canceled or didn’t show up, then LME could agree to do your event at or near what you had contracted with the other service was charging.  Most other companies would charge you more for last minute bookings.

 An “emergency” period is anywhere from the day of the event up to 3 days out.

Secondly, if a customer waited to look for their entertainment - meaning, did NO shopping around, or put it off until near the date of the event, that is NOT considered an emergency situation. Just like the Caterer and the Florist - who require preparation time to order supplies and equipment, the DJ service also requires the same courtesy of being allowed to prepare for your event as well. Music needs to be ordered if not in the dj’s library, special equipment may be needed that must be rented or purchased. In the event of the dj requested to be dressed in a tux - a rental needs to be reserved well in advance.

Unfortunately, in our fast-paced “got to have it now” attitudes, events like weddings that, traditionally, require 6 months of planning, are now expected to go off without a hitch in less than a MONTH’S planning. That may be fine for other dj services, but LME takes it’s bridal events very seriously since we KNOW how important such a day is and should be to the Bride and Groom, but without enough planning time, we simply can’t and WON’T guarantee how your event ends up. In our opinion, events like weddings are too important to just “throw together” at the last minute and for what you spend for ours or any other service and the prices involved, you SHOULD expect to get what you pay for and no less.  

Q. Do you have any lighting effects with your setup?

A. LME does carry two lighting packages - a Large and a Small. The Large package uses ALL our available lighting effects with a truss (what we connect our lighting to) that spans 10 feet in length. This setup is suitable for outdoor or large area Wedding receptions with a big dance area. The Small package is suitable for events that don’t have a lot of room for equipment or for most bar/lounge/taverns with small dance areas. The truss for this setup spans 5 feet in length and not ALL lighting effects are used.

We don’t have any SPECIFIC lighting effects for this package so that's why I prefer to discuss the lighting issue with the client to put together a suitable setup. One thing that should be noted is that LME's liability increases as more equipment is connected to the electrical system of the venue such as a private residence. Rented halls, hotel party rooms, or other rented public or private facilities are better able to handle the stress of the dj's power requirements as well as having enough wall outlets. When doing an event at a private residence, LME requires at least two accessible wall outlets near the setup area.

Q. What are your setup requirements?

A. A minimum setup area is about 10 feet by 10 feet square, however, anything smaller than that and the dj may be TRAPPED behind his equipment! :)
It's important to locate an area that the equipment will not obstruct an entry or exit doorway either to other rooms or leading out of the facility. It should also be an area that ALL the equipment can be safely contained in one area, meaning the equipment and all it's cords and wiring should not have to be run across a doorway or major traffic area where someone can trip and fall, injuring themselves or damaging the equipment.

Q. Do you have power requirements?

A. Yes. All venues must have standard 110 electrical house current and no less than 2 wall outlets located near the setup area. The client will be responsible for knowing which outlets are usable to prevent damage to the venue or DJ’s electrical system.

Q. Do you have back-up equipment?

A. I do have spare back-ups that I bring to the event site, should the need arise.

Q. What kind of music do you have?

A. My music library cosists of songs from today's hits on down to the 50's in Country, Rock, Rap/Hip-hop, R&B, Classic Rock, and Dance. I also have Swing and Big Band music as well. Although LME's music list isn't 50,000 + songs like the bigger dj companies, I do have a wide selection of music for just about anyone and is CONSTANTLY growing as new songs are continually added from requests received from customers at public performances

Q. Do you take requests?

A. Requests are strongly encouraged. Many problems I've seen from other dj's and have heard complaints about other dj services is that the man behind the equipment KNOWS what to play and won't ruin his playlist with a bunch of requests. I feel that if YOU are paying for the entertainment, YOU should have a say in how that entertainment should be utilized insofar as what music YOU want played. I almost never go into an event with a set playlist as I KNOW the requests I will be getting will set the mood of the event and then I can add songs to that mood to continue the guests musical enjoyment.

Q. What if there's a song I want but is not in your library?

A. NO PROBLEM!!!! New music is constantly put out in groups and sometimes there are a few songs that seem to slip by and no one notices UNTIL it's requested. This is especially true when trying to pick up new songs from the various genres that LME's collection has. Simply let us know what song(s) you wanted and we can get it! This is easier for current and past hits, however, if there's a song that's either out of print or not availble to get locally, then it must be ordered. For this, your song request must be sent in no less than 2 weeks prior of the event since it will have to be special ordered from the record shop or over the internet. Special ordered songs are charged $10 extra for each title.

Q. Can I attend an event before booking your service?

A. LME's policy strictly prohibits non-invited guests to attend and observe the private events of others as many of these events are "family" or "company only". However, you can ask for information on where LME will be doing PUBLIC events and you are encouraged to come and observe at that time.

Q. Can I or my guests bring music?

A. This is a little bit of a controversial subject among dj's. A large majority of dj's (mostly the larger multi-operation services) believe that you shouldn't have to bring music as that's the dj's job and you should not hire a service that allows this practice. The dj should have ANY song available at the ready when requested. The problem with this is that a dj service would need to almost have EVERY song ever recorded just to make sure they'd never run into this situation. Currently, at the time of this printing, EBAY was putting up for auction a music collection of EVERY song imaginable at the starting bid of $3 million dollars! Of course, you will NOT find a dj that has that many songs in their arsenal. If you DO find a dj making this claim, call them on their bluff and ask for their music lists.

LME's policy is that if we don't have a selection available and you or a guest has the selection at the event, we WILL play it, no questions asked. Just make sure that all music given to the DJ is clearly marked so that it won't inadvertantly end up in his/her collection at the end of the night. If LME's turntables are requested and you have music you want played, all discs and LP's (records) should be clean and free from scratches. Records should be of the 33 or 45 rpm type (other types will not work on our turntables) and free from warpage. I do have cassette decks for those songs you may have on cassette (both turntables and cassette decks are special requests and not part of our normal setup. If these are needed for your event, please let us know at the time of booking. There are no special fees added for use of these items).

Q. Do you require a contract for your service and how do I book a date?

A. A contract is a must! Not only does this document provide the Client with all the service details agreed upon, but it protects both the client and the DJ from problems that might arise during the event. It also spells out what the expectations are of the Client and the DJ so that your event can go off without any mishaps. Contracts are sent as soon as the booking date has been set. Once done, the contract must be returned SIGNED to Last Minute Entertainment.

The ONLY time a contract is not needed is for EMERGENCY services. This is when your booked DJ cancels or is a no-show at your event and you don’t have a backup service available. The only requirement for LME to do an emergency service is payment is due BEFORE the equipment is set up, which is minimum 75% of what the previous dj charged. This is NOT NEGOTIABLE. No equipment will be unloaded prior to payment.

Q. How shall payment be made?

A. Payments can be made by cash or check and is due in accordance with the terms of the contract. In the event no contract is signed for the event, FULL payment for the service plus any prepaid overtime charges are due upon the DJ's arrival to the event. If payment by check, there is a $75 NSF fee on all returned checks.

Q. What if I am having my event outdoors?

A. LME can provide music in an open air medium as long as the Client provides adequate cover (such as a tent or carport) to contain the equipment and protect it from moisture and direct sunlight. The area that the equipment sits must be level and smooth. Grass lawns are ok as long as there are no dips or bumps that would hinder the equipment sitting level.

Q. As a Tavern/Lounge/Club owner, what's different about your service?

A. Most tavern/lounges don't book live dj'd music as there is no guarantee that a crowd will show up on a specific night, but STILL must pay the entertainment's sometimes expensive fees without recovering that cost if no one shows up which makes having dj'd music an unprofitable investment . If you can't afford to book a big dj company for your establishment, Last Minute Entertainment can be an affordable alternative, especially if you are using a dj service for the first time. The only condition is that the establishment must have a suitable area large enough for dancing and applicable lighting (unless lighting is unimportant). As far as what is charged, a flat rate cannot be published as that would limit our availability as most places have different prices they're willing to pay. Have your own sound equipment? Then your charge for the service can be reduced even more! LME can work with the client to come up with an agreement that everyone involved can be happy with. All you have to do is call and we'll set up a time to meet and set it up from there.

Q. Do you carry a license to play the music you have?

A. According to ASCAP (American Society of Composers And Publishers) laws, Dj's are not required to pay royalties for the music they play for PRIVATE events. Likewise, Dj's also do not pay license fees if HIRED to play for public performances as in a Tavern, Lounge or Club. In this case the VENUE is responsible for those licenses. Dj's are only required to hold an ASCAP (or another organization) license in the event that the DJ service sponsors it’s OWN public dance, fundraiser, or similar event.

Q. What is your experience?

A. There are a few amateur dj's out there that don't have a lot of experience and hope you'll hire them so they can "practice" and get the experience needed for whatever event they do next. You don't want to hire someone who doesn't know what they're doing for YOUR party! Last Minute Entertainment is run by an individual experienced in the radio field, with a diploma in Radio Broadcasting, from doing live station remotes (on-site broadcasting), to running board ops (in-station broadcasting). You can be assured that your music is being provided by a professional who knows what they're doing.

More FAQ's on the way!!!!