I have contracts for every client. Never had a problem.

Gary

I call it a "performance agreement", somewhere in time "contract" took on a negative connotation.
To fill time, there's Jingle Bells swing, and Jingle Bells with an R&B rhythm then Jingle Bells samba, jazz waltz, polka etc. Same for Frosty and Rudolph ...
Ciao,
Jerry

Having a contract means nothing in the real world. You'll win the battle with it, but lose the war.

Most folks don't know what's it's like going to court to get a judgement against someone. In the many years I've been playing I think I had to go to Small Claims Court maybe 1/2 dozen times to claim my money. In those days, I would not play without a contract.

Here's what happens if you get stiffed in any way. You start a dialogue with the person about getting the monies owed (out of politeness and out of trying to avoid Small Claims Court). That hardly ever works so the next step is....go down to the Court, fill out the papers, pay the processing fee, and go home and wait for your court date appearance. On that day, you get up about 4 in the morning to make sure you get to the court in time (a no show means you lose your case). Most times you're there until mid-afternoon waiting for your case to be heard.

When the judge sees the signed contract he will enforce it, no questions asked. So you get your judgment awarded to you. BUT.....it the person ignores the judgment, you then have to go back to court to have a judge enforce collection proceedings. That means he assigns a Sheriff to take the money from them physically or have the person's wages garnished.

I had a bride once who cancelled a week before. I took her and the contract to court, got awarded my money, but it took a year to finally get the whole amount. You can imagine how much time and energy I put into that deal.

Luckily, most folks don't know they stand a good shot of getting away with it by just ignoring the judge's decree to pay. Most of those I took to court just payed me. But when you get one like that obnoxious bride (who I had to have her wages attached) you end up going through so many hoops, you wonder is it worth it?

It got to the point where I personally solved the problem by telling a client (in a polite and friendly, but professional way) that they need to pay a 50% deposit and the balance BEFORE I start playing. It helps a lot when I add that they can pay me right up to one minute before I start, but it HAS TO BE BEFORE I START! That tends to make them more comfortable if they can pay me at the job rather than by mailing a check beforehand.

Mark

Thank you everyone. This is what I suspected. I normally do about one in every three, but, I might cut that down. I know I get pretty tired of Christmas songs by the 25th, and I'm sure I am not alone.

Unlike poor Eddie, no one tells me how to do my job.

What I sometimes do during the Christmas season is to play 'charity pop music' in addition to Christmas songs, songs like 'That's what friends are for', 'I'll be at your side' or 'We are the world', 'Man in the mirror'.

I usually do 30 min straight Christmas songs in the start then pepper it .....the rest of the gig

Another example of the Client not having a clue as to how please their guests. That is why I don't miss doing the big weddings. Too many Brides with big ideas that don't work in the real world.
I would of mentioned to her that you did do what she asked and did not incite the guests to badger her. And a polite mention that she did short you. Maybe let things cool off for awhile and give it a try. She shouldn't think she is allowed to pull off that attitude. She should have tipped you big for being professional and trying to please everyone.

BTW on the contract issue. A verbal contract is binding if that mode of business has been done before with the client. I won two cases that way. Just had a Lawyer friend sent the client a letter reminding them of that fact and I got paid.

To the original thread. I think starting off with Christmas Chestnuts and then getting to what they really want to party to is the way to go. But on my recent Atlantic City gig 2.5 hrs. I stayed with the Holiday music almost entirely because the crowd kept changing. It was an open cocktail party and there were others going on so people drifted around. The strangest thing was in the room next door I heard an Acoustic guitarist doing "Another Brick in the Wall"" LOL !!

YEP.

Ditto! I've turned down dozens of weddings during the past year, and in many instances give the people asking the name and telephone number of a GOOD DJ. I'll stick with the senior events, nursing homes, assisted living centers, retirement communities and private parties - lots more fun, far less headaches, wonderful people, and great pay. When I was doing weddings with a band, we did about two a month - not enough to make a full time living by a long shot. Yeah, the band charged $1,500 for the four hours, I went home with $300, which was $75 less than I would have made for three hours of NH performances. A GOOD DJ, in this part of the world, will pick up about $600 to $800 for a wedding job, but most of those guys are lucky to do 15 jobs a year - about half the number of jobs a good OMB working the senior circuit does a month. And, the last wedding I did Don Mason sent the same drunken, dozen young, barefooted girls up here to dominate the dancefloor that plagued him in Louisiana every time he did a wedding.

Gary

There's plenty of pie on the table......
just pick out the slice YOU want!