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100% play lists for DJ's are when the DJ is supplied with a list of all the music to play during a party and the order in which the music should be played. 100% play list are not the same as a list of special requests and do not allow for the audience to make any requests on the night. Since there are many inexperienced DJs with no clue as to how to build a party atmosphere, at first this might seem a good idea, here are our thoughts in thinking that its is not.

Recently we saw an article in a Wedding magazine that said ''If you want great music at your Wedding reception, don't leave it to chance give the Wedding DJ a 100% play list''. Everyone wants their Wedding to be perfect and the entertainment is a big part of the evenings celebrations, so getting this right is essential. However a party is a unique event and its always impossible to predict in advance what will work best on the dance floor.

Don't believe it? then take this test. Sort through your music collection and work out a five hour play list. Note down all the tracks in the order you want to hear the music. In two or three weeks time sit down and see just how many tracks you skip through because you get bored. Now imagine your friends and family listening to this music; and consider will this music make everyone want to get up and have a dance. If you think it will, you would be wrong so please don't call us and we wont call you.

Music creates a mood, and the mood you are in today will be different in two weeks time. A party situation is far more complex than this. Music will change the collective mood throughout the evening. The aim is to make sure these changes are positive ones. Pick a record, one with great lyrics, and has a deep meaning say for instance the biggest selling record of all time, Elton Johns candle in the wind 97 perhaps it may put a tear into peoples eyes but its never going to get anyone on the dance floor. Unfortunately in a party situation a record like its raining men will usually create that up beat mood we are looking for. However, lets not get carried away; we are not saying playing the Weather Girls will pack a dance floor in fact in many cases it will have the exact opposite effect. This is why the DJs ability to read the crowd is so important.

A good DJ will sense the changing moods throughout evening and try to create an emotional roller coaster that draws everyone together. If Y.M.C.A came on the radio most of us would quickly turn it off but it often (not always) records like this have a great effect in a party situation. Joining into a party dance reinforces the feeling of collective good will, we all know the tune may be naff but ''it's a party, so lets have a laugh anyway.'' An experienced party DJ will have the skill to know what should and should not be played and what music will help build a party atmosphere.

We have performed at thousands of different parties and know what happens on the night is unique, everyone brings something to a party and it's impossible to predict what to play in advance. For example a few years back we were sent a list of about 50 club, dance and trance type tracks requested for a wedding reception. No problem with that. As it was a long party we still had some room to maneuver and we would have time to splice in about 30 to 40 other tunes. When we arrived we noticed most people were of quite senior years and at first glance knew the music selection was completely inappropriate for the majority of the audience. Although the client is always right we spoke to the groom about the list. He was a great bloke, and honestly thought anyone over thirty was past it, and only the youngsters would be doing any dancing so the music was just for them. We suggested should we make a few alterations to the list and see how it went. It was early on and we still had our 30 tunes so for the sake of variety put on a Neil Diamond track. The old folk set aside their Zimmer frames and invaded the dance floor. The bride was dancing with the groom's granddad and the groom with his new mother in law. The bride and groom knew their younger friends had something in common but they expected the two families to stay poles apart. The music changed the complexion of the evening and in a way the bride and groom had never expected.

Although we had nearly all of the 50 requested tracks, in the end  we played only about 10 and every one caused a complete dance floor walk off. However sometimes emptying a dance floor is not a bad thing, people never dance all night. In a packed party a dance floor remains full because it is 'refreshed' by people joining when others leave it. A party is not just about dancing but about social interaction, having a drink, a chat and a bit of a laugh. If there are fewer guests, then as long as the timing is right, a dance floor walk off can give everyone a break and a chance to gather their energies for even more dance floor action later.