FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shakermaker all about?
Shakermaker is an Indie/Alternative club night based in Basingstoke, Hants. It's promoted by Shakermaker promotions and run by DJ GaryCee. It was named after an Oasis single. It was previously called The N-Zone (Nightmare Zone) when it was born in 1988/89 and resident at Martines nightclub in Basingstoke. For more information on the life of Shakermaker, go to the history page.
What's the music policy at Shakermaker?
We get asked this one all the time. When Shakermaker first started out it was billed as an Alternative night. This covered more or less anything that was'nt be played on the radio. Back then it was all about bands like The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, The Cult etc etc so it was kind of gothic. In 1989/90 when the Madchester thing kicked off it kind of changed a bit. For the past few years it has been strictly Indie/Britpop and Alternative. This confuses some people so here's a quick description ok. Early on in the evening we play new releases and new bands (sometimes local bands too). As the venue begins to get busier the tunes become more recognisable. We try to play as much as we can but there isn't always time. We get a lot of requests for Rock and Thrash too and even though we have that stuff too, we don't tend to play it. Afer all, IF we started playing that too we would advertise the fact. Rest assured to the indie lovers, we will NOT be going down that avenue. There is a rock night in Basingstoke already so we stay away from playing it. The rockiest we will go is probably Green Day, Less than Jake, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine etc etc...If you are a regular to Shakermaker you will know the score already but if you aren't let's just say that we go a bit retro too with The Doors, Hendrix, Beatles, Blondie and The Jam among others too. At the end of the day it's a great night out so just enjoy it!
Do you take requests?
Simply put...YES! If we aren't going to play something we'll tell you straight up, we won't bulls**t you like other dj's do. If you ask for R'n'B you'll get ignored. If you ask for Rock or Metal we'll tell you to go to the rock nights. If you ask for something decent you'll probably get a cuddle. Don't forget...we can't remember everything.
Do you do Private functions?
Yes we are available for private functions. You can find out more information by emailing us. Our advice when organising a private function would be this. Firstly, make sure that the venue you are booking has no sound limiter's (Sound limiter's obviously do exactly what they say - They limit the sound so that it does'nt get too loud.This may be because the venue is in a residential area - When the sound gets too loud, the sound will just cut out. In our experience, this spoils the whole event so please be aware of this). Secondly, make sure that the bar is actually in the same room as where the dancefloor is. Sounds obvious but you'll find that sometimes no matter how good the music is, people will gather near to the bar. If the bar is outside the music area you could end up with an empty room!! All our equipment is tested and we have public liability insurance up to £5 Million.
What equipment do you use?
Our equipment is always being upgraded so that we have the best available. We have a number of rigs available. To check out what we use just go back to the PROMOTIONS page and click on KITLIST.
Do you hire your gear out?
We can hire out equipment but there are strict Terms & Conditions that must be understood and confirmed by the signing of a contract. This covers any damage whilst in the hands of the hirer. Remember, we do this for a living!
Do you play other stuff?
Our passion is Indie/Alternative music. We also cater for retro nights too and can supply a night of 60's, 70's and 80's music too. We are also up to date with any new releases and the current chart so we can cater for almost anything. If there is something you want that we don't have and we have enough notice then rest assured...we'll get it for you!!
How do you get your music?
We are lucky enough to be on a number of mailing lists with promotions companies. The whole music promotion industry is like a big wheel and the companies, the dj's, the radio and tv and the record stores in real time and online are all cogs in the wheel. We get sent the music sometimes months in advance of it's release date and we play it (as do the radio and tv). The clubbers/punters hear it and go and buy it...simple. We also buy our music like anyone else and use the internet too.
How many tunes would you say you have?
Far too many to count to be honest. We have a huge database of music covering all genres. The best thing to do is to ask and as we said, if it's not there, it won't be long before it is there! A rough estimate at this moment in time would be easily over 100,000.