Insurance

Solitaire Entertainments Ltd. carries Public Liability Insurance to the value of £5m. Copies of our insurance details will be provided on request.

We have a whole page dedicated to the subject of insurance, health & safety and licencing - click here to view.

Electrical Safety

All our equipment has PAT (Portable Applicance Tested) certificates and is regularly serviced. Copies of our records are available to your venue on request.

We have a whole page dedicated to the subject of insurance, health & safety and licencing - click here to view.

Equipment Types

The types and amounts of equipment we use depends on your function. We always use the equipment appropriate to the size of your function and venue. There's no point bringing a sound system to fill a stadium for an intimate dinner/dance, and on the other hand it would be totally inappropriate to turn up for a marquee event with a small sound system and just a couple of lights.

For a dinner/dance for up to 150 people a sound system of between 600 and 1000 Watts, including 4 speakers, music playout and 4 or 5 lighting effects would be appropriate. This is only a basic example - our systems can be made bigger or smaller depending on your needs and wishes.

For those technically-minded or interested in sound and lighting equipment, some of the manufacturers we use for sound are Pioneer, RCF, Ohm, JBL, Mackie, Electro Voice (EV), Yamaha, Peavey, Studiomaster and Denon.

Lighting again depends on the room, but our DJs use moonflowers, scans, barrel effects and moving heads from manufacturers such as Mad, Martin, Acme, Isolution and Abstract. Many of our effects are linked together to provide a stunning light show and used with good effect alongside starcloths and ultra-violet lights for a complete show.

For something more subtle we also use LED products to create beautiful ambient washes and effects in rooms.

Music Requests & Dedications

Yes, as long as we think they are appropriate for the function. We'd rather not play songs with swearing in them, as this could offend someone, and we definitely do not play football songs as this has been known to cause trouble and ill-feeling in the past.

When you book with us, we will invite you to supply a short list of your favourite songs to be played during the evening, and then leave the rest to us and our years of experience knowing what people will dance to.

Setup Timings

The exact timing depends very heavily on the venue access and the type/amount of equipment needed for your event.

On average, though, it takes between 30 and 90 minutes - so if we allow one hour this will cover most events.

Paperwork

On booking, you will receive two copies of our contract. One to sign and return, and the other to keep for your records. We will also include a copy of our Terms & Conditions.

References

We would be only too pleased to give you the contact details of our regular clients and customers.

You might like to check out our Feedback Section where we've reproduced many of our most recent customer comments and feedback. Originals are available on request.

Music Styles

All DJs carry music from the 1940s onwards and will play according to the ages of the people attending the function and also to the wishes of the client.

An open mind is always the best policy, as you never know what people will want to dance to. Our DJs are all very experienced and can generally read a dancefloor and play accordingly.

We do play songs that people know and love, whether it be a 60s classic, some 70s disco or the latest dance tunes. In essence, something for everyone.

We've created a list of our most commonly requested and played tunes through the decades - click here to have a browse!

Strobe Lighting and Effects Machines

Most of our regular venues don't allow smoke machines or haze machines, so generally we don't use them. We do carry them should you explicitly require one for your function.

We don't use strobes unless specifically requested.

Charges

Please contact us by phone, email or online enquiry form as we need some basic information about your function before we can give you a quote. For example, we need to know about how long you need us for, where your function is being held, the amount of equipment needed and of course what your venue is like for access.

Solitaire Entertainments Ltd is VAT registered which will be applied at the current rate.

Coverage

We are based in Reading, Berkshire, and most of our work is within 20 miles of our base, including Reading itself, Newbury, Bracknell, Wokingham, Slough, Maidenhead, Lower Earley, Woodley and most of Berkshire. If you wish us to travel outside of our area, we will happily do so. A travel surcharge will be included in your quotation.

We regularly provide discos and DJs for karaoke, disco and quiz events in Surrey, Middlesex, London, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

Attire

Our DJs always dress appropriately for the occasion. Dinner/dances and wedding receptions nearly always demand a dinner jacket and bow tie. Birthday parties and similar events will normally require smart trousers and a shirt or lounge suits.

Fancy dress is always an option that we would participate in.

Children's Parties

It depends on the ages of the children. Solitaire's excellent teens disco package is suitable for ages from around 11/12 years upwards.

We can recommend other reputable suppliers for younger age groups.

Backup Equipment

We do have rapid access to spare equipment in the event of a major failure, but this is very rarely needed due to our regular servicing, safety testing and upgrades programme.

Health & Safety

We have a company health & safety method statement which all employees are appraised of and follow. This includes risk assessments and other relevant documentation which can be supplied to venues on request.

We have a whole page dedicated to the subject of insurance, health & safety and licencing - click here to view.

Payments

An advance payment of approximately 25% is taken when you return the contract to us and the balance is payable no later than 7 days prior to the function.

We accept cheques or cash and most major debit and credit cards but we do apply a 3% surcharge if you wish to pay by credit card. All bookings are subject to VAT at the current rate.