, , , , ,

Grazeland Melbourne

Launched on March 26th, 2021, Grazeland is Melbourne’s newest must see ‘playground for foodies’ boasting:

  • over 50 of Melbourne’s best food vendors
  • a nonstop entertainment schedule of live music, DJs, DJ bands, roving performers and kids’ entertainment

Grazeland will be open even if it is raining. 75% of the park is under cover, and there is heating in parts of the park during the colder times of the year.

Entry is $2.50 per person and paid at the main gate.

Children under 12 are free.

Dogs are also welcome!


When Is It Open?

Grazeland is open every weekend of the year:

  • Friday: 5pm – 10pm
  • Saturday: 12pm – 10pm
  • Sunday: 12pm – 9pm

Where Is It?

Grazeland is located 5km from Melbourne CBD at 20 Booker Street, Spotswood (next to Scienceworks).

How Is Top Dog Involved?

Top Dog are the exclusive entertainment provider for Grazeland Melbourne.  We have been working closely with the owners for nearly 2 years carefully curating the best mix of entertainment to complement the amazing food on offer for customers.

There are 2 performance stages and a heap of roving entertainment scattered throughout the precinct.

Why Should You Go?

If you’re reading this, then you are probably looking to book entertainment for an event!

Each weekend at Grazeland, Top Dog has over 20 unique acts performing throughout the venue.

It is essentially a live showcase, where you can go and see Melbourne’s BEST artists perform before you decide to book them.

If you have a specific act you are interested in and you cannot see them on our roster, please contact us and we can advise when they will be featuring.  You can also speak with the artists on their breaks to tell them more about your event.

There are not too many family friendly venues that offer free live entertainment that appeals to everyone.

For more information about Grazeland visit https://www.grazeland.melbourne/

For weekly entertainment schedules please visit: https://topdogent.com.au/grazeland/

Or call us for a chat! 1300 658 718.

/by
, , , , ,

DJ Henton – Diary of a Wedding DJ

Diary of a DJ by DJ Henton S

It’s always a pleasure being asked to provide the soundtrack to a couple’s special day. I don’t just rock up on the day. The planning starts well before the actual event by sitting down and going through the details provided to Top Dog on the event form to get a feel for how they dream of the day panning out. I like to find out what music is special to them, what might make their friends and family dance, look at playlists they may have created and make sure I am across the run sheet and key songs, such as ceremony music or the first dance.

In the week leading up to the big day I ring the couple. It’s a great opportunity not only to introduce myself but to run through all the music, get a feel for the vibe they are after and just get to know them a little. I think it’s important that they feel comfortable with me and that they trust that I can deliver the atmosphere they are after for their big day.

After chatting with them I will play around with my music and put together some folders containing music they like and music that will fit around that. It helps to be prepared and although I have an extensive collection of music, (great for requests!) it makes the night easier when I have all of their must plays on hand.

On the event day from behind the decks I’m very lucky to have a fantastic viewpoint of the entire venue and celebrations. Starting off with seeing the smiles of excitement from the guest arrivals, everyone looking beautiful and sharp, friends & family travelling from far & wide, reuniting and embracing with joy!

My first aim is to set the mood and play a perfect balance of welcoming and warming music to get everyone relaxed and excited for the evening ahead. It’s great to look around and see people happy in conversation catching up or eating the amazing food but as long as the toes are tapping then that’s a good sign!

Once the formalities are out of the way it’s time for the DJ’s most crucial job; to get the party started and everyone on the dance floor! Quite often this involves a First Dance of the couple’s choice and then straight after it’s my turn to up the BPM (beats per minute for those non musicians!) and get everyone in the party spirit! Working with other musicians, such as saxophone, trumpet and percussion also brings an extra wave of energy which the crowd always enjoy. It is really fun seeing them roving around the dance floor and interacting with the guests.

Once you get the guests up and dancing, one of the most difficult jobs as a DJ is to keep them there because one wrong song choice can kill the dance floor! This is where experience and a vast music collection comes in to play. With 20 years practice under my belt I like to read the crowd, mix it up with some new hits, some sing along classics, floor fillers and play for the girls, as they are usually the best dancers!

As the night draws to the end (depending on what is requested) I would usually aim to finish with a bang, some big sing along anthems and finally give the couple a farewell circle or archway send off if that’s their thing. This is a great way to bring everyone together for one last time to say their goodbyes and off into the night.

Once it’s all over I pack up and fill out an online job report form so that everyone at Top Dog knows how amazing the night was! Job done!

/by
, , , , ,

Artist Spotlight – Chris S (DJ/Sax Hybrid)

These days, people are looking for the next best/most popular entertainment option when planning their event. A DJ Hybrid is the latest option (and one of our most popular) when choosing a DJ band. A DJ Hybrid is produced when you find an incredibly talented individual who has not only nailed the skill of an instrument (or vocals) but learnt to mix tracks on the decks like a pro! Booking a hybrid gives you the flexibility to have a bit of live music without the price of hiring two separate people.

We sat down (virtually…) with one of our most popular hybrid performers, Chris, who is not only an incredible saxophonist but also a DJ!

What instruments do you play (and how are they incorporated into your set)?

Saxophone and Flute, and DJ decks.

Acoustic flute and sax work really well in canapes or meal sets. Wandering through the guests as they eat and mingle without being too intrusive

Sax gets the dance floor going! Wandering out and partying with guests

What music is your favourite to play?

Love playing any funk/disco/soul music – works wonders with the sax! But honestly, my favourite type of music is what the client wants to hear – their energy on the dance floor gives me energy and it creates a really positive feedback loop that makes the night a huge success.

Why do you love performing at events?

Being a part of someone’s special day (wedding) or party (corporate event). Knowing that you are helping to make the day memorable.

Why a hybrid? Why not one or the other?

Saves the client money by hiring one person instead of multiple performers!

Playing sax whilst DJing offers a live music experience without the need for a full band. You get the flexibility of song choice that a DJ offers, but have the live music element and interactivity that a musician can offer. When you are the musician and the DJ you know all the perfect songs to complement the event but also your instrument.

Favourite dance floor song?

Definitely love disco hits like September but also a big fan of Yeah! or You’re the Voice (especially playing along with the bagpipe solo!) or sax specific tunes like Jubel.

What song goes off with a sax solo?

Jubel and Careless Whisper are definitely the two most request sax songs. Levels, Valerie and I Wanna Dance with Somebody are close thirds. Can also end the evening and begin to wind down the night with the famous INXS never tear us apart solo.

Memorable moment?

  • Playing at the races and moving around the marquees – also love the different crowds that are in the bird cage or the private marquees on the other end of the track
  • Having another guest at an event bring along his own saxophone and we had a good jam throughout the night
  • Joining in with a Croatian band at a wedding – They were a great bunch of guys and had some music for me to read. Night was a huge success – they played all the classic Croatian tunes and gave me freedom to jam along and roam amongst the crowd.

What’s good about working with Top Dog? (shameless plug – can you blame us??)

Organisation and making my life easy – they take care of the admin and fine details for me so I can focus on making the night a success!

The honesty and transparency when working with them, as well as feeling like you are valued as a musician. They have your best interests in mind when working to deliver what the clients want.

What’s next for you Chris?

  • I love playing with the Garth Ploog Trio where Garth sings and does keys, Henton DJs the beats and I play sax. This gives a great canape and early evening sound that can easily transition into the dance floor as the DJ is already set up and ready to go! It’s a really unique DJ band option!
  • Next step is pairing up multiple entertainers with the hybrid and having a full DJ band. Percussion and vocals with a DJ/sax hybrid creates live music entertainment with the flexibility of song choice of a DJ.
  • Pairing a Hybrid DJ with a Hybrid DJ so that there can be more features of my sax whilst the other hybrid DJs and/or sings – the options are endless! I’m booked in early next year to DJ and play sax with another DJ who sings. It will be an awesome vibe!

Like to hire Chris for your next event or function?  Contact Top Dog Entertainment today!

/by