Peter Haley is as good as it gets! We hired him as DJ for our June 26, 2010 wedding. Peter came highly recommended from our photographer, event coordinator, and several yelp reviewers. During our initial meeting with Peter, he was so professional and prepared. We could tell he really was passionate about his job and cared that everyone had a good time at his events. He put us at ease by creating a timeline of events, providing a sampling of song choices, and getting to know us and the music we like. A week before the wedding, Peter met with us again to establish a final timeline and obtain our special requests (first dance, etc). He very helpful in planning and was enthusiastic about our bridal party introductions. We became more excited about the event with his positive energy. Peter touched base with our videographer and slideshow coordinator prior to the wedding to ensure everyone had everything they needed. He also coordinated the ceremony mic's with our officiant, videographer and quartet. Our wedding was formal, and Peter dressed in formal attire to blend right in with the crowd. He was instrumental in starting the party and keeping the night going- we had guests on the dance floor before our first dance! He made sure that we had enough time for our photos during the reception and kept the crowd going so they didn't even know we were gone. Peter checked in with us throughout the night to make sure everything was going smoothly. He deviated from a set schedule to ensure we had enough time to eat (much appreciated) and everything appeared scheduled and flawless. Most of our guests approached us and our parents during and after the reception to share how great the party was. At the end of the reception, our guests were still on the dance floor having a great time. Peter approached us to let us know that although the event had officially ended, he'd play a few more songs for the crowd. It was a perfect ending to the celebration. When the reception ended, Peter gave us a mix CD of our favorite wedding songs, and left so quickly that we didn't even notice he was gone. Lastly, our uncle who had DJ'd over 200 weddings approached us with nothing but compliments for Peter Haley. We have already recommended Peter for an upcoming wedding and are so appreciative of his time and efforts making our wedding so fantastic. Thank you, Peter! read more

We found Peter through Marine Memorial Club's recommended vendor list, and hired him to DJ our wedding reception. I really cannot recommend them more! They hit all the marks for a wedding/events DJ: + super easy to work with, very friendly, professional, responsive, flexible, making the whole process stress-free; + AMAZING selection of music, able to cater to all sorts of styles, from classical symphonic to pop, to 'modern classics'; it was as though we had a live chamber orchestra for the cocktail hour, and then 50 different live bands all rotating seamlessly for the party; + amazing ability to read the room and play the right songs at the right time for the right crowd; he kept our cocktail hour and dinner classy and elegant, and really got everyone dancing and having a ball for the party; + kept track of the itinerary for the whole event and kept us running smooth like a well-oiled machine; + great pricing! It was $900 for the whole evening, including all the set-up and equipment. One of the very exceptional things that went beyond just being a great DJ: he helped coordinate with the reception location manager and catering staff on the wedding day when we were running behind schedule, and helped smoothen out all the last minute contingencies of the event. It just helped bring down the stress level so much, and allowed us to enjoy the evening. Overall, he was the best vendor choice we made for our wedding. No exaggeration! Just to give more detail over the process: you can first contact them and ask for some sample music, although I basically found that he's able to cater to whatever kind of music you liked. After that, you can meet with him so he can better know you and your style, and overall themes for the wedding, give him ideas for music you like. He'll also give you advice or suggestions for the event schedule if you want. What I found was that I could just give him a general idea of the kind of music or style I liked, and he would find the perfect set to play on the day. He really knows how to read the atmosphere! Peter, thank you! read more

We hired Terry Cole for our wedding in August. My husband and I are very specific about music and how lyrics and beats affect the crowd and the mood of the people. We didn't want to hear the "traditional" music that is played at all weddings and believed we were hiring someone who would be able to mix our music well to keep the party up and moving. With that said, we had worked hard to create a playlist focused on songs that resonated with love and our philosophy of music. We were unfortunately disappointed. Maybe every other song played during the reception was from our playlist. There were songs that were played that did not fit in with the crowd and the mood that we were looking for. Many times songs weren't mixed in well together to keep the vibe up and moving, and there was even a point of my reception were I was feeling like the party was dead as no one was dancing. We know that music and beats controls the party and we are disappointed about the songs that were played, or not played. Terry did a good job staying on schedule and keeping the logistics of the party moving well. He did a great job by playing the specific songs we requested to be played at very specific times and people overall had a great time. However, the planning before the wedding was not done correctly or thoroughly. We were under the assumption that since we sent in a playlist with the music we wanted to hear, it would have been honored. Terry's a great guy and if you choose to work with him just make sure that you are on the same page in relation to philosophy of how you want your event to be. read more

Peter Haley DJ'd our wedding at the City Club of San Francisco in June 2013. We first contacted Peter in January 2013 and scheduled a meeting for February. Peter was polite, outgoing, and very open with us from the get-go. We appreciated how straightforward Peter was from the start and his ability to act as emcee and DJ at our wedding which united families from different cultures and included guests of all ages, from 2 months to 92 years old. Peter was helpful and easy to work with. He provided us a general schedule of the evening in advance based on his previous DJ work. He called us two different times and spent nearly an hour with us on the phone (we live in Washington D.C.). He also visited the reception site weeks in advance to get the lay of the land, meet our wedding organizer at the venue, and decide on his set up for the evening. Peter showed up several hours before the reception and his equipment was ready to go when we arrived. He also showed last-minute versatility, as we had to change our schedule the day before to work with the photographers for sunset photos. Peter dressed the part and showed stage presence while helping usher guests to dinner and back down to the dance floor. But he was never overbearing and let the music do the work once the dancing started, which is how it should be done. Many thanks to Peter for his great work as DJ and emcee at our wedding. (He even provided us CDs of the songs he played at our reception!) If you are in the market for a DJ in San Francisco who is professional and will work with you, give Peter a call. read more

Every bride and groom can appreciate the importance of a well planned and seamlessly executed wedding day. Unfortunately, there will always be something that doesn't go as smoothly as you had anticipated or exactly as you had hoped, so it brings peace of mind knowing that you have someone like Terry to help orchestrate your memorable day. His energy and passion are infectious and are displayed in his work. From the beginning of the planning process to the day of our wedding,Terry helped us to create the mood that we desired and a game plan that would allow for us to have a fun, stress-free day. From the moment guests began arriving for the ceremony, the music was playing and the mood was set. Our wedding took place outside with the reception continuing both inside and out; the music streamed continuously, without a hitch, and progressed throughout the night, to coincide with the mood. Terry helped us to pick an eclectic mix of songs that would appeal to every generation and the dance floor was never empty. Our guests loved the song mix and his lively yet unobtrusive interaction; and of course they are still talking about the CDs he brought with him (totally unexpected). We are appreciative of Terry's attention to details, the passion he has for his art, and for helping us to focus on our guests and on each other, rather than the details of the day. I look forward to the day when we can throw another party, with Terry helping to set the stage. read more

After reading the other reviews for Terry Cole and the Spinheads we wanted to say ditto to all. Terry has done other events for our family but when we decided to get re-married we knew we wanted him to do our wedding reception. Our first wedding was 30 years ago and many of our friends were at that occasion. We wanted to have music that would set the tone for the ceremony and then the dance party that followed at the reception. From the opening music that settled the guests down to the sharing of our vows to the music that kept the dance floor crowded and occupied throughout the evening, the music was perfect! We heard from so many of our guests that they thought the music and the choice of songs was terrific. Terry also was extremely attentive to all our requests and made wonderful suggestions when we met with him. He has a great ability to mix music so everyone has the chance to dance to something. We never worried about the music once we hired Terry. We knew he is a total professional and would have everything set up in advance of the starting time. Because we had double the number of guests than we had originally planned we had to make changes in the setup of the room. Terry rose to the challenge and made great suggestions. The sound of the music and flow of the dancing was wonderful. We will use Terry for every event we do and highly recommend him to others for their dance venues. He is the Best! Kathy B & Tom S. read more

This review is WAY overdue...Terry Cole DJ'd our wedding in March of 2010 and he was the best decision I made about my wedding. During our first meeting he went over my music list carefully and made some awesome suggestions based on the vibe we were looking for at each stage of the wedding (reception, first dance, party, last dance etc.) He had a great selection of the admittedly wide variety of music I was going for.. Brazillian, chill out, old time country, salsa, merengue, dance, hip hop, and some 80's rock. He handled a lot of the logistics of the party for me.. ie., determining the best time to announce speeches, cut the cake, etc. and also helped set up a last minute feed from a music/slide show presentation my brothers put together. It was all seamless. With respect to the party and the dancing.. people were off the charts going nuts with all the awesome song selections and Terry took requests too. He rocked the crowd! It was almost funny how much fun people were having.. even those folks that refuse to dance got on the dance floor. If I could give him 10 stars I would. Everyone at our wedding told us it was the best party they'd ever been to. THANK YOU Terry you exceeded all expectations and made it a party we'll never forget. Oh and Terry also gave us CD's of all our wedding music.. I'm listening to one of them now which is what inspired me to get off my lazy bum and write this review. Lina & Curt read more

Peter Haley was our DJ for our wedding in June, 2010. He was great! My husband and I live in Oregon due to his job so we were unable to meet him until the day of our wedding (a majority of our families are here in the bay area and I, the bride, grew up in Novato). Lucky for us our mothers were able to meet with him in our place. All our guests said it was the best wedding they had ever been to and Peter is to credit. He played great music and all our favorite songs as well as requests from our guests. He played Sweet home Alabama (my dad requested as part of our entrance last minute). My husband is from Alabama and his side of the family loved it! He also played a Greek song for my moms side. It was a great way to include and acknowledge both of our families and where we came from. He was easy going and a lot of fun. Its obvious he loves his job! We were having too much fun to pay much attention to time so when it was time for the father/bride dance, cake cutting and etc. he would find our parents or us and ask if we were ready. He made it a lot of fun and no one felt like we were stuck to a schedule. He has a great personality and gives off great energy. He was easy to work with. I would highly recommend him to everyone for every occasion. He was just absolutely amazing and I couldn't have been happier! All I can say it that he was all around the perfect DJ. You would be missing out if you hired anyone else! read more

Terry Cole was hired to DJ my wedding this last weekend of August. We had an elegant wedding with 290 guests. This was a very special day for me, my wife, family and friends! We worked hard for over a year for this day, only to be let down by our DJ! The first time we met Terry Cole at his house, he showed us all of his state of the art gadgets to mix and acquire music. We were very impressed. We trusted him and gave him a deposit months in advance before the wedding. He asked us if we wanted certain songs for the event, so we came up with an extensive list of about 80 songs. On our wedding day, Terry played about 15-20 songs out of our playlist! The rest of his selection were songs we never wanted to hear! Most of the songs he played didn't blend well and alienated people off the dance floor! He played music he felt right for the occasion and totally disregarded what we asked for. I wish he would have just honored our requests and play music we requested. This experience was a nightmare! It's like walking into a restaurant and ordering a special meal, but getting cold fries and rotten milk instead! On top of that, at the end of the night he hands us several c.d.'s with our names on it, with music we never wanted or even like! THIS IS A REAL REVIEW! I WOULD NEVER REFER THIS GUY TO ANYONE ON THIS PLANET! GET YOURSELVES A DJ THAT WILL HONOR YOUR REQUESTS AND RESPECT YOUR SPECIAL DAY!!!THIS GUY IS A JOKE! read more

I just celebrated my wedding, and Terry was the best DJ I could've hoped for! Having great music and our friends and family on the dance floor as much as possible was one of our main goals. And Terry made that happen! Terry was recommended to us by the catering company we used. My wife and I met with him a few weeks before our wedding to go over our preferred song selection. Within a few minutes, we knew Terry was the best person for the job. He made great suggestions based on our "must have" songs and music choices. Terry was a great emcee during our reception as well. He took the time to double check the correct pronunciation of our wedding party and parents which was important to us. As the night went on, the dance/laser lights he provided helped add to the fun environment. Terry was great about adjusting to our schedule and gathering the crowd's attention when needed. His equipment didn't take up much room, which allowed for more space on our dance floor. The icing on the cake were the CD's he gave to our family and friends of our "must have" songs that we love! They act as a fun reminder of an evening I'll always remember and capture our character. If you are getting married, celebrating a birthday, or want to have an unforgettable party, Terry Cole IS YOUR GUY! I can't say enough about him, and neither can our wedding guests. Thank you Terry for being the best! read more

Terry DJ'ed our wedding last weekend in San Francisco. We had found him on Yelp and from the moment I sent him an inquiry e-mail, he was extremely responsive and easy to work with. When we met for the consultation, he took extensive time to do a walk-through of our venue and he gave me two sampler mixes of some music in his collection. We decided to hire him shortly after meeting with him because he was so easy going, had very competitive rates, and from the first interaction he went above and beyond to earn our business. The day of the wedding, Terry did a fantastic job, playing exactly the type of music I had requested (and it was probably not your typically "wedding music" as I'm not a huge fan of today's top 40 hits). I had told Terry about my Spotify playlist that I had been working on basically since getting engaged and he took the time to find my playlist online (and troubleshoot with me to get connected, since I am apparently technologically challenged) and during the wedding he played all the music from my playlist, with additions of his own. After the wedding he handed us a disc AND a memory stick with the music he played. What an awesome keepsake, and just another example of how well prepared he was! All in all, Terry was exactly what we were looking for and I'd definitely love to work with him again in the future! read more

If you're looking for a review for Peter Haley of the Spinheads, I can summarize it for you succinctly: you won't find anyone better. I've never seen such profuse accolades for one individual as I've seen for Peter Haley. But after having him DJ our wedding on 1-14-2012, I can honestly say that he deserves every single glowing review and then some. During our last meeting with Peter Haley, we gave him a list of ~10 must-play songs. I actually had 20 more songs in mind that I really wanted to play, but Peter seemed to truly get where I was coming from, so I wanted him to surprise me. Come wedding day, he did just that: by playing about 15 out of the 20 songs on my mental list! I'm not saying he's a mind reader, but he comes pretty damn close! Honestly, I believe that there is just something so intuitive about his work that no words can convey it. The only way to really illustrate his skills is by describing how our dance floor was full about 90% of the time. The only time the dance floor was empty was when people had to sit down for a break! Our own biased views aside, we had 3 different guests come up to us to tell us that they've never danced this much at any wedding before. All in all, our main goal was to be able to get everyone to dance and have a good time. I must say, Peter: Mission Accomplished!! read more

I've hired the spinheads several times in the past several years (just never thought to actually write a review to post publicly until now). I have to say that whether it was Pete or Terry that DJ'd, they both have done great jobs. After moving to SOCAL, Terry came all the way to Long Beach to DJ a Halloween party on the Queen Mary for my company party - IN COSTUME! What a surprise and a lot of fun. He kept the music mellow during dinner, made clear announcements, didn't ramble or showboat, and didn't talk through the music. The entire crowd was kept dancing all night. Terry was focused and had a HUGE selection of music and was very professional, especially when dealing with the requests of the various drunks wanting to hear their specific song (he would accommodate if appropriate to the party/atmosphere). I don't expect these guys to come all the way down to southern california (it's very expensive for me and time consuming for them, not to mention travel/hotel expenses), but it's risky hiring someone new. I'd hire them again and again (as I already have several times before when I was located in S.F.). I'd recommend the Spinheads to just about anyone, as I have complete confidence in their diverse musical taste and entertainment intuition. Thanks guys. Keep up the good work! Tim M. read more

Peter Haley DJ'd our wedding on Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Presidio Log Cabin and went above and beyond the call of duty. We were completely overwhelmed and amazed at how professional and helpful Pete was during this special occasion. Since we did not hire an event coordinator, in fact our whole wedding was pretty DIY, Pete stepped up into this role without hesitation. He took our time line and coordinated the all-guest group photo, bridal party introduction, toasts, cake cutting and first and last dances, making sure all the guests were gathered for these special events. Pete welcomed us into his home for two meetings and totally understood our style of music, expanding on our play list within our tastes and never once trying to insert music he thought "should be played." A total professional, Pete works with both CDs and his Mac and was able to take requests on the spot from our guests. All of our guests were moving on the dance floor all night. Pete also did our ceremony music and took extra time and care to make sure he had the correct versions of our classical songs. I can't say enough about this DJ. If music is one of your top priorities for your wedding, you should definitely consider Pete Haley! read more

Wow, what an awesome DJ! Terry MADE my wedding awesome and I have seen him do the same at two other weddings. Terry is extremely talented at everything from playing the right music at the right time (slow music vs fast music), to turing the room into a classy club with his fantastic equiptment, to catering to the crowd so they not only get on the dance floor, but stay there till the party is over. He personalizes each wedding by tagging a song for every moment from cake cutting, to bouquet and garter toss, to each person saying a toast (all done by working with the wedding couple before hand). I had at least 50 people tell me after my wedding that it was the most hopping, fun wedding they have been to because the music was so good. Terry is such a nice guy, easy to work with and will make sure all your requests are made. He is always early and stays till the very end, coming dressed professionally, and interacts with people so nicely. Extremely personable and outgoing, Terry has a smile on his face all night long (rare to see with DJ's - they always look so stern!) He was a pleasure to have at our wedding and I would use him again in a heartbeat. He gets my fullest praise and two thumbs up!!! read more

We hired Terry of Spinheads to be our wedding dj. Wow! What a great job. Terry was referred to us and he immediately responded to our emails. We set up a meeting with him and it was really casual, NO PRESSURE. He had a collection of over 40,000 songs to choose from...probably more now! He gave us several sample cds of his work, including music we liked and some samples of other types of music...all great. Terry gave a suggestion of the details of the reception...first dance, speeches, cake and the suggested time breakdown of this. This timeframe allowed us to not have to focus on these details. We hired Terry and he maintained contact with us up until the wedding date, making sure our needs were met. He was very professional at our wedding. His selection of music had the ENTIRE crowd dancing the ENTIRE night. We had many guests telling us how much they enjoyed our dj. The dance floor never cleared. At the end of the wedding he gave us a collection of cds of all the songs he played at our wedding. What a keepsake. Guests even asked for their own copies. We were very pleased with Terry and would hire him again and recommend him over and over. read more

It's Tuesday morning at 7am. I'm rocking out! Unfortunately, for the neighbors, my car windows are rolled down. We, my husband and I, have just celebrated my husband's 60th Birthday Bash. (and surprise wedding vows renewal) The party is over, but the music on my custom cd from Terry Cole is making me smile. I'm remembering our night of fun with family and friends. Music is important, but honestly I'm no expert. Terry is though. He is passionate about music. He owns an extensive library of music and is always adding more. Terry is more then passionate though. He is a professional. If you are looking to hire someone professional, who shows up on time, who understands acoustics and how to maximize sound in a space, who brings extra gear (like a portable microphone), who listens to your music requests AND plays them, who plays spontaneous requests from your guests with good humor, and is an all around easy going, local guy with a great attitude......Hire Terry. You will be happy you did. We are. Time to rock out..... read more

Terry was recommended to us by a friend for our wedding and we could not have been happier. He was excellent! As another reviewer noted, the first time we met Terry was at his apartment and you notice two things right away: 1) how warm and friendly Terry is and 2) the wall of music in his apartment. He was professional, offered advice where it was needed and listened to our requests. He helped us plan the flow of the reception by asking questions about things we hadn't even thought about. Terry was probably the easiest vendor we dealt with for the wedding. He was there and set up on time on the day of the wedding and the music he chose for dinner (mood setting and the perfect volume so people could chat - so important!) and dancing following was perfect. Terry was friendly, respected requests and really seems to enjoy what he does. We received compliments on the music for weeks after the wedding. I DEFINITELY recommend Terry for anyone looking for a DJ for their wedding - or any event, really. read more

I recently got married at the Pacific Athletic Club in Redwood City and had the privilege of having Terry with Spinheads as my DJ. Prior to our wedding Terry met us for dinner and spent 3 hours reviewing our song selections and making specific notes when to play which songs at which times. For the entire time Terry served as our DJ, he played great music to meet our crazy specific needs. Terry did such a great job that the dance floor remained packed for the entire 3 and 1/2 hours of dance time we had. Every song was awesome and it was because of Terry that we had such an awesome dance party to celebrate our union. I had so much fun that if I were to use a DJ, I would only have the confidence to use Terry. Three of my engaged girlfriends at my wedding are also going to book Terry for their wedding and I highly recommend you book Terry for your wedding/celebration because his talent, experience, confidence and social skills are worth every penny! read more