Karaoke Forums

Are there any KJs you wouldn't recommend?

Actually out of the several I personally know, I don't need to recommend anyone else - so I can't honestly say I wouldn't recommend anyone else other than who I know. Again, I don't have the luxery to get out & see other shows, work 7 nights a week & any days off are spent with family.
Many of these kj's/dj's come out to my shows on their nights off, they come to party nothing more. The few people that I didn't know that have come in to talk to the manager about changing out their karaoke, she directs them to me saying I am the one they would need to talk to.

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That is why I have burned a spare set. If one of my discs go bad, I just reburn another and it's now replaced (I'll take my chances with that).





I am from New York City. There's a ton of Karaoke by me, and I will say that the proportions are much higher towards Good to Great Karaoke shows where I am at. And you still didn't answer my question.





I asked you where you are from.

As has become the theme to this discussion... you are in the wrong area, or actually the RITE area... Stay there!!!

So many of us like, or have become dependant on, the money from our gigs, but how many of us started with the personal commitment of "When it stops being fun, I'll sell everything and quit!" ? From the sound of your sinicism, you are LONG overdue for a "Going Out Of Business Sale"!!!

I am in northeastern Illinois, we have a very large population of KJs out here, and we are always going to each other’s shows... not to spy on the competition, or make friends of the other KJ so we can "keep our enemies close", but to have something called FUN.... you should try it some time! There is a HUGE difference between Running a show and GOING to a show.

Just like any of the singers, if we don't make that connection we don't come back.

If I do make that connection I will stay until the show ends, go thank the KJ, introduce myself, and offer to assist with teardown out of professional courtesy... and I DO come back on my free nights!!

There are a few bad eggs around, but they are FAR out numbered by the rest of us who know the meaning of the word RESPECT (just in case you don't know the meaning... you can find it in the dictionary under R). The majority of us out here operate the same as the majority of us on the board... We refuse to talk poorly about another KJ or their show.

I know I am probably opening a whole new can of worms here... but so be it!

Oh MODERATOR.... Out of respect for this thread's originator... Can this entire, WAY off topic, string be given its own thread and moved there??

I've never done KJ spying before. If I go to a fellow KJ's show it is to help support them. I'm in a Chicago suburb. I'd say there are to many Karaoke shows to even count.

Tarzan comes to my show and he is trying to get started in the business. I introduced him to another KJ friend who comes to my shows and who is going out of business and selling her CDGs. I've never even been to her show, not that I wouldn't like to. I was just always working on the nights she had her shows. I'm excited for Tarzan and hope he does well.

There is a bar literally down the road that is in competition with my bar. The KJ there and I are friends. He comes in and even brings singers with him.

I don't think of other KJs as a threat. I love when they come to my shows. I really enjoy exchanging ideas and experiences. Only another KJ can understand the frustrations and joys we go through. They are comrades not enemies.

I worry about doing the best show I can. I don't worry about what other people are doing at there shows. I have patrons complain about other KJ's shows to me and this makes me completely uncomfortable if I know them. I try to avoid those conversations like the plague. Different KJs have different styles and they may not be for everyone. I certainly wouldn't encourage the conversation.

I don't understand what good spying does if your doing your best already to put on a good show. I do see the benefits of making friends though with people that do the same type of work. I refer out gigs to other KJs because I don't do private parties anymore and have lots of KJs that come in to my show to have fun with their friends.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Totally agree with your philosophy Babs. I have a 7 night a week show and I only host myself two of those nights. People prefer KJ's for different reasons. I often come in on my other hosts nights to sing and I don't critique their styles tho they are different from mine. We are friends and the Karaoke industry made us that way. We also head to other shows at other venues and party with the other KJ's in the area and they come to ours.

I don't understand all the fear that KJs have of other shows. There is a Karaoke show at a pub about 100 yards away from my show on Wednesday night and it does not concern me a bit. In fact the host of that show often comes to mine after his show is done at 1am because mine goes until 2am. On Thursdays there are 5 shows within a 5 mile stretch of one street.

I suppose I could see being conerned with competition if my service wasn't up to par.

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"Don't worry. It will feel better when it quits hurtin."

The worst I ever do is send my daughter to the other show when my numbers are down, to do a head count at the other place. If my numbers are down, I wonder where my people are.
Turns out that when that's happened, it's definitely not because they are all at the other show. It's just a slow night. The other place has been consistently slower than my venue.
This also helps when the owner begins to question my abilities. I am able to tell him that there weren't any people at the other show either, and helps him to realize that I do pull in the crowd. BTW, this is the same "ethnic" owner I've been dealing with from day one. He's difficult to deal with, so it helps me to back up what I'm telling him.

am lost with this thread.....as long as you look after your customers needs....operate a good mixer (ie alter it for every singer or song..tune them in so to speak.....) and have the songs they want...i dont see what it matters what any other kj or bar iin the area is doing.

Amen Wiggley

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"Don't worry. It will feel better when it quits hurtin."

badda frikin' bing!

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

I'm not sure I've really thought about it this way, but it is probably a karaoke conundrum, a Catch-22, that at the places you get to sing a lot, they aren't as good of places to sing! Talk about living one's life in a "slow hell!" ...but you get to sing a lot. But you don't get to sing very well. But you get to sing a lot! But you don't get to sing very well!

Still waitin' for you to bring me a slip, Seattledrizzle. Stevie made it last week...WHERE WERE YOU?

Gulp. "The dog ate my slip."

harumph, that's what I thought.

I've spied on my own bar. When I drive by at night on my off nights I like to see how many cars are in the parking lot when I'm not there.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

You have never driven past another KJs job on your night off just to see how they were doing?

Another KJ has never come into your job to pass out their info to steal your singers for their job?

You have never had another KJ try to undercut your price to get your job?

Nobody knows a KJ they would never recommend to anyone?

Nobody knows a pirate KJ working down the street?

Another KJ has never stabbed you in the back?

When you go job hunting you are the only KJ looking at that job? When i hear of a job opening 20 other KJs are already in line. Like throwing a piece of bread in a carp pond. It's an all out feeding frenzy. Don't turn your back and wear your body armor.

What do you do, calmy sit there and draw straws to see who gets the job?

I'm in karaoke hell and everyone responding is in karaoke utopia. Everything is just peachy and ALL KJs are best friends everywhere holding hands and sitting around the camp fire singing together and sharing jobs?

Something is wrong with the picture you paint. I can't believe it. I don't believe it. I'm not saying you don't have any competition. I'm saying it can't be as rosy as you claim like the merry old Land of OZ.

actually, many of us have lost jobs to undercutters. I can't get a gig back here to save my life... and my "home system" can blow away most of my competitors show systems...

I think every kj on here has been stabbed in the back. You think you're the ONLY one feeling this?

the bottom feeders have wrecked the market, and yes it's upsetting. Maybe I was once as upset as you, but I've had time to dull the pain of loss. So maybe I'm not "feeling" your pain right now as keenly as I should... but geez louise dude, let go of the drama!

I think she is just expressing the frustration of experiencing backstabbing etc. while others say it shouldn't matter if you do a good show. It can be very frustrating and demoralizing. We are in the same situation.

I never recalled being pumped for info by any KJs. We've given it freely after meeting a KJ the second time or so and have gotten more friendly with them. Like, we use to go to this place, but they changed this or that. Just casual conversation so the KJ knows what we like and why we're here, which if we've come back to thier gig to reach this conversation they know we approve of them. But it's just a one time, couple sentences talk. We also mention to them or the bartender how we came to visit this place. I figure people like to know if thier advertising is working, or if it's just word of mouth or what. Generally, I'll find a place off of Karaoke Nitelife and thier listings. We've had our regular places too, and if one changes Kjs or something about the gig that makes it not good for us, we give it an extra time or two ( everyone is capable of an off night ). If nothing changes, we find a new place. The options are endless out here. We tend to be loyal to the KJs and not the establishments.

And all you KJs that say that all that matters is the show you put on, ARE EXACTLY RIGHT. No need to spy. Don't worry about down the street. I like to stay close to the house because of the beers, but we also travel 20-30 minutes just because of the KJ, and soley for thier show.

Sounds to me like you're experiencing a typical competitive karaoke market, and not coping well with it.

You have two choices here.

1) Keep wasting mental effort and energy obsessing over what evil things your competition is doing to you to keep you from succeeding. This will keep your negative vibe going, and growing, and spilling over into your shows. (Yes, this is happening whether you realize it or not) Pretty soon you'll have a rep as a lackluster personality that tends to be bummed out at shows, and that drags the audience down into karaoke hell with you. Obsessing over things you can't change will destroy you and your show.

2) Get a few friends to critique a few of your shows. Tell them you want to find out:

Things you must do that you aren't doing well.
Things you're doing that you shouldn't do at all.
Unique things about your show they really enjoy.

Then use all that mental energy you're wasting to improve your show to the point where the pirates and the lowballers look like the cheap piles of dung that they are (bless their puny l'il hearts). The easiest thing in the world to change is yourself.

Pick one.

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Dave's not here.