Karaoke Forums

WHAT???!! SELECTING a venue? Why, aren't we supposed to promote ourselves all over and hope someone hires us?

Um....no.

The right match for the host is very important. Yeah, yeah, I know. A good host can be successful anywhere, right? Well, sometimes it works out that way, and sometimes it doesn't.

I am one who specializes in high end restaurant bars, and am on preferred vendor lists at banquet halls- that sort of thing. Not only can they pay more than the corner gin mill, but they happen to be a good match for my hosting personality, and I am successful in them.

Now sometimes I will take on a big party bar. Since these are not as much a match for me, I use other considerations in deciding whether to take them. In the current case, my Thursday/Saturday party bar is located within blocks of my home, and I know most of the patrons ( and they know me) outside of karaoke. This makes me more than just "the karaoke dude" that shows up twice a week- I'm actually one of them. It is because of this ( as well as what skills I may have, of course) that keeps me successful at this venue, despite it being out of character for me.

I have a colleague named Al. a good enough host, decent equipment, library, etc.... He's been at it only a couple of years. He can't seem to hold a place more than a month or two at a time.

He showed me a list of past venues. Apparently he will grab on a first come, first serve basis. Keep in mind that he used to be a wedding DJ, is a bit older, a conservative guy, with a laid back style.

He has taken on diners with liquor licenses, 15 seat old man bars ( total occupancy maybe 30), rowdy party bars, etc..

In other words, total mismatches for his personality.

I turned him on to a restaurant bar I couldn't take due to previous commitments, he's been their 9 months, is doing well, and LOVES it.

I actually select by "feel" ( I can't describe it any other way.)

Anyway, the point of this post is to ask a question. While I understand that lack of population/bar density makes being selective tougher in some areas, I was wondering: How selective are you good folks about your venues, and what is it that makes a venue "feel" right for you?

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

First... I am happy doing two shows a week... I'm not looking for any more than that... and have not had much experience with the variety of venue types you mention.

Both of my weekly venues are service clubs... Thursdays at the Canadian Belgian Dutch (CBD) Club... and Saturdays at the Moose Lodge. Both are member-based, but openly welcome members of the public.

Both venues cater to the more mature crowd, and seem to attract a fairly large group of loyal patrons. We've never had a problem attracting decent numbers, and average 30 - 35, and 25 - 30 singers respectively. If there is a downside, it might be that these folks don't consume much alcohol, so club profits on a per-capita basis aren't that high.

If I had to guess, I'd say our crowds are 60% country; 30% oldies & classic rock; and 10% current pop/rock. It's no coincidence that my preference in music seems to approximate those numbers.

I personally doubt very much that I could hold a consistant crowd of 20-somethings... and/or heavy drinkers.... in other words, the demographic that tends to frequent the latest bar scene.

I've watched as other Karaoke hosts in the area seem to move from venue to venue without ever lasting more than a few weeks at most. More than anything, I'd suggest the failures are caused by incompatible personality matches between the KJ and venue.

To perhaps reinforce your point... I believe it's really important that a KJ host's personality matches that of the venue. Otherwise, one or the other will have to change.

Or, you could be lucky like me and find venues where the personalities are already compatible.

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Earl
(BS, PHD & Certified CurmuDJeon)

[font=Times New Roman]"Growing Old may be mandatory... but growing UP is still optional."[/font]

I'm pretty picky and have enjoyed extended tenure at all my gigs -- and when I leave it is usually because owners/managers start trying to pull crap. I average 2-3 years at a place; longest was 4 years.

I also work in a fraternal club right now on Friday nights - it is their biggest ($$$$) night of the week without fail. I guess I differ in that I can keep the 20-somethings busy (I buy all the latest music - Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, Adele, etc.) as they can make a HUGE difference in the bottom line at the end of the night. I am pretty well aquainted with most of them as well - many of them outside of karaoke. Many of them also frequent my Zumba classes which are also held at the fraternal club.

I am choosy. I envision what it will take to attract people to a "new" venue - if I don't want to go there, I don't expect anyone else to come there to sing.

I gravitate toward the more sophisticated, high end places. I provide entertainment more than just finding songs and putting them up on a screen. I don't really want to be dealing with a bunch of drunken, rude screamers so I stay away from the corner taverns, etc. If I think a place isn't going to make the kind of money they need to make to pay me, I won't even talk to them.

I'm probably one of the exceptions to the rule, because I only do 12 to 15 shows in the entire year. Since I (obviously) don't rely on this for an income, I can afford to be choosy. That being said, I am very picky with regard to where I want to host.

1. I do not choose to work in a regular Restaurant that happens to have a Bar section (open to everyone (diners and non-diners alike). The reason for this is twofold. The first reason is because (from what I have witnessed over the years of attending such shows) the volume tends to be turned down (very noticeably)... sometimes to the point that you can barely even hear the music. The reason this is so, is because Management has usually expressed it be turned down low so as not to have any complaints from the Diners. The second reason I don't want to do the Restaurant type venue, is because I do not believe in censorship (I don't think this needs any further explanation).

2. I will only work in a place that I feel has adequate space for me to be set up, without the Singers tripping over my equipment or being right on top of the people sitting at the Bar area. If I feel the place is too small to accommodate that, then I won't even drop off my card.

Of all the places that I have done shows, there was ONLY ONE place where I actually quit after the first night. It was a regular neighborhood bar, but the place was excessively loud. I couldn't even adjust my music properly in this place to compete against all the Regulars there. On top of that, the people there seemed totally indifferent to the Karaoke. I felt very uncomfortable there, so after the show ended that night, I told the Bartender (the one who had actually got me hired there), that something had come up, where I could not continue doing the show there; however, I did bring them someone else to interview (who ended up getting the gig).

It doesn't matter what end of the spectrum you think fits your style.......it's hard to deal with people everywhere you go....customers, waitresses, owners, managers....yodayodayoda.......that's why I threw in the towel.....now I'm just a customer......and the customer's always right...... .......luckily my wife's a good provider... ....though I wish she would quit calling me Jefferson........