Karaoke Forums

Well i'd have to agree with you wholeheartedly!!

When I first joined this forum, it was for the KJ Forum since I was a new KJ at a bar...since then i've been replaced by someone...who as far as I know is still only employed there because he and the boss's wife are.....friendly. He's drunk at every show...and has thrown (or been thrown through) the big screen tv numerous times....

We counted the other night...how many times he sang (and his favorites) as compared to the other singers....

KJ 23 times...

Favorites 17 times...

Regular Customers...4 times...


When I or others have gone to the owner of the bar (who owns all the equipment, just hires the KJ for $75/night 4 times a week) he says that no one has complained....which we all know isn't true...

I went in there last week, and kindly requested that since I only go to the bar to sing karaoke once every 2-3 months now (because of the new KJ) that he PLEASE do a fair rotation....

At which point I got my disks literally thrown at me...and told that i'd worn out my welcome....alrighty then

So yeah...#1 all time beef with KJ's is BAD ROTATION!!

Couldn't agree more....

_________________

What a perfect subject !

I went to my hometown Friday night, and there was karaoke there. Small town, 250 people, mostly older people singing.

Well, karaoke was supposed to start at 9:00. The KJ Does not get there till 9:30, and by the time he sets up, it is 10:00, not the end of the world.

so, the show finally starts, he sings his song, and I am the first up in the so called rotation (explain the "so called" later).

I put up my songs way before, and he comes up to me with my first song and says "you have the number wrong, you are supposted to follow along with the numbers in the book" as if I was stupid. Then, he says "we have it all figured out though, so it is okay" (I was going to look up the number for him).

Okay, so I put in the song "We Belong" for my first one, and the song that comes up is La Bamba!! So, I walk over, and calmly say, this is not my song....and of course he and his "assistant" look at me like I am on mars.

So, rather than actually ask which song I wanted to sing, they just took a big guess. I did have the number wrong, which was not a big deal cause it did not take long to look up anyway.

Later that night it happened again, where he was telling me my number was wrong, but that time, it just turned out they were not reading it right!

So, he first set up his so called first rotation in an all rock, then all country song set. Well, I have no idea as to what a rotation even was as he would literally just grab a paper and chose a singer. It was awful! Sometimes, you would have someone sing, then someone else, and those people who just sang would be up again! It had no rhyme nor reason.

And, you could tell that they were just randomly picking, as they took forever to cue the songs.

I mean, it was not a big deal as there were not a lot of singers, but this guy was not even professional. When someone "bad" would sing a song, and be out of time, he would come right up to them, and start singing in their ear to try and "fix" the timing problem. One girl he came up to her and was clapping in her face and singing in her face, as she tried to look around him. It was BRUTAL!

Then, his sound system was just awful. He had a loud system with a live mic, which was nice, but because the mic was so live, you would stand five feet away from the speakers with the mics pointing away and still get feedback. All night was just feedback. And, when you have people who don't understand how feedback happens (like drunk people who don't care), it is feedback all night.

I am NEVER going back again, as I was just actually kinda scared of the guy.

He was unprofessional, rude, obnoxious, and I know that if he was in a bigger place with people who have done karaoke a lot, he would have not even lasted five minutes!

That is my story for the day !

My beefs? What makes a bad KJ?

1. Unfair rotation. Don't call up your favorites and ignore the rest of the people and don't keep changing the order. If you insert new people into the rotation don't put them all between two people.

2. Unrequested duets. If I wanted you to sing with me I'd ask. Don't sing backup during my entire song. Some people may like that but I don't. If you're insist on singing along don't turn my mic down and yours up.

3. Learn to run a sound board. I don't mind if it's not perfect, but don't crank the reverb up w/ a maximum delay so I echo like crazy in the middle of a song. Don't turn up the reverb to the point the vocals are muddy or uninteligible. I'd rather you turned them off than distort my voice to the point it's nothing like what I really sound like.

4. Don't be a stick in the mud. Don't just call the next person, try to make it a little more lively. Some music in between singers, light joking, whatever but don't give me dead space and the 'Joe! You're next!' all night long. Ok, so even if they just announce the next person I can deal with it but it's nice if you'd do a little more...

5. If you're going to work the room pay attention so you're back in the booth before the song ends or carry a wireless to annouce the next person. Don't sit and chat up the women in the club while the song ends and you ignore the patrons waiting to sing.

6. If you want to do an unusual rotation think about it before you start. Having every person sing 2 songs isn't a good idea. We'll wait twice as long to sing the first time when we come in. Yes, I want to sing, but I don't want to wait 2 hours for my first song. Especially if I show up near the beginning of your show.

7. If I wanted anyone to join in I'd ask them. Don't let just anyone that wants to come up and grab a mic to sing with me. Tell them no, turn the mic off, do something but don't let them sing with me unless I put their name on the slip.

8. Learn to put a book together. At least keep the artists names the same throughout the book. I don't want to see W. Nelson, Willie Nelson, and Nelson, W. to hunt for a song.

9. Try to have some variety. Yes, you have a bunch of songs but you have 30 versions of Mambo #5. The Laserdiscs are good but even though you have 125 of them they haven't been made in quite some time and you have a lot of the staples missing (only 3 songs by Frank Sinatra and 4 by Elvis?). Even if you don't get the new stuff at least try to cover the staples. This is a minor peeve and I sometimes overlook it as long as they'll play my orignal discs and/or my copies.

I have some other beefs and things that really annoy me but this is just what I've experienced first hand. Sometimes multiples of these at the same show. I don't expect a lot - just try to make everyone sound at least halfway decent, pay attention to the show, and run a fair rotation.

heeeeeeeeeeey big jimmy c ! wazzzzzzup my brother !!!! very cool to see ya......i hate when the kj sits while people are singing and looks very dissinterested in the singers performance....i know its hard to show enthuasiam after the millionth time of "goodbye earl" but it always is assuring to the more shy singers that the kj is there listening and supporting.....

_________________
Gladly helping Kappy to become cyber immortal !!

A bad KJ?!?!?

Don't even get me started here I still have to find a good KJ in Saint Louis / Saint Charles - MO It's no bloody wonder they get $75- per night. I wouldn't even pay them for what they do.

1. Being late
2. The look of intense boredom on his/her face
3. Standing next to me smokin'
4. Walking away from the stage to lick of his girlfriend/scank
5. Drunkenness.
6. Unfair rotation

Well, i have been a KJ for 6 years and still working in the same venues i started in...and others. Before that...just a singer....this is what i saw...and what i vowed i WOULD never do....and don't.

1. Be late...I am always 45 min early.

2. Unfair rotation. ..I don't play favorites...I don't bump. for anyone. You put a song in...you get to sing.

3. I DO NOT ALLOW heckling. It takes guts for lots of people to get up and sing. IT is there time to be special....and my job to make sure they feel that way.

4. My hubby and i do it together. ...We have NO down time. I don't even take a break. If i need one....he carries on. If he needs one...I carry on.

5. We treat everyone like they were in our home and try to make everyone feel comfortable.

6. We sing ONLY UNTIL we get a full rotation. We are filler only.

7. You sing alone...We allow no mic hogs. If someone tries to muscle in on someones turn....they are escorted back to their chair and asked nicely to submit their OWN ticket.

We do joke...between singers....never taking up their time. We take time to give prizes the venue buys....and no....no comps....these are appreciation prizes just for coming. So far so good. we are still going strong....and we are all still enjoying it.

Since i do this in a small town where i live also.....i put out a sheet and have people come up and write songs they would like us to get.....and we try. I would say we have 90& of what they have WISHED for in 6 years.

_________________