Karaoke Forums

You guys aren't going to believe this one.
I go to do a show last night. I'm all set up just ready to get my coffee
in place and start the first song and in walks a guy with 2 guitars. What the heck?

The owner booked a band the same night I was booked and didn't tell anyone.
He's on vacation basically letting the bar run itself. He has one of the bartenders
being manager with no authority.

So we sit around for about a half an hour while she is trying to get a hold of him on the phone. Mean while she finds the flyers for the band behind the register in the back. So we were both deffinately booked for the same night. He finally answers the phone and decides to go with the band.

By this time we are all mad, but not at each other. I have to tear down, so thy can set up.
I ask to be compensated for my time and I'm told I have to wait until he gets back.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

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Does that mean he's gonna be lookin' for another KJ in the future?

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[glow=white][scroll]Live, laugh, and love today--just in case tomorrow doesn't make it[/scroll][/glow]

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babs, about the money, yes, you should be compensated.

I just feel bad about your regulars!

Babs, you should be given your entire fee.  if he hadn't double booked you probaby would have been doing the show somewhere else...of coarse if this is a regular gig for you and he doesn't want to fully compensate you, compromise might be in order....Don't want to mess up a regular gig....

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Will sing or fish for food!!I'm not quite right!!

I have to wait until he gets back from Florida.
What makes me mad is I'll have to track him down and ask for the money.
He should be waiting at the door when I come to do my next show apologizing,
but he won't. Then I'll have to compromise on the money because no way will he pay me what he would of paid me if I'd worked the show. GRRRRRRR

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

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Babs, me being me, I would let him go along thinking he could count on me, then not show up............I'd go find myself another gig not say a word to him.

Then if he tracked me down and asked me back, we would first settle the past amount due.

But that's just me.

If I got to go look far a guy to get my money, I get my money's worth once I find him. I ain't going to stand in line to get paid. He can stand in line to pay me or get his nose broke once I find him.

What a bum deal.  Yes, you should get compensated.  Let us know how things go when the owner returns.

It is easy to come up with ideas and things you want to say or do; and even easier for others to suggest all kinds of things, but it is sometimes hard to carry those things out.  It should be similar to the owner getting someone to come and paint the place, and after they get all the equipment, ladders, etc setup to start, along comes someone else to put up wallpaper.  The first folks were hired, and would expect payment for their time and comittment, whether they carried out the complete job or not - similar thing here.

Of course, without knowing all the rest of the details, it still comes down to a personal decision on how to handle it, and how to go forward if you dont get paid for it.  Things like it being a regular gig, normal payments, how far to travel, etc....

Good Luck!

..............Uuummmm,

This bar owner had already cut her lose....He just forgot to tell her.

No respect.

He ain't worried about nobody but him, so why should she care about anyone but herself?

I'd break his nose and then open my bloody fist and demand my money.

You just have to speak distinctly and punctuate your demands with your fists. If you do it right he won't make you repeat yourself. That's the last thing he would have you do.

It works for me......But that's just me.

Been there, done that...And it was fun.

Keith is absolutely correct Bab's (and I can't sleep yet).  This owner who you already knew is a ba*($)# KNOW'S what he's doing. You know how he is, and how close in the past you've come to "walking" because of his actions and character...Unfortuneately you didn't walk in time, and he uses people ! Problem I have with jack^$$es like this now exboss of yours is that as nice as a person you seem to be, this type character prey's off've other's "niceness", and SELDOM for some reason's seems to have a tough time finding people he will use, chew up, and spit out..... I agree with Keith,  You can bust his nose, and I'd certainly feel like it...or ask uncle Bruno and his friends to have him "pay you" in order for them to "protect  him" ..  I've had bosses like this, they take advantage of "good people".....Too bad I don't believe Karma actually pan's out with some of these ($*^#))...... Do you know any "uncle Bruno's" who might wish to help this guy make up his mind ? .... Here's a  poem you can write on his urinal wall.. A nice analogy between Karaoke, and ^($(#( on others.


We "do unto other's" because
You see my unc there holding gauze ?
you'll give me the dough
lest Bruno won't go
but make crunchy sounds with yez Jaws !


                               Cordially Bab's
                                Your Sweet KJ

(btw,  I'll be here next weekend,  I'd like a few more bucks for my services at this joint)

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I am scheduled to work wednesday night before he gets back. I have a
loyal following and don't want to let them down. I don't have the balls to not show up.
I don't want to lose this gig, I'm there 3 nights a week unless there is a band
scheduled for Saturday night.
I think the most I'm willing to do, if he doesn't make emends, is to stop doing Saturday nights.
He pays the bands twice what he pays me. I'm sure in the long run it would hurt his
pocket book.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Hi Babs. Sorry about the seemingly raw deal you received from your bar owner.
I'd say, yeah, don't give up just yet, give him a chance to fix the situation atleast. 3 nights a week is better than 0 nights a week. Just make clear to him that you won't tolerate being treated like this in the future, and if he's such a jerk that he does it again, then you should walk.
From the sound of your experience in the kj gigging, you shouldn't have a problem finding a decent gig elsewhere. The customers want you, and will only go where you're the queen.
Hope it gets straightened out soon...........Perry

don't compromise on the money owed you...

Every pro kj I know has a policy about cancelled shows with no notice.

you said it yourself... your following was put out by you not being there, as much as it would be if YOU cancelled.

This fact needs to be communicated to the venue manager/owner. By cancelling a show, it causes irreparible damage to the stability of other shows. Many regulars may find another venue, and may not come back! So you have to work extra hard to convince them that it's still a gold show.

And you're not to be compensated for that? If the owner is convinced that he's right, I'd start shopping around for another venue! In fact, I'd probably be doing that now anyway... that kind of disrespect is just unforgivable... and if he does do it, your still to be paid the same regardless of if the show is held or not.

Don't you have some sort of contract/agreement in writing with the owner of the bar stating whay/when/where, and how to cancel?

I have a contract/agreement signed with every person I do a gig for, stating all the perticulars including, that if the bar owner wants to cancle a show, I must be given a 2 week notice, otherwise my full fee must be paid.

It kills me that so may KJ/DJs do not have contracts with their clients.  Myc contracts have saved A LOT of hastle when a few people have tried to screw me out of $$$.

I had something like this onetime,
I was booking every other weekend at this place, setup on friday night played, then left the equipt there till saturday evening and did another gig.

In night I got there and setup and the dj that does every other weekend showed up saying she had him booked. we called, and she let him play. I didnt bother to show up the next night, and have never looked back. I had played there almost a year, she had subbed him for me on halloween also. She lost a lot more than I did. I was playing the next week for her competition and have been doing both weekend nights ever since. My followers came with me too.

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I'm Not Dead yet...... But every day Im getting Closer !

Oh Babs honey, I totally feel for you!  After reading your posts it sounds like we work at the same bar, as I've said before.  The bar owner is a prick but you stick it out because 1) you rely on the gig financially because it's 3 nights a week of income at the same place, and 2) because part of you loves what you do outside of the reason 1 and you feel loyal to the regulars that have been there for you.  I'm in the same exact situation.  I have one other show that isn't with the 3 night a week bar.  What I'm going to do is hunt down a friday show so that all my income doesn't rest on the three night a week gig, so that when the bar owner treats me like crap I know I can leave and be ok.  My regulars would still know how to find me and know I will find a replacement gig in a heart beat.  

Back to the topic at hand though.  Do you get paid by the bar owner personally?  I ask this because when the bar owner does something like book a band with no warning I tack on that night to my next receipt.  No questions or fiddling.  That's the way it is.  I walk up to the bar tender, who pays me and does not negotiate my price, she just hands me the amount on the receipt.  The owner have a verbal contract on this.  You own your business.  You don't ask for money, you TELL him that X services were rendered and X amount is owed.  You then tell him to avoid this in the future by giving you a 2 week notice on booking different events on your night.  I know you've been there for years and this may not be how you have done things but I'm sure the bar has gone through it's changes.  You have every right to instate policy's of your own.  I know it's easier said then done because of reason #1 that I stated earlier, coupled with the fact that the guy is a pain in the (@$%&#!) to work for in the first place but you can do it!  I know you can!  If you have been there so long and for so many nights a week he would be at a major loss financially should you take your business else where.  Plus, I'm sure you've learned how to 'handle' him in all the time you've been there.  

Good luck with it Babs!  You deserve to be compensated!  I hope all my thoughts made sense through my bad grammar!  Now I'm off to find the other thread about venting with a little vent of my own to add.

I have decided to wait and see how he handles this situation when he gets back and if he doesn't make good I'm going down the street to his competition. I've already been asked by them to do a week night, but because of my dumb loyalty said no. he isn't the only bar in town and I know my regulars will follow me. The transition will suck going from 3 nights a wk. to 1, but I'm to the point now - I'm just mad!

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