Karaoke Forums

Yeah....whatever.  It just occurred to me that since karaoke success depends upon many supporters or patrons of the bar, what does a person do who wants to sing, but doesn't want alcohol, but doesn't want to feel like a mooch, but can only drink so many beverages of the non-alcohol variety in a night, and still make a sizeable contribution to the cause? (short of paying the bar owner for the use of the hired karaoke services)

This one made me wonder. After hearing from so many kjs on here about how the whole game is played, do the kjs really look down on a patron who doesn't need to spend alot to be able to sing?

Example: Guy walks in. Orders a coke for $1.50, tips the bartender or waitress a buck, only does this maybe 3 times in 4 hours.....he spent $7.50, and was able to sing 4 karaoke songs because it was a slow night.

Is this guy going to be the next recipient of ridicule or whatever? Kinda like....Geez, here comes Mr. Big Spender, hey listen to me, I can sing?

I guess my point is, I really think kjs should start charging an admission fee, or a per song rate to singers in addition to what a bar owner might pay them for services rendered.
That way, the bar owner sells alcohol to the drinkers, the kj makes a little extra, and the singer doesn't have to worry about being dead weight to the whole scene....(kinda like me being dead weight to KS.... )

Does anyone agree with this? Or do I sound like a troublemaker? Or????

$1.50 for a soda???? Bar owner's losing money.  Here they charge over $2 and $2 per cup of coffee in some places.  Unless the person is the DD (designated driver) for 3 or more.  No need to feel like dead weight at those places.

I'm not really sure what the charge is for a soda where I go....I'm a drinker.
And I easily spend $20 to $30 in 4 hours.....on myself.  

But that's getting old, and so am I.
I just wonder what I'll do when I stop all the drinking. Will I no longer be welcome at the karaoke show?

Hmmmm sounds like mixed drinks to me.  Profit margin should be about the same (actually profit margin on $1/cup coffee is even higher).

Actually, just beer mostly.  :shock:
6 to 7 beers at $2.50 + $1.00 tip for each, then maybe a Jaegerbomb (spelling?) at $5.00 + $1.00 tip.
And oh, my singing doesn't get any better with the juice either. It just makes me care less about what others think of it then.

Bars actually make more of a profit from soft drinks than alcohol due to the mark ups.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

They jack up the price of soda, because people used to bring in their own half pints.....owners got smart, and made it not worth doing that....I try to only drink one alcoholic drink per hour, and then I'll mix in a couple of bottles of water....I hate when they only have glasses of water, free of course...I don't mind spending 1.50 to 2.00 for a bottle of water....makes me feel like I'm helping some...what else can you do?

Being the sober one, I usually bring along some beer-drinking friends, and I'll usually get the free DD drinks, or if not, I'm happy to pay the $2 sodas or bottle water while still giving a $1 tip to both the bar and the KJ.  and sometimes the soda refills are free and I'll still give a tip.   And maybe get some bar food too.

In 15 years I have never seen a karaoke cover charge.   I wouldn't go if I had to pay.

I can hardly believe that Big Dog!! Iv'e only been going to karaoke for 10 years and even I have seen cover charge's.....Thats one of my biggest complaints....Is you spend 10 bucks for you and your wife to get in the door.....Then spend another 50 bucks in drinks and the show only last 4 hours and you only get to sing one song each!!
Thats 30 bucks basically for one person to sing one song!!!!

Now you know why I take up for you and most of the things you say Big Dog!!

And then to have jerks who won't even adjust anything to try and make you sound better on that one glorious time you finally do get up to sing!!!....Not worth my time or money to waste it on a what you call a hac kj.....Thats why we don't go anymore!!!

 Its just not worth the money

I've seen cover charge for karaoke in several places.  MOST of them however give you a redeemable token for the amount of the cover charge for food or drink.  If you just plan on drinking water, then you at least paid to play.  If you plan on doing serious drinking, then your cover is applied toward your drinks!

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Now that would be cool!!!! I guess the people here where we live are just too greedy  LOL   If it worked that way here we would probably still go to karaoke.

Hmmmmm....I've never been to a place that charges cover before...maybe I don't get around much.

I didn't mention that I tip the kj either did I? I just didn't want to get into all of that.
Let's just say......I'm probably the best customer, or best friend ever. (in my mind.... )

So what's my real point? Hell, I don't know? I said I was boring before....I'm just trying to make conversation I guess?

And it sounds like I pay people to be my friend.....what a loser!! LMMFAO!!  LMAO  LMAO  LMAO

Big Dog, I thought you'd be more into making more money?

Lonman, That sounds like a helluva deal!!

Dave, Johnny, and Tim, I had no idea.....I know I bought a huge bag of pretzels one night for a buck, and the bartendress was looking like she earned a tip......if you know what I mean?  LOL  It was a good deal!!!  LMAO

The reason the pretzels were such a good deal (and why many places give away salty snacks) is it makes you THIRSTY!  This causes you to buy more drinks and that's where the money's at!

You got that one right Dave.  I guess I was the one getting the good deal though, because it was almost the end of the night, and I had to drive.....I only had 2 beers in 3 1/2 hours....and I needed to soak up the pit a little bit with the pretzels.....my legal alcohol limit is half of most others at .04 for a commercial driver.

The place I usually karaoke at(where I really guzzle the beer), is in a hotel where I stay.....I only have to walk up the hall to my room when it's over usually.

I ventured out to another area gig the pretzel night. I really like that place!! But I can't drink when I go there.

I usually don't order alcohol and end up getting soda pop, which has ranged in price from free to $2.00 depending on where I go.  I usually stay about two hours, and the most sodas I've ever drunk has been two.  Suffice it to say they aren't making a great deal of money off me (I do usually tip, though).

I finally discovered a beer the taste of which I can stand, so last night I asked if they had it.  They did, so I ordered beer instead, figuring it would be more expensive.  It wasn't.  They charged $1.50 for it.  At that price they would make more money if I ordered soda because of the better margin.

I'm probably going to mostly stick with the soda in the future, not because the bar will make more money but because I discovered that drinking beer makes me rip a big belch about every five minutes.  I've got enough trouble sounding good without stifling a burp at the same time.  And the beer dried out my mouth at least as bad as the soda.

What were we talking about again?

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In Honolulu they charge a dollar a song and you sang two in a row. Everybody did. Somebody (Sharon, maybe) said that there was discussion somewhere in the forum that the state got the dollar per song. I thought maybe that was how the KJ got paid. I could not tell; the KJ paid mine when he finally figured out I didn't know what the hell he was trying to ask me with sign language across the bar. When I figured it out he did not let me pay. I thought it was weird, but, hey, if it works...

I think if you are drinking free or cheap, for whatever reason, tip the waitstaff and KJ well and you have paid your way.

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[glow=darkorchid]Musica delenit bestiam feram[/glow]

In the real world $1 per song  LMAO

In 4 hours you get an average of 60 songs.    Any good hack could play for $60 a night.  :worship:  LMAO  :O  :yes:


If it's a $1 for 2 songs that's even better.    :asleep:  :O

Over here, non alcoholic drinks cost about the same as beer; even bottled water. It has to be that way; the bar need to make money.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Big Dog, you mean to say you wouldn't need an extra $60 per night in addition to what the bar owner pays you? Why not?

The bar owner pays the kj tab usually.....right?

My point here was to charge a fee to everyone for the privilege of singing, so a non-drinker who wants to contribute something to the gig doesn't feel like a mooch.
Yes, I said privilege, because ultimately, the kj has a right to refuse anyone to sing for whatever reason they see fit.
What is so unrealistic about an individual nominal fee for kj services?  

It seems you're so caught up in proving someone or something a hack, you don't pay attention to what the thread is about.  :no: