Karaoke Forums

Okay -- You are either a KJ trying to keep your business going or a singer out to have a fun time ...... In walks a singer (GOD BLESS ALL THE SINGERS CAUSE WITHOUT THEM KARAOKE WOULD DIE) but this one LOVES TO SING ....but CAN'T HOLD A TUNE IF IT WHERE IN A BUCKET...
I mean they are HORRIBLE ... and people actually get up and LEAVE !!!
It actually pains you to listen ....REALLY ......

What do you do? I mean its suppose to be fun right? But if you are losing singers and other patrons what do you do ? ???

Use what your dealership gave ya. EFFECTS, EFFECTS and mic them down and hide behind your rig and sing along. Come on now do your homework. he he he

actually, make the music higher than the singer, and turn them down...

if they complain, tell them that they need to hold the mic further away from their mouth, not swallowing the damn thing!

Just paste a grin on that face and realize it will all be over in three minutes and when it's all over, clap & give it up for his/her having the cojones to get up there and sing in the first place.

I'm one of those people with the annoying ability to hear it when someone is even very very slightly off pitch and it is painful, especially when the high end is overdone on the EQ and these piercing vocal sounds come out of the speakers. But you just gotta grin & bear it cause they're trying, they really are!

But to turn the music way up on them to drown out their voice, they'll know that's what is going on and it's embarrassing. Get the levels right, stick some effects on em and deal with it. I mean, if vocal effects can make teen pop stars sound good it can do at least a little for the sweet thing trying to sing I Will Survive but sounding like she just...well...won't.

Now if they're intentionally being annoying, or flat out drunk, that's a totally different story...

Merrye

I'm with you, Merrye. It is not my job to say who can or can't sing. I have regulars who can't carry a tune in a bucket, but they show up with a table full that cheers loudly and has fun. On the bell curve of life, you should have some really good ones to make up for it. Anyway, the best KJ is the one who never lets a poor singer know that they are a poor singer.

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You Can't Sing? THat doesn't Stop Anybody Else!

This is one of those things that goes with the territory!
Help them out to the best of your ability and join in if necessary.
Do just about anything you can to make it easier for them and better for the audience.
That's what we're paid for!!

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Imagine!

Lazer, you are right, except for one point- these people tend to pick the 5,6,8,10 minute songs to do. They are also the ones that will give you a dirty look if you try to help them.

Just because as professionals we have to grin and bear it, doesn't mean we have to like it!!

Long live ECHO....ECHo....ECho....Echo...echo...!!!

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

Believe me ..I give everything singer the best mix and when they are done the old GREAT JOB!!!!! ... I'll admit I have turned the vocals down ...ohhh so slightly and increased the effects ..But last Saturday when this person sang I heard a few people in the bar scream OH MY GOD ... This is not meant to bash ANY karaoke singer ...I owe my kj business to the average singer who comes out week avfter week to support my shows ...... This is about what if you had that one HORRIBLE SINGER who support you shows ..BUT IN DOING SO IS ACTUALLY hurting your show

It depends- do they drink water?


Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

Naughty!!!
I know what you mean but it is something of a cleft stick.
You cannot get to choose your singers! It's the nature of the beast but I will freely admit that I now know what Baseball bats were actually invented for!

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Imagine!

I let em all sing - that's what its all about. Additionally, just think how much better that makes you sound!? HEHEHEHE. Ever notice though, it always seems those types always put in the 7-8 minute songs?

Yeah, grin and bear it. Besides...


It's not about singing,

It's about having fun!

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"C'mon people! We can get drunker than this!"

I've noticed that the people that have complained to me about the singing ability of people onstage are often too chicken to get onstage themselves and do it.

Last Friday night, there was a girl about 18 years old that sang who was just horrible. We're talking pig in a mailbox or wet cat. But holy cow, she loved every minute of being on that stage, and she went up twice in the rotation plus she sang a duet with one of her girlfriends. It wasn't so much fun to hear but she was having a great time, dancing around and squealing her little heart out.

I almost put a dollar in her pants.

That girl had more fun than anyone else there that night.

And that story just about says it all for me!!!!

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Imagine!

I have to say again.... Karaoke is for the SINGERS ..They all have fun and that's what it's about... But just to repeat myself ..This singer LOVES TO SING they come in WEEK AFTER WEEK ... BUT they are GOD awful horrible...now in this venue there is on average only a 10-15 person rotation so they are getting up once and hour (maybe twice if they do a duet with there spouse) and the other patrons there listeneing or playing pool or just hanging out .....actually look like they are in pain when this person sings and I really had people come up to me and tell me they were leaving to go to the bar across the street.....If more of the non singing regulars start to go across the street I'm afraid I could lose this job......SO WHAT DO YOU DO?

Stab them!

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Imagine!

I'd ask them to get their selves up there and sing if they think they can do so much better. And get the word out about your shows so the petty people can be replaced. No need to censor singers just because they don't have an ability, or even very much a lack of ability. Music is for everybody not just the good ones. The ones that leave, they're too stupid to be there in the first place, let the bar across the street have them. There's not a single person in the world that can't be replaced.

The one I'm concerned about being replaced is ME the KJ

I guess one good question would be, do these people return?

If you are losing customers because of a God aweful singer, it's time to pull out the gong. If everyone is returning after the bad singer finishes, he or she may take the hint after awhile anyway.

Gary

Sorry guys and gals (as always from just a singer's perspective) there isn't a thing you can or should do about it. I was at a venue one night that I regularly went to in Michigan. There was one singer who was awful and everyone knew it but him (he thought he was god's gift to music). Being the nice bunch of people that we are we tolerated his noise (by the way he wasn't very personable either) He had no friends or even warm aquaintances in the place except the bar owners cash register.

One of the more popular and very good singers had just done Billy Vera's "At This Moment", extremely well. It was the singer's signature song. We all respected that and would not touch it while he was in the bar.

The noise box was up next and changed his song to "At This Moment" and announced that he was going to SHOW US HOW THIS SONG IS DONE.

The KJ who we all loved dearly couldn't talk him out of it but had no choice but to put it on (remember the Bar Owner's cash register). Dead silence from the audience; then jeers and boos. We (the other singers) literally drove him out of the club. Word about this spread rapidly and he was persona non grata at every Karaoke club in the area.

The point being that the customers will take care of the problem if it's a problem.

As for ordinary people who can't sing but enjoy doing it. God love 'em. Myself and everybody I know listen to them and encourage them as much as we can (again from a singer/customer's perspective). This has been the case in every venue I've ever been at.

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Jazz and Swing Live (as long as I do).