Karaoke Forums

I don't know how to create on survey.  If someone can follow up and do so, or instruct me on how to do so, I think it would be very beneficial/interesting to all -- KJ's and singers, alike.

After reading over the following threads (loosely titled by me):
Should a KJ sing?
Should you dress up for a gig?
Am I too old to get into this business?

I realize that there are two different opinions regarding the role of a KJ.  Some view KJ's to be entertainers and believe that is (part of) the job.  Others seem to hold the view that a KJ is the host for others (who may or may not be "entertaining").

I would like to survey the following questions, regarding performances in public venues (not private parties):

Which singers (non-KJ's) believe that they are entertaining (Yor N)?
Which KJ's believe they are entertaining when they sing (Y or N)?
Which KJ's believe that, generally speaking, they are entertaining at their shows beyond their vocal abilities (Y or N)?
Which KJ's believe that the audience expects them to sing during each show (Y or N)
Which KJ's believe the owner of the venue expects the KJ to entertain (Y or N)?
Who, as a KJ, believes a KJ should simply host the show and sing only if necessary (Y or N)?
Who, not being a KJ, believes a KJ should sing in the rotation, even when it crowded (Y or N)?  
Who, not being a KJ, expects to be entertained by the KJ (Y or N)

my definition of an entertainer is one who performs an act for an audience.  KJ's sometimes must become an entertainer if there are very few singers in order to get an audience to participate.  Once the show is going and there is a decent roatation, the KJ should fade into the background and be only a voice.  At this point the ones singing karaoke are the entertainers and the KJ merely facilitates the audience's enjoyment by keeping the rotation going and keeping the crowd "wound up" if you will.  This does not mean that the KJ should never BECOME and entertainer should the audience request it.

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All work and no play make Homer something something

KJ's are HOSTS ... But all good Hosts of shows also "entertain"
Forgetting for a moment the running of the equipment , A KJ must keep things moving - They usually open the show with a song . make some announcements , work the crowd for REQUESTS and attempt to make every singer feel like they are the STAR.  The key to a GREAT HOST is not stealling the SINGERS spotlight.
It is true that the SHOW is yours but only as a HOST and facilitator of the rotation, rules, sound and songs.

Every KJ should be entertaining the non singers.    The majority of my crowds are non singers.    So it would only stand to reason that they are spending the majority of the money.   Any KJ that doesn't think or want to keep them happy, is goofy.

I look at it like this.   The singers are singing the songs they want to sing.  So they are keeping themselves entertained.   They may think they are entertaining the "Crowd".    But sometimes that isn't they way it goes.    I watch the crowd especially the non singers.     Do you think that every non singer wants to hear every song that being sung, if it's a string of country, slow, love songs or crappy singers?   When they are out for a night of fun?    I sing upbeat rock songs 90% of the time I sing.    Trying to keep them there and drinking.    I have seen many people want to leave after hearing some crappy singers.     If they think the whole night will be filled with crappy singers, they're leaving.   If they think it's going to be all country, they're leaving.     If they think it's going to be all slow songs, they're leaving.

My "karaoke" goal is to make the bar the maximum amount of money.

To me that means entertaining all of the people in attendance.  And making them want to stay and spend money and want to tell more people to come.    So I will sing to change a mood or inject some talent.    All in the name of making more money for the bar.    Not to show everyone that I am the main attraction.     (Even though I am.)

Now you answer the question.    How do you want to run your business?   What will your reputation be like?   Will you be entertaining to the whole crowd?    Will you worry about entertaining the non singers?

Host!  I am not there to 'entertain', that is for the customers!  A host should be able to keep a show going, sing if need be - ie too slow or little to no rotation, interact with audience members.  Hosts that sing often usually have big ego problems.

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I'm not a KJ but this philosophy by XX is what I'd like a KJ to be doing.

As you will see by reading these forums, There are many ways to run a succesful PROFESIONAL Karaoke Show.  Mostly depends on your venue and your crowd.
Some same KJ's will even run very differant shows at differant venues It just makes sense.  YOU the KJ is not the entertainment --YOUR SHOW is the entertainment and the singers in it.  BD makes good points that as a KJ you must keep everyone entertained and Happy ..not just the singers but the non singers as well.
This can be in the form of a KJ singing an upbeat song, Playing some dance and regular music, GAMES, Contests, Kamikaze Karaoke etc.

Host or Entertainer?......HOSTERTAINER

But in that same respect, many of the non-singers in the crowd ARE there with their friends that sing or are there to listen to the singers - even the bad ones if not just to laugh & smile - kind of bad, but true.  I have a few non-singing couples that come in almost every night just to listen - they are entertained by the singers, not because of me.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

DITTO!!!

Mega Dittos  :dancin:

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

All kjs must be entertainers as well as kjs. If I don't like you I'm not going go to your venue and sing.  However, correct me if I'm wrong but I believe you're using the term entertainer as someone that sings the entire show. Here in our area the majority of our kjs are wanna be entertainers.  One kj here will put himself in rotation and sing at least six songs in a row.  By the time he's finished singing all the singers have usually disappeared.  I personally think that that is exactly what he wants so that he can sing all night.

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Singing just for you

I don't go to a show if I see a kj singing more than anyone else.  Seen it far too often, someone good sings a song, the kj is singing either directly or shortly after the good singer.  Have seen the kj's sing 2 or more songs in a row or try to be the witty comic in between songs.  I am not there to see a kj perform, I am there to sing & watch others sing.  If the kj wants to sing that much, bill yourself out as the (your name here) show & don't say it's karaoke.

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

I WILL DEFINE ENTERTAINER AS SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES THAT THE FOLKS COME IN TO SEE HIM OR HER PERFORM (that might simply mean to strive to be the center of attention).

A KJ has a variety of "jobs", if they are to run a good show.

1.  Sing (once a rotation, like everyone else) ...  IF the rotation is short, and know when to STOP singing ... once the rotation has "filled".  
2.  Keep the audience "engaged" .... sometimes this means playing great "bump" music (the music between singers), announcing with enthusiasm, shouting out the specials of the night, saying funny little things in regarding to something happening at the moment, etc....
3.  Maintain good "crowd control" ... by monitoring the mood of the crowd ... encouraging dancing to karaoke songs, encouraging purchases of food and drink to support the show/club, encouraging EVERYONE to get up and take a turn "AT BAT" with the microphone either alone or with some friends .... etc.

All of these jobs are forms of ENTERTAINING.  I've been to many events where the emcee was very "entertaining" ..... but he/she wasn't the STAR of the show.  I think this should hold true with Karaoke.  Let the people who have come to the show to sing and listen ... be the STARS ..... and let the KJ be an entertaining facilitator and emcee!

JMO ..  :hug:

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[shadow=tomato]If you want your significant other to pay attention to EVERY word you say::
  TALK IN YOUR SLEEP   [/shadow]  

SHOTGUN

Some might say that such a KJ is engaging and or has a great personality.  I don't call that entertaining!

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[shadow=tomato]If you want your significant other to pay attention to EVERY word you say::
  TALK IN YOUR SLEEP   [/shadow]  

There are KJs that think they are there just to play the music.    I'm just the machine loader.   It's all I can do.   Next.  

1.  Maybe it's all they can do.

2.  Maybe they can not entertain a crowd.   Have no clue what to do or how to do it.

3.  Maybe they see no reason to worry about who stays and who leaves.

4.  Maybe their idea of entertainment is to play dance/filler music.

5.  From my experience, if it was totally left up to the discretion of the singers, many would kill the crowd, more than entertain them.

6.  Many people do not come with the singers.     They come to the bar to meet people and they also do not want to be bored by a crappy musical selection from people that are singing what they like.      Some singers never sing anything other than slow songs.   Too many per night is boring.     Many singers only sing classic country.  Too many per night is boring.     Some people want to sing hip hop/rap.   Too many of those per night  is obnoxious.

7.  Do you think a successful night of karaoke, is only made up of singers?   No non singers?    Who cares what they think?

8.  Succesfull DJs play to all non singers.     How do they do it?     They play up beat stuff that the majority of the crowd wants to hear.   Think about the last DJ you heard.    Did he play nothing but slow love songs?   Did he play nothing but classic country?     Why because everyone would leave.   So now what do you think you have to do as a successfull KJ?     Let the singers bore the rest of the crowd away?   Show me how successfull you are.

Well, those are excellent points BD!  They really are good. They made me stop and think.  But how does one accomplish all that while keeping the karaoke singers coming back?  Is there a night of Karaoke without karaoke singers?
And some of the singers will:
   want to sing Frank Sinatra all night
   want to sing Neil Diamond all night
   want to sing Elvis all night
   want to sing Creed all night
   sing the same songs over and over from one time to the next

I have to sit through such conditions quite often and I rarely enjoy the performances.  There are reasons, however, why I endure it.  But that's for another discussion.

So, BD, why don't we just get rid of the singers and hire a DJ?  Then we can listen to only the music we enjoy and request.  I, personally, like a lot of stuff I can dance to.  Latin, Fox Trot, Waltz, Two Step, Swing, freestyle, even some Hip Hop

You made your own point.  :yes:   If you think you have to sit there night after boring night, what are your non singers doing?   Who is boring you?   It's your singers.   That's who.    Now what about the non singers?     Are you keeping them there?   Do You want to keep them there?   If you're bored, the non singers are probably thinking the exact same thing, as they go to another bar.    

What does that say for your show??????  :shock:

I am a very successful KJ, been so for 14 years.     I have taken many jobs from hacks.    My crowds are all entertained.     They are serious about karaoke.  The majority of them sing very well.    There is very little trouble at my jobs.

I make up for what the other singers want to sing.   If and when I sing, I sing a song to entertain the non singers and to hopefully keep them there longer. (Not what I really want to sing, what I feel is the right type of song to accomplish the goal I have for the crowd.)     That is why you can sing, whatever you want.   You can suck as bad as you want.   You sing what you want, I'll keep the crowd entertained, including all the money spending, (that pay my wage) non singers.    

My song book has 50 Frank songs in it.    So sing away.  82 Elvis Songs   9 Creed songs    21 Neil songs

It has no M&M, very little Kid Rock, no Snoop Dog, no 50 cent, No angry rock screaming at the top of your lungs songs from the early 2000's.     A well rounded selection of normal topic and language songs.     If that's a problem, you can sing  at some other hacks out-of-control, crappy sounding karaoke.     I'll drive ya there.  LMAO  :O

I don't have a clue about doing karaoke....  LMAO

I look at it in terms of game show host or something along the lines of Dick Clark. Im not there to ENTERTIAN the crowd. Ill sing one to start it to make them feel "safe" to get up and sing. Maybe sing once or twice the rest of the evening. But as the KJ/DJ its my job to keep the "Entertainers" entertaining. I run the show--but the singers and dancers ARE THE SHOW.  Im simply the MC and introduce and compliment and comment on the singer performances. I keep the party rollin. Im much too DULL AND MUNDANE TO BE THE PARTY!!

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT