Karaoke Forums

The clubs tell me who is NOT buys often, but I also know the ones who do freeload. Yes, a good KJ has to be able to read the room, tables, trays and even dishes or garbage cans. For those who can't you may never know if the club doesn't share the night's receipts.

I am not a show that has gone under from water sippers, but many a marginal show has. I have such large rotations that to have someone who is NOT buying take up the singing time of those who are paying is obscene. I have had a few like this try to bring like people by the carload and they found this is NOT allowed so I don't have a problem. Many of these types have tried to come in not buying and say that they would take their "BUSINESS" elsewhere. What business! They are the ones who don't bring in paying friends, coworkers or family ever.

For those that are not in this as a business but a feel good service for free that is fine. Understand that this is a business, not a sitter service. I do take good fair and equal excellent care of CUSTOMERS i.e. buying patrons.

KOBEY be careful what you wish for. Kahuna when anyone provides sh-itty or bad service and don't take care of customers the business will fail. Bad waitstaff can kill a show and or a business. I spoil customers to the point that THEY are my sales force. I don't have to search for work it calls me. I take good and equal care of those who take care of me. If you can't afford a bottle of water, soda, coffee, or other then come in when you have the money for a bottle, cup, or glass. The point is the entertainment may be "cheap" but it is not free. If someone wants free turn on the radio and sing away.

All valid points star
But, I only hope that if you are ever down on your luck
somebody shows you the same compassion that was shown to me.
Sure I could have sang to the radio and most assuredly sang my way into the grave.
There are laws always at work on earth.
Gravity one of them. Reciprocity the other.
Reciprocity is GIVE and it shall Be GIVEN
Most assuredly we shall all reap what we sow
But I won't get up on the soap box here

Peace

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....and sometimes the beholder is definitely blind as a bat!

I still think our job is to entertain everyone in the place, no matter how much or how little money they spend. When I go out to sing, I spend less than $20. That's because I don't have anyone to go with and have to drive 30 to 45 minutes to get to a show. With the new DWI limit at .08, I can't see making people buy drinks when they may be driving later. But I also don't see a problem with making people pay for water if that is what they want to drink or charging a cover charge. That is totally up to the bar.

Remember, the group of girls drinking water and singing Goodbye Earl might just be adding to the atmosphere and keeping a group of guys that are spending lots of money from leaving. A bar or club crowd is a mix. You never know what effect one person is having on the rest of the place. The couple sitting at the table in the corner might just decide to have another Crown Royal and Coke so that they can hear a water drinker sing one more Neil Diamond song. Some patrons make the bar money indirectly, so who are we to try and decide which ones are keepers and which ones should be shown the door?

Let Them Eat Cake!

(If that's a mystery, too bad.)

Wow Australias drinking limit is 0.5 and that's if you hold a full licence. If you are under 25 and on a p plate which stands for provisional you cant have any booze at all 0.00. so most of the singers and people that come to the venues are either drinking coke because if they dont they lose their licence, but then they can come to sing. O r people who are getting plastered and taking taxis, being that our citys are much smaller that yours this is another option. All people deserve to be able and go out for a good time, but face it we are trying to run a business, there has to be income for the venue and yourself, and thats not going to come from people drinking water. I also think you need to look at the reasons some people dont drink, health cant afford too, but does this mean that they shouldnt go out and enjoy singing. Some people i find who come to karaoke arent able to spend loads of money but they are lonley are really only have karaoke to keep them company.

michelle

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LUV & KISSES SHELL

Atmosphere doesn't pay the bills or the help like me. If someone wants free they what they pay for. It doesn't mean they spend the farm they buy SOMETHING be it an alcohol or a nonalcoholic purchase. Buts in the seats do not necessarily translate into profitable business. I will take one buying patron over 10 who buy nothing any day, no matter what their ability.

Karaoke is there to entertain everyone, but only those who are CUSTOMERS will actually USE my services, the rest get what they are paying for. Of course I am in business and as a business I am doing karaoke to earn a living not just for fun. There is room for those who operate karaoke for recreation instead of to make money. Those who invest that much in fun, not interested about earning pay to let others sing on the discs and equipment you buy and time you put in, I salute your enthusiasm and self flagellation.

That is an awesome idea.
last year I went to a hotel having a kaaoke contest. It was ten dollars to enter. The place was packed! And the owners of the hotel gave free soda to all the contestants. Their business went through the roof

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....and sometimes the beholder is definitely blind as a bat!

Bottom line it's the bars responsibility, not yours.

Earlier in my karaoke career, I had a gig in a bar that was frequented by students from the local college. Without fail there was this group of about 8 girls who would always come in, drop about 50 request slips, and then (@$%&#!) about when their songs were coming up--all the while nursing a glass of ice water.

Ordinarily, I don't really care one way or the other but I just thougt that these people were WAY outta line. I eventually got fed up and told them what I thought.

They complained to the owner. I tried to explain that they were doing nothing more than breathing our air, and that's why I say that I HAD a gig...

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Spreading the karaoke gospel

There's a place my partner and I are talking about doing... a bar that is only open on Thurs-Sat... on Sun-Wed, they're closed.... COMPLETELY! It's a seperate section with it's own entrance of a much bigger place.

Now, it LOOKS like a super sweet deal. We're talking about them covering the bar side of it with food and bartender... and we will charge $5.00 a head. The payback will be redeem for a drink or $off food... and with a minimum drink or food purchase situation...

we don't really know how it's going to be taken. Seems bars here don't thrive on the cover unless they are really going balls to the wall!

Well, it'll be an experiment... THAT's for sure! I'll keep you guys appraised of all the details!

Matt

I am a little confused (no change there, then) about some of the things you guys are discussing.
Sharing the take, tipping the KJ, cover charges?
Over here I set my price with the owner and he pays me. Simple as that.
If it is not to his liking, he sacks me.
Doesn't happen but. the way I see it, I run a good show, people come to see it and sing on it! The bar staff are the ones who are there to sell drinks, I'm just there to get more people through the door.
In no way am I responsible for how much or how little they spend and, anyway, I'm too busy looking after my end of things to be effective as a monitor of any situation that is not directly involved with sound, rotation and presentation!
It must be very different for all of you in The States but I'm more than happy with the status quo over here!

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Imagine!

HEY FOLKS!
Here's a nightmare for ya.. just before I left nashville.. the largest karaoke show there averages (130) singers in 7 hours.... the legal alcohol limit before a charged DUI had dropped a few months back.... this show's attendance dropped by almost 79% in the next 2 weeks and 5% of the actual attendees were drinking water.. the rest were actually purchasing something from the bar... ths show lasted only a month after that.. this is a statement of what the DUI laws can do to a club's take and why you as a KJ just gotta tell the bar "Let me run my show" and explain to them about not over serving and treating the customer right.. 52% of the time it's the club that drives the customer away. NOT the KJ/DJ. AMAZING HUH?

JUST THE FACTS!!!

I'm not a KJ, a singer, or a bar owner. Occasionly I do take in a Karaoke show. And I drink Coke. I tip not because I have to, but becaue I want to.

I seriously doubt any bar is going to go broke because of a few water drinkers. More often its a lousy bar using Karaoke to boost a sagging business. And if it fells, Karaoke gets the blame. If a bar owner can't run there own business, it's not the KJ/DJ's responsibilities to run it for them.

And if a person takes a job solely on the amount of tips they think they should get, They're in the wrong line of work. Don't get me wrong, my wife is a server in a restaurant at one of the biggest casinos in the area. And when she brings home a $250.00 day in tips. I'm happy! But like I tell her. Even if she knows the person sitting at her table doesn't tip, Give them the best possible service she can.

If a KJ gets hired into a bar based on a percentage of the bar take....WHY. Your a professional, why lower yourself to a "Maybe i'll get payed tonight" job? I'm a DJ. I charge a flat fee, Or I don't play.

You as a KJ have to buy the same Equipment, CD's, Lights. But you have one thing over me. You can sing!!! I can't carry a tune in a bucket! But yet I can draw higher wages then most KJ's...Don't sell yourselfs short. Only you can change the way the public perceives you.

Sorry So Long.....Just My Thoughts,


DJ Jim

DJ Jim...

One more dart like that and I think you got the bullseye!!!

bullseye for the thoughts, and his opinion. Always!

a flat zero though in relationship of the gist of his post to the competitiveness in this area. When it's like it is here, then you have to get creative if you're going to stay in the game.

Personally, I was a bit offended at his notion, for it's impossible to state a point-blank "there's the rule - you're either a professional or not" kinda statement. (I AM PARAPHRASING here Jim, so I'm not meaning to offend! I know you didn't mean anything personally to me (at least I hope not! !)

Matt

DJ Jim Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 9:41 am Post subject:

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I'm not a KJ, a singer, or a bar owner. Occasionly I do take in a Karaoke show. And I drink Coke. I tip not because I have to, but becaue I want to.

I seriously doubt any bar is going to go broke because of a few water drinkers. More often its a lousy bar using Karaoke to boost a sagging business. And if it fells, Karaoke gets the blame. If a bar owner can't run there own business, it's not the KJ/DJ's responsibilities to run it for them.

And if a person takes a job solely on the amount of tips they think they should get, They're in the wrong line of work. Don't get me wrong, my wife is a server in a restaurant at one of the biggest casinos in the area. And when she brings home a $250.00 day in tips. I'm happy! But like I tell her. Even if she knows the person sitting at her table doesn't tip, Give them the best possible service she can.

If a KJ gets hired into a bar based on a percentage of the bar take....WHY. Your a professional, why lower yourself to a "Maybe i'll get payed tonight" job? I'm a DJ. I charge a flat fee, Or I don't play.

You as a KJ have to buy the same Equipment, CD's, Lights. But you have one thing over me. You can sing!!! I can't carry a tune in a bucket! But yet I can draw higher wages then most KJ's...Don't sell yourselfs short. Only you can change the way the public perceives you.

Sorry So Long.....Just My Thoughts,


DJ Jim

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DJing and KJing are apples & oranges. While it is good you tip, Jim, that in itself doesn't pay the venue hiring the KJ, paying for good and services does. A bar is not going to keep an entertainment if people are not buying. YES, it is the entertainment's job (be it KJ/DJ/Band/etc.) to bring in/attract coustomer. The definition of customer is partron BUYING from the establishment.

I do fear that because of poor singing that some shows do suffer from the ability to attract the kinds of crowds that can jusitfy larger earnings. DJ's just play hits and crowds are more fluid so alcohol sales can be higher. SALES be it food, soda, coffee, or alcohol, is what get the dollars in any entertainment genre. There are some of us who do earn a good deal more than the club DJ's but we are few. We have an eye on the tables, trash cans, etc. (read the room, trays of drinks/food)

Great singers, to the decent are not the only ingredient in a successful show. Having the library to attract your target market and knowing it well, along with great people skills, speed, ability to keep the crowd's attention and gel the crowd so they have a good time is part of the formula.

You do have a business side of this. This is why the deadbeats do figure into success. This is the hat many hosts forget they MUST wear. Sales to nonsingers is NOT the issue, it is the people who want to sing for free that can kill or weaken a show. When one sings for free they all sing for free who come try to take advantage of this. I know of many shows that bit the dust with water drinking singsers.

Debra

STAR KARAOKE/Debra Lewis

Also the equipment for dj and karaoke aren't the same. Mixing boards are different, different requirements for speakers, kjs have more mics and the discs are different and i would bet the kj discs are more expensive, etc. A good kj is not necessarily a good dj and vice versa.

I do both, with the same equipment, attitude and venom.
We, on this forum are trying to make sense out of a nonsensicle business. That's the nature of the job.
I've 'listened' to so many people with an attitude on this site that, if I'm reading them correctly, I would not give house room to.
Who the hell do you thinkk you are?
You run the karaoke...That's your job! You get paid...That's your income!
What the hell has the rest of it got to to do with you?
I suspect strongly that there are a few Bar Owners putting their oar into this conversation!
Confess or leave it out!

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Imagine!