Karaoke Forums

I handed my slips to the kj.  The rotation called for two songs per singer.  I sang my two songs.  After sitting down the owners of the club came over and told me they really enjoyed my singing and asked if I was professional singer.  I told them where I am singing, and when they asked if I do karaoke to told them that I wasn’t interested in doing karaoke.  They asked me for one of my cards and told me that if they had an event that required a singer that they would definitely give me a call.  I told them thanks and they went back to the bar.

I handed two more slips to the kj. Guess what.  I never got called.  I finally got up and asked the kj why I was being passed over.  He told me that no A.. H… was going to come in and steel his gig.  I tried to explain to him that I wasn't interested in doing karaoke but he said he saw me give the owners my card.  I gave up trying to reason with the idiot and went to the owners and told them what had transpired.  To make a long story short – the kj is no longer working there.  By the way, I did get to sing again – as a matter of fact if I’d wanted I could have sang for the rest of the night.

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Singing just for you

Wow! What a night you had! Sorry you had to go through that, but it sounds like the owner and KJ may have already been having issues.

Nothing like going out to unwind, and getting caught in the middle of a drama....

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sorry, EJ......next time don't out perform me and there won't be any problems!  just stay away from pflugerville!  no stealing my gig up here!

honestly, i don't know what goes through some KJ's heads....if anything

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All work and no play make Homer something something

Some kjs and djs are very leary of loosing their positions these days. It's too bad the business is turning to this type of warring but that kind of behavior is uncalled for. You did not do any thing wrong. At least the bar owner was humane.

wow surely a kj should just embrace the chance to have someone with a decent voice entertain the bar rather than get hung up bout what ifs...sounds like small man syndrome

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Tell us please.   Was the KJ a hack?

Ouch! Talk about stepping into the middle of a large stinky pile!  I agree, there was obviously a strained relationship between the KJ and the owner already otherwise a one time faux pas wouldn't have resulted in dismissal so quickly.

BD, still on the "Hack Hunt" eh?

Always.... Never let your guard down or they will be taking your gig behind your back with some undercutting deals.

the bar i go to for karaoke, the kj just got let go at the end of this year for rotation problems. he got a note in his envelope - unknown what was said. good friends of mine picked up his spot and i was offered my chance when they go on vacation.
kj that got fired is friends with the person who is replacing him. but his friend gave him another gig at another bar. i hope he learns his lessen on why he lost his last gig.

Seriously...whether or not the kj can sing, should have NO bearing on a good singer being a threat to his job.  Do your job as a kj and put on a good show, enjoy the ones that "can" sing for a change.  "quit worrying about losing your job and just do your job" you'll be much  better off.  What a quack...MrD

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[highlight=midnightblue]MrD - KJ/DJ Specialist
Visit MrD on facebook - mrdsentertainment
& on myspace - larrynance[/highlight]

Jerk KJ's are a dime a dozen.. this one kj who had a massive voice and ego to match really had an interesting system: my friend and I, who is a very good singer would be waiting our turn to sing and we were passed over.. I went over to ask and his response was that he wanted to have all the 'bad' singers on all all at once!  His next antic:  When I was called up to sing he introduced me as the ' teal nipple' ( I was wearing a turquoise top)  I wanted to say ' well we could call you blue balls' but I was still taken back by his remark.. Needless to say, even in LA, this type of behavior was uncalled for and he is no longer at the bar...

 OMG!! What a thing to say!! Yeah, when I was still just a singer, I went to a "Karaoke show" where the "KJ" did all the singing. Not exagerating. The marque advertised karaoke, there were books and slips, me and several people I know had slips up, and he was the only one who was singing. I waited about an hour, and decided to leave....Still confused over that one....

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Birddog,

As to the KJ being a hack, well I can’t really say.  His singing was nothing to brag about but not really that bad.  He had all the right equipment and his sound was better than a lot of the clubs I’ve visited.  In addition, he also had a pretty good personality and worked the audience rather well.  That is until he got upset with me.  

I sing out on a restaurant open deck so when the weather is bad I can’t work.  On these nights I try to visit local clubs and sing karaoke.  Doing this lets me try out new songs and lets me get a feel as to how the audience will react to the song.  If I get a good reaction then it gives me a lot more confidence when I actually sing it as and entertainer.  

I’m not saying that I won’t ever do karaoke but if there is anyway for me to get out of doing so, I will.  I have ADD and to stand there and have to listen to some else sing for two and half minutes drives me nuts.  I know, because I do let some individuals up to sing from time to time if I know that they can actually sing – so far, for the most part these have been either kjs or other professional singers.

As far as my ability to sing – well, it’s easy to be a big fish in a very little pond.  We have some karaoke singers here that can blow me away and they probably will if they ever get over their stage fright.  The hard part to me is being an entertainer, although I have become a lot more comfortable with it over the past year or so.  I think that’s what got the KJ upset with me, along with the business card thing.  I always tease the audience.  I’ll ask some in the audience to show everybody his drink because I need to use it in my next song – an then I’ll sing “There Stands The Glass.”  Or, I’ll have different couples face each and sing a love song from the guy his date.  This only works if you’re not dealing with two guys that are dating.  If I’m not having fun with the audience then I consider the night a bust.  

As for kjs singing - we have a lot of them here that can’t make up their minds if they want to be a kjs or entertainers.  There is one here that likes to sing six songs in a row.  Then he’s dumbfounded when he finally calls for the next singer and finds that they have all left.  When we go out there is usually anywhere form fifteen to thirty friends that go with us. When this happens and there are thirty of us – we can just about empty the place.  I never say anything to the management or the kj – I figure if that’s the way they want to do business then let them – I’ll go somewhere else.  Once, I thought about trying to educating the owners by giving them all a list of kj rules that have been listed on this site from time to time.

Enough from me  - have a great new year.

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Singing just for you

He's a hack and you told us of a few more.

As a good-not-great singer, I find that most KJs go out of their way
to ask me to come back. I think I have only ever seen one in my area
(Cincinnati) who was somewhat hostile. I am not sure what I "did", but
he is not a very good singer and I brought another KJ who is
a great singer along with me to see the place, and he didn't seem to
like that. He never mucks with the rotation, though, even then.

One guy didn't like me for some reason, again not a real good singer.
This wavs before I even started to sing well (I am a beginner only
singing less than two years). He mixed me down so you couldn't hear me,
and I immediately stopped coming. I believe they lost all their gigs --
haven't seen them in almost a year now.

There was one guy who kept skipping me in the rotation, repeatedly over
a few weeks. Perhaps coincidentally he is a poor singer, and I outshine
him by quite a bit as the standard there is not too high. I confronted
him privately and called him on it, and he stopped doing it. He said
that he didn't realize it (and he is not too aware, so it is
possible he is not lying). He knows I have good karaoke equipment;
maybe he doesn't believe me when I tell him I have no ambition to become
a professional KJ.

We still go there regularly because it is the best of all worlds for my
wife -- it starts early, it is not smoky, the food is good, and we get
to sing often enough that we aren't attending all night to sing twice.

(He isn't one of the KJs I avoid at all costs, the ones that seem to
think they need to employ every device in the world to limit the number
of times singers sing when there is a short rotation.)

hope you sub on SS, always interested to hear a really good singer

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

I would rather have a room full of good singers than bad ones anyday.    Are you nuts?    It's much more enjoyable to be able to listen to everyone and like what you hear.   It' makes my nights EZer.    If they sing good you have less chances for equipment damage.      I make sure to give the good singers my monthly calender.    Not saying I don't like the bad ones, but I definitely want the good ones to come every place they can.

If you are talking about me, I repeat that I think I am good not great. Perhaps top 10% of singers, at least in my area.

Considering I have been singing only 18 months, and never sang before that, I am pretty happy with where I am. I have a couple of submissions up on SS under the same username, in case you want to have your own opinion.

I wouldn't even mind an honest statement about what you think of my voice. But it seems that people find it hard to say negatives, so if you tell me I am pretty good I won't know whether to believe you.

most do not want an honest critique
but I shall go and take a listen and if I have any suggestions I shall let you know via pm so you dont get defensive

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

E.J. - What a crazy thing to happen. Obviously this guy was insecure.

I have had KJs come in and try to steal my job under my nose. I would never jump to the conclusion that's what is happening just because I saw a business card being passed out though.

This one couple had all their info. out on the table. They had been in for karaoke several times, so I was familiar with them. I walked right up and asked about it. They said they had just started a karaoke business and showed me their stuff. They acted like they brought it in just get peoples opinions on it. I  just smiled and told them it looked nice and good luck. I found out later they talked to the owner and tried to under cut me.

I figure why get upset. They will try to take my job if I am their or not. It is up to the bar owner if he is going to hire them. If I pitch a fit it just makes me look unprofessional. That doesn't mean I won't tell people I disagree with their tactics and that it is in bad taste though.

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