Karaoke Forums

You think you have a great show, and certainly trumpet that contention to the world. But if you think your version of what is good is 1) good for everyone and 2) is the only way to do things well, I believe you are wrong. There is room for every kind of show.

Most karaoke shows are about the singers. Maybe you are so special that it can be all about you. But I can tell you that sort of thing would bore me silly after just a time or two. I am most likely not interested in your personality or antics. (Of course I can't stand TV or the type of book or show that has endless supposedly-witty repartee, either.)

I am interested in 1) listening to music and singers and 2) singing myself. If you futz around "entertaining" me I will soon be gone. And I am not the only person who feels that way.

There is room for all type of show. And thank goodness the world in its endless variety provides it for me.

Croak, ya have issues, my friend.

I bow to your ultimate superiority and now know that I never knew how to run my show, and that my ideas were dumb to even consider such odd ideas.

As Jam and Karen are pointing out, we as hosts have the rights to run our shows how we feel is best. To some, it's all about the show, where others, it's all about the showmanship.

Not everyone is going to agree on how to run a karaoke show, and not ever singer is going to LIKE what your ideas are.

I know what I want out of a show when I go out as a paying customer. Those are the kinda shows I seek, and the others are ones I don't! !

The problem I ran into was when I was doing multiple things like this it was confusing. Early on I had to make a choice because I was alienating everyone with stylistic change-ups during the night.

I chose 100% karaoke simply because it was the most fun for me. My employer really didn't much care as long as people were showing up.

My singers would skin me alive if I didn't keep rotation moving as fast as possible. Not just a few whiners. All of them.

CROAKDOG WROTE:
"I convey a sincere interest and appreciation for all my singers"

That is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT KEY for having a suceessful show and building a LOYAL FOLLOWING. All the other stuff is ancillary. Success comes from a personal and sincere interest and appreciation for EACH AND EVERY customer on an individual on-to-one basis or relationship.

Anything else is just gimmicks, extras or icing on the cake so to speak.

If you cant connect one-to-one with your custies you got NOTHIN'!!

Hats off to Croak for catching, and illuminating this.

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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

Wow Croak ! Tell us how you really feel.

I don't think anyone was slamming you personally because you do karaoke and music sets (or throw parties ). You run a show with both that doesn't mean you are doing it to take a break. I think the subject matter was directed at people who run an all karaoke show, but play music to simply take a break. Your style works for you for the venues you play. That's cool. The venues most of us work at demand us to get as many singers up as possible. Playing music sets would certainly be a crowd killer. It sounds like for you people want music sets. I don't think for minute your style is wrong.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

I tend not to take breaks - unless it's when nature calls.

I personally don't like leaving my equipment - I don't trust people around it. Moreover, if I am outside having a cigarette and a chat - I am not doing my job. A major part of what I consider to be "hosting" is being there.

...I don't take breaks ever, not even a short one to the potty.

too much to do, people screwing with songslips, a mic screamer, profanity, tip jar pickers, etc...

I am "superkaraokenanny" as far as the job description goes.

Leave a group of 2 year olds alone for a second and all sorts of h-e-l-l breaks loose.

Did I ever tell you some of the posts in these threads crack me the fxck up?

I don't take things personally when I read these posts, but I do have some critical streaks in my body thanks to my mother. I don't see each thread as an individual idea, complaint or comment. As I read these posts I take them all in and develop a picture in my mind. One that is constantly shifting in this forum when the wind blows.

I am not the only judgmental one here. I may be vociferous and verbose at times, but it's in response to posts such as 'OMG I'd never take a break - how tacky.', 'I can't believe someone who does such and such still works in the industry.' My post is in no way any holier than many of the others. I just reiterate more. Practice makes perfect, as does repetition make constant, as does consistency make comfortable. We are all in different markets, we're all in different venues ... true. Let us (I include myself) try and remember that before passing gas, er judgment.

As for knightshow ... unless you're a psychiatrist and can offer some real world solutions to my issues, you might want to keep that particular thought to yourself. You got something constructive to offer, other than 'You have issues?'. You don't know me from what I post here, and my posts are a product of the environment, of which you're part. Way to be an example to the community. You must not have read the part about 'if they want straight up karaoke, give it to them.' That was your out card, you didn't take it.

Mckyj57 ... you're the kind of singer I probably wouldn't want at my shows, not that I discriminate, but more cause you'd be the one tapping your fingers on the table, coming up asking me 'um, how soon til I'm up' - every 15 minutes, and giving me the eyeball all night, then walking out in a huff after telling the owner that you didn't have fun - even though the other 100+ people were tearing the roof off. In some people's mind it's all about them. Not fun for me. Not fun for the crowd. Not welcome. I see some of the same righteousness demonstrated through some of the posts on here. Yes, karaoke is about the singers. I queue mine up pretty well and I have a very large base of regulars. Once again, maybe 1 in 10 are singing. At any given time 1 singer = 10-20 dancers. I've got a gal that comes in and brings her group of friends and all she asks of me is to play one song for her - same song each time. She may have to wait a bit, which gives them an opportunity to visit the bar. Should I tell her 'No, sweetie this is a show for singers only, you and your friends should pxss off'. If I had that kind of attitude I'd be alienating 50-100 or more people on a Fri or Sat. Smart business choice, no. You sound like you'd have enjoyed the show around the corner (now defunct) from me that ran seven nights a week and couldn't do in a week what I do in a night. You would have got to sing 7-10 songs in a night. Sorry, but unless you're going to spend a fortune, that kind of turnover isn't going to support a karaoke gig. (I don't care how efficient you are a rotation of 15 will still only get 3-4 songs in and for shows that pull a 20-30 singer rotation or have a lot of come and go foot traffic we're talking 1-2 a night). This gal I mentioned, the one that wants to dance to one song, I learned it, so now I sing it and except for the first song of the night, it's the only other song I sing throughout the night because I don't like breaking up the rotation any more than you do (but I will if slips relax and the energy needs a fix - like say after this one girl sings one of her 6-7 minute yawners - maybe I should follow it up with a few more yawners and just clear the place out - there's an idea. Then you'd get to sing even more!). This gal's a cutie and if I didn't accommodate her she probably wouldn't be back as often as she is. She and her friends help make the show sexier. I play a set before the show to get people moving and to warm up the speakers; I sing the first song to make sure all systems are go then it's pretty much karaoke until I play a set at the end of the night to wind people down (or crank them up - depending on mine and the bartenders' moods) and get people heading toward to door. I'm consistent, meaning that every show it's the same format. Sometimes I'll run a couple songs long, but only in special cases. Do I feel guilty about cutting the last 5-10 songs out to help contain the show and help the bartenders gain control, to get people dancing, etc. No. I run a computer show and I get the same number of singers through as a better than average host does. I had a show a couple of weeks ago where I didn't even turn over my rotation until midnight - 41 singers - I counted. That was with a full house and a wild and crazy party going on at the same time. Now, if I told you I was drinking beer and having a good time with everyone else, I'd be subject to more holier than thou "I'd never do thats". So I won't say anything. I live in a rural community, I can only imagine what a format like this could do in an overly saturated market. (And I'm not interested in trying so don't come back with - 'then do it'.).

Each show certainly is different, and I've seen some very well oiled 'karaoke only shows', but those generally didn't cater to the purist either and if they did - rotations were small or the host had thick skin (wasn't very personable). I'd say shows I've been to that catered to the purist were too rigid for me and a bunch of the singers were not appreciative of how difficult a task it is to put on a quality show - downright abusive in some cases. One false move and 'you suck, I'm never coming back here'. That kind of attitude makes me literally sick to my stomach. My response is ... 'And don't let the door hit you on the way out.' I've been on the karaoke circuit for nearly 10 years as a singer and a host and have never enjoyed watching someone berate a karaoke host for the reasons many singers do. I know how that type feels. I've been there wanting to sing 'one more'. You wanna talk issues, Knightshow? Karaoke is supposed to be fun, and those kinds of people take the fun out of it. They get owners second guessing their hosts and create an overall unnecessary tension that precludes the 'fun'. They sit impatiently thinking somehow they're going to strong arm the host into moving them up in the rotation. These are the same types that travel from show to show wreaking havoc where they roam. I set my sights on a different brand of karaoke - one in which I'm in control, where rationality rules over nitpicky BS. A show where the masses have fun, and people don't have to feel the wrath of rude, self idulgent singers. I accidentally stumbled across a formula that has in recent months become more successful than I could have imagined with no sign of slowing down. I've broken countless virgins, had a girl break 17 years of sobriety cause she just had to sing and couldn't do it sober (I tried to talk her our of that). I've had two marriage proposals on my stage in the last two weeks. I love that I don't have people whining and poo pooing my shows, those folks usually end up at a show down the street that may have a shelf life of 2-4 months. Tolerance for that BS is little. People want to have fun, people want to drink and dance and sing and go bananas - at least in my neck of the woods.

My apologies for the rants, I get that way when I'm under slumbered. I certainly don't think I'm the only one who puts on a good show. Many of you have been in this business for years and decades and obviously have found a niche that is working well. I would expect as members of a community where we have the power in numbers that we'd join forces and shape the industry, but I see infighting, bickering, name callling, whining, self righteousness, judging, superiority complexes (guilty), and just a real disdain for the very crafy we propose to love. I'd like to suggest we spend more time talking about the good side of karaoke and helping each other through the difficult situations we all find ourselves in from time to time, instead of some of these petty 'I'd never do that', or 'shame on you if you do that' deteriorations. I've heard it said karaoke is dying. Anyone ever think it just needs a shift. It's only been popular for 20+ years - remember how popular MTV was? It wouldn't have survived if it didn't shift it's format. Let's suggest some real solutions because when a market gets overly saturated as the karaoke scene seems to be in a lot of places you get a lot of bad apples spoiling the lot. Let's step it up and squeeze 'em out - not each other.

My posts may be a pain, but I'm not the bad guy here. I need a break.

I think I agree with much of what was said

I agree with jam karaoke is just that dance and filler don't get it around here . There have been several bars that have tried the dance and filler shows and they lost customer base. pEOPLE WANT TO SING AND THEY WILL GO WHERE THEY CAN. I run only karaoke at my shows and the clients want that. Dave

Croak, why I said you have issues is you celebrate getting day old hamburgers and drinking Strawberry Quik... uck!

I've had Mcky at my shows and he is a pleasure to have. He was a perfect gentlemen and never not once complained. He was very patient to wait his turn. I had to say this. I couldn't in good conscious not reply to such a statement.

I also have great respect for Knightshow. He has helped me with his ideas several times.

I do agree that people have different types of shows and should not be judged because they do what works for them. I don't like when someone judges others for their opinions. I appreciate your opinion as I do others, but let us keep this from getting any uglier.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

2nd that!

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Back to the subject at hand... I was in Orlando two years ago, and the KJ would run karaoke for about an hour, then take a 30 minute break.....he did it consistantly for about 4 hours....people would come and see no karaoke going on and then just leave......I thought ......never have seen that before.....actually I thought.....must be nice....

Yeah for the karaoke place down the street that all these people are now going to.

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...I agree......actually when he worked, the crowd would begin to get large(it was in like an outside mini-mall structure with food places, and two bars), but then he'd vanish for 30 minutes or so, sometimes leaving music playing, sometimes not even that. I loved the disapointed look on his face when he returned.......seeing I was still there, with slip in hand.......

Thanks for the kind words. I am like my dog -- the bark-worse-than-bite kind.

Johnny Reverb: Wow - so this guy would build a crowd, get a vibe going, then just drop it?

Was he completely unable to read a situation or what?

I feel better. I took a break and all is better.

I play 2 or 3 songs of dance music at the end of every rotation. It gives me a 6 to 12 minute break. But sometimes when it's really busy I end up mixing my dance sets so I don't get a break. I make sure to take 2 breaks a night, people are used to it have been doing it this way for years.