Karaoke Forums

Hey everyone. i'd appreciate some advice for what happened to me last night at karaoke. I'm a major regular at this mid-sized bar, and I really enjoy going on Saturdays.

Last night I got chumped out of the rotation, as usual, in the later half of the show. This isn't such a big deal and I can handle being cut out like that because the KJ isn't very good at doing a rotation for anyone. I always figured this was the case.

Early on last night the KJ asked me to get her a beer, and I brought it to her and she didn't even thank me. I'm thinking WOW guess she considers me her free personal waitress. I'd be happy to do this if she would THANK me for doing it. But maybe that was an oversight on her part so it's nothing to get upset about. I didn't let it bother me.

At around midnight I got a note from a woman in the bar, and it was a request for me to sing happy birthday for this guy who just turned 40, that they really enjoy my voice and he would like it a lot if I did that for him. I thought this was so cool but I was a little nervous about it because I had to do it accapella in my own grungy/soul style basically on the spot. I told the KJ about this a half hour later because I was afraid she had knocked me out of the rotation completely (i hadn't gone for 2 hours at this point, when others go 2-3 times). I figured I better speak up or these guys wouldnt get their birthday song.

OK So 10 minutes to 1 she finally calls me up. I did a stylized version of happy birthday the very best I could possibly do. The crowd goes wild and I'm happy and they are happy.

Then it happened. The KJ takes the mic back, so I guess happy birthday was my 45 second turn after 2 hours. She says "BUT WAIT GUYS! Joe, I hear it's your 40th birthday? How would you like Marilyn Monroe to sing happy birthday to you? Come on get up here Joe!" She places a chair for him. "Come on Joe get up here. I have Marilyn Monroe to sing for you." He goes up there and sits. "I would like everyone to give a warm welcome to my mom, Marilyn Monroe." Her mother sings happy birthday AGAIN in her Marilyn Monroe voice. The is a spattering of applause for her. I clapped for her. Of course the last song of the evening was the KJ herself, hogging as usual.

But I am so angry. She totally was trying to take the air out of my tires and chump me by having her mother sing the song too. It didn't work out for her because her mom didn't wow the crowd like I did, but still she tried to do it on purpose! I am so upset that I don't know what to do.

ANyone have any advice? I can tell you that I cannot keep going there as if nothing happened. SHould I complain? Am I nuts?

She cut you out of the rotation? AND she tried to have you UPSTAGED??

You are NOT crazy.... I would have been livid!!

As far as whether or not you should you complain, or HOW to complain..... I couldn't tell ya... I dunno how this stuff works (I'm sure a KJ here could tell ya)

But OMG! Sounds to me like that KJ was extrememly jelous!

AND TO TOP IT OFF SHE MAKES YOU GET HER A BEER??? That's incredibly insulting... I mean.... call me crazy... but don't WAITRESSES do that? And don't they get PAID to do it? Sounds to me like she was trying to humiliate you because of all your accolade from the crowd.

Jelousy looks downright horrible on some people.

Just my two cents!

_________________

Thank you for the quick reply Crystal. I was actually so angry that I became tearful and cried it out in my car for a while before going home. I've been going to this place for over a year and I really love the people there and made a lot of friends. The idea of never going back makes me really sad but I don't know.

I'm glad you understand my frustration. That's why I came here because I figured if anyone would understand it would be other karaoke people. Thanks for the validation.

geeezz... there's nothing worse than a crappy KJ

I just recently changed MY karaoke place too.... the place I always go to got new KJ's and I hate 'em both... they always let their friends (and the 18 yr old girls who press their boobs in their faces) sing two songs in a row... and let them sing whenever they please....

like "Oh I'm leaving now... can you bump me up" even though they JUST sang 3 singers ago! Drove me fricken NUTS. So now I don't go there.

We went to a new place... we don't know a single person there... but the KJ just rocks.. he says all the time that he DOES NOT BUMP singers.. and its written in his book "So don't freakin ASK me, cuz I won't do it!"

so anyways... my point:
If I were you, I'd leave. If your friends at your regular place still hang out there, well then it's their loss. Go find a better KJ!!!!

_________________

an accepted norm is the kj usually starts a show and ends it. HOWEVER, they shouldn't be in rotation if that happens... or singing whenever they want.

Now when I run a show, I start out the rotation, and stay in. If I get over eight singers, I drop out. Period.

If it's been a long time after I dropped out, I'll end the show.

But at no time is it acceptable for the KJ to order singers to get them a beer, to upstage singers, jump in when not asked for "help", or belittle whenever a singer does a great job and their widdle feelers are hurt. Also, a special happy birthday song is cute, but not part of the normal rotation. It's nice that she got her mom up to sing, but sheesh!

Find another place, or complain to the management.

I'm in agreement with Matt and Crystal... that so totally bites that the KJ did that!!

apparently she feels threatened by you and how the crowd reacts to you...

wonder what kind of reaction you'd get if you went there a night and didn't sing at all... I'm sure people would notice and say something... at least you'd think so if they react the way you are describing it..

but yep.. I agree.. new place if you can... take your friends with... and it's that other place's loss

I agree with all of the above!  I visit different Karaoke shows sometimes but of
course I have my favorites.   My favorites became that because they don't do that bull crap like you are talking about!  
I've been to places where the KJ is not that great of a singer and when someone is really good, they have a tendency to shun them. Saw this girl come in one night and brought down the house with "Believe" by Cher.  For the rest of the night the KJ pretty much shunned this girl.  I wanted to get up and slap her....but being the lady I am.....I was nice.  I just never went back.   Have seen this happen on numerous occasions and I really hate to say this, being female and a former KJ........but female KJ's are the worst about doing this kind of stuff.  
If I were you....I would be finding another place to go.  I go out to have fun and this would be no fun for me.

_________________
SAY IT WITH MUSIC!!!!

_________________

The last KJ that did similar act to me lost his job after I had a few words with the managment.

_________________
I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Just by hearing the description of what happened it's hard to tell if this KJ was treating you badly on purpose or if they were just a thoughtless fool.  Generally I think incompetence is much more common that outright malevolence.  Either way, if they can't do a show properly, it will spoil the fun, and you'll have to find another place if you want to enjoy yourself.  But you might want to be sure they weren't just having a bad night.

_________________
Reward: nine yen in drawer.

you need to address the issues with the manager or owner... if nothing is said then how will they know how to judge the professionalism of who they hire and the effects of their conduct on the paying customer.  if you do not say anything to the establishment and go back and spend money at the bar, then you get what you pay for... good luck and I hope you can help make a positive change- tig

I would hope as myself being a KJ you would go up to the KJ and talk with them and then if the problem is not corrected to your satisfaction then go to management. As a singer going to some of the other shows around I have run into simular problems and have decided that if they treat me that way then I don't need to go there and look elsewhere.

SPEAK to the KJ ABOUT IT??

Greg, we're not talking about an accidental thing here. What is mentiioned here are several UNPARDONABLE sins of being a kj. Dare I say it, they make ALL kjs look bad. Talking to them directly will only result in a screaming match...

Trust me, this KJ deserves to be fired, and told WHY!

Thank you all for your responses. I really appreciate them and you helped me come to a decision as to what to do.

I decided that this bar is MY place to go on Saturday, and this KJ is just the entertainment. It's not fair for me to leave and for her to stay, she's the one that sucks not me.

I especially do not want to be the one that leaves because I go there practically for free because the bartenders never charge me for anything. They like me going there and I like being liked. I don't want to start from scratch at all.

So I'm going to complain to the karaoke owner. I'm trying to track down his email address right now and I'm just going to explain what happened and suggest stricter rules for rotation, or at least make it more fair. We have chatted a few times before, and I'm a little bit nervous about this because I always got bad vibes from him in the past, but maybe he gives those vibes off to everyone I dont know. At the very least he deserves to know what's going on with his own employee.

Thanks again for all your help!

Knightshow,
We must disagree with not talking to the KJ first. Don't do it when you are so upset you are seeing red but if its a place you like going to then maybe next time you go in, go up to the KJ and tell them how you felt the last time. I would rather have someone come up to me and talk to me than go running to the manager or owner go waaa waaa. But that is just me and the way I feel.


I agree if this is the way the run their show then something needs to be done. You are right it is making us look bad. And if they are not willing to work to make a better show then yes the need to be FIRED.

I really don't see the point in talking to this KJ about it. What she did was totally intentional and it's after a long time of giving me the cold shoulder and being rude to me.  Any decent person would want to know if they made a mistake so that they could try harder the next time, but I think she was purposefully trying to send a message to me that she has no respect for my feelings.

There are a few things that need addressed.  Some of them are likely boneheaded but some are obviously either gross incompetence or malicious.  Either of the two latter need addressed.

Attempting to have you 'upstaged' is probably boneheaded.  She probably had something like this planned and just figured she'd do it right after you finished which was a boneheaded thing to do.  I made the mistake once of having two people sing the same song back to back as a mini-showdown.  It was a mistake and I've never done anything like it again.  Boneheaded mistakes happen occasionally and we just hope that people don't get too tied up on it and let them slide.

However, skipping you in rotation, telling you to bring her a beer without thanking you, and the like are pretty hosed.  I'd talk with the owner of the karaoke hosting company and be very direct about the problems.  I'd outline the unfair rotation and simply ask that they do something about it.  If nothing happened, I'd keep track on paper and then show it to them at the end of the night outlining the unfair rotation.  If nothing happened I'd talk with the owner and point out that there are some things that karaoke goers will forgive but an unfair rotation isn't one of them.  I'd be sure to tell the bar owner that you really like the bar but the unfair rotation is unacceptable.  I'd tell them that if it doesn't change you'll be forced to take your business elsewhere.

Well the reason I believe it actually is malicious is because the people in the corner actually wrote up a note to give to me that said that they really liked my voice and wanted me to sing a special happy birthday to their friend Joe who was turning 40. I showed the KJ the note and asked her if it would be OK if I sang that for them before they left/before the show was over.

Because this note was specifically written to me, I really do think she got jealous and purposefully tried to upstage me. She read the note! It said they like my voice and want me to do it. I do not see how in any way she would think that it would be a good idea to have her mom sing the song AGAIN. Have you ever heard the song happy birthday sung twice?

Now I have no problem with her mom at all, she is way cool and actually seemed to be put on the spot by the KJ daughter a little bit. The mother came up to me afterwards and told me she really enjoyed my singing and invited me to go with them to Dennys, obviously oblivious of my BURNING RAGE against her daughter . I said "Thanks but I'll pass I gotta get home."

I just cannot see how this was a bonheaded mistake. I can't see it at all.

Either I missed it or it didn't come up untill just now that She was an employee of a karaoke company. Yes go to the owner and tell them what you think. I was assuming that the KJ was the owner of the Karaoke buss.

I know all about unfair KJs...I just took over for a KJ who liked catering to his "special group of friends", by letting them sing two in a row, then he would get a mic and sing with another one of his group, and everyone else in the bar would be pretty much left out.  Funny, it always happened around 1AM when he had quite a buzz!  Not only did this guy do things like this, but if he didn't like the singer or the singer's voice, he wouldn't let them sing again!  I try to be as fair as possible.  People go out to sing karaoke because they want to have a good time and let loose for awhile.  At my shows, I don't care if you suck or are wonderful; you WILL sing, and you WILL stay in the rotation.  I'm sorry that happened to you.  If you're ever in Ohio, come see one of my shows!!  

_________________
"Life is the song, Love is the music"