Karaoke Forums

I have been KJing in my area for more than 6 years now and went out on my own about 1 1/2 years ago. I currently run three shows a week (Sat, Sun, and Thurs). There is a guy who had been coming to my shows while I was working for someone else than when I went out on my own he never once came in until recently to solicit people to come to his new show on Friday night a gig I could have got if I was more aggressive. The fact that he got the gig doesnt bother me its how he all of a sudden shows up acting like hes there to support my show while at the same time he is calling and going up to all my customers trying to pull them to his place. Granted it is on a night I'm not running a show but at this point I dont think that would matter. He has made comments that he is going to put certaining people out of business one of which is a well respected KJ that runs an ethical business. Have any of you had a situation like this in your travels and if so how did you deal with it? I feel like approaching him and asking him not to come to my shows just to drum up business. Am I over reacting or is this person over steping his bounderies?

I would say what he is doing is not too bad, but it sounds like the way he is doing it is very malicious and unethical.

I KJ on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and often go to other KJs shows on Friday nights. I'll talk up my Wednesday or Saturday show at other people's show under the following criteria:

#1: The KJ's bar that I am at does not do karaoke on the night I am hyping (pimping?).

#2: I don't make it a public thing. I may just hand out my card or talk up my show to those that I happen to have an unrelated conversation with in the first place.


If this guy is being a weinerschitzel and distracting from your show, tell the damn bar owner/manager. He's the one with the most to lose and he'll take care of it if it is a problem!! Otherwise, you may have a personal conversation with the guy and ask him to stop doing that stuff at your show, but I think it is hardly your place to not allow him free speech on someone else's private property.

I guess, bottom line, it is a matter of ethics and we all should know by now in this business that you either have strong ethics or none at all, and there is no changing people in that regard!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

It's crap.  Handing out cards at another KJ's show is tacky to say the least.  I'd ask him to stop and if he refused, maybe pay a visit to HIS show and return the favor!

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Spreading the karaoke gospel

I wouldn't stoop that low. I would tell him that Buger King doesn't go into McDonalds and hand out coupons. If he wants to spam your place, have the venue owner toss him out on his azz!

It would have been different if he'd come up to you and said "would you mind"?

I have worked with SEVERAL kjs in my town on other nights, and actively support them. But wouldn't dream of pulling in others unless they were openly complaining that the rotation was too long, host was crap, etc. etc. etc. And even then I'd hand a card and say "call me tomorrow... but for now, I won't diss the man's show!"

I heard that the ex-Kj for the bar I'm at now was doing that at our show last month. It also upset me because he is trying to take away business for our bar. I run a wed and we both have friday shows. He does come in on wed normaly to sing so I didn't think anything of it until some of the singers were telling me what he was doing. I was upset and told my wife I should go over one night and do the same thing. She helped me realize that it would be better not to and just let him know that it isn't professional to beg for singers.

If you have to go out and beg for singers to come to your shows than you better take a look at your show and see what is wrong. Word of mouth is a powerful advertisement and If you have a good show and your singers like it they will tell others. Just a thought.

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Here's soemthing along the same lines: we did a KARAOKE HALL OF FAME show where we gave out awards to area KJ's who had contributed geatly to area  karaoke over the years. We combined  it with a bartenders hall of fame awards show and bartending competition. There were awards for things such as longevity, most creative show, promoter, venue, retailer of the year, bar owner, lifetime achievement, media. etc. I was the Emmcee. Each awardee would come up and I'd introduce them, tell about thier achievment , say what venue they performed at and give them their award(an engraved liquior bottle with their name engraved) then they'd give some comments(kinda like a mini-interview) and they'd sing thier song. Anyway this one guy gets up and then starts trying to RECRUIT anyone that wanted to come work for him as a KJ! He was UNBEILVABLE with the GONADS he displyaed. REALLY TACKY. This guy runs several shows around the area. But in the context of an awards show--this was REALLY REALLY a poor display by him. So i feel your pain of other KJ's pimpin and pandering at someone elses show. As to how the show was received--it was a HUGE HIT. PACKED HOUSE. And the awardees were particulalry thrilled to think someone would give THEM a really cool award for all thier years in the KARAOKE AND BARTENDING TRENCHS. Having them sing the songs was the entertainment for the crowd between bartending awards. 3 bartending awards then karaoke award with singing. All followed by bartending competition with speed mixing, bottle tossing and freestyle mixing competition and display.

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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

When I go out to sing I usually bring a number of discs along.  I've been approached more than once about my discs with questions about where I got them, why I have my own, etc.  I tell them I've hosted karaoke in the past and still do occasionally.  I offer them my card and tell them to call me sometime to see where I'm playing.  I don't actively solicite people to my shows - only if asked.

If I was going to do some marketing at someone else's show I'd be more discrete about it and just drop pens on tables with advertising information on them with a number to call or a website with information on karaoke shows in the area.  I could even get information to list other shows in the area and just have my show more prominately displayed than the others.

Remember, descretion is the better part of valor.

hehe, this reminds me of a story.

When I first started I had the competition come in to check me out.  Surprisingly, I blew him away.  He came up after the show saying he had never seen such a large song collection and large stage show, and was amazed I used Mackie and Behringer equipment along with the fact that I had a full stage rack.  He asked for my number, which I willingly gave to him.  We now help each other out, he runs the smaller shows and when he gets something larger than what his system can handle he forwards them over to me, and when I can't do a show due to prior scheduling conflicts I will forward them to him.  I have also helped him get better equipment.  We have a friendly partnership now, not working as the same company but help each other out.

We have experienced some similiar situations over the years and,  like Melly, have had our singers tell us about it.  The only time we ever said anything to anyone is when this guy got up to sing his first song with us and announced his friend's new show; needless to say it ended up with his lips moving but no sound was coiming out of the speakers!  He looked rather incredulous until he was told that we don't announce our other shows in the clubs we are KJ'ing in.... He understood and things were fine with him after that.

We had another man, at another show start to announce a contest at another bar over our mic, he too was abruptly moving his lips with no sound coming out...  He didn't take it so well, but still came to our shows as well...

I try to always carry business cards and certainly take my own music with me but unless asked we don't say a thing about being KJ's (except to the KJ).  We do go to two different KJ shows that announce our Karaoke Store..  :oh yeah:  They are great KJ's and if someone wants to karaoke on a night they have a show and we don't, we typically refer to them first.....

Susie

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You do it in the shower,
you do it in the car,
Ccome do it with us,
and be a star!!!!

Karaoke with Full House Entertainment

[scroll]Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean...... [/scroll]

I am in Southern California... Karaoke shows here are like Starbucks on every corner at practically every bar.

We are a tight knit group too.  We do contests together and promote each other alot!  We do the Karaokefest run by Karaokescene magazine and other regional contests like the Karaoke Stateline Challenge ran by KNR Entertainment.  This contests run several weeks at several bars with several different KJ's.  This means we visit each other's shows and promote each other's venue's at every one of our shows and they do the same.  :handshake:

It is very common for "my group of singers" and I to go to Manny's show and he will always tell them I host at "The Sportsmans's" he may not say the day since he has a show on that day but he does recognize my as a local KJ. I always do the same when he is visits my show.  

In our area we all know the local KJ's and we work together.  It really takes the edge off... once a KJ  has acknowledged you on the mic you are not as likely to be covert and try and steal his clientele.  Some of his customers may even come up and ask questions about your show and you politely give them a card or just repeat what the KJ announced.

It is a nice way to work.... sooo cumbya....good karma!  :hug:

LMR

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GIRL POWER!!!!!

I'm sorry Topher, but I don't agree with your reasons (quoted above) as being acceptable.... Especially with what you just said in #2. If you're having an "unrelated conversation" with someone, then how does Karaoke and the fact that you're a KJ enter into it (where you're now talking about your show or handing out your business card to them)?

I only KJ part time. Up until about 1 year ago, I used to bring my entire library (at that point in time, built up to over 400 CDGs) with me to any show that I attended. I had been doing that for years (long before I ever even considered being a KJ). I also used to share my discs with anyone that wanted to sing from my Library (and the KJs didn't mind because it only enhanced their show). Anyway, I stopped bringing my library with me after I got myself a PLEXTOR so that I could burn my own Custom CDGs (made up from the songs I usually sing from my Library).

I stopped bringing my Library with me for several reasons:
1. I now had my own set of custom discs with me (8 discs with over 100 songs on them).  
2. I was getting tired of keeping track of all the discs that I would loan out to others in the evening.
3. I felt I was drawing too much attention to myself as a KJ when I brought in a Library that was larger than more than half of the KJ's show that I went to. People used to ask me if I was a KJ when they saw me bring in such a huge Library (long  before I had even become a KJ).

As for talking about being a KJ at someone else's show, I will only talk about that if someone happens to ask me. There have been many shows I have been to, where the KJ will announce the next singer, and then even announce that this person happens to be a Fellow KJ. That leads to a free open dialogue with others. I will not discuss my shows (when I'm doing one) at some other KJ's show. If a person asks me about it, I will tell them that I don't feel it's right to discuss that here (at that particular show/venue), but if they want to give me their e-mail address, I'll gladly send them notifications of when I'm doing a show. I also send out periodic e-mails (as a courtesy) announcing other KJ's shows (as long as they send me an e-mail announcing it along with the details). As for handing out my Business cards, I only hand out my card if someone asks me if I have one.

Micbob, as for your issue with this particular KJ, you could politely ask this KJ to stop doing that at your show. If he is a reasonable person, or operates with a modicum of ethics, then he'll respect your wishes. Otherwise, you can just mention something to the Venue Manager, and they will keep an eye on him (if they feel threatened enough by his actions).

Well, Things have really changed in the past two weeks. This KJ I mentioned was fired for telling the Manager he should be paid more because he could get more money at any other venue he wanted. So the manager told to ahead and see you later. I know a couple of people who work there and right before he got fired apparently he thought I was trying to take he's gig from him but what was happening someone that work there mentioned my name to the manager so he thought I had something to do with it. That would be the last thing on my mind! This was this KJ's first gig and because he was into himself and wasn't professional in handling his business he got fired. Now they are calling me asking if I would consider taking over, but I feel like it's an Awkward situation see that he was telling people I was trying to get the gig and then all of a sudden he is fired and there asking me. Not sure what I should do avoid the gig all together even though I had nothing to do with it or take the job and ignore him. The manager insures me he will let anyone know thats concerned that I had nothing to do with there decsion. What would you do? Thanks, Bob  :shock:

First time to ever post. Have been doing KJ now for over 6 years. Fulltime fire chief and begun doing karaoke as a hobby.  Currently have a gig every Mon, Wed and Sat at the same place.  Doing it now going on my 4th year.  Do I allow other KJ's to come in and had out cards even if it is for a night that I don't KJ?  NO!  Am I worried about my gig? NO!  But I do owe an allegance if you will to the place I work for.  I want them to have a great night EVERY night.  Whether it's the nights I'm there or the DJ or band that may be there on nights that I am not.  I want to encourage veryone to come back to "this" place.  If they were to come in and someone ASKED for a card, that would be different.  Just my 2 cents.

Kelly

What Kelly said  :biggrinthumb:

Susie

_________________
You do it in the shower,
you do it in the car,
Ccome do it with us,
and be a star!!!!

Karaoke with Full House Entertainment

[scroll]Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean...... [/scroll]

[font=Comic Sans MS][/font]  :(
No your not over reacting.  I have been a KJ for a couple of years and just a few
month's ago, someone I considered a very good friend threw me under the bus
so to speak, when she took over the bar I was working at when the guy I was working for and the owner got into in and my boss quit.  She promised me she
would keep me, as I had been there over a year, then she replaced me... just like that.  People can get really scandalous in this business.