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What do yall do about people that sign up as solo...and sign up with others as duets ....and sing in group songs.?..There are a few people that do this so they can be mic hogs..
They will do a duet with some of the people not willing to sing alone...and end up on stage most of the night..while others think it isn't fair..
I could categorize every song they sing under their(the mic hogs name)..but then the newbies suffer..and so do the group songs..

Doesn't happen at my show.  Any duet counts for both peoples turn.  So if 1 person signs up with multiple partners, they sing once per round.

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I used to have the rule if you sing a duet one of the people have to lose their turn.

I have recently changed to if you sing a duet it counts as a turn for both of you.
wow - this is a must for me. It makes such a big difference in the rotation. More people can sing and it eliminates a lot of mic hogging.

I'm tired of people trying to find any way they can to sneak in more turns.
I don't allow someone to sing if they try to slip a fake name in - plus they will lose a turn if they do.

It is amazing the lengths people will go to! I feel your pain.

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It also helps eliminate the

Bob with Jodi

next up

Jodi with Bob

Technically 2 separate spots as it wouldn't matter if they weren't singing together, however the illusion to the audience is that these 2 are getting up twice in a row.  I had a couple that would try this all the time, only sang duets, but would change the names around claiming 1 spot each - nope!  If I get a bunch of slips with names that appear on multiple slips, they all get put into 1 pile.

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If Sue sings with Bob  then Bob has had his  turn Then  Bob sings with Sue..She  has had her turn... Neither one of them sings  until the next rotation.
Everybody gets one turn they can have a group or whatever but if it gets real busy then a duo counts for both...

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Lonnie, I'm not sure what your rotation rules are, but if you want it absolutely fair I would definately announce over the microphone something like, "Make sure that you write down the names of ALL the singers on a song, however, keep in mind that you are only allowed to sing ONCE per rotation whether you are by yourself or in a group, so we can be fair to all of our singers!". Announce this every so often, and I would definately write your rules in your song book. If you make that clear ahead of time, that would probably help the cause.

However, the big trick is enforcement. Don't be afraid to "shoo" someone off the stage if they try to violate your rotation. Say it too them nicely, but stand your ground and make them UNDERSTAND why you can't let them sing twice in front of other people who are waiting to sing once that rotation.  

If they get mad at you, don't sweat it, cause it happens to all of us. I'd rather make one person mad over doing my job right, than the rest of the crowd mad because I did my job wrong!

It's YOUR show... don't let the inmates run the asylum!

I have learned you can't make everyone happy no matter what you do.
I have a few regulars that think because they are there for karaoke every night
that they should be able to sing more. No matter how much I let them sing they always want more. It is just easier to have the confrontation and stand your ground on the rotation. Once they learn there are no exceptions, not even for them, they get the hint.

I had one of my long time regulars threaten to leave one night because I wouldn't let her sing 2 times in a row. I said fine and turned around.

I'm not a yeller and do not like fighting with anyone. She started crying. Next thing I know she is hugging me and apologizing. She still comes in every night.

It stuck in my mind when I read here in the forum once when somebody said, when they enforce the rules no matter how mad the patron gets they usually always come back. I have found this to be true. And if a person is that much of a pain in the a$$ I don't care if they never come back. It has helped me tremendously to take this approach. I'm always telling myself - You can't please everyone.

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Duets - It all depends, I have a husband and wife who come in every week - He sings on every rotation but she doesn't . Sometime she will sing a solo and sometimes she put in a song with her husband. I only count it as "her" turn.
I had another duet "team" who ONLY sang as a duet (doowop type)  Together they sang once per rotation.  Not sure if thats fair but ....

I try to maintain a very rotation as we all do but on slower nights I might bend the rules a little but and let some duets sing more.  It depends - As long as the other singers don't mind that is  :hi5:  :hi5:

We have each singer establish themself in the rotation.  We ask them to try to make it a solo song, if possible.  Once established in the rotation, they can sing duets when its their turn, if that is what they wish to do with their 4 minutes of "spotlight".   We don't tell them who they can and can't sing with .. as that is their choice. However, in the event that Bob has Mary sing a duet with him... and then Mary would be next and wants Bob to sing with her... we tell her that she'll have to wait until the following round to do that song with him.  We don't allow the same singer on the stage for back to back performances.... but yes, sometimes a singer might sing a solo and then 8 singers later be part of a duet.  We have no problems with this... and we also get groups that only sing as groups.. and they are one spot in the rotation.  Back to backers, as we call 'em, aren't allowed.  But... we don't tell people what they can sing or who they can ask to sing songs with.  Again, whatever works for folks is fine.  I've seen this discussion before.. and I know each KJ does  things differently.  

Have a great day, all...  :)

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The rotation (and people who try to beat it) is the single biggest thing that makes me want to quit being a host and just sing for myself.

Some kj's will put walkins at the first of the rotation..to keep them there..helps business..cause many times if u can get them to sing one song they will stay(and buy liquor)...It seems that sometimes if a customer gets there and has to wait 2 hrs to sing..they won't stick it out..Do any of you do this?

I mix in new singers into the old.  The wait time is going to be there regardless of where you put a new singer.  If you filter them in, at the singers that have been there are still getting up within a reasonable amount of time rather than sticking a ton of new singers at the end (or begining - no difference there).  Last Saturday I had a 52 person rotation, no matter WHAT you do to introduce new singers, there is over a 2 hour wait in this case.  Some people got 1 song, some got 2 if they were lucky.  People do start getting tired & take off which just brings everyone up one more song.

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i don't put them up immediately, bu ti don't put them at the end of the rotatin either.  let me clarify this by saying it depends on what time of night it is and how many are in the rotation.

as for the original topic.  i've not really had a problem with the whole duet and the mic hog thing, so i'm not sure how i'd handle it.  i am happy that you bring it up so i will have some ideas if/when it happens.  when i think of mic hogs i think of those people who just "decide" that they are going to sing with "someone" although "someone" doesn't know it until the hog gets o stage with them.  we have a VERY strict policy about this.  DO NOT GET ON STAGE UNLESS IT IS YOUR TURN OR YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED BY THE SINGER!  i put it in caps, because that is how seroius we are about it!

The downside that I've seen to that, Lonnie, is customers buy one drink, sing immediatly, and then leave 'cause the've got their song in already and don't feel like waiting another 1 or 2 hours for their next turn. Agree with what Lonman said about blending the newbies in with the regular rotation. That way, they'll usually buy more than one drink from the bar while they wait (hopefully), and the regular rotation singers won't have to wait forever, as opposed to immediatly putting the new ones in ahead of them. I'd probably mix the new singers into the bottom third of the rotation, but that's just me. I used to run my show like that, and it seemed to be a good compromise.

Never been a big fan of rewarding new singers with a song as soon as they walk in. They should have to wait, to some degree, like the rest of us.

yall have given me a lot to think about..appreciate it peeps

Generally, the places I've been to count duets as a turn for whomever is listed first.