Karaoke Forums

Ok so.... this has happened NUMOROUS times at karaoke bars....

the DJ calls up "Sarah" to come sing..... so up walks Sarah and her two friends "Amanda" and "Ashley". All 3 of them sing a song together...

Next in the rotation is Amanda..... so now Sarah and Ashley join HER in a song...

NEXT in the rotation is.... yep.... you guessed it... Ashley... so Amanda and Sarah join HER in a song...

before long.... you've spent half the night listening to the same fricken people sing!

so here's my question..... if all three girls went up to sing (Or just two).... would you consider that song to be their turn in the rotation, so they'd have to wait for next turn..... Or would you still include them in that rotation?

_________________

_________________




[glow=blue]Tequila & A Song
KKid[/glow]

Some kj's look at that as "what's the difference".  They see it as 3 indivdiual names & who cares who joins them on stage because if they all did solo songs, it would take the same amount of time.  The audience perceives it as 3 singers getting up 3 times in the same round - which it technically is & where the abuse starts.  
I treat these as 1 spot in the rotation, if I get 3 slips with the same names (even if in different order) they get up once per round.  If they list them as solo songs then the other "join" them, then ALL of their slips get compiled together at that point.  Others I don't like is the ones that create new/different names THINKING they are going to get up quicker or more often.

_________________
LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I'm not a KJ but I'll put my 2 cents worth in anyway.  If Sarah, Ashley and Amanda have hatched up this plan ahead of time, then it seems to me that they should be considered as a trio that takes up one slot in the rotation.  In other words, you shouldn't have to hear the trio sing three times in a row.  Their appearances should be spaced out in the rotation just like any other singer.

In my opinion, each singer just had their 3-4 minutes on the stage when they sang as a trio, so they've each had their turn and don't get to go again. I get this circumstance all the time, however, and If the trio has another slip in I usually won't make them wait a full rotation to get back up but put them like 3/4 of the way to the end.

In circumstances like this one, the KJ just simply can't please everyone, so I think you have to take care of #1 your entire crowd (i.e. those who are there to do or watch karaoke), #2 your regulars, #3 those that have been there all night, #4 all the other singers...in that order...

If you follow that general rule you are going to make the most people (and most important people) that you can happy!!!

_________________
C Mc
KJ, FL

Yeah, I've seen that happen.  Hate it.  I see why the KJs probably don't see it as a big problem, but as a singer waiting his turn, I finding incredibly irritating.

_________________
Reward: nine yen in drawer.

I used to have the opinion that Lonman discussed that it really shouldn't matter because they are still only taking up 3 songs in the rotation.   That changed pretty quickly when people noticed these same people always seemed to be on stage.  Perception/fairness are pretty important in this environment...

Now, nobody sings unless the name is on the slip.  I make exceptions when I know the people didn't know, or they are new and give them a warning and explain how it works.  The regulars know now that they only get on stage once per rotation.  If somebody tries some mess with aliases or something, they get to wait til the next night to sing again.  

I agree with what has been said.  And as Lonman said, sometimes people will use fake names.  With me the first time you try it you will get a warning.  If "Bill" comes up to sing and three songs later "Frank" comes up and it's "Bill" again, I'll politely tell you to to go sit back down and in the future pick one name and stick with it. If you try it again, your night is over.  Your welcome to come back the next night,  but you know the consequences.

Kelly

On a dead night...I will allow that to happen, but mae it known that this is not how the regular rotation works, and that they ar singing in a row, only beacues there are not many singers.

If it is a busy night....Whole different story.  1 time on stage per person, per rotation.

when i go to a show our hostess usually puts one of them as a turn for one of us. if i put me and a friends name up and she go's up after me then the duet is usually my turn because i've signed it up for us. if there is a bunch of us doing duets , she usually spaces them out a bit so as to not attract the ire of the other patrons.

_________________
I'm in my own little world,but it's ok they know me here.

http://www.myspace.com/faile_x2

I hate when that happens too. I don't really see that too often here, but just saturday night there was a trio of friends, who allowed Mr Drunk-who-thought-he-could-sing-everything up with them on EVERY turn. So, counting his song, you'd see him up for 3 in a row. But he was doing some wierd backup style singing (that I've never quite heard the likes of before, hahaha).... and we more or less got a kick out of watching him anyhow.

But, for this EXACT reason..... I hate to be asked to join in on a song. Sometimes.... when one of my nieces (who are shy) will come to karaoke, they'll want me to come up to "help out".  :roll:  And I'm like "Hail no, I was JUST up there". And I don't want people thinking that I'm a mic hog. (Who? Me? ) But, really, if they ask- I usually be a brat and go up- and don't sing in the mic at all- until they get into the song- then I go sit down and leave them up there alone.  Cause I hate to see that kinda stuff- and I don't wanna participate in it.

Oh, and oops......... I guess I'm not a KJ, as you addressed this thread to....... just an opinionated singer. Sorry Crystal dear.  :D

_________________
♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Our policy is ... one slip per singer per round ... do with it as you wish.  However, we also have ... no singer may sing two songs back to back ... so ... in essence ... I control spacing singers out who I know might want to sing a duet with a friend/ friends sometime during the night.  I make sure that back-to-backers don't occur.

I also tell these groups of friends not to all put their duets in the same round.  If its a group of regulars, they more than understand and give me no trouble.  But... I also have had situations such as Crystal described ... and when three singers all put in slips .. and they all are listed on all of the slip .. I usually ask them if they plan to sing as a group for the evening.. and if they tell me yes, then I tell them they are a group, and will only be called up once per round.

Charmin, we control the situation that you described by simply telling singers that only the names on the slip will be called to and allowed on the stage ... thereby eliminating what you experienced. If Mr. Drunk wasn't listed, he doesn't sing .... and if he is listed ... he falls into the "no back to backers" rule.  

Yup... it takes work to make everyone as happy as possible .. and inevitably, someone isn't gonna like something .. but overall .. you can control for the things that both Crystal and Charmin described ... and still have the show run smoothly and perceived as fair.    

_________________
[shadow=tomato]If you want your significant other to pay attention to EVERY word you say::
  TALK IN YOUR SLEEP   [/shadow]  

I feel ya Crystal. I'm a regular at this one bar (been going there for about 1 1/2 years every weekend almost) and the KJ are really sweet people. They drink a bit much, but usually it's tolerable. But suddenly there's this group of like 7 guys who do what you said those girls were doing. Every one of them turn in a slip, and when each of their names are called they all sing! There's only three mics so they crowd around these microphones and basically butcher every song. Not that I don't believe everyone should be able to enjoy karaoke, but by the time they're done and the rotation comes back around it's been like an hour to two hours. You know what the funny part is? When I turn in a duet slip and put my name and someone elses name on it, it has to take the place of my turn. When I questioned them on why I wasn't able to sing the duet, then take my spot in the rotation like the guys were, they said that it was because their slips were under different names. So I told the KJ if I turned in my slip under someone elses name and they let me sing their song it would be the same thing, right? (Not that I really wanted to do be a mic hog, but I was p.o'd that they were getting different "rules." ) He said no, it wouldn't be the same!

_________________

I too used to think that - 3 singers well they should be treated as individuals

NOT ANYMORE

Perception is the KEY --other singers seem to see these people SINGING ALL THE TIME.

I find singers to be funny..... for instance

One guy (singer a) puts up his individual song slip , so does singer b and singer c
then all of a sudden singer A brings up a song for all three to sing???  and wonders why I didn't call THEM ALL UP YET.  First of all singer B and C may or may not know of the GROUP song and then NOBODY volunteers to lose their individual song in the rotation ..... Go figure......

Rotation, rotation, rotation.    It's not up to me to decide who sings with who.   If it's your turn, I don't care if you want the whole bar to sing with you.   It's your song.    All requests are going into someones pile in the rotation.    I usually put it under the first name on the slip.   Duets go under the first name on the slip.   I have had a table of 4 that are all singers, so all 4 are in the ratation individually.   I have been accused of playing favorites it they all sing in a row.   I break up all the singers now.    1 at this table, 1 across the room.   Cry babies.    I have had bar owners want favors, hoping for sex from some babe.   So they want to pull rank and move them up.    He's the owner.  They'll say, I'm paying you.   I heard from other KJs that people quit coming because I played favorites.   No the bar owner was playing favorites and blackmailing me. New rules.   I don't tell you how to bartend, you don't tell me how to do karaoke.   A fair rotation is for both of our reputations.  You may not care but I do.

a song is a turn in the rotation. If it's three people that sing together, that's THEIR turn with a large rotation (over 8 people)!

The way I see it is the venue has a lot to do with it.  

I have hosted and attended shows at clubs with long rotations.  In these cases most KJs and myself tell people that all the people on the sheet plus any from the audience who sing that is their turn in the rotation.  I am pretty hard nosed about that on a busy night.

I am more flexible when the singer asks someone to come and help them with a song during the night and I mean "a" song not one per rotation.  I have a regular who is an enthusiastic singer (but not too talented) who will ask a buddy (who's a regular and a good singer) to sing a duet to help get his confidence up.  So a bunch of people coming up during the night to sing a special song like happy birthday is ok with me.  But all night long of Tom, Dick and Harry singing off each others sheets is totally unfair.

The only time I make an exceptions is when I have less then 10 singers including myself.  Then I will let people mix and match however they want but I warn them that once the rotation starts to build then it is business as usual.  Anyone who argues doesn't sing.

_________________
Terryoke
Krazy Kanuck Karaokeist

Karaoke is the only social disease that you can get in public and not get arrested.

My owner does this quite often, especially at the very end of the night. I don't mind bumping someone up for the owner's sake, but I told him there are two rules I have that will go along with this:

#1: If they bump someone up in the middle of the night, I am going to flat out announce that they are being bumped up per the owner's request. Also, they go back to their OLD spot in the rotation afterwards, so they may have saved themselves 15-20 minutes this round, but basically are going to have that time tacked back onto their next round.

#2, and this is the situation that most often applies, IF he wants me to squeeze in his buddy or the girl he has his eye on at the end of the night when I have no time left, I will, but I am not going to NOT let one of our regulars NOT sing because I am squeezing the owner's request in. This usually means that we stay another 5-10 minutes AFTER closing time, and it incurs the wrath of the waiters, waitresses, kitchen staff, and bartender, who all obviously want to go home. They know it is the owner doing it, so the situation kinda self governs itself.

He knows that he can bend the rules as long as he is willing to take the heat for it, so he only does it when he feels it is extra necessary!!

_________________
C Mc
KJ, FL

My rule is if it is 2 people singing, one person loses their turn. If it is the same
3 people all the time I will treat them as if they are 1 person and give then only 1 turn per round. If they complain I will tell them why. After that happens they tend to start singing by themselves. if I get a bogus name. They get taken out of the rotation until their turn comes around again with a warning,( if it happens again they won't sing anymore.)

_________________
[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

see.... the thing for me.... is it's not so much a FAIRNESS thing.... cuz of course I understand if 3 singers sing 3 songs it's using the same amount of time.... the annoyance is that it's BORING as HELL in the audience..

cuz I mean I hate to be a cow, but I'll be honest: Unless the person CAN actually sing, or just genuinely funny, I've tuned them out by the end of their song. If they can't really sing and are just standin' there for some attention, then I'm bored silly, so if it's the SAME 3 BORING singers for 3 songs.... it feels like an hour has passed waiting for them to be done!

and what are the chances of Ashley, Sarah and Amanda singing 3-part harmony during their performance? HAHAHAHA!! if they did THAT it might be somewhat entertaining!

_________________