Karaoke Forums

Ever find yourself getting burned out from DJ'ing, kjing going out to sing etc.? So tired of it thhat it makes you ill just to contemplate haveing to go out to the gig or just out for the evening???

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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

As a musician who spent years on the road Kurt, absolutely.  In fact it DID make me sick towards the end. (or perhaps MY attitude was what made me ill). The times I especially felt this way, were times when the last thing I was in the mood to do was get up there and play music, yet I had to. Whether I was physically feeling ill, and that was the reason I didn't feel like playing, perhaps, yet there were PLENTY of times... These occurances also escalated as time went on.. I started to HATE it. I don't know why that is.. It just was.  I was exhausted.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

It passed, the night ended.

I played for close to 25 years professionally and when the bad times (or thoughts) out weigh the good, it's time to give it a break for a bit, then evaluate things after that.  If music as a job, no matter what the form, isn't fun for a long period of time, then it's time to go on to something else.

I've been doing more fill-in gigs recently and for what the bars pay and dealing with drunks and the like, it's getting to the point where I'm thinking of just taking a pass.   Daddy daycare.   Of course, that varies with the venue.  On the mobile DJ side, I've found these to be much more satisfying, and hugely better paying - so no burnout there - bring 'em on.

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Sounds Great! Entertainment
Bartlett, Illinois

i think everyone experiences that feeling at some point.  how you cope with it, though, is the key.  in another thread talk turned ot singing without an audience...or at least without much of one.  if you sing because you're getting paid to sing it's a much different feeling than if you sing because you love to sing.  the former will make it difficult to project a positive image on a slow night while the latter makes it fun no matter if you're the only one in the club!  i was a kj in a small venue about 45 minutes form my home several years ago.  about five years into the gig it started to get monotonous (sp?).  i wasn't even sure i wanted to drive that far because the gig just didn't see to as fun.  as fate would have it, the bar changed ownership and the new owner wanted to cut my pay so that it wasn't worth driving that far.  this is when i realized how much i missed being a kj and karaoke in general.  now, no matter how i feel at the beginning of the night, no matter how many patrons are in attendence, no matter who they are, i try to give an energetic, upbeat and fun show.  the old saying stands.....you never know what you've got until it's gone.

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All work and no play make Homer something something

For me setting up and tearing down is when I feel this a bit. But besides that I usually look forward to work. I got 7 kids and going to work is my quiet time  LMAO

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ROBDOG *WOOF WOOF*

Some nights I can't wait to get home, other nights I wish I could stay all night.

Burn out is an issue for me because I work the same place 3 nights a week.
We had a thread about this before and a lot of people put in their input on how they keep from getting bored. You have to add change if your going to keep you and your regulars from getting bored.

Slow nights can get tedious, so we play Scaraoke. If people don't want to play they have to pick a new song they've never sung before. The worst part of burn out is listening to the same songs day after day from the same people.

We have a duet round sometimes - where everyone has to pick a duet from the song book and sing with someone they've never sung with before.
One night ended up paper plane night. We were bored and started making paper planes and flying them all over the bar.

Some nights turn into a kind of theme night. Trying to work the word squirrel into every song. Sounds dumb, but ends up being really funny. Even people who aren't regulars end up joining in with funny renditions of songs.

I am a kid at heart and lucky for me people enjoy getting silly.

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

Depends on the night.  Most nights I enjoy, the dead nights or nights with crowds that just won't get into it - feed the energy - are the nights I get burnt on.  However after 14 years of just karaoke & over 20 years playing in bands & running sound, I always look forward to the end of the night no matter how much I enjoy it!

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

I too feel the burnout out periodically.  Specifically, like Lonman said, if it's a real dead night (which fortunately are seldom) or when I can't get energy from the crowd (again, seldom).  

While I'm not really superstitious, I also have trouble sometimes during a full moon or on Friday the 13th!   I know, it's probably a self-fulfilling propecy...  

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 seem to feel the burn out more on a super busy night.
I've figured out for the most part how to keep myself amuzed on a slow night.
Last night was a rough night - when I came home I never wanted to go back,
but now it's the next day and I'm ready for tonight.
I get tired of the constant pound. When they are coming at you from every direction with I want this I want that. It was almost a 2 hour wait for singers last night. I sang once at the beginning of the night and once at the end of the night for a $40 tip. They wore me out so much when I was offered money to stay an extra half an hour I said no. Not every night is like this thank goodness. I haven't figured out how to deal with
these kind of nights.
I seldom turn down money to stay - sometimes your sanity is more important.

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

- I'm just the opposite, I feed off the energy of a large party crowd... last night was 29 singers, I looked at the clock twice to guage where I was and then it was over.  I didn't sing once, when I walked in the place it was a mob!  I got there about 25 minutes before start; we leave our set-up there, just bring in the music and pass out the books.  They were handing me slips as I was passing out the books...  I LOVED IT!

I was recently offered to stay over on a slow night and turned it down; I was soooo ready to go home!

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]

steven i do feel that its easier to get burned out from playing in a band then it is from being a k j, but what do i know i never have been a k j,  but on the band side....if u play 4, 5 r 6 nights a wk. u can only learn so many songs a wk,and by the end of that wk, there old to you already, the excitements gone, i remember just seeing 1 new face in the club  made my night,  it gets old singing the same songs over and over and over, no matter how many songs u know, and i would sing like 60 to 70 songs a night...talk about boreing after yrs go by...and the sad thing is, no matter how many new songs u learn people always have there fav...so most  of the songs were never left to just die...thats the main reason i left, i just got sick of it...in the end it was all about the money, then it got to the point to where even the money didn't make it worth it....i don't regret leaving 1 bit, best move i ever made, for awhile i did miss singing but then i discovered karaoke and that hekped fill the gap, plus singing and recording  on sites like this....

again just looking at the bands side of it but...on a slow night we played as if it were a packed house, they payed there money, giveum a show...not putting k j's down but and again i don't know....seems pretty easy for the most part, spin the song and wait, r set up another song to be ready...altho we didn't have to break down every night, thats gotta suck....when on the road we were booked 2 wks at a time...justtttt when ur getting settled in its time to pack up....and its 3 am, were half drunk...so i really do feel for u guys on that end of it....

now don't any  k j's get mad at me, i'll be the first to say i don't know what you go thru, only what we went thru....

I was never a jock.   It was always more art & music.    The reason I love to do karaoke is because of the music.     Music has always made my mood brighter.    I sing at karaoke regularly if the rotation isn't going through the roof.    But I sing because it's fun for me.     When I had "employees" we let them sing and wanted them to sing if the rotation allowed.    Happy employees are good employees.    I tell the bar owners if their bartenders want to sing, let them.   People like it when they sing.   And if it makes the bartender happy, why not.    If you are suffering burn out maybe you should sing more.    That is the major thing that keeps me going.   I don't do it to show off.     But I still sing to keep the nonsingers awake.   It makes me feel good to sing.     Everybody sing two songs and call me in the morning.    If that doesn't help, what will?

bigdog. guessing u never heard me sing....2 songs and ur head would be killing you, ready to drag me off the stage, i to use to sing for the love of singing, but once it bacame a job the fun pretty much left,after a few yrs anyway....and a job is just that a job....but now its fun again....ok its fun unless 1 of those heavy chairs hits me......

Billy,  The hours too.  A person can be in a band playing in certain states (IE....NY in the 70's....) you are literally living in worse than poverty conditions while traveling constantly..back and forth... you find out where you will be playing when you hear from a manager via call.... You have no say. Even if you did, you can't know what you're in for until you show up....


1) you are constantly sleeping in strange places, and just going to whereever you are booked to play. Sleeping in different unfamiliar area's isn't for everyone, and for some it's quite lonely.  Sometimes a van in a sleeping bag, sometimes a cheap motel...sometimes a tent or camper... The pay was never HUGE so you don't sleep at nice places, often you aren't fed.  You are working, not anyones houseguest......Usually a converted large van, with other drunken musical slobs...

2) You are setting up, playing at times until 4 AM (in certain states) getting back (and not to home mind you) often at around sunrise or later, and something, or some noise prevents you from sleeping... You also aren't familiar with MANY of the area's you are in, and for ME that's tremendous discomfort, I like familiarity.

3) Groupies ?  Yeah, but VERY seldom is any of it worth anything.. For the most part you are playing, or setting up, knocking down, practicing somewhere, or TRYING to catch a few hours sleep at awkward times..... and you are usually the ones WATCHING the pickup scene, but  few women/ girls wanted to stay, or could stay around and hang with you until the wee hours of the morning.  There were more interesting things for even the bar flies to do....Often that was leave with another person... So we also watched girl's leave who we might've liked but...Oh well....The other stuff,  not even worth mentioning.. This was pre-aids for the most part, today it might be a death sentence......Assuming you had to pack up especially.. Naturally we also got hungry.... there wasn't much sleep.. Assuming they do, you don't feel like entertaining on the floor of a van, not to mention going to some strange person's home without a car of your own...  What I liked when I was young was playing the college, and university October Fest's,  Spring Fest's, and mixer's.....College campuses were a BLAST....  and certainly much cleaner environments for us.... usually we would be put up someplace, even on the floor of a student lounge, or couches someplace..... Even dorm rooms  :angel:


The biggest problem, SOME of us crave comfort,  Circus type life IS NOT comfortable or luxurious.  If you have a plagued sole it's REALLY lonely because all you have is thought's to sustain you, it doesn't feel like a friendly experience when you are traveling around... with an aching heart or soul...... I became exhausted, malnourished, extremely antsy, and ended up extremely depressed emotionally, possibly because I was physically rundown.... Not a healthy existence...
(It wasn't uncommon to end up with severly upset stomachs to from the tetracycline you had to take for two weeks, 500 mg's qid...) 2000 mg of that crap and your stomach aches.... not to mention the reason's you are talking it, that aches too.....
Alcohol, barbiturates, benzo's to get to sleep... Speed during the day, caffeine, nicotine, pot.... eventually Quaaludes, and Smack..... It wasn't a friendly lifestyle if you weren't strong....  Than a few times it was up to Canada to fill in for Blushing Bride's bassist Van Dijk, and Liverpool musicians who were sick a few times....  (2nd-3rd string coverband sit in music crap).. While that was more enjoyable, it was also exhausting.. and I hated flying...HATE it..

All because I was cut out to be a performing artist, and little else..  Than I figured maybe music retail.. Well this was around the time smaller mom/pop stores were closing, and working for Ash wasn't fun......People started mail-ordering alot too,,,, Selling for Baldwin was no piece of cake.... Teaching lesson's, yeah that was OK, yet between no show's, kids being punished because of report cards so no piano or guitar until grades go up, last minute cancellations, and eventually what did me in was EVERYONE was suing,  Liability to teach at home was too much...

Music is meant to be fun.... I need to figure out what I want to do when I grow up now..

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

steven u had it muchhhhhhh harder then i did....we stayed in nice hotels, food, so i never went thru all that...the hrs yes, but nothing like what u explain...i never did drugs, but i did drink quite a bit, and for me it WAS part of the job, kinda came with it...not sure i could have lasted 2 wks with what u went thru....i'm surprised ur not anymore crazy then u r....llll...kkkk...kinda....ll...i hated the road, but i hated playing at home to, when i had a chance to sign with a recording comp. i turned it down, i was burnt out completely, i had had enough...still no regrets....not the type to be owned anyway....take care...

I reached the burnout stage on doing Bars about a year ago. I was doing my full time job (50hrs wk) then doing 4 nights a week in bars. 3 of the shows were on days that I worked 10hrs on my fulltime job. It proved to be too much for too long. I finally had to back off.

I still do one show a week myself on Mondays but I hire out for my weekend gig. I don't mind private parties at all as they pay more and provide plenty of variety. I usually have a really good time doing them and the time passes quickly.

If I was doing this as a full time business I would not have a problem doing bars 5 days a week. It would be like I'm on vacation. However I cannot afford to do this fulltime as there is not enough money in it....at least for me.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

Flipper - I think you've hit on something there. A lot of us have full time
jobs that makes it harder to cope with burn out. If karaoke was all I did it might be easier to deal with. I don't know how you handle 5 nights week. I can barely pull off 3, after working my day job. Your Superman.

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

At one time I did 4 shows a week + Fulltime Job, but I switched about a year ago to one night a week bar gig, and then 1-2 private parties an the weekend (not every week mind you)

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott