Karaoke Forums

This ties into the banned song post.   I want the crowd to roll along like gentle waves on the ocean.   Pretend you're all in a big row boat.    I don't want them crawling on the ceiling, but I don't want them sleeping.    If I have 10 raps songs listed, it's 9 1/2 too many for me.   Think about your crowds and the bar's reputation.   I don't want a crowd that is going to get all wound up and start trouble.   1 rap song in a row can do that.   It's usually the subject matter that gets it kicked out of the book.   Business killers I don't need.   There are still over 9,000 one of a kind songs they can pick from.   Karaoke is the only musical format that has the power to entertain all musical tastes and all ages at the same time.  Led Zepplin can sit right beside Frank Sinatra and they will applaud each other.   [highlight=crimson]The music played determines the type of crowd.[/highlight]    If Franky walked into a punk forum he would be stoned.   Karaoke people form a camaraderie.   They all respect each other for their talent, no matter the talent level.    I removed every song that has X-rated words or explicit subject matter.    Because I'm square?  No because I'm smart.   You have all age groups in attendance.   There may be kids there if it's a bar/ restaurant.   Somebody's grand parents may be there for a party or something.   They all spend money.  That's why you are there.   Offend them and they leave.   They have big mouths that will use your name if they tell people where they were offended.    It's not about you.   It's about making money for the bar owner.   The older respectable cliental don't want to hear all of the foul songs.    Most of my crowds are nicely mixed age wise and musically.    I want it that way.    The natural rotation of songs keeps things pretty even.   I don't move anyone to speed up or slow down the music.   I play them as they come.    I'll repeat songs if they come up.   If it's the only song someone sings or it's the song they like to hear, are you going to tell them no?   What if they haven't been to out for three weeks.   Are you going to chase them away?  It's not about you, it's about making money for the bar.     Keep the people happy.   I will tell them if a song has been done already.   Some people don't care, others do.   I will sing a song to speed up or slow down the pace.    Remember the singers are keeping themselves entertained.   They are a small number compared to the nonsingers.   Nonsingers are paying your wage.    You have to keep them happy.    Most of the time I sing an upbeat rock song.    Because thats' all I know?   No because I'm trying to keep the nonsingers awake.   I know over 500 songs, but I don't get to sing the ones I really want to sing.   I haven't had too many fights over the years.   But mix alcohol with some and it will happen.    Some people just shouldn't drink ever.    Fights are a big crowd killer.   You are part of the bar's reputation, if you're the KJ.   The word will spread about your rowdy crowd.   People quit coming and you lose the job.   Keep it fun for all without the unpleasentness.   A building full of happy, civilized people is what you should want for the bar.   It's not all about you.   You should be the reason for the crowded bar.   Not the crowd killer.

I don't seem to have this problem. My regular crowd is diverse with
the songs they sing. I get everything from Elvis to Rap. I haven't taken any songs out of my books. If it ever becomes a problem I probably would though. It is just smart. You have to do what makes sense for your business.

I control the night's songs, so I can keep the crowd going. My regulars
have song lists and most of the time I'm picking their songs for them. They
have learned to trust my judgement. I'll brag a little - I have a talent for knowing
the right songs to pick for singers and to get the crowd going. Probably most Kjs
can do this from doing it for so long, you learn what works. Don't get me wrong I encourage them to sing new stuff or I'd go crazy. I'm really good at picking new songs for people to try. I know a lot of KJ hate keeping song lists, but it really saves me on a busy night. I can keep the rotation moving and hopping.

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I would say that I pick about 80% of my regualar's singers songs. If I pick a slow one out for them to sing and the three people before them all sang slow, I'm goning to change the song. My regulars trust me to do that. When there are a lot of slow songs and it looks like people are falling asleep as quickly as possible I find the first singer I can to change their song.

As per no Xrated songs in my books...they are there. BUT...all my Xrated songs have an "x" after the number that way I know they are foul and I can take it from there. If someone gets mad...too bad. I would rather make that one 21 year old mad then lose 10 30 year old customers. Between me and the bar...we decide what is to be allowed and not allowed.

If I have 10 or more singers in the rotation I do not sing. I will sing to open the show in order to start my adjustments and then that's it. Even when someone requests a song I will either have some one else do it or I will politely tell them that i have too many singers for me to throw myself in there. I am paid to let people sing...they don't come there to hear me. If I wanted paid to sing I would join a band....not have a karaoke business.

So, that is just my pennies worth. Keep singing and keep smiling.

Good post Bigdog.  Been there and done that and I agree!

Kelly

I have had this problem and became perplexed.  Thanks for the advice--you have a good head on your shoulders!

Rap has it's place, just not at any of mine and no good place I can really think of.    It's the mothering, cop killing, pimping, dopin', stealin', gangbangin', shootin', killing, offensive, destructive, hateful, prejudice, anti-social, sexually explicit, brainwashing, sexually and socially degrading, hopeless, demoraliseing, disrespectful, low self-esteem, violence creating, anger creating, foul-mouthed, horrible role-model, little things (did I miss any?) that bother me about rap.    No need for that stuff in our society.    It's very counter productive to impressionable minds.   No wonder [highlight=crimson]your[/highlight] kids want to kill their classmates, take dope, commit suicide, kill their parents, steal cars, sell dope, join gangs, rob banks, drop out of school and end up in jail.   NOW, name [highlight=crimson]one[/highlight] good thing about it and we'll be having a discussion.   It might be too late, it could already be affecting your judgement.   I just don't see a need for it.    Think about the massive negative influence on the generation that grows up listening to this kind of message all day long.    Did I step on any toes?   OOOPPS....

Well Hell for that matter then you shouldn't play most of todays hard core rock, or any of todays "Urban" which not only includes rap but R & B as well.  I've heard more "angry" & sexual overtones in todays rock, than even in rap.

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

I don't listen to much rap, but I gotta admit some of it is rather fun to dance to.

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I love being a mom!

I agree that some Rap can be good to dance to. Other than that I cannot stand the lyrics and the message that it portrays.

I have very little Rap in my collection. Most of the venues I do it would NOT mix well with the clientel. The only way it makes it into my collection is that it comes with other songs on a disc and accidentaly makes it into my system.

There will come a time that Rap will be the music of choice in Karaoke someday. By that time I will be out of the business and playing golf, fishing and travelling the country......thank god.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

I am fortunate that my singers sing a huge variety and only seldom do rap or heavy metal. I don't have any really heavy fulgar songs sung, although I know there in my books. Sure they do the Rodeo Song, When I Get High, The A$$hole song etc.... But not the degrading rap stuff.
It isn't that I have anything against heavy metal and rap - I just couldn't stand a whole night of it. When I come home from a show after listening to loud music for 6 hours I'm done. The last thing I want to hear is more music. I can't imagine if it was a night of all heavy metal.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Have you ever actually READ the lyrics to that one?
Nothing BUT drug overtones & even some heavy sexual overtones.

I was gonna clean my room until I got high
I gonna get up and find the broom but then I got high
my room is still messed up and I know why
- cause I got high [repeat 3X]  Obviously aimed at kids here

I was gonna go to class before I got high
I coulda cheated and I coulda passed but I got high
I am taking it next semester and I know why
- cause I got high [repeat 3X] ...  Yeah great to teach kids here!

I was gonna go to work but then I got high
I just got a new promotion but I got high
now I'm selling dope and I know why
- cause I got high [repeat 3X]    Fine message to convey to 'adults'

I was gonna go to court before I got high
I was gonna pay my child support but then I got high
they took my whole paycheck and I know why
- cause I got high [repeat 3X]      And another

I wasnt gonna run from the cops but I was high
I was gonna pull right over and stop but I was high
Now I am a paraplegic - because I got high [repeat 3X]    Great line here

I was gonna pay my car note until I got high
I was gonna gamble on the boat but then I got high
now the tow truck is pulling away and I know why
- because I got high [repeat 3X]      What responsibility!!!!

I was gonna make love to you but then I got high
I was gonna eat yo p*ssy too but then I got high
now I'm jacking off and I know why
- cause I got high [repeat 3X]      Love relationships

I messed up my entire life because I got high
I lost my kids and wife because I got high
now I'm sleeping on the sidewalk and I know why
- cause I got high [repeat 3X]      About the only true line here.

I'm gonna stop singing this song because I'm high
I'm singing this whole thing wrong because I'm high
and if I dont sell one copy I know why
- cause I'm high [repeat 3X]


Yeah there's NOTHING wrong with that song!

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

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The only thing I don't agree to is Repeating songs. Let's face it hearing the same songs 2 or 3 times a night is irritating to customers. And singers start the old well I could sing that better than him/her bologna. My rule for this is once a songs been sung it's dead for the night for Everyone Sorry!

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Plus, in my opinion, it's just plain annoying to listen to.  And thanks to reading the words here, now I've got it going thru' my head:  "'Cuz I got high, 'cuz I got high, 'cuz I got high, da-da-da-da-da-da..."  Ugh, make it stop!!!!

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I love being a mom!

Same here!!!  Only time I MAY let it slide is if it's a song that was done early in the evening, the first person is gone & the second time is done later in the evening.  But most of the time if a song has been done, I will tell them & they say no prob & find another song.  No one has gotten pissed or left because of it.  Been my policy for 14 years.

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If I hear someone do a song that I have just written down as my next one, I just go back and change it.  No big deal.  (It's only happened a couple of times anyway)

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I love being a mom!

Depending on the venue and what part of the country you live in, I would agree with what was said about not allowing this or allowing that. That is the DJ part of our job - reading the crowd and figuring out what is going to entertain them the most at any given minute.

BUT, I live in a urban area, and believe it or not there are more than your fair share of folks who enjoy urban music in urban areas. Those peeps need their karaoke too, and that's the niche I fill.

I have been at the same bar for two years and built the karaoke night up from 6-10 people singing country ballads all night while their friends watched to 25-30 peeps singing country, rock, rap, and everything inbetween while 200-250 of their friends get down to the urban filler dance music. I have never in my two years had anyone tell me they were offended (I have non-cussing versions of many songs that I play before 11 p.m., but after 11 the album versions come out).

My point is that you can have your preferences and dislike urban music, but to imply that it is somehow a universal bad business decision to base a karaoke night on an urban theme is pretty ignorant.

In fact, most of the patrons at my bar would argue that I should ban all of my country music, and looking at the lyrics to most country songs (by your reasoning), I might have to agree. Let's play the lyric game with the Hank Williams Jr. or David Allan Coe songs in your book and see how they stack up to Snoop Dogg, shall we? Don't the Dixie Chicks murder a guy in that song that you probably hear at your karaoke every night? Or is that just in fun and rational people can separate the lyrical fantasy from reality? Hmmmm....

But we've had this discussion in another thread, all genres have songs with suggestive lyrics about sex, drugs, etc., and to banning any single genre by this rationale is pretty hypocritcal unless you are banning all the suggestive country, rock, etc. as well. Next thing you know you may find yourself working for $50 on Wednesday nights for pre-teen night at the local Baptist Church (at least in my area). Wanting to attract a mostly country crowd or mostly rock crowd or whatever is perfectly reasonable depending on the venue, but don't make the mistake of equating certain genres with the quality of patrons (commonly referred to as elitism). I don't care for the partrons of the country karaoke bars around here, but I don't attempt to shut them out of my bar by banning their music. All are welcome to sing all songs and all seem to appreciate and embrace that...

Anyway, say what you will about the rap, but it fills my seats every week and makes me the 2nd highest paid KJ in the city (that I know of). Even the grandmas and country folk are on the dancefloor for most of the rap classics!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

When I wrote my comments I started wondering how hypocrital it
was that some songs are vulgar, but seem to be excepted and others aren't.
The songs I suggested like "when I get High" are all songs that are sung to poke fun. The guy who wrote "When I get High" is obviously pointing out that getting high
ruined his life. He loses everything and ends up in a wheel chair because he got high.

This song is sung by 1 individual in my bar and people request him to sing it because they think it is funny. It has started to be a staple song for him. People sing along to the tada da da da da part. When he comes to the naughty word he says it then the whole crowd yells back eewwww. It is all in fun.

I consider the difference between these kind of songs and what we are calling vulgar songs is these songs were meant to be funny.

I have an adult crowd, it is very rare to see a child in the bar, and I am in a Chicago suburb. The rap songs I hear are Baby Got Back, It's getting Hot In Here, Humpty Hump, etc.....  I enjoy these songs. There are so many different types of rap. I don't think it is fair to lump them all together.

I think what we are talking about are any songs that are vulgar, degrading, racist and meant to sound offensive. I don't have anything against rap itself just particular
songs and unfortunately a big majority of these songs are rap and heavy metal.

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

Let's face it if Rap is in ya gotta play it if you like it or not. It's not our job to judge types of music just to play what they wanna sing/ or hear.

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