Karaoke Forums

BTW- I like some bad KJs, the ones who talk naughty to me when I'm approaching the stage.

mmm, yah, treat me like the karaoke whore that I am.

From were I'm reading it looks like this thread has been highjacked and turned into another poor me the KJ thread.  Get real - if you're working the bar scene, lost or broken equipment is just part of doing business.  I sing solo but every once in a while I will let someone up to sing.  I use shure 58s and I always carry extras just in case I drop one, one stops working or a singer screws one up.  As for six hundred dollar mics, I'd never hand over an expensive mic to anyone at anytime.  

We're back were we started - it's always the jerk singers that are the problem.

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Singing just for you

That's sort've what I was referring to E.J.  It's VERY easy in time, for people to lose site of "What is the objective of my job".  In this case, MANY that KJ,  work "BARS", yet it becomes tougher to see "the other side's" perspective in such a case much of the time... Other side sometimes meaning, seeing things as a business owner or bar owner in this case who let's KJ go.. In some cases, what's happening is that the "Bar owner doesn't want to fire KJ, he can no longer afford KJ" and bar owner isn't socially adept enough to "Talk stuff out".. Not all are. Many in business aren't "bad people", they just happen to have the money to setup a business and lack social skills, they want a bar, have the money to buy the bar, but like many with money, that doesn't mean they aren't socially retarded, yet the KJ's will likely see many bar owners as being offensive, and quite different. less fair perhaps....It's TOUGH to have the objectivity to see "both sides" without bias, when you are working one side....  Similarly, It's easy to perceive "young drinking kids as a pain-in-the-ass", however, if you are going to work a job in a bar,  it does little good to complain that "The people are drunk and not respecting me or my equipment",  because you aren't going to change certain things when it comes to "youth" and "alcohol",  sure WE have changed, some of us are over twice the age of those we perform for.. or work with,  we aren't "young or kids", but many complaining WERE just as bad.. Others of course aren't. Also, many of us don't go out to bars to get hammered, yet MANY do.. The reality is, In a crowded YOUNG place where people have been drinking, HIGH END delicate equipment IS vulnerable if there's no barrier between the crowd, and your equipment, hand it back and forth to the crowd to "play with", it BETTER be durable or despensible. Otherwise, if you don't want a cracked egg ?   Why tape it to your foot during a soccer game ?

Regarding a thread to compare notes, and let off steam,  that's a good idea too for many,  Yet regarding your OP,  there are bad KJ's, and it's ashame because THAT detracts from the positive experience of Karaoke.... Similarly there are teachers that have NO right teaching in schools... Yet they slip by... Others were good when they cared, but people, and peoples lives change...  Bad everything happens...


Confuscious say,  If you don't want screaming kindergartners following you around grabbing at you, and pulling at you,  don't tape giant M&M cookie to your back and have it in view while teaching your kindergarten class.

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

I tried a karaoke show in a club in Detroit. The louder the crowd got the less I could hear myself. I kept telling this to the KJ and all he could say was "We can hear you just fine."

On my last song, I could not hear myself at all. I walked all around on the stage to see if I could find a spot where there might be an "audio Monitor". Apparently some people think vocal monitors are not needed in a karaoke type situation. I got 3/4 through the song and just gave up. I couldn't see the jock to tell him that I couldn't hear myself so I made those signals to my cousin and uncle who were sitting not too far from the stage. There was nothing they could do. I set the mic down on the KJ table and just walked off the stage.

The jock came to my table when I went outside and asked what my problem was. DUH!? I don't need to tell him a third time. If I lived in the area I would not ever go there again. What an idiot.

Most of my work experience has been in Restaurant management and Navy with a little in Dinner Theater. I might be just a little too inclined to listen to what my customers have to say... or am I wrong?

How can you tell if you're even in tune when you can't hear yourself? Cupping my ear didn't help either the music was too loud to permit. I hope all his stuff is stolen all at once. I am still this mad at this idiot.

If I ever go to a club again that has no audio monitor I might not even buy a drink before trying it out. They can carry me out to the curb if they don’t like it.

You are 100% correct,  if you can't hear yourself, you can't sing in tune... plain and simple. It's also impossible to utilize dynamics, balance your voice, or do anything... Makes about as much sense as being asked to play doubles tennis in a pitch black room.. and then having someone ask you, "how come you couldn't return the other persons simple serve, I thought  you said you knew how to play tennis" ?  




"Where I'm from,  we don't have bar's that specialize in Karaoke for the deaf"  LOL

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

I see.... So we are considered bad KJs, if we don't expect and let people destroy and abuse our equipment.   I'm coming to your house tonight, don't get mad if I go a little goofy with your furnishings.   It's only that I just want to have a little fun.

If you give me alcohol, it will make everything OK.    You won't be upset either.

No, a bad kj is one that expects absolutely nothing to happen in a drunken bar environment...actually I wouldn't call them bad, I would say naive.  If you don't want your $600 mics damaged by a drunken singer...don't use them.  Most singers are pretty respectful of the mics & equipment, but yes you will get an idiot...AS IN ANY BUSINESS, that will screw with something either accidently or purposely, but that is a risk you have to take & you shouldn't (@$%&#!), it's a hazard of the business.  You coming over to "go a little goofy" on my furnishings would be downright vandalism & you would be eating the dirt if I saw it.  Big difference between the two...again, unless they were purposely damaging your stuff.  I don't consider a tap on the mic a big deal, usually you can tell them once to not do it again & they would be cool with it.  If they drop the mic while handing it back or getting it from you, what you going to do?  Crap happens...get over it.  If you want to risk a $600, then more power to ya, i'm willing to bet in a bar environment it doesn't sound THAT much better justifying the cost....especially if it's a wireless.  Most wireless mics that are expensive use standard mics, what drives their prices up are the transmit/receivers.  Shure makes several models that are cheap up to very expensive - but all can be bought with the SM58 (some of the upper ends may step up to the Beta 58 ).

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

Duplicate post.

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

Wouldn't a better analogy be:

"I extend a general invitation to ANYONE at the bar who wishes to come over to my home that particular night. I also make no modifications, leave my valuables out assuming all that take me up on the invite to come over, will be honest, tactful, properly bred always displaying proper etiquette ?  Even the 21 year olds who might just be learning about "the lovely nature of alcohol and the brain" and charged with testosterone, and #1 on their mind is impressing their friends, and picking someone up ?


I doubt ANYONE here now, would trash anyones home if they were invited over.  Yet aren't you expecting alot from ANYONE who says "I want to sing now" at certain types of bars ?  We KNOW ideally how nice it'd be if all at bars had the social graces of professional white or blue collor workers.... Or just anyone who is respectful of others. Yet if it's proper etiquette you are looking for Bigdog, there are a few places not to look, high up on such a list would be rush hour streets in NY City, Bar with youngsters drinking, Bank during a robbery, etc

Let's be realistic about something, many (back in the days we were drinking heavily-not myself but quite a few) would not deface your $600 dollar microphone,  their goal (assuming they didn't like you) would be to steal it !  Assuming they liked you one of their friends would steal it.  Don't raise the bar, of certain types in bars... too high in terms of proper conduct, it doesn't often exist in such places.

I've played dives that give "Battle of the bands" a whole different definition.  In such places "battle of the Bands" means that whoever walks out with the guitars, microphones, and stomp boxes belonging to the rival bandmembers won  :(  If you walk into these places with just one Telecaster, but Walk out with Your Telecaster, the competition's ES-335, and the bass players Amp head,  You won the battle.

These were the bars I played the Hondo II (which incidently wasn't all that bad a guitar with aftermarket pickups, and much safer to be seen playing if you wish to leave with it, or a Samick (better line) guitar (Such as their Custom pro-shop Valley Arts) model the SSM1 which isn't a bad guitar, it's in essence a Japanese model Standard Strat.

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

That was what I was trying to explain to the KJ, the part about dynamics was the most important. I don't think he liked me from the first song I sang. I didn't like him much either after a while.

My own family members that where there with me didn't even get what I was saying. They are musicians but they are also very pigheaded and ignore anything that they don't already understand.

I think I am the only one from either side of my family who isn't afraid to say that I don't understand but am willing to try. It might be because I am the dumbest in my family. I have a good reason though, brain damage and not even self inflicted.

Oh man,  What do you do for fun then  :shock:

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

Not too much anymore, the world seems to move too fast for me most of the time.

Yeah,  That's why when I sit here typing, I make sure to always keep my helmet on.

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

EJ, sorry this keeps getting off track. as a KJ, it is hard to pick and choose your audience without feeling it in your pocketbook and i guess that is why we keep getting back to boorish singers.

there are plenty of bad KJs out there--the ones that don't own the equipment, like lonman reminded us, the ones that make fun of lesser talented singers, the ones that don't know enough to let the singer hear himself like chuck experienced, the ones that are preferential to friends or the regular crowd, like i experienced. they give the rest of the profession a bad name, and IMO all you can do is not patronize their shows. it sounds like you have had some bad experiences yourself---care to share a story with us?

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[glow=darkorchid]Musica delenit bestiam feram[/glow]

I can work with the worst of them as long as they really give a darn about their customers. Lack of equipment doesn't bother as long as I can respect the person running the show.

I should add this too, I respect everyone; at first. When people give me reason to lose respect for them they will probably never have my respect again.

I too would love to hear a particular experience if you don't mind sharing it with us EJ.

Hi guys - It looks like you've been having fun here.

No matter how expensive a mic is no one should abuse it. I think we all agree on that. If someone is tapping on a mic I think it irritates us equally.
I don't use expensive mics because I can't afford to replace them when someone breaks one and I don't think there is a reason to use such an expensive mic for karaoke. If Bigdog can afford it and doesn't mind the hassle of replacing and fixing them - I say go for it. Personally I think most of us can't afford the luxury or want to deal with the hassle of replacing or fixing them.  Now if Bigdog was complaining about  how much it costs to replace or fix the $600 I'd say don't buy them, but I don't beleive I've read him saying that. He's just saying there is no reason to abuse a mic if it is expensive or not.

I think that is what I was to understand from all the posts. If I'm wrong please feel free to kick my KJ butt  LMAO

And as for this turning into a KJ conversation again - maybe it is because most of us are KJs, so we see it from that perspective. Sorry  :hug:

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

I would say the worst KJ I have ever seen would be at this little bar called Norm's where I used to live. He had the rudest possible sense of humour, he couldn't sing to save his life and he had no idea how to use the system. Second worst would be at The Rodeo... she would crank the mic up to the point of feedback so you had to be careful where you held it. Loads of fun .

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Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure. (I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.)

Nobody is in dispute about the poor quality of some KJs and their equipment.    This is what I have been complaining and campaigning about.      There are more equally bad singers, from a behavior standpoint.    

So now what?     We have jerks on both sides of the line.   AGREED?    :yes:

Moral of the story.     Don't be a jerk KJ or singer.     Now that the problem is fixed, what is the next topic?   I'm ready.. I'm ready.. I'm ready...

Jerk Bar Owners have been discussed.  I can't  think of anything else tonight,  so I'm off to bed,  later.

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

Did you take your 'puter to bed Steven? I still see you up there...  :wave:

G'night... sweet dreams... 55 more to go woo!  :dancin: