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Usually start the show on time - 9 out of 10 times I'll sing the 1st song, mostly for a sound check but also to Welcome everyone introduce myself etc etc etc.

I go back and forth between filler music between singers and just waiting for the next singer to start. For those KJ's who play ..JUST A LITTLE but of a song until the next singers is ready ...It seems whenever I do this - the crowd GETS INTO THE SONG I started to play ususally because its upbeat top 40 stuff. Then when I begin to FADE OUT a groooooan comes over the crowd. Do you experiance this ???

No. I make it a point to play crappy music.

"Do you experiance this ???" Jam,

That is 'exactly' what would happen if I did this, because so many of my people are a mixed type crowd and also there is many that simply don't like karaoke for whatever reason. Much of the places I play are 'poisoned' by years of crappy-oke or by places that do a good job, but there is no energy...it's sappy song, after sappy song. The younger upbeat crowd don't hang out at these places because of that. They will come to my shows, because I mix it up and play something for everyone...plus I provide a good selection of good karaoke. It could be done, however..but it would in fact take a few shows of 're-training' the crowd. It would also work if you didn't play dance sets or full dance songs ever...but if you do, like me...the crowd would be confused. Can I dance? Is he going to play the whole song or just a little bit? Why should I waste my time, I'll just stay sitting? If I have a request for some dance stuff and I have the karaoke song for it, I will try to either sing it myself or will let one of the crowd sing it instead, to keep the karaoke rolling along...MrD

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[highlight=midnightblue]MrD - KJ/DJ Specialist
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Yeah, I occasionally have people groan when I cut off a transition song, but I tend to play music from my personal stash, which can be a bit more obscure, so it doesn't happen as often.

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hi-voxentertainment

I don't get that too much, every so often i'll hear a let that song play from someone in the audience. We are a 7 night a week karaoke bar, we do not play full regular music - or at least it is rare that we do (only by an overwhelimng request & it's generally one of the line dance type songs when this happens at all). I have over 15K songs in my snippet music from Cab Calloway/Billy Holiday to Chuck Berry/Beatles to New Kids On The Block/Whitesnake to Tool/Soundgarden & just about anything from almost all genres in between in a random shuffle via OTSdj. So you never know what is going to be on between singers. The singers & majority of the audience are there for karaoke either being a singer, being with the singers or just in to watch & listen to singers. People want to dance, there is a large dance floor & can (and do) dance just as easily to someone singing a karaoke song so there is no need to play regular full dj music.
But the transition music (as I like to call it) is just supposed to be an underlying effect while you are making announcement between singers JUST to break up any dead silence between words or someone coming up & asking a question right when you are trying to talk on the mic (I know you all can relate to this), not really loud enough for the crowd to start feeling.

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[font=verdana] In Johnny’s shows, he doesn’t play filler music, but between songs there are pics on the TV the audience sees from prior shows, and the crowd enjoys seeing themselves up on the screen, or a pic of their friend acting silly…lol He also has any bar specials in this presentation.

Not sure how I would play filler music with my system. I use a CAVS 203G player and a HD, maybe if I had a disc of filler music in the CAVS I could fade to that, there is a slider on my mixer. Johnny has a very similar mixer and that’s what he uses to fade to the pics.

Last Saturday night I went back out to the place where I had a gig on the 5th and tried to talk to the bar owner about doing karaoke once a week, was even willing to drop my rate until I could build up a following. Couldn’t get him to agree to it, he is firm in his thinking that people would get burned out on karaoke if they had it more than once a month. Just about a quarter mile down the road is another place that has it’s own karaoke setup, and the owner runs it every Friday and Saturday night and does fine. He offered me a job to come and run his system for slightly more than he pays his bartenders and waitresses, but this place is 30 miles from my house so it would hardly pay for me to do it. Plus, I have put a lot of money into my system, and I am comfortable with it, I don’t really want to run someone elses system.

When I left there, I went on up to visit a KJ friend at his gig, and he is doing a wedding next Saturday, so I am going to be filling in for him at the Saturday night gig. Talk about being at the right place at the right time.


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I think it's important to start on time. Even if I am all by myself I start singing at 9 so that when sombody comes in they see that the show has begun. I almost always have at least a couple of singers that show up right at the beginning to get to sing before it gets busy. So far I havn't used filler music to transition singers because with a PC there isnt really much time, but after reading some replies here from people who are also using PC's I think I might give it a try.

If we start a show and there's only a couple of singers we ask them if they're ready to go. Most times they'll say no (they want an audience too), and we'll just play music until the singers are ready to strut their stuff. Not that this happens very often.

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I think it's important to start on time, and most shows I've gone to are on time or close. If you have NO singers, I think it's ok to play some music instead of singing yourself as long as you're encouraging people to sign up. If the book is out before the start of the show, I have no problem getting a song picked and being the first singer. I went to a show that was supposed to start at 9...it was listed as DJ/Karaoke. I was there early and at 9 bartime, there was no sign of the host. She finally came wandering in about 9:15 or 9:30 real time, then got her laptop fired up for DJ'ing. About 5 or 10 minutes later, she had music playing, and was getting the last of her equipment out (she leaves most of it there and set up). After 10, there was still no sign of karaoke...no announcement, no books, no singing....just DJ'ing. I was there for karaoke dangit and I was getting pretty p.o.'d and unimpressed. If I hadn't gone up and asked for a book, I think she would have just played DJ tunes all night. She seems to be more interested in the DJ aspect of it anyway...she can just set up a playlist and go make out with her boyfriend. Very unprofessional!

I usually start at bar time which is 15 minutes before the hour. If I have maybe 2 singers who are regulars I'll start at real time. I'd probably be sitting talking to them any way. If I'm ready and I have a big crowd already I'll start early. It all depends on the crowd amount.

I'm a nervous nelly about starting on time. Usually if I'm talking to the only group of singers there and I say need to get started they tell me to relax and take my time.

Or sometimes you go to start and a patron comes on stage delaying the process.

So I can't say I'm always right on time. It's just not a perfect science. I would never complain about a KJ starting a little late unless they were obviously not caring about the job because I know how it works.

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I normally don't complain either, especially if it's just a little late (I didn't even complain to the bar that night as steamed as I was, and I'll probably still go to the show cause it's not a big crowd). What added to my frustration was we called ahead to verify they had karaoke and the start time, because we had people coming from out of town for my birthday that couldn't stay very long. The KJ in my post wasn't even in the bar until quite a bit after she was supposed to start, and it was obvious to me all night (and the few times I've been to that show) that she doesn't care. I've had KJs run into problems setting up or getting stopped by customers, etc. and be a little late...so I know it happens. And I know things happen to keep you from getting to the venue. When 99% of your equipment is there, and you don't do any sound setup, it shouldn't take until an hour after the start of the show to get karaoke going...even if there's a good reason you were late. I've even seen a KJ or two run late and get to the show just in time, set up all their equipment and sound, and still get show running within 15-20 minutes of the scheduled start.

Well, I speak from experience when I say that sometimes people working at the bar have the wrong impression of what time a show is supposed to start, and communicate that to people who call ahead. I have a Thursday show that starts at 9:30, but also have a summer gig providing karaoke on the same night at a local baseball stadium. I always let them know that when I have one of these baseball games, I'll be there a little late and will start around 10 or 10:15 instead. One night, they apparently told someone that karaoke starts at 9PM (which it NEVER has in my two years there), and they arrived promptly at 9PM, ready for karaoke. They didn't seem terribly upset, but I'd have understood if they were p!ssed.

And count me among those that can come in cold, with no gear already on site, and be set up in 15 minutes. I've done this long enough and enough times that it's like walking or breathing at this point.

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hi-voxentertainment

Some things are out of our control, but we get blamed for it. The owner at my bar doesn't want me telling people when a band is playing instead of me. It is rare now, maybe once every 3 months he books a band. People get very angry when they come in for karaoke and it's a band. I don't blame them ! I have people that drive an hour or more to come for karaoke. I make sure I tell those people on the side. One time I posted a sign I would be on vacation and the owner blew a gasket.

I post signs in the bar stating I am there every Sat. unless a band is booked. Maybe you can post a sign that says your starting time on particular dates then there is no confusion and if a bar employee states the wrong time you have back up.

Sorry I know this whole thing is off topic.

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Never allow anyone to do two in a row, that is very monotanous for anyone in the room do one, and filler music or you sing one, if they are the only singer..... But do try and start on time even with one , two or three singers. Your customer is there to sing regardless..

I try to get there when the show is supposed to start because that's when the rotation is usually smallest so I'll be able to sing more. It bugs me when they don't start on time because they don't have many people signed up--that's why I want them to start now!

From a business perspective I can see a possible advantage in making people wait a little bit if there aren't many singers: they may stay longer and spend more money if it takes longer to sing several times. On the other hand, if they advertise a certain start time but I know from experience that it might start then or an hour later, I might not bother to go at all.

I might not be a typical customer, though. Your mileage may vary.

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I am about like you, Tom. Starting late might keep me longer once, possibly twice, but no more. I am not there for "the show", I am not there for the atmosphere. I am there for karaoke.

I will be in Champaign on the 9th, I think. I usually go down to Tolono on Sat. Nights.

This thread was started several weeks ago. After reading what all the singers have said, I have changed the way I have been operating and now start on time as long as I have at least one. I have been doing this for the last couple of weeks, and now have at least two or three ready to go at 9. They were just too polite to tell me they were ready before.

Thanks to all you singers for speaking out. My own group would never have spoken up face to face.

Currently I am in a bar and only do occasional fri. I am having trouble getting my singers because of the higher drink prices and the other KJ,s have all but ruined karaoke there.

I have followed this thread with interest and here are my methods. All my venues I am there 30 min before setting up and chat with the bartender and regulars sitting at the bar. Last night was typical.. Angelina and I discussed and hoped for a better crowd. When I rolled the rack in and popped the cover an older gentleman looked over and said excuse me sir are you setting up for karaoke? Ive been in music for 30 years and that is one hell of a system. We are doing an anniversary and need a host. I gave him a card.

Before the start time I always do a low volume sound check. Strangers realize that this is not the average system. I have done many private parties with only a few singers and take pride in my DJ selection. For the last few years if somebody requests a new karaoke song then I add it to DJ too and vica versa. During mic checks I tell them if there are singers there get requests in. At start time I increase to full volume and either sing a karaoke song or play a current genre which is determined by the age of the crowd. There is no panic on anybodys part if there are no singers. Last night a gal playing pool came over and requested a DJ song. Before I knew it one of my old karaoke buddies whom I hadnt seen in years came. Then there was a constant stream of KJ all night never that many singers and took most requests orally. This is the best esp in a new bar because you get aquainted with and make friends with new people both singers and non.

I am there for atmosphere and to provide entertainment with the best system around and I am very good at it. My filler or DJ music is current which turns the crowd on and inspires singers to try new stuff.

The number of singers does not enter into the equation for the success of my shows. More important factors are smiles on faces in the crowd and people coming over to chat and request songs. ( that is one reason why I run a snake and sit in the crowd accessible to all) I receive multiple compliments from strangers about the quality of my shows. That's it in a nut shell.

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