Karaoke Forums

There is always a song or 2 that gets done a lot. The person who puts the song in first gets to do it. If the song is sung early in the night and then it is requested again I'll tell the person it's been sung already, but if they want to do it later in the night they can. I do a 6 hour show, so it's not a problem. Usually they'll just pick another song and forget about it any way.

Here lies the rub. One of my regulars (comes 3 nights a week without fail) does the song Bodies. I sing the verses he does all the screaming parts. The patrons will chant for him to do it on a nightly basis. Last night we do it. Then a newbie puts in for it. I do my little explanation about doing it later. He even went and asked the regular who always does it if he minds. He says no problem. That was a nice jesture.

Well before the newbie comes up to sing it I call up one of my other 3 night a week regulars at the bar. She says I want to do Bodies. Aaaarg! I explain the circumstances. She says NO I'm doing it. I'm totally caught off guard with this. I tell her if she wants to do it she has to ask the person that already put in for it if they mind. I try and take myself out of the problem.

So she goes and asks. Next thing I know there is an argument. So I try and smooth things out. There are thousands of songs to pick from and karaoke is 3 nights a week here. The person who put in for the song first gets to do it end of story. You can do it next time you come in. You'd think the world was ending because I told her NO. The newbie then was nice enough to let her sing it rather than to see her have a heart attack. She sings it and no one even breaths a sound. I apologized to the newbie and let him know things like this usually don't happen and when he comes in next time he can sing it. He must have been okay with it because he gave me a big tip at the end of the night saying he would be back.

I've never had such a big fuss over a song before. Do you have patrons ever fighting over a song? I've had regulars insist a song is personally theres. Of course I put a stop to that, but this is the first time I've actually had people fighting over who will do a song.

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That's why if they request a song I play it. If it's done 2,3, 4 times a night, I don't really care. Now I will do the same as you and try to spread them out but in the end it's what the singer wants. Any other crap going on the audience will display their displeasure and the singers will get the hint.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

I am the same way. I always preface it with "Well it's already been sung, so everybody's already heard it", and that usually persuades them to sing something else. If they insist...I let them. It reflects on them, not me.

The issue is not whether it's been done already, but who put in for it FIRST. I would have stood my ground with the regular and told her that someone else has it in already. "Sorry they beat you to it, but next week be sure and get it to me right away and you'll be guaranteed to sing it." End of story.
People can be childish at times, and it you tell them no firmly, and mean it, they eventually get it, just like a child does.
Hopefully she won't pull this crap on you every week now. Would hate to see you have to deal with something like that all the time.

I don't give the person the option of asking the other person if it is alright. I have seen these regulars hound the newbie until they give in. The newbie shouldn't be put in the situation to be confronted by someone. I am in charge of my show, period. I don't want to hear the same song sung numerous times, and I am not going to pass on a potentially uncomfortable situation to a new singer who I would like to return. I'm in charge, if they want to be mad, they can be mad at me.

Saturday I got a song slip for Always and Forever. Minutes later one of my regulars gives me a slip with the same song, saying he heard the people over there talking about how they wanted to hear it. I told him they do, but they gave me the slip to sing the song, so he would have to pick another. I call the first person up, and they won't come up. Someone at his table put it in for him as a bet, even though he didn't want to sing it. Needless to say there was way to much time with nothing playing. Something I hate. I made an announcement to not put up songs for people unless they ask you to, and that it always ends up bad when people do this. I will add it to my Rules and Announcement page. Since I already had the song queued, I called my regular, and he butchered it just like he always does.

You are in charge, don't put your singers in uncomfortable situations by sending someone over to try an convince them that they should sing it instead or also.

Felix the KJ

Thankfully this doesn't happen much at my shows, but frankly, if someone wants to sing a song that has already been sung, and I explain that "so-and-so" already did it (usually a very good singer), they may decide to sing something else (usually the case). At times they will insist (usually the super egotistical jerks who think they are gawd's gift to singing), and the audience through their response (or lack of response) lets them know their opinion. Funny how people glom onto a song and make it their own. Never had anyone claim Bodies.....lordy, not sure I'd like to hear that more than once in a night!

PS: For some reason Gunpowder and Lead is a song that all the females like to sing and there are a few who just don't pull it off...

Couldn't agree more.

I just won't argue with a customer. Sorry! That's all they'll get. Maybe the explaination.

I just won't do the same song two times in one night. One time for a JOKE a friend of mine sang "Honey I'm Home" and yep, it sounded just like he wanted it to sound, like a male chauvanist pig. People were ROLLING with laughter. Then a gal meekly came up and asked if she could do the song the way that Shania wanted it to be sang, and I reluctantly agreed.

The whole "That's MY song" bullsh*t cracks me up. Did YOU buy it, or anything in my system? Nope! If anything, they're ALL MY SONGS!

Santeria, Bytch, I touch Myself, Walk, I Kissed A Girl, Killing Me Softly, and gosh last Saturday Spiderwebs... these are a few of my "favorite" songs that come up in multiples.

I tell 'em the first singer to submit it goes first, anyone else must wait one round (which is usually over an hour so it's not too bad for the room).

I just can't cut these very popular songs off after one performance without causing more problems than I solve. I've tried both ways.

The room seems to go with the flow anyway. It's a very compliant room. Actually it's a tough room because it ignores a lot of singers who do boring material. Or do stupid things like this - sing songs that have already been done. So if someone wants to sing it again and have the whole place empty outside that's their choice. They just handed a good portion of the room a smoke break.

I don't see someone working their way to the stage on the second time I call them - within 10 seconds, they get a going once, twice outta here and on to the next. Generally don't have time for messing around, too many singers - get em up!

I as a singer dislike hearing a song sung twice or more in a night, so I don't allow it as a host. First come first serve - one time heard per night. Attitudes like "well let me sing it I can do much better", they can prove that another night - but usually don't even come close.

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WHen I get that I always reply, wow, how much do recieve in royalties every time it's played?

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

I am also a one time per night person. My running mate has taken to telling people that the computer won't let us! I won't do that -- I just say that's the rule.

As a singer, I for the most part try not to do "someone else's song", but if they have lots that they sing I will go ahead and do it. Perhaps I should start doing more of "their song" choices so they might learn some new ones!

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I with you here, as was mentioned before, I'll let the second person in know that it was already sung. Most of the time they decide to do something else. On the off chance they do want to do the song, I do my best to space it out. The one thing I won't allow is the same song sung twice in a row. I've seen singers try to start a competition over something like that and I just won't allow that. It can only result in hurt feelings on someone's part.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

I do the same --which is explain that it was just done and they can sing it if they want ..a little later.

Only exception is if someone prefaces the requests with " I CAN DO IT BETTER"
That crap never sat good with me

We have a classic rock station up here that advertises "No repeats". That is the way my friend has always done his show. If it's been heard once, you don't get to do it.

My shows are longer than most I think. I do a six hour show most Fridays and Saturdays. If a song is done for the second time 4 or 5 hours later it's no big deal, but 3 times a night is to much for me.

This is the first time I've had a situation arise in the way it did. I will handle it better next time. Usually when I tell people it has been done already they don't want to do the song, even when I give them the option of doing it later. A seldom few will choose to do it later in the night, but nothing like this has ever come up.

I thought when I made it an issue that someone else had already been promised to sing it later and they'd have to ask them if they could do it instead, they'd drop it. I never dreamt she'd actually go ask the guy. My bad.

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Yeah, Babs, I agree with Felix here. The mistake here was yours... but its a learning one. Don't leave it up to the drunks to work it out, and honestly your first clue should have been when she insisted on doing even after you explained the situation... this person isn't reasonable, she wants her way and if someone doesn't give in there's going to be an issue.

I treat them like I do my kids. "No, unfortunatly this song has been done once already tonight, and I have a submission already for it so thats in for the night".. now... smile and nod your head yes and look them directly in the eye... That should be it.

Finally, if the person still insists and becomes a nusiance, explain that if they want to sing ANY song tonight they need to make a submission other than bodies... thank you very much.

Not only will your singers appreciate this, but so will the bar folks in general.

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For sure a lesson learned. I ended up having to do what I should of done in the first place and told her obsolutely not someone else has already put in for it. She played my bluff.

I thought I knew her well enough that she wouldn't go postal about it. She's been a regular for about 3 yrs.

The funny part is the song it was over, "Bodies". Very odd.

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100% agreement. Sometimes you get the folks that want to be begged for some reason...I dont beg. Ask twice and move on. Funny how the next time you call their name, they are ready to go. Same goes for those in the bathroom, out smoking, etc. I'm not going to make everyone wait while Joe finishes his smoke!

Babs it is so weird that you mention this song. Last night at my gig we had a regular who wanted to sing bodies. It was relatively early... around 8:30pm and I wasn't sure how good the song would go over. The show is at a bar and grill and the dinner crowd was still there at this time. We usually stay pretty mellow til' around 10ish and I didnt want to offend anyone.
To make a long story short.... He sang it and the place went absolutely CRAZY!!! Folks were getting up from their tables and coming over to cheer him on and jump around on the dance floor. Quite an amazing response to a wild song! Totally energized the place for the rest of the night!!!