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What do ya'll think about this? A customer,who was holding a birthday party for his wife, wanted to sing at a show. The kj told him that the other birthday party was there before his party but, if he had $ then he would put him in a higher spot. WHAT ?? BREAK ROTATION FOR A BRIBE ????

KJ sounds like a jerk.

For some people, money talks. It's not fair, but it happens.

If I'm reading your post correctly this is not a BRIBE ..but extortion

It's one thing if the singer OFFERS YOU MONEY to be bumped ---It's another if the KJ requests money to give special treatment !!!!

One is Bad the other is also bad depending on how much the BRIBE is - for $50 bucks all I can say is NEXT !!!!!!

I can't believe the kj even made that offer. This is why karaoke hosts gets such a bad rap is because of idiots like that.
I've turned down $100 bills waived in my face from a-holes that think they can buy me, they can't.

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very simple. Go to the management of the place and tell them that your experience at their venue is extremely unsatisfactory. You're already paying higher money than if you'd have done the birthday party somewhere else, and now you have a KJ EXTORTING money to enjoy the same karaoke others are enjoying??

If the mangaer says "so what" or something along those lines, have the WHOLE group stand up as one and leave.

Go somewhere that DOESN'T have criminals running the rotation!

I turned down a $100 bill in my hand the other night. Marty a memeber of KS and 8 ball, his KJ buddy came in on last Wed. night. 8 ball pulls out a hundred dollar bill and puts it in my hand to have me put Marty in next. I handed it back. Ouch ! That hurt. The funny part is Marty was up next anyway. I couldn't take that kind of money from him. I would have felt bad.

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Isn't that always the case...they try to bribe you, then turns out they are up next anyway. You did good Bab's

I'm off to the Oregon Coast for 3 days of R&R....You have a good weekend!

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

Thanks Flipper - I was sure you'd all think I was crazy.

Have a good trip.

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I did do that once. This guy was asking EVERY song to get his girlfriend up next. There was like 10-12 singers total this night. She had JUST sung 2 songs ago. I explained that she would have to wait just like everyone else. He comes back a couple more songs offering $20, I said no thanks. He persisted to do this EVERY song afterward. Finally when she was actually coming UP next, & I had TOLD him she WAS UP next, he came & did it AGAIN!
I took it just for the hassle of having to listen to his whiny (@$%&#!). They left after she was done.

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Alcohol affects some people strangely.
I was near the end of a busy night, down to six or seven singers (all friends of mine), when a very drunk and arrogant fellow came in and demanded to sing next. I told him the rotation was closed, and he started causing a scene.
He pulled out $100 and wanted to sing. I took the money and while he was singing, bought shots for myself and the remaining singers, who all got their final turns in.

I'm very much anti tips/bribes. There's only one time I've ever taken one and that was from a guy in a national guard detachment who comes up once a month (The guard training facility is about a mile from my Legion) and he handed me a 5 as I was tearing down because he felt I'd gone over the top to make sure the night ended on a high note. (I do put myself in the rotation and as long as it doesn't get crazy I stay in rotation. This particular night we were dealing with ALOT of slow songs, so when I knew it would be final rotation, I dropped out of my regular spot at the head of the rotation and moved myself to the end instead so that I could go out with "Play That Funky Music" to which the whole guard detachment danced.)

The only thing was I tried to give it back with my standard "I don't take tips line and the guy tossed it in my briefcase, shut it and activated the locks on it and scooted out the door.

those are the only kind of tips I honestly accept hdiver... at the end of the night, or for services already rendered... NOT for favortism!

With all due respect to the way everyone's chosen to do their own show, I'm not an official who's taken an oath to uphold the letter of the law. I'm an entertainer with a tip jar who openly accepts gratuities!

Most tippers do so with no expectations and tip me regularly. They appreciate my hard work and how I make them feel and sound on stage.

At my venue, by 10 pm I usually have a rotation of 20 or more. If I move someone to #15 from #20 because they gave me an Alex Hamilton, it's not like I'm violating some sacred trust. Just like the bartender who'll pass over all the yokels crowding the bar for a beer to get the drink order of the person who tipped him last round.

As for putting someone in the next few singers? If they haven't sung yet and most of the people in the rotation already have? Sure, I can be swayed with a nice honorarium.

Don't get me wrong. No amount of money will compensate for a $#!++y attitude or "sense of entitlement". Even someone who hands me a wad of bills should not automatically assume they're going to sing any sooner than they would have anyway. Last week a gal stuffed $3 into my tip jar and thought that should make her the Queen of Sheba and sail to the top of the rotation. For people like that, I'm happy to hand them back their cash.

But if I can help get someone up a little sooner while maintaining the entertainment value of the show and not p!$$ing anyone off? Bring it on!

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you'd p**s ME off with that antic. You bump up someone and by your own words if you can get away with it not p**sin' anybody off, you will.

You care about the show, but NOT the singers. Taking money for rotation management... have someone do that to you the next time you're in a line. You've been waiting, patiently, and suddenly someone cuts into line. What's your FIRST reaction?

You're NOT being fair to the others that are supporting your show.

Your show is the kind I seek out in advance, and AVOID. I'm glad you think that there's nothing wrong with this. I think, however, that you'll find you're in the serious minority.

Lose the TUDE, DUDE! I see anger management classes in your future.

I fully agree with knights on this one. This is the type of show I'll walk out of after making a stop at the mgr's office to let him or her know EXACTLY why I'm leaving.

DITTO

I was offered $5 to bump someone up last night. Like $5 is worth ruining my reputation.

I do like the idea of taking the $100 bill and buying everyone a round with it. Very clever. That way everyones happy.

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I give the line "You can tip me if you like, and I'll appreciate it, but it won't budge you in the rotation". Other things do but money doesn't for me.

OTOH everyone runs their shows as they will. I was at a place in DC that was absolutely packed with college kids. The KJ told me "If you give me a song you're in this list" and pointed to about 50 slips. "If you tip me you'll be somewhere here" and pointed to a about 10 slips. I gave him a $10 and asked him how far up the list I get and he said "You're next". I was only in town one night to visit a friend and she and I did Love Shack for old times sake (place was cazy and it was the RIGHT one to sing).

While I don't accept that for rotations he's well within his right to do whatever he pleases. Tip a bartender regularly and you'll get served faster. Why is that acceptable compared to our gigs? I bump people around to be fair to them and be sensitive of time. Have a nurse who is regular regular and when she has an early shift the next morning I make sure she gets an extra song in before the last rotation comes around. She has tipped me $1 over the years but tips me with some great singing, helps keep the crowd upbeat and occasionally fetchs me a diet coke from the bar.

We all move people around in the rotation for whatever reason. Why is making a buck while doing it so horrible?

With all due respect.... You sir, are operating under a BRIBE policy, not TIPs.


"Most tippers do so with no expectations and tip me regularly. They appreciate my hard work and how I make them feel and sound on stage." And what about the OTHER tippers??? From what you posted after this, it sounds to me like maybe they are tipping you to insure that give them preferencial treatment over those that didn't give you anything, and you are more than willing to oblige... "If I move someone to #15 from #20 because they gave me an Alex Hamilton, it's not like I'm violating some sacred trust."

So, if that "Queen of Sheba" had given you $10, $20, or even $50 instead of $3, would that have been enough to "sail her to the top of the rotation"???

It's not violating some trust??????? Yes it is!!!... the trust that I will sing in the order that I'm supposed to. I wouldn't come back to your show EVER AGAIN if I was patiently waiting for my turn to sing, and I saw you do that. Not only that, I would tell all my friends that you take bribes and don't run a fair rotation.

"As for putting someone in the next few singers? If they haven't sung yet and most of the people in the rotation already have? Sure, I can be swayed with a nice honorarium." ... Again.... You are looking for a BRIBE.