Karaoke Forums

The place I sang at in Vegas did that... I think it was a 2 drink minimum as well.

But heck, it was Vegas, we were walking the strip, I'm sure we had 5 or 6 there!

That's a good idea actually. I also heard (maybe it was here on the boards?) of someone charging a door fee, but giving you paper money in it's place that you could use to buy drinks/food. That would work too. Then those that don't buy drinks/food atleast pay something towards the entertainment.

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Real classy.

I thought it was sorta funny. Why not? I mean, most KJ's become friends with their patrons, who are usually supposed to be "drinking" so that said KJ can keep the gig, so why should a KJ not have their night of drinking fun too?

C. Staley, you seem like an angry/stuffy little person; I have not seen a nice post by you yet. Maybe you should... go sing some Woodie Guthrie songs or something?

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

I don't panhandle drinks from patrons by labeling it as a "game" and that's exactly what's been described. Working as a host is a JOB and should be treated as such. Do you drink when you work, because I don't. Nor do I accept drinks as "gifts" from patrons.



And you somehow expect that calling me an "angry/stuffy little person" is in some way perfectly acceptable? I may not agree with your views -- and I'll certainly let you know that -- but I don't see where I've ever called YOU names or described YOUR character. Nor have I ever suggested what I believe YOU should "go sing" or anything else.

The world may not agree with you.... accept that as a fact.

I am not disagreeing with your facts Mr Staley . i too do not drink when i am working but one thing also about being a KJ is making people comfortable offering a warm friendly personality , dealing with situations with a smile and tact.

the comment you made saying classy ,came across as patronising and nasty to me and i am guessing others too , again i do not disagree with your point about drinking while working, in fact it would invalidate my public liability insurance and should someone fall , or have an accident with my PA equipment then i would be in a heap of trouble if i was intoxicated..but that is not the point raised, i feel wildflower was trying to use humour to lighten her comment.. but i feel although she is also right and that i too think that you often do not say nice things , maybe a little bit of tact would have been better in hindsight.

We are getting close to Christmas and that is always a stressful time and people often get angry, grumpy, argumentative and sad more so at this time of year than any other, so i offer a great big forum hug and share my hope and love for the new year to everyone.

peace rob

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"Your Never Fully dressed without a smile."

To Visit my website Rob Star Entertainments Click the link in my profile

"Strangers are just friend we haven't met yet"

"a warm friendly personality" shouldn't include panhandling for drinks by calling it a "game." And people wonder why karaoke gets a bad rap and think it's only a sport -- when you're drunk.

I have a NEW game, it's called; "Make Me A Millionaire" and all you have to do is give me money.... and I'll make you feel "comfortable" while you're doing it. There's really no difference is there?


I understand that you cannot drink during your work because of your liability insurance but the question is; "would you have the same type of "game" if you could?" You don't see anything wrong with that kind of behaviour? Drinking "games" and challenges are childish in my opinion.


No she wasn't. I understood her intent and message quite clear.


Argumentative?

Me?

OH STOP!

That never happens.... right?

And a happy Boxing Day to you.....

quod erat demonstrandum

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"Your Never Fully dressed without a smile."

To Visit my website Rob Star Entertainments Click the link in my profile

"Strangers are just friend we haven't met yet"

You just proved my point.. why all the anger and defense?

RobStar called it right. Sugggesting you go sing "This Land Is Your Land" was my funny way of telling you to lighten up... good lord man, life is too short to be so angry at the world. And "angry/stuffy little person" wasn't such a jab after all, I could have said @$$hole or jerk, but I didn't call you a bad name at all. And don't waste time describing my character, there's not enough room on the boards. Sorry if it offended... just calling it as I, personally, saw it. And, after all, The world may not agree with you.... accept that as a fact.
Another thing, the OP stated- clearly- that on those nights they have a "sub KJ" at the venue. That is meaning, in fact, that they are not really "on the job." They just happen to be at their regular venue.


(thanks Rob, at least for reading between the lines)

<----- My contribution to the group hug. (;

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Water Drinkers definitely apply to those who do not buy anything. I have a handful of people who come out, nibble on appetizers, drink water and/or soft drinks, and I have no problem with them. I also have soda drinkers who come in to sing & play keno. It's the one's who come in and buy nothing that I have a problem with. And, it's not that I want to "bar" them, it's unfair to the paying customers to have their requests pushed back to accommodate those who are not contributing to the cost of the entertainment.

From the bar's perspective, they cost them money when they order "free" water (ice, cost of the bartender to fill the order, and the cost of cleaning the glass), flush the toilet, use the hand soap, etc. Furthermore, they do not contribute to the overhead, like the cost of heating/cooling/lighting the building, fixed labor costs, insurance, etc etc etc.

I don't even care if only every once in a while do water drinkers order something. The guy I am referring to has NEVER bought anything from ANY of my bars, yet is one of the biggest pains when it comes to karaoke. "When am I up next?", "Stop this song, I want to do my other one first", and "Why won't you play burned disks?. I'm gonna have to talk to the manager about this...."

Bottom line is that it is unfair to have these people clogging up my karaoke lines when 20 other paying customers are chomping at the bit to sing. I've even had singers point them out, saying "I spend a lot of money in here all the time. Why is it (he) gets to sing his last song, but I can't sing mine? He doesn't ever drink".

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

Nice to come here after a hard days work & ! This turned into a funny thread & I'm really enjoying myself, so please carry on folks & don't let me get in the way... but no group hugs from me, I'm remaining solo on this 1!LOL!

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MUSIC+DANCE=LIFE

If that were truly the case, I would toss his requests. Let him complain. If you get talked to, tell them that you'll let him sing if he gets a note from the bartender every time, or he buys something.

I am a water drinker, no question about it. (Though mostly I actually drink cranberry juice.) But I am a paying water drinker who tips. No one ever has a problem accomodating me. But if I didn't buy stuff, how could I be upset if someone didn't let me sing? I guess if you have an entitlement mentality, you might. But those kinds of people need to learn something occasionally.

The only places I have a problem with are typically where the bartender is the owner. You order a soft drink, and they serve you like you are dirt. They know you aren't likely to drop your paycheck in their bar, and they don't like people who don't have that potential. They don't serve you well or cheerfully, and make it a pain for me. So I don't buy anything, and usually I don't come back.

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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.

Wilflower Thank You.....Thank goodness for the ignore function on this board or I coudnt visit at all joining in the group hug and avoiding grinches....Happy Holidays and Bright Blessings to all

KjAthena

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
Unknown
"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

Wow thank you so much for pointing this out kjathena, i have used this now too, I wont be seeing as many quoted boxes or negativity as before

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"Your Never Fully dressed without a smile."

To Visit my website Rob Star Entertainments Click the link in my profile

"Strangers are just friend we haven't met yet"

I had one like this last year. We called him "Water guy". Drove me nuts to the point I could barely get requests in (before the kiosk days) because he was so busy bugging me to change this or check on that.
He even used to grad literally handfuls of my request slips and take them home. I finally confronted him on that and told hime '"no more", because he took so many one night that I was forced to reprint before it was in my budget to do so (GRRR!!!!). He told me he takes them home to fill them out for the next night he comes, yet there he was every night filling out slips right at the venues and stuffing more in his pockets. I told him that it was unreasonable for him to take full stacks of them when the most a person could get in to sing in a night was only 3 or 4. I told him that it cost me money to print them and that because he was taking so many of them, I had to spend money that wasn't in my budget to print more.
It wasn't long after that that he finally quit coming.(thank goodness!)
I don't mind the odd water drinker, but when they consistently buy nothing, EVER, as this guy did, and then actually start to cost us money on top of it, I will draw the line.

As mentioned, someone who orders water or non-alcoholic beverages should not be confused with a non-spender. Though legal, alcohol is a drug, and the vast majority of doctors and experts will tell you, anymore than one drink a day, a few days a week isn't good for one's health.....guess that makes some of you guys serial killers...
Just remember, friends don't let friends get drunk and drive home alone......they get drunk and drive home with them....

Update: Apparently, they brought up this guy's complaints in their employee meeting on Sunday. The bartenders that have worked with me in my few short weeks all came to my defense and told the owner that he has NEVER purchased anything, and furthermore, (Troy) has never seen him purchase anything at his other shows either. The case was closed immediately. She called him back and pretty much told him that I am in charge of the karaoke and if he doesn't like it, he can go elsewhere. He did not show up tonight, apparently the first time in months.

I came home very mad last week, but tonight, I am rather happy!

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

nice to see a good outcome, showing bar owners that you care and don't just turn up , that you have their interests and profits in mind always helps in my experience.

I hope your shows and the bar profits go from strength to strength

happy holidays Rob

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"Your Never Fully dressed without a smile."

To Visit my website Rob Star Entertainments Click the link in my profile

"Strangers are just friend we haven't met yet"

I dance in the rain too, Wildflower...

One way to to improve the quality of life is not taking it too seriously....

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

I go out of my way to keep 'water sippers' out of the clubs I play, because it's been my observation over the last 15 years or so of doing this that the people who spend the least are usually the ones that b!tch the most.

True conversation I had with a singer I ran into at a party.

"I don't ever go out to Mikes Bar anymore. They charge $1.50 for a coke, and then don't offer free refills!!"

That's a guy either too broke or too cheap to actually BUY something in a bar.. and neither I nor the club owner want a place full of freeloaders and bums.

A bar exists to sell a product. The bar hires entertainment to draw CUSTOMERS into said establishment. If you're not buying drinks, food, or putting quarters in the pool table, you are LOITERING.

And yeah.. the cheap water sippers are always the ones who cry about everything. And usually sing like Bobcat Golthwait with a head cold.

I used to know a KJ that kept a bunch of inflatable caveman clubs next to the stage, and patrons were encouraged to grab one and club awful singers in the middle of their song.

I'd like to literally club most of the whiney water drinkers i've encountered over the years.

Exactly... (;

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥