Karaoke Forums

I agree with Brian - and yes I do spend money in a club. Getting a free beer is not a happy return for getting bumped. I would too look for a new place to spend my money.

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

I haven't understood the dislike for slow songs. A well done slow song will put people on the dance floor as fast or faster than a well done dance song on a given night. Are we talking slow songs, or badly done songs? I had two different people do Crazy last night; one early and one late. Both did it well and both put people on the dance floor.

I agree, Mr. Boo. I have nothing against slow songs. Matter of fact I welcome them, slow down the momentum a bit to give others a chance to slow dance as well.

Modifying or altering the flow of rotation & bumping others to please a certain group is what I don’t agree with.

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

"Brian when I say "most singers" it's the non drinker's that milk their time with a coke and water all night."

Because nobody buys a beer and nurses it all night. Listen, cheap people are cheap people whether they nurse a soft drink or an alcoholic one. I've seen many a non-drinker put away a lot of soft drinks which they have paid for.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Thanks for your thoughts on this matter.

At one time, I hosted this show out in Po-Dunk, Michigan. My very first night, I was actually prepared for a big country show. Turned out, they were way more into dance music and rap. There were country singers there - what I did was cluster the country & other songs together at the beginning of the rotation and at the end, it was pretty much all rap. I used to get one rapper going and physically go out and get the next rapper. We went from one rapper to the next with a seamless transition. On average, we would have 5 rappers and it got to the point where that was the most popular part of the night. The rappers didn't care that they were bumped to the end.... with the way it was directed, they were willing to wait to be part of it. That was my most popular show ever - there wasn't even standing room in the bar. I wish my current shows has more rappers so I could do it again. As it is now, I have one true rapper and I see him once a month, if that.

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

I allow it, it makes my job easier. If someone turns in a song that someone else already had lined up but it's down the list, I look both singers up and depending on the situation usually the latter singers gets it. Never had it turn into an issue.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Issues are why things get changed. It happened quite often.
Made my job harder. Not going to try to remember what everyone has in their stack of slips nor go through the stacks everytime someone turns in a slip to see if it's a dup. 1 at a time, if they want to give more, their top slip is the only one reserved for them nothing under the first.

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

Lonnie I run the only straight rotation in our city of 70k. Every other KJ has their pet singers and move them up for just showing up. I would call those bumps... I have two singers that have deep pockets and sing very well, Viciente Fernando and Ramon Ayala . My customers love to hear them sing and enjoy the Cerveza... I didn't impose this, it more or less tranformed into what makes everyone happy... Most of the time it's used to stop that late night singer that says they have to leave soon and can I move me up. Sure I can for $5 a singer, read the bylaws in the front of the songbook, they never bother me agian.

Jon

I would love to go to a karaoke gig and get 12 beers an hour and never sing...

Some younger crowds play by different rules. At one venue I had the traditional show and practically had to show people two sets of paperwork to prove I didn't skip or bump anyone. That is the kind of show I am used to running and the type of show I would prefer to attend.

At a different venue with a younger crowd, they just didn't care about rotation order. They didn't put up a song for each round so the order was just whoever had a slip in at the time. They didn't care if half the crowd came up to "help" them with their song. They didn't care if I put up a popular song and then just opened it up to whoever wanted to come up and sing it--had noticed them singing along to the bumper music so put up "Pontoon" and had all of the ladies up there either singing or sexy dancing to it. Had to do the same thing with "Santeria" for the young men. They also wanted some dance songs played in between even though they would also dance to the karaoke.

I really had to throw everything I believed in out the window and go with the flow and be flexible and give them what they wanted. If I had done that type of show in a venue full of traditional karaoke singers I would have been shot but if I hadn't done it at this venue they would have gone somewhere else where they could play what they wanted on the juke box. They have really been trained to "DJ" so they expected a "DJ" type of karaoke show, I guess.

Each his own. I've yet to start a song up for someone and say "whoops, someone already sang that." I catch it early. Some of my singers just have me put their history up and they pick when they get up there. They all know to pick quickly so we can keep things rolling.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

That is not why I go to karaoke. It's a release for me, plus it's fun, if i'm not going to be singing there is no point in going. Again, if I saw this happening at a show, that would be the last time my money supports that show is all I was getting at.

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

There goes one kj’s credibility out the window. One guy sang 5 songs in one rotation because he paid $25. Does he hand you the money? That’s another issue for me. When money changed hands patron’s perception is you’re on the take or you can be bribed.

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

I'm old fashioned. My rotation is clearly posted on a white board as soon as the singers come through the door. Anyone who's ever been to my shows knows the rotation is practically sacred, and the new people learn in a big hurry.

They know I don't accept bribes and don't play favorites... They also know that I really don't care that their "mother is dying"; "dog is drowning"; "ex is chasing"; "cops are after them"; "gotta get back to work"; "It their birthday (again)";... or whatever the latest excuse to get bumped up ... it doesn't work with me.

If I were to try manipulating the rotation in either of my regular shows, I'd probably get run out of town.

If messing with the rotation works for you... go for it, but personally, I would never consider it.

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Earl
(BS, PHD & Certified CurmuDJeon)

[font=Times New Roman]"Growing Old may be mandatory... but growing UP is still optional."[/font]

We all have our own way of doing things as hosts and I think we have a tendency to be critical of any other show we go to.

Like Lonnie, when I go to Karaoke I go so I can sing. I like hearing other singers to and I enjoy a fun, energetic karaoke show, but I want my time just like everyone else does.

My rotation is pretty sacred. I say that because I do make exceptions now and then.

I have settled into a first come first served for the first 13 singers or the first hour, whichever comes first. Then I work new singers in with repeat singers. This is to ensure that folks that make the effort to show up early get to sing often and that new people don't get left out in the cold. One hour before show end I stop taking requests provided there are enough singers/songs in the queue to run us out.

If new people come in during the last hour it becomes somewhat conditional. If it is a long queue, I explain the start time/end time and show them the list and let them know they will just have to get to the show earlier next time.

If it is a slower night and singers have already been up several times, I will occasionally ask someone that has been up a bunch of times I they would mind giving up their slot for a new singer.

It is a fine balancing act accommodating the people that want to sing often and those that come in late but could become a repeat customer if you can get them in.

What I don't do is bump people up the list. Once they are on the list their position is set. However, when people offer money, this is my response.....

For $100 I will make the 3rd singer in the list. For another $100 I will make you the next singer up. For another $100 I will even let you pick the song (otherwise I pick it!). So for $300 they can be the next singer and sing the song of their choice.

No one has ever bit on it....

One thing I am considering doing as an experiment is adding an additional monitor that mirrors the Karma KJ screen. That way folks can see the entire list and the song selections. The goal would be to offer transparency as well as help people pick songs based on the vibe and the upcoming tracks.

-Chris

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-Chris

My take on stacks of multiple song requests: Our job running a show is already hectic as it is, why make it even harder. Here are foreseen problems or what I've experienced whenever I have multiple songs from one singer: “Hey, you let him sing that song I’m supposed to sing later. Check my stack”. Or what I mentioned earlier: “I don’t want to sing that now, look at my stack & find the (name of song). Or "You can't sing this song because so & so will sing it later. It's in his stack". "Oh well, he's not singing it yet, is he?" See where I'm going with this?

Eliminate the problem before they occur & make my job a whole lot simpler. Easy does it; in the small corner of my request slips printed “One song request at a time, please! Bring one when you sing one”. But then again, if it works for you -- to each his own.

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

...Song requests slips have always been a big deal throughout my hosting years and I've been around 'em all or it feels that way but over the last three years it's been one at a time...."Bring One - Sing One" ....Of course group, duos, duets are a different beast as far as rotation goes.

I like the stacks. People will either put them in the order they want or tell me to decide. If they want to change the order I just give them the stack and let them rearrange it themselves and give it back to me. If a duplicate comes up I just put it to the back of the stack and tell the person someone else beat them to it but I put it for later in the evening. A few get riled that someones did "their" song but most just say they would rather pick something else rather than repeat.

The way I look at it it is actually less work as I am actually spending less time taking slips when I get them all at once.

Let me put it gently:

No Eff'in way.

If you want to mix by BPM for mood do that during your dance set if you have one. I ususally have a nice 128 BPM set... I'm the ish, shots, hotel room service, Gangnum style, sexing and i know it, moves like jagger, etc. 95 BPM: wobble, Ayy Ladies... step in the name of love, beyonce: single ladies, love on top, get me bodied, etc. Maze - before i let go, bustin loose, parliment - Flashlight, play that funky music, brick house, is around 106 - 111 herbie hancock - rockit... Then Billie Jean at 117 bump apache in from 113 to 117 and hit it for two rounds of hip swinging, and then go to 120.. and on and on... it's called 'climbing' and hitting the right songs for your crowd, starting at a low BPM, and working to 128ish... That's a dance set... but you can't get the same effect by BPMing singers... because you can't mix the songs in at the 'emotional hits'.

I put my singers in by the order they come in initially, then as the night goes on I put in singers that haven't sung yet... usually just 'sprinkling' them in.

Now, yes, if you got some ballads what can do is HOST your show... ask your regulars to sing something up beat to break it up a bit... (suggest songs to them!)sing an up beat song you know will hit (if you can, and the rotation isn't too long.)

Make sure your filler music (you do have filler music right??) is up beat, nice dance rock or hip hop beat depending on your bar crowd... i.e. run your show!

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!