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Extra Help
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Author:  DJMojo [ Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Extra Help
I'm fairly new at this karaoke game and was wondering if anyboby has an asistant. I got slamed the other night with more request than I could ever handle. Luckly a friend was in the house and was able to help me deal with the crowd. Between keeping drunks from slinging beer in my monitors,staying on top of the mix,and one chick bitching about everything from echo/reverb/delay/key/song selection and anything else she could think of, my night was hell.

Mojo
Author:  mckyj57 [ Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
DJMojo @ Sun Jan 13, 2008 1:28 am wrote:
I'm fairly new at this karaoke game and was wondering if anyboby has an asistant. I got slamed the other night with more request than I could ever handle. Luckly a friend was in the house and was able to help me deal with the crowd. Between keeping drunks from slinging beer in my monitors,staying on top of the mix,and one chick bitching about everything from echo/reverb/delay/key/song selection and anything else she could think of, my night was hell.

I have seen assistants. But mostly not.

I am guessing there will be nights like that, but not many. I know the first few gigs I did there didn't seem to be enough hands, but now I seem to stay on top of it without trying too hard.

It is kind of like when I started singing -- sometimes it seemed like the words came so fast I couldn't ever hope to keep up. Now it is cake.

When you develop a crowd of regulars it helps, I think, because you and they will know their songs, and the crowd will tend to be more friendly. The nasty ones are much less likely to be so if they see you have a good rapport with your crowd.
Author:  sidewinder [ Sun Jan 13, 2008 2:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
Here is my top secret formula for maintaining order around your table.


This takes a lot of practice and concentration to master.

Hold up one hand and extend the pointer finger straight up in the air.   In a calm but firm announcers voice say "Hold on a minute, please."

At this point continue to do what you are doing, until you have time to properly service their request.

If that has no effect, doesn't work or they do not get the message.



Phase two is implemented.

Hold up the same hand while lowering the pointer finger.

Then in one smooth gesture, raise the middle finger high, until the message gets through loud and clear.

Repeat as often as neccessary throughout the night to maintain crowd control.  :wave:  :whistle:
Author:  Lonman [ Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
DJMojo @ Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:28 pm wrote:
I'm fairly new at this karaoke game and was wondering if anyboby has an asistant. I got slamed the other night with more request than I could ever handle. Luckly a friend was in the house and was able to help me deal with the crowd. Between keeping drunks from slinging beer in my monitors,staying on top of the mix,and one chick bitching about everything from echo/reverb/delay/key/song selection and anything else she could think of, my night was hell.

Mojo


I like having an assistant personally, but more for the they would host the show & I would strictly be the sound engineer, take & organize slips.  They would be announcing the singers, calling bar specials, out in the audience.  Sure I would still get people to come up & BS with me as well.  
I just can't afford an assistant most of the time & do it all myself.  Had a slammed Friday night, palce was literally SRO with 45 singers in rotation.  Most got 1-3 songs max depending on the time they arrived.
Author:  knightshow [ Sun Jan 13, 2008 2:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
I've never needed an assistant, but do admit with some out of control shows that having a partner help you is very much welcome assistance. However, as was stated earlier, keep CONTROL over your show. Tell them to act like adults, and you'll help them one at a time, calmly and in control. If they insist in butting in front of people and trying to dominate you, tell them firmly that it's YOUR show, YOU will handle the rotation as you see fit, fairly and evently for everyone and to wait their DAMNED turn!

ONCE you take control, you may hear some naysayers talk about it's too rigid in here for their likings... FINE! Leave! Who needs that kind of chaos, anyway???
Author:  DJ Tuck [ Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
I am lucky enough to have my g/f to be the MC while I'm the sound tech.  We both take slips, we both load the cue list in the computer, but she does the talking, and the song list building (for those really slow nights when NO BODY is singing.)
Author:  DJ Tuck [ Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
Oh yeah, and IF you play music between people or rotations, learn how to use the music to control the crowd.  It's possible... trust me!  Some genre's will get the crowd pumped up and therefore more likely to harrass you... while other music will calm the crowd down.  And hell if you're getting slammed and need a min. to collect yourself and get everything organized, play a song or two, get everything together and then start the karaoke up again.  Some would say not to play that much music during a Karaoke show, but hell if you're loosing control of your show, then you gotta do what you gotta do.
Author:  sidewinder [ Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
What are you doing or more importantly not doing, to lose control of your show?
Author:  supercharged [ Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
Ive only done like 3 shows without a helper of some type. normaly i split up dutys with one friend. he is ok with the mixing (not great) and most times just a tad better on the mic than me. he sings well when we need to fill time (Im ok). so the two of us complement each other well. he fills in shows when I can't or when we book two shows one night a month. Being that my customers expect a level of quality above what most shows offer i find it important that I have him as a fill in if im sick. Most times I would be fine doing a show alone, but its nice to have that security.
Author:  jreynolds [ Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
used to use a helper (gfriend) for the bigger venues. She helped roll in the equipment, pass out books and collect slips. Also to answer questions and to sing the lead-off song while i tweaked the mix. She was a pretty blonde and the guys tipped  her (us) nicely after most shows.

an assistant is very helpful when you are slammed and need to focus on getting 50 singers running smoothly and can't be bothered with sometimes petty-questions that can slow you down. and it's nice to talk to someone on the ride home. :)

For the small venues there's really no need, unless you want a companion for moral support or someone to horse around with.
Author:  karyoker [ Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
I hire a host full time now.. Reasons? He is younger and knows the newer music and can professionally turn a crowd on. Most of our singers are college students. I visit with the crowd and take requests and give him pretty much full rein. We have sang together for 10-15 years as singers or at each others shows.

It is possible for one person to run good shows but 2 are even better. At my age I get tired and cant provide the enthusiasm and energy like the old days for 4 or 5 hours.
Author:  sidewinder [ Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
I'm a solo act.  Always was, always will be.  Unless i become disabled.
Author:  DJ Tuck [ Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
also, in my case where there's a smoking ban, it's nice to have someone be able to run the show while I go smoke, and/or vice versa.
Author:  Melly [ Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
[glow=blue]My hubby and i work together. I've also had my son work with me...and now that hubby is going to have knee surgery...my oldest daughter is working with me now. I like it that way..there is always someone there...and with the smoking ban...i too can go outside and have a quick smoke. [/glow] :wave:
Author:  mrdelicious2 [ Tue Jan 15, 2008 5:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
Well although I have had friends help with set up and tear down, most of the time it's 100% me.  Sometime too, when there has been help...it's WAY more trouble than it's worth.  Just like anything there is the other side, when the help has been a definate NEED.  Since I still play cds, when real busy, a partner is nice to say hey, grab this and you can concentrate more on the crowd or being a sound man.  I would love to have a partner but there is no way I could right now $ wise, if it changed where the place I was at was a for sure every weekend & they paid well...then I would be on the hunt.  For now and the near future....I'm goin' solo...MrD
Author:  sandijv [ Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
My husband is the KJ and I assist him. I do not sing, but I help where I can. I try to help read the crowd when we are in a new place and let him know when I see a potential problem. It seems to help things (when I am needed). He really doesn't need me often to help out, but I am there for him when he does.
Author:  Karen K [ Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
Joe and I work together but he does all set up and tear down - he is totally anal-retentive about equipment. He will accept assistance from ONE guy who comes to his Monday night show, but would rather that he be in charge of packing everything and moving it to the van. It goes in the same way every time...

When I am hosting, he will come and let me know when he thinks something needs adjusting (music, vocalist volume, etc.). He will sing the 2nd song so I can scoot out and listen to sound, etc.

When he is hosting, I will aid people with questions about the books, I will sing second song and he runs out and listens...and he will refer people to me if they cannot find a particular song, or with requests to order songs.

On the other hand, if one of us is behind the board the other steers clear! Just a polite thing to do, since we both host, have different gigs, different patrons, and different ways of hosting.

Nice to have the moral support, though. I never seem to have problems with pulling music, etc., even with a massive crowd...and now that I am beginning the switch over to computer, I anticipate that that will be even easier. For those of you who haven't made the jump yet, I was fortunate enough to have find an auction on E-bay where someone getting out of the business and getting rid of a computer karaoke/dj setup and I picked up two computers for $550.  Sure is going to make it easier.  Joe will probably continue to use discs for his show...just the way he is.

K
Author:  mrdelicious2 [ Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
"Joe and I work together but he does all set up and tear down - he is totally anal-retentive about equipment. He will accept assistance from ONE guy who comes to his Monday night show, but would rather that he be in charge of packing everything and moving it to the van. It goes in the same way every time..."

If I didn't know better, I'd check to see if my name was Joe!
Hhahaha, that sounds just like me....and you have to be that way, if you want to keep your equipment in one piece.  Noone else seems to give a darn...MrD
Author:  Melly [ Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
[glow=blue]LOL..Exactly...my hubby is the "roadie" as he puts it. He really doesn't like much help..except ifn ya want to help him bring it in. He has his way of doing it[/glow]
Author:  exweedfarmer [ Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Extra Help
Consider becomming computer based.  It really frees you up to deal with the crowd even if you only use it to keep your rotation.
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