Karaoke Forums

I searched the forum and couldn't find this topic previously discussed, although that's not to say that it hasn't been. I am ripping my brains out, but still using CDGs and it's a real hassle when someone comes up at my show without a slip and barks out an order for a song. Have you experienced this and how do you deal with it? I hate to be nasty to anybody, especially since all of my gigs are less than three months old and I'm still building; so I've been just complying, but it always messes me up to have to stop, look up the song in my reference book and fill out a slip for them or write it on my hand or the tablecloth or something. Making me nuts. The few times I've said, "You'll need to a do a slip, bud; I have 20 people singing and don't have time to look it up for you." The response has been, "Oh, I thought you had a computer like the guy at Whatever's."

_________________
Eat, Sleep, Host Karaoke, DJ
Love It! (Periodic Bath is Good!)

Politely tell them to fill out a slip, tell them those slips are helping you maintain a fair rotation order. If they won't comply, they don't sing. As an aside, the person may not know how to read or write or their eyesight is real bad in the dark bar environment. I know it's hard for me to see in a dark room.

I will fill out the slip with the song they want & their name. Not that big of a deal to me. Most people fill out the slips. I get a handful that don't - sometimes i'll at least have them write up the song they want without a number at minimum if it's really busy.
I did jokingly put up a sign reading "We will gladly look up & fill out your song slip." Then at the bottom states "A $1 service fee per song applies" With a smily face. Sometimes people actually feel it's worth it & throw in a dollar per slip that I write up. Others know it's a joke.

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

when ive had to use my CAVS as a backup and needed singers to use slips I normaly tell them they need to look it up that I do not have my computer and do not have the time to look up songs for them and run the show. if somebody tells me they can not find the song i will help them look, more so if they are older than the young kids.

_________________
the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

I hand them a slip. They ask if they can just tell me - I say "What"? Then say I have been doing this so long I can't hear properly. They ask for a pen and book - I tell them they are on the tables they just left.

All this while, other people are giving me slips. So they move lower in rotation because they chose to ignore the slips.

It tends to only happen once per person, and nobody has had issue.

Remember, there are people who can't write. Asking them to fill out the slip may not be the right soultion.

Also ran into some that can't read neither. They can do karaoke because they memorize the words.

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

Pretty much what I said, Jian. I knew a guy who worked in a tannery and he did not know how to read or write. His wife did all the bills and stuff. But that dude could hunt and fish and make clothing out of leather like you would not believe. Good singer too.

I tell them (with a smile!) I've killed all my short term memory brain cells and that I won't remember unless they fill out a slip. I'll direct them to the table with the books, slips and pens.

As an aside, what about the people who hand you slips but no disc numbers?

Or those who can't find a slip and write their song on a coaster or a napkin?

I don't mind filling in a disc number now and then; throughout the night I remind folks to double check the number when they write it on the slip to insure it's the right one.

Someone writes their song on something other than a slip? They get it handed back to them with a slip. Call me anal, but for me the slips are easier to manage when they're all the same size.

_________________
[font=Lucida Console]DangerousKaraoke.com[/font]
[font=Lucida Console]"Sing for the day, sing for the moment, sing for the time of your life!"[/font]

Never ever come across this, but I have heard the literacy level in the US is dramatically lower - so fair play.

As for napkins, etc - fine, no worries. My biggest problem is that I struggle to hear people.

Well, looks as if we all pretty much think alike. I've done all of the things mentioned; and like I said, I don't want to be a jerk to the patrons. I really do appreciate them, but I really have destroyed my short term memory and really do forget to put them up half the time. I had considered that some of them may not be able to read and in that situation, of course, I don't mind helping them out if I can remember to do so. I guess there's a bit of a resentment on my part, because I feel like they're "bucking the system." Also, I don't know if it's the kind of bars that I'm gigging in or what, but I rarely had this happen years ago. This time around there are as many 6 or 7 people per night or more who just refuse to use the slips. I think I will try a bit of a "tough love" approach. If I lose a few singers, I'll be disappointed, but life goes on.

_________________
Eat, Sleep, Host Karaoke, DJ
Love It! (Periodic Bath is Good!)

People that can fill out a slip need to (but don't have to), and the ones that can't we help or find someone that will.

Yes, this happens to me all the time. I usually nod and spend the time looking it up and filling out a slip for them. When it's real busy, it becomes a huge pain. Some of the biggest problem people are my wife or my sister in law. I tell them, either find the cd and give it to me or fill out a slip...otherwise, I just may forget. They yell at me all the time for fogetting their songs, but they hardly ever fill out slips. You would think they would learn, but they continue down the same path. Someday it'll hit them. I let them hang most because I'm working with the people that do it correctly, they get up to sing more......MrD

_________________
[highlight=midnightblue]MrD - KJ/DJ Specialist
Visit MrD on facebook - mrdsentertainment
& on myspace - larrynance[/highlight]

Ouch dude! But I'll grant you, you're correct.

Not to get off topic, but it IS a major problem when kids can't talk correct, can't add or subtract... when slang takes over as a common way of speaking and it just destroys the English language.

When I run a show, I ask that the singers fill out the slips. I had one guy that says he can't see well, and his readers are at home. He's also asked other singers or patrons to fill out his slips too.

MOSTLY it's laziness on the patrons' part... but you will OCCASSIONALLY have the person with reading or writing difficulty. For those individuals I've made a concession or two in the past. But usually the singers or the folks their with will help assist them as well.

As it was prev. indicated, I'm busy when I run the equipment... if you take away my time to write the slip out, I could be missing something from the singer, something happening on the floor I need to be aware of... I really dislike having to fill it out for someone, as it sets a dangerous precedent and soon EVERYONE will just come up and say their name, and the song they want.

For the type of show I run, that's not what I want to do!

It is, but it isn't like 10% are illiterate or anything. The illiterate hide themselves well everywhere, and I am sure there are more than a few in Britain. But I bet the school system in the UK detects them better -- there are too many cases in the U.S. where systems promote kids to prevent parent and discipline problems. I think the school boards and law enforcement should take legal action against some parents, myself. And stop being wimps and start backing up teachers.

As usual, our lawyers are really at fault. The ever-present threat of lawsuits makes wimps out of lots of systems. A little loser-pays-all reform would do a lot to change that.

I have that trouble myself. I tell people to fill out slips if they find I forget them. You don't have to skip them too many times before they remember to put in their song.

A village near me is called Coalville. No prizes for realising it used to be a coal mining village. When that industry died, a lot of places turned to something else - this place just sat on it's hands. It now has the highest illiteracy, child abuse and incest rates in the UK. Trust me - people here still dribble and bark at the moon. Illiteracy is a huge issue there. I'd never gig there.

But as a rule, the UK HAD a fair literacy level.

I'd continue my rant, but knightshow hit the nail on the head!

I started filling out slips for certain people. It does start something that you don't want to make a habit. I hand them a book and tell them that the slips are in the pouch inside the cover and I need their name and song #. I also tell them that if they don't want me to forget them, fill out a slip.

I now have a sign that says: "Everyone must fill out a song request slip completely or there is no guarantee you will sing."

Lon, I like the $1 slip sign, I think I'll try that. Maybe I can make some extra cash.

First outdoor gig tomorrow night. Partly karaoke and DJ. In the dark and might get gusts of wind. I wont use slips. Search, find and queing singer takes 3-4 seconds. Pulling out of singers history about 2 seconds. I would rather do it this way and not mess with slips.

I dont like it when the setup puts us close to a speaker and when cranked it is hard to hear them. Then I ask for slips. My regs will just take a used slip and on the back write the song title. Then I gotta make sure I dont miss one when it's turned in. It doesnt make any difference whether they use a regular slip or not, once it's qued it's thrown away.

_________________
Join The Karaokle Singers Social Network. Upload Your Music!!

In general the people who can't WRITE are not the problem. As stated if you can't read or write you probably will ask for help. If you left your reading glasses home and can't SEE ..we don't mind helping you out occasionally .

The problem is the singers who are just PLAIN..... L A Z Y

If you don't fill out a request slip..... You Can't Sing .... (period)
You're not being a jerk for asking them politely to HELP YOU OUT.

Here is a problem I've encountered since going computerized -----
PEOPLE JUST HAND IN SLIPS WITH SONGS I DON'T HAVE .
AFTER SEARCHING FOR 5 MINUTES I ASK THEM "WHERE DID YOU FIND THIS IN THE BOOK" duhhhhh I didn't look it up --you have a computer can't you just get it

This is a great topic. To my recollection, it hasn't been discussed in the last 2 years. I've been annoyed by such circumstances and frankly I don't feel that any of the responses have provided ideas for really dealing with the problem much less eliminating it. And while I'm "all ears" for finding a solution, I don't think there is one if you, as most kj's work alone.

The only approach that I know works is mine: ......"see my wife, Robin, she's right over there and will be happy to help you"

PS: we've had discussions in regard to "rules", which is similar topic to this thread. I don't think that discussion really helped us to better deal with uncooperative and/or inconsiderate people. Consider also the current thread about mic stands. If someome swings the stand, stopping that person today from doing so will not prevent the stand from being swung by some newcomer at your next show.

Again....my wife Robin helps to keep such matters under control

Clearly, I can't function without her.