Karaoke Forums

JohnD was in town, and I met him and his girlfriend Fredie at this Karaoke bar in Scottsdale, AZ on a Wednesday night. It started out ok, John sang a song, then Fredie, then a few other people...but after the first hour more people were there, and this guy got up and sang completly out of pitch. The sound system was loud, so it was not what I would call fun to listen to to say the least. More time goes by and now people are getting up to sing with beer bottle in hand, and just soundin poorly. One lady was singing with her drink in hand, and when she hit the high notes you really wanted to hide in a crack in the wall somewhere...yowzers!....the wall was all mirrors, so that didn't help the sound for sure, but I really thought my head was going to split in two!!!!

SO the first downside I learned about was you cant escape a bad singer, and its full blast loud to boot....oh well....

Anyway, I also learned you can bring your own disks, your files should be wav files according to what John was saying. And its a good idea to practice the songs you want to sing first. John was also saying some people will record their own songs and play them as well. The DJ can raise or lower the pitch of a song as well which was something I didn't know was possible at the show.

Being a "recording studio" performer only so far, with a few live guitar gigs here and there, this was a real new experience for me. But there is one problem with the whole deal....alcohol...

Personally, I think it would be a lot better if alcohol was removed from the scene, it really affects performance. My ears told me it doesn't "loosen" up anyone, it only causes major disintegration of ability. Trouble is the person singing is high and thinks they sound all so good....my conclusion is Alcohol makes you tone deaf or somethin haha...it really affects onez hearing thatz for sure. Too bad the DJ was drinking as well, so the sound system got louder and louder as the night went on, to the point where Fredie had to cup her ear as she sang to hear herself over the blarring backing music.

I will give it a try again, and maybe sing a song the next time, now that I know the "ropes"....maybe I'll just stick around the first hour or so and bail.....

Thanks John for inviting me, broke the ice and was fun none the less.....

russ

I know how you feel, I went through the same experience more than once Maybe the secret is alcohol? Once you're drunk I guess all singers sound good

I went to a karaoke bar just the other night... keep in mind I haven't stepped foot in a karaoke bar in like 20 years. To me it was not a good scene... most everybody was drunk outta their minds, rowdy & arguing who's turn it was to sing next. I kinda found it distasteful why people can't act civilized. I didn't get Up & sing a song myself cause I was too turned off plus nobody would hear me anyway with all the talking & yelling goin' On. I really didn't see the joy in it but that's just me & maybe not all karaoke bars are like that but I'm not even gonna venture to find out at this point.
I do recall some time ago when karaoke was just getting off the ground, Steven John had entered a karaoke contest & at that time there were no other competetive singers & the people literally carried him out On their shoulders at the end of the night... I guess those days are gone. Now a days I think it's just more bout the singers themselves & not to entertain the crowd but the crowd wanting to entertain & be heard, not listen... kinda like the politics of this site.

_________________
MUSIC+DANCE=LIFE