Karaoke Forums

I had a night off this Saturday and went with a group of my regualrs to another karaoke bar. What an experience !

The guy shows up an hour late and announces he takes bribes This is how the night started out.

Here is where my question comes in - Have you ever stopped the last song of the night off because you quit exactly on the minute?

I have never in all my years doing karaoke seen such a thing. Our friend was singing when all of a sudden he cut the song off with no warning. She was about half way through. Then he announces he's done and plays about 1 minute of music while he starts packing up.

Needless to say everyone was in shock. The funny part is the owner of the place came over later and said they're having a new KJ take over next week.

Just to add to it - He had a nice sound system and was personable on the mic. But at one point I had to go ask when I was going to sing (which I hated doing). I'm glad I did because he lost my slip.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

I announce last song when I know that the song is gonna take the show over or to the end of the night. And I am never late. My bar's parking lot gets packed a half hour before the time I finally go to power on the equipment so to get a good spot for me, I usually get there a couple of hours early. Sometimes it's a good thing like two Saturdays ago I had to run to Walmart to get a new S-Video cable. If I discovered it later I would have started late and i never lose a slip because I enter each request when I get it and most of my singers tell me what they want instead of giving me a slip.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Babs

Sounds like a real Pro KJ there

Shows up late ..............STRIKE 1
Announces he takes bribes............STRIKE 2
Cuts the song off halfway ................................STRIKE 3 ..your outta here !!!

It just goes to show, you can have a good sound system, run it correctly, have a good personality, but still do things to make a crowd never want to come back. Morals are important - like showing up on time, having the common sense to keep a fair rotation, have concern for your patrons by not losing their slips and letting them finish their songs.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

My bar owner wants me to stop right on time every night, and when I first started there I actually had a few confrontations with the owner for running a few minutes over. Each time, I told him that it is just good business to keep your word when it comes to who is going to sing and who isn't. If I tell them that they are going to get in an accept their slip, then they are going to get in!! After about 3-4 times of telling the bar owner this, he finally agreed, and I've been at my bar for 4 years with the same policy.

I usually make an announcement at around 12:30 or so that I am not taking any more slips and go collect the book (I do karaoke until 1:30). I always leave room for about 1-2 more slips even after I take the books, in case there ends up being an unusual circumstance like a birthday or someone the owner wants to sing (employees off work, his GF, etc.). Most of the time, though, I'll go offer those spots to the regulars who have been there all night (in rotation, of course).

That way is fair, and everyone is happy (except the drunk who showed up at 1:20 a.m. expecting to sing).

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C Mc
KJ, FL

I keep a close watch on the remaining time and switch the kiosk into "warning mode" that let's the singers know that they might not get their song in. When I'm sure they won't, I simply shut down the kiosk. The singers can see on the audience-facing television who the next 6 singers are and at the end the last entry says "**GOODNIGHT!**" so they can all see that it's winding up.

Since I don't use books, there's nothing to collect or get into the "one more song" hassles I used to.

You might think of making a little sign that says "No more requests." to keep them from bringing them up to you.

However, we are talking about people who have been drinking.... this elminates things like logic, manners and decorum immediately from the equation.

If there is not enough time to finish a song, there's not enough time to start it. But there's exactly enough time for the thanks, goodbyes, thank the bar, etc!

Babs

Was the current KJ relieved of the job before that evening or at the end of that evening? DBK1009 (Dave) was given "notice" at a couple of his last gigs. In one situation, which he's now back at, the show was suspended for the summer. In the other instance, the owner just changes KJ's after about a year, or so.

So, if this fellow knew it was his last show....

Not that I'm condoning such an un-professional approach

When I started out, I was a restaurant bar and they had last song done by exactly 2:30... so we were to be winding it up by 2:15... if the song was supposed to be 4 mins long, and it was 2:27, we just said our seee yaaas!

As professionally indicated by Nlouch, such time constraints are best utilized by show announcements, thanking the audience for their participation and patronage, lapdances, you know...

I don't think the KJ knew. He announced he'd be back.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Even though, I do collect my books when I know, that there's no time for more requests, I still get the occasional "please, one more song"-guy/girl. Sometimes even with money offers ($20 or more).

And hey, we all have to pay our rent/mortgage. So if the venue allows it... hell, yeah.

The pass-the-hat-for-extra-hour is one of the reasons I can keep guys hosting. $75-$90 for an evening with loadin isn't much, and if they can make an extra $40.00 in tips and extra time that gives them a reason to do the gig.

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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.