Karaoke Forums

Note: This is NOT a question about how you run your rotation or whether you use filler music or have Dance Breaks.

I have seen this mentioned (in passing) in a few past threads that spoke of how you run a show. Some of you have said that you have computer programs that automatically cue up the next song faster than those of you that use CDG players.

Whenever I do a show, I will announce the person's name to come up. As soon as I do that, I also add, "And xxxxx is next." While waiting for the person to come up to the stage, I already have the disc loaded and started (but paused). It has taken me anywhere between 20 seconds to 2 minutes for the person to come up onto the (proverbial) stage (with my average time being about 1 minute between each singer).

Sometimes the person will be a table located near the rear of the bar (sitting with his/her friends). Then they have to make their way thru a crowded bar to get up to the stage. As long as I see the person, I will wait for that person to make it to the stage (unless they indicate that they don't want to come up).


Then there's the person who either went outside for a smoke break or went to the bathroom, or even left for the night (without saying anything to me). WIthout knowing what the situation is, I will announce the person, look around for movement/acknowledgement, announce the name again, and then go on to the next name. I have usually taken about 1 minute to do that. Now, unless I have been informed that the original person has left, I will announce that person one more time as the next singer. If he/she doesn't appear for that turn (which means that I will waste another minute), then I remove the name from the rotation.

Hoster has a screen that shows the rotation - people READ it....just have to be careful when you change it around too much. By showing the next four singers in the rotation, people can determine whether they have time to do other things until they sing. We STILL have people who will wander out to smoke about every fifth song anyway but any one of our singers will rush out and yell their name and bring them in. Works pretty well. The next singer is usually making their way up to the stage the minute the prior singer puts the mic down. Sure keeps things moving.

I love a show that has this display - both as a singer and as a host. Another PLUS for Hoster in my mind.

I have shows in smaller places. I sort of know who everyone is, and can see where they are sitting. Rarely do we have people miss a turn, in large part due to CompuHost and the scrolling singer display. People know they are coming up, and are moving toward the mic before the previous song is over.

At my service club, we pass around wireless mics and everyone keeps an eye on who is next. We have basically zero space between singers. In fact, negative space because we often have faded the previous song short and started the next.

In short, less than 30 seconds on average at my two bar shows. Less than 10 seconds at my service club show.

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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.

At most of my shows, I would say I probably average less than 30 seconds between singers. I rarely have an issue with someone who is not ready to go in their turn. I try to keep it moving right along.

Compuhost user here and I generally have the next person up and ready in 3 to 60 seconds. If I cannot make visual contact with the next singer in 30 seconds or so I look for the next person in the rotation, if I see them i move the current singer down one and move the next person up. I try to have SOMEBODY on stage and singing within 60 seconds of the previous finish.

If no one I trust tells me that person left I move them down and try to find them while the current singer is singing. If I can't they get two more calls to miss before being put at the bottom of the rotation. It mucks up the rotations a little bit but you can't avoid it when you can't find the singers readily.

Average about 10-15 seconds max. If they are paying attention, quicker, if not maybe 20 seconds. They know when the transition music is faded, they better be on stage!

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

i'm not sure if i'm looking back on the past with rose tinted glasses... but i'm sure when I demanded correctly filled out slips if you wanted to sing, the time inbetween singers was about 20-30 seconds, plus the 10 secs of silence whilst the disc plays.

Last night I think it averaged out at about a minute mainly because of the customers. . . but i doubt i'll ever change their mentality... I'm one of three hosts and the customers love me because I'm quick and fair (all of the hosts are popular but all use different methods).

Why was time wasted....?

2 customers were smoking outside when their name was called
1 customer kept walking up to me inbetween songs and asking when she was next ( there is only so many times i can tell someone in person and over the mic, their is appoximately a fourty five minute wait inbetween their songs)
2 customers didn't know what the wanted to sing when they got on stage
4 after finishing their song dithered around my desk chatting whilst the decided what to sing next
2 songs couldn't be found on the computer that has everything
1 customer had to high five everyone in the pub before he came to the stage
1 customer where ever he is in the pub and to slowly walk over to his drink, take a long gulp before slowing walking to the stage.

and some of the tiny delays which add up are caused becuase i'm in a tiny box which doesn't enable me to work as quickly as i would like It's a fun room because everyone is down to earth and I can get away with taking the "micky" out of the slower customers...

38 singers in 3 hours 10 minutes, and the songs sung averaged out at four minutes each.

I love the sound of the way mckyj57 runs his service club show.... that to me is the dream.

I get delays similar to that too...
The person has to stop and gulp his/her drink.
The person is stopping to chat with others as he/she approaches the stage.
The person won't come up to the stage until the whole bar starts cheering for him (I haven't seen that happen with a her yet).
Bathroom/Smoking (I already mentioned).
The last person on the stage doesn't want to relinquish the Mic (even after I have already turned the volume off).


Then there's also the additional delay where I will ask the audience to applaud for the singer. All of this adds up in my delays. Some of you have mentioned using computer programs that display the Next Singer's name on the screen. I've been to shows like that, and I still haven't seen the people get up any faster than compared with the KJ who is non-PC operated and who announces the next person before their turn.

Actually, one show that I went to in Las Vegas was the worst ever. The show was run by 2 people... 1 operated the equipment and handled pulling the discs, the other was the MC (I won't call him a KJ because he wasted about 5 minutes between each and every singer before they got up... long story). Anyway, the MC had 2 very simple rules that took effect after the very 1st singer was announced. One of the 2 rules was that he would announce the next singer, and that person had to get up and wait backstage while the first singer was performing. Well, this MC couldn't even follow his own rule... there were several times that he forgot to announce the next singer ahead of time. Oh, and BTW... in the 4 hour show that he had, he got about 25 people up to the stage to sing (Tim D. knows which show I'm talking about).

If they take their sweet time, we go on to the next singer. They learn.


They wouldn't get to sing again at my show the second time that happened.

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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.

as I had my singers queued... I also had their name splash screens in the queue... those lasted ten seconds, and I, like other kjs, tell people when they're the next singer waiting. I also make a joke sometimes out of some people who do the "getting ready to go up to the stage" routine by saying... "when you see the singer is handing me the mic, you BETTER get yer azz up here, or I'll start the song and WON'T requeue it!"

Gets a mild chuckle, but the point is made... I've skipped people and went to the next singer if they were outside smoking or talking on the cell... and then went back to the one I skipped when they finally get their head out of their buttsky. Had a couple people complain to the manager/owner and he flat out told them "Nobody else has a problem with getting up there, and you got to sing... what's your problem?"

It's all about educating your regs. Matter of fact, the main person I had trouble with was a serious regular, and he would do it just to get my goat. I'd do the Jeapordy theme (over the mic) where the people are writing down their responses... and other customers would laughingly yell at Michael... "Dude, get UP there already!"

As the song is ending I'll do the "GIVE SO AN SO A HAND ETC ETC'
As the crowd ruptures with applause (would be nice) I'll fade into a FILLER TUNE
on a busy night that may last 30 seconds and that I announce the next singer
I'll fade out as soon as I seem them walking by

I use two methods for speeding things along:

1) My computer program automatically starts the next song. On songs with outros I'm giving the singer props and calling up the next. I've noticed that when a singer's song starts they're pretty quick to the stage. Intros of 8 measures of more and I don't usually have to start it over. Sometimes I pause if I want to make an announcement.

2) One of the best tools I have is an AVS wrapper around my CDG graphics. There are three parts to it. Centered at the top is are randomized thoughts and ads. I'll put the bartenders names, specials, stupid stuff, etc. The second part is in the lower right hand corner and it is a countdown of time left on the current song. The third piece is in the lower left hand corner and it displays the next eight singers in the rotation and the song they're singing. Some singers are waiting right off stage when it's they're turn to sing. That's a blessing!


If someone is out smoking or in the bathroom (not in the room), I'll jump to the next singer no problem. Often the singer of the first some comes in as I'm handing the mic to the next singer and realize they ought to pay better attention next time. They do for the most part.

A minute seems like an eternity, but I run my show just like you do, Cue. I think the only thing is that I don't tollerate people that lag. If they acknowlege that they are next, they need to get moving...no sipping on a drink, no high fiving everyone around the venue, no finishing up a phone call. I make a friendly announcement that we have to keep moving, then I come back to the person on the next song.

Same with all the people that tell me their buddy is outside. Fine. I'll get back to him on the next song so he can finish up whatever it is he's doing.

I announce the next 2-3 singers, so if they aren't ready, I'll come back. I think the rest of the singers appreciate I'm not holding up the show while someone makes their grand entrance. It sets a precedence for the rest of the night. When you skip someone....even if it's just until the next song...everyone gets the message.

Like Lonman, I keep it less than 15 seconds. If they are goofing around trying to get their whole table up to sing, I start the music, and their table can decide if they are going to join once it starts. Otherwise, I'll come back.

Sorry, I didn't mean to incinuate the way I do things is the RIGHT way. I've always said that every show is different. After reading the original post, I hope my previous babble makes sense.

Something that sometimes gets a laugh is playing the jingle from the final question in Jeopardy while waiting for someone to get up to the stage. There are a lot of game show sound bites that would be funny. You could play the sound of a clock ticking, or other time related sounds. I think people will get the message.

I used to use the Jeopardy final Jeopardy music until someone stole my disc. Didn't really think anything of it until now! Need to download it now.

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

I try not to worry about it. I don't like to be rushed, people don't like to be rushed....though I will not tolerate an unreasonable wait, and won't hesitate calling up the next singer.........

jeapordy theme - wav file

kightshow... [schild=11 fontcolor=FFA500 shadowcolor=C0C0C0 shieldshadow=1]You Rock!![/schild]

I was thinking the same thing Lonman...glad I read to the bottom!

That's my take. The folks who get upset about it taking as long as 1 minute to get a singer up stop complaining when they're caught out of position and they take 60 seconds to get on stage. When you start skipping singers then those carefully planned smoke breaks go out the window because every singer is then on call.

I was at a show where you had about 15 seconds to be on stage. Singer #1 (my buddy) was at the bar across the room and waiting for change, singer #2 was taking a smoke break and singer #3 was in the bathroom. Singer #4 was me and within 30 seconds he had skipped all the way down to me. I just happened to be listening to him and not talking else he'd have skipped further down.

I was moved to the top of the list and he kept the rotation as it was with one change, but some folks really muck up their rotation. In this case had he waited for singer #1 to get his change he'd have gotten him on stage at the same time as me as he arrived back at the table just as I got to my feet.

While it's business to us, it's enjoyment to the folks who are singing. I don't use, or appreciate personally, the Drill Sargent approach, we're supposed to relax and have fun while keeping the tempo of the room going. So long as you're meeting the needs of the crowd, you're doing fine using any style you have.

Of course, that's just my take. Your Mileage may vary

As a singer finishes, I call their name and solicate applause and then call the next singer all the while switching disc (yep I am still workin the old fashioned way) and then starting the next song as the step to the stage. All this in 25 to 30 seconds.

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