Karaoke Forums

After all the talk of "water drinkers" - is it KJ's responsibility or otherwise.

What about general bad behaviour in the room if it is affecting the singer.

A couple of examples :-

1) The room is buzzing and people are talking/laughing/shouting so much so that the singer can hardly be heard or is being ignored. Do you often ask them to give a bit more order ? Or just think Hey ! - - The singers not getting paid and if he/she is any good he/she will command some attention anyway ?

And if the crowd is too boisterous, should management sort it ?

2) Drunken guy jumps up on stage to perform with singer (usually without singers permission). Do you have to intervene or leave it to a) the singer or b) the management ?

Have far does KJ's responsibility go ?

Like to know what you all think.

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[font=Fantasy][/font] "Travellin' at the speed of light"

Personaly I think Karaoke is the kj's responceablity, and nothing else.

IE: if s singer is singing and another singer tries to sing with him(hog the stage). I will put a stop to it.

If there is a fight........ bouncer or owner stops it ( I protect my equipt)

If a Girl (or guy) gets on the bar and takes it off, that has nothing to do with me.

my 2 cents.....................

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I'm Not Dead yet...... But every day Im getting Closer !

The heading off drunk guy jumping onto the stage is the KJs job. Most of the time I can see that one coming and and a simple shake of the head will be enough to discourage him. As for quieting the room, that's the singer's job. If they suck they are ignored if they don't all heads will turn.

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Okay, who took my pants?

I have a little item called the master power fader. I just turn the volume up.

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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.

The KJ should be able to adjust the overall volume of the show "some what" to compensate for a LOUD room. I say somewhat because if you have a very large DRUNK party that just came in and they are WOOPING UP and the room is extremeley crowded..it may be difficult to overcome an unusually loud room.

Overall NOISE to the singer can be a problem in most small bars without a designated stage or singer area...just the nature of the beast I feel....
But normally should NOT be a problem ..and as far as people actually listening to the singer....... Beyond the normal announcements and introductions NOT THE KJS problem if people don't listen

The KJ should control the "stage" at all times...helpers or drunks must be asked to leave unless OK's by the singer. NO EXCEPETIONS unless the altercation becomes physical ..then the bouncer or manager must get involved to ask them to leave.

If the room is loud, my system is louder. TO A POINT. If the overall crowd is louder than I want to push the system (which means an acceptable limit) then the overall feeling in the room is that they'd ratehr be loud than listen to the karaoke. That's fine by me.

As for a fight? Not my problem. If they fight near my gear, then we have a problem, and they will very soon NOT be fighting near my gear.

If they make an (@$%&#!) of themselves on the stage - depends upon how it goes down. If the singer is up for it, I let it continue. If not - I will have either intercepted them visually before they get to the stage, or will simply usher them away.

The system volume goes up to compensate for a loud room... to a point. In most cases, due to a powered monitor speaker, and good speaker placement I can overcome the loud room... so the singer can at least hear themselves.

As for the drunk jumping on "stage".... and ain't it great when you actually have a stage area, I will shoo the drunk away... Which includes up to shutting the show completely down... no music, no nothing till the offender gets out of the stage area, and then restarting the track for the singer.

Afterwards I will make a strong announcement about karaoke edicate... "don't come up unless asked, thank you." The idea being to shame the dumb drunk and send a clear message to others who might consider horning in... works every time.

Those who can't follow that rule, will be escorted out by either the management or 5-0

Once you set a precident... either way... that's what you're going to get.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Sometimes the shouting starts, because the volume is too high, and that's the only way people can communicate with each other. I've been in many places where the music(KJ or DJ) is too loud. As the volume is increased, the people start talking louder, until they actually begin to shout out short bursts of communication....exp....MY NAME IS GREG, I'LL HAVE A GLASS OF WATER....THROW THE FREELOADER OUT......

Part of a good mix is the correct volume level for the room at that time.

Thanks for responses so far guys

I agree with pretty much all thats been said and I too have a system which is capable of overcoming audience volume but there's limits to the level you can go (like the complaining neighbours who live next door !).

It's just that I used to have a guy singing (and a brilliant singer too) and occasionally, either because the crowd were too drunk or over boisterous or mabye they didn't like his choice of song (he used to sing country songs that weren't too well known), the crowd would completely ignore him. He didn't like it obviously but it was the way he kept looking over at me as if I should have been doing something to quieten them.

On other nights he'd go down a storm and I guess he just expected it all the time.

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[font=Fantasy][/font] "Travellin' at the speed of light"

I have a Sound Bit button with "Ssssh!". Short, loud, and understood internationally. The singers usually don't mind, if I'm using it, since it calms the crowd down and puts the attention back on the singers.

But I only use it, if it's very inconsiderate loud. For instance, I had a group of 10 right in front of the singer's area last week at my show. They conversed very loud for no reason. 2 "Sssh!"'s later, they relaxed a little bit.

Other than that, there's not much you can do as a KJ. You control the stage area and your equipment, not so much the crowd. Sure, you can say some words of common sense in between. But if they don't want to listen/pay attention or stay loud, there's nothing you can do.

Volume, yes (like others stated before me) to a point. I too have a very loud system (4600 Watts) but you can only crank it up so much in relation to the room size, before your ears start bleeding.

We're responsible for the stage, the staff for the rest of the bar. If a fight breaks out (maybe 3 in the last 8 years), the music is stopped until the situation is settled, then the singer who was on gets to start over.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

In total agreement with Timberlea on this one. I am responsable for singers following what little rules I have for the show and anything else that has to do with the bar is the bartender's/Bouncer's problem.

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

Sometimes the singer that expects quiet, is not such a good listener his/herself....as in...if you want respect, you must give respect....what goes around....etc...

I am not responsible for the people spending enough, buying drinks and food. I can't keep track of everything. If the owner notices that people regularly don't spend but sing, they need to let me know. I would prefer the manager talks to the people about the need to spend to cover the KJ cost, but if he lets me know, I will do it in a diplomatic way. If they still don't spend, they don't sing, simple.

All KJ's have seen where someone is singing, then in the middle of the song someone else comes up and ask if they can have a mic to help out or join in. I tell them it is not for me to say, they need to ask the singer, and don't interrupt them in the middle of their song. They usually take the hint, and walk away. If they don't, I help them understand as I walk them away.

Once I was singing, and the KJ decided he was going to help me. That lasted for 1 verse. I stopped singing, grabbed his mic out of his hand, and on my mic, let everyone know that joining in on my song is unacceptable. The KJ was embarrassed, and mad. I don't care. Bet he thinks twice about doing it again.

Felix the KJ

fsapienjr Said:

Never went that far... however there was a KJ in Toronto one night who would keep the mic turned down on everyonebut himself and he like to insert "sound effects" in the middle of everyone else's songs. Must've thought it was cute.

Anyway, I got up to sing... everything was fine, lots of people dancing a conga around the dance floor and then about halfway through the song....

The KJ decides to insert some "fart sound effects" in the middle of the song.


I simply turned around, handed him his mic and told him that since he felt it was necessary to do that, he was welcome to finish the song himself. And I just went back to my seat. Of course the people on the dance floor had no idea what was going on except they knew I was not real happy and the KJ was sitting on his butt with his jaw still on the floor... Made for a very awkward moment for him and one that he deserved.

But, back to the subject:

The KJ provides the equipment for the entertainment, the patrons are the entertainment and club sells booze....

1. If there's a problem with the equipment it's the KJ's responsibility.

2. If there's a problem with a badly behaving singer(s) it is again the KJ's responsibility.

3. If there's a problem selling booze.... it falls squarely on the shoulders of the club.

Yes agree with all the above. That is our primary responsibilities. Sometimes I am hosting and dont have the time but usually I am roaming. Out of habit I keep track of the pulse of the crowd. I am in constant contact with security or the door man and staff if my gut tells me to. All are aware of whats happening and react to situations before they blow out of proportion.

A bar needs sober people if for nothing else being a reliable witness or greeting cops that come in. I will sometimes bus and clean a table. No it is not my job but guess what When I need help I dont have to ask for it. If we have trouble on the stage security is there in a minute. It takes a team effort.

Those are my methods and not saying they are right or wrong just some food for thought.

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I have to disagree with c. staley on one point. It is not the KJ's responsibility to handle roudy patrons. You can tell someone they are not singing, and make sure that happens. You have no authority to kick anybody out of the establilshment. The owner or manager may or may not do what you think is right.

I had a roudy patron who was starting fights. I stoped him singing. Asked the owner to ask him to leave, and he didn't. When the guy was starting his 3rd fight, I stopped the show, and stated on the mic that the show was over unless this person was removed from the establishment. A big ruckess ensued, the person and his friends threatened to damage my system, and whoever I just called. I informed him that that was not a friend I called, I called the police. I called my brother who is a cop. The guy and his friends left quickly at this point.

Bottom line, you can control your show, you have little or no say about how the venue handles problem patrons. Many managers or owners are slow to kick out regular drunks who spend money well.

Felix the KJ

If there is a fight and someone bump on to your speaker stand. The speaker fall and hit him or someone else. He landed in the hospital.

What would be the legal implication? That guy is going to sue you. Are you going to sue the bar owner for not stopping the fight?

ps: this is not directed to you, Felix, but to all those who say that it is not a KJ responsibility.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Dealing with drunks is difficult. They don't respond to reason. I've never found what I think is the best way to deal with one. But I keep trying.

A couple of years ago I got what was going to be a weekly gig. At my second show a very drunk young woman came up and said that she needed to "help" out the singer because it was her favorite song. The young lady had been there the week before and I figured she was probably a regular. I wasn't familiar with the woman who was singing at the time.

I suggested that we fill out a slip for her and I would put her in the rotation and then she could sing it. That didn't work. So I told her that some singers are pretty serious about what they are doing and they don't want a "partner". I suggested that we wait until the song was over instead of interrupting the song to ask the singer if it would be okay. That didn't work either.

I tried a couple of other things that also didn't work. By that time the song was over and the young woman was very angry. She informed me that the policy of the bar was that whoever wanted to sing could grab a mic and sing whenever they wanted. I apologized and explained that I wasn't aware of that rule but I would speak to the owner.

The day before the next scheduled gig I got a call from the owner. He told me that he had decided not to have karaoke any more. The following night another kj was there with his show.

I have always suspected that I was told not to come back because of the incident I've described above. I don't dwell on it but I have wondered since what I might have done differently. I know I could have allowed her to grab a mic and sing. But not knowing the singer and her preferences I guess I might have been fired for doing that as well.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't?

Larry

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"Life is too short for diet soda and lite beer"