Karaoke Forums

I'm a singer of all types of songs who happens to be good at ballads. I've heard said on this forum, as well as at karaoke, at contests, etc. the term BALLAD HELL. I still can't quite get a handle on the term. Let me explain why. If I get a singer who really belts out an old crooner song, "let's just say "That's Life" by Sinatra, and the crowd applauds like crazy, then the next guy comes up and sings "He Stopped Loving Her Today", and really nails it, to a great applause, then a lady comes up and totally amazes the place with her rendition of "Where The Boys Are", am I in BALLAD HELL?
or am I at a GOOD karaoke show? I'm not saying that all of the songs that are sung will be ballads, but, what's wrong with GOOD ballad singers, or GOOD ballad songs for that matter? If there wasn't a place for ballads, why are these songs so long lasting? There are ballads that are EASILY 50 years old that are sung at karaoke by YOUNG and OLD, that are staples of almost ANY show. Would you rather have some people singing some heavy metal that NOBODY in the venue has ever heard, and may I add (singing it badly), of someone singing a ballad? I know EVERY show NEEDS a certain variety, but if the audience is enjoying themselves, why is the Professional Karaoke Host so worried about being in BALLAD HELL? If I'm confused, please help me to understand.

Thanks,

Rosario

Ballad Hell exists I think mostly in the mind of the non-ballad singer, and in an audience that is trying to "party." And I think this totally depends on your crowd. In a mix of half youngsters and half oldsters you would expect a mix of music - if it is slow song after slow song, the energy gets sucked out of the room. There are lots of singers who only sing those slow, civilized songs and frankly I'd rather have anything but a ballad once it gets toward the middle of the show. I think, too, that a person has to really be able to sing well to pull off some of those classic ballads or they turn into torture for the listening audience - only because they appear to be longer songs when they are slower maybe? I think a mix of music genres is the key.

Karen K said:

Exactly! People get bored and it isn't "fun" anymore.

A lot of people think they can sing. Ballads seem easy and yet get horrendously murdered. But they also suck the entire life out of the crowd.

A bad singer with a rock song for example can still be fun with it.

Hardly with a ballad.

I totally understand the term and totally agree with the definition all of you have come up with however, these are paying customers that ultimately pay you though keeping money flowing through the bar.

So my opinion is let them sing what they want to sing. So if you are in "Ballad Hell" so what?

People are funny trust me if they are sick of hearing ballads, someone will eventually put in "Don't stop believin" "Love Shack" or something to bring it up a notch.

The crowd will correct itself; I don't think there is a need for the host to interfere.

_________________
"Baby, Just Because I Rock, Doesn't Mean I'm Made Of Stone."

Hey I'm good with ballads as long as they're only two or three an hour. And thankfully that's usually it.

I agree with the majority. They absolutely suck the life out of the show if they dominate.

Laser said:


Problem is that "these paying customers that ultimately pay you though keeping money flowing through the bar" are also the same ones that can stop the money flowing by boring everyone else to death.

I have nothing against ballads per se, I DO have a problem when there is a string of them...



They won't put in the upbeat song until after they complain to the KJ about it - who will suggest that they put in an upbeat song. I look at the KJ job as one where the host is the one that "orchestrates" the party. Doesn't really become "part of" the party although it should appear they are having a fun time too because it's contagious.

If the party has begun some death-spiral into ballad hell, it's my job to moderate it and keep things on an even keel with an acceptable balance of upbeat and slower (ballads if you will) songs. I've found that the crowd will "correct itself" in one of two different ways: (1) wither away to one ballad after another or, (2) put in an upbeat song and then try to get the KJ to make it next. (this of course "interferes" with the rotation too doesn't it?)

I dilligently try to anticipate these types of problems and if the rotation requires an adjustment here or there, so be it. I'm not going to let the evening die away and throw up my hands and say; "sorry, I just play 'em... I don't pick 'em or change the order."

I understand about the show is supposed to be FUN, and keep the audience interested, so again, I don't understand. Let's say you have several GOOD ballad singers, and then you have the regular customers. When the "ballad" singers are singing, even the people at the bar are turning around and paying attention to the singers. Then you get your regular Love Shack Crew, and your Nickleback heavy metal singer, NO RESPONSE, or NO APPARENT INTEREST, from the audience, could be due to any number of reasons. Then when you get the same "ballad" singers up, ATTENTION AGAIN from the audience. I am definately comparing apples with oranges when I'm talking about the quality of the singers, as far as singing ability. So, if you do have more "talented", but more entertaining "ballad" singers, than you have "talented" entertaining upbeat singers, entertaining is that a bad thing? If the audience is a barometer, and you see all heads turn when a certain singer is announced, shouldn't that be the entertainers you would wish to be performing? And as far as "KILLING" the show, or draining the LIFE out of it, aren't these entertainers keeping the audience interested in the SHOW? I'm just asking, so just help me out here, I'm not criticizing how anyone else critiques their audience. I'm just trying to figure out what is concidered SUCCESS.

Rosario

Absolutely, the audience is the barometer. There are nights where a string of ballads by talented singers just seem to be one little gem after another and everyone is into it. But that is also NOT the norm either because it wouldn't be hell would it?.

I'm talking about a fun, upbeat night that is slowly being dragged in the abyss of ballad hell, every ounce of life being squeezed away with every mournful, love-lost death song and it's NOT going over well.... people are bored, fading away or getting antsy.

I think you what you are saying is 100% on the right track. I see the same thing, time after time. Most people appreciate a talented singer. So yes those people will be waiting to hear them sing again. It may just happen to be that the talented singers in your venue prefer ballads. Who knows?

All I can say again is the crowd will correct itself. If people aren't having fun (which doesn’t seem to be the case in your "ballad hell" as you have stated everyone turns around to watch the ballads, they must be enjoying them) they will correct the event and throw in an upbeat song.

Basically it comes down to respect. Respect your singers, treat them fairly and you will have a great show. Become a dictator, and you will see your crowd dwindle and leave.

_________________
"Baby, Just Because I Rock, Doesn't Mean I'm Made Of Stone."

The problem I think is that having several GOOD ballad singers is VERY rare.
Having ONE GOOD ballad singer is rare.
And therin lies the problem.
You can get through a bad upbeat singer by tapping your toe to the beat until it's over. Also, as someone else pointed out, because it's upbeat, it doesn't seem as long.
You can't do the same with a bad ballad singer. The only way to get through it is to wait. And wait some more. And the waiting seems all the longer when the song is slow.
And it only goes downhill when you get several in a row.
Hence the "LIFE" getting sucked out of the room.
I have yet to know several GOOD ballad singers, much less have them all in the same venue on the same night, all in a row. In fact, I'm hard pressed to think of even one!

Ever notice that the not-so-good ballad singers always seem to pick the reaalllyy looonng 6-minute songs too?

like "the wreck of the edmund fitzgerald" or "live like you were dying?"

I'm ready to shoot myself as soon as they start.

There are "ballads" and then there are baaallllads...slow depressing songs about lost love or loved ones. People with illnesses etc. -- There is only so much of those songs you can take in one night !

But it all depends on your venue and crowd that night if its a problem.

If the KJ perceives it to be a problem you have two choices --shuffle the rotation A LITTLE to get a faster song up OR play some upbeat filler music.

There is nothing more sweeter than when someone gets up makes an announcement of dedicating a song to a lost loved one and then belts out a beautiful ballad !!! Crowd goes crazy !!

Do that 4 times in a row and people will begin to hang themselves

Well if I did have an upbeat night, and it was being DRAGGED down, that would be when I would insert MYSELF, and my CO-HOST (girlfriend) into the rotation, with a few upbeat songs. I have quite a varied list of songs I can sing in different genres. As for having GOOD ballad singers, I must be the EXCEPTION to the rule, because I know I have at least 2, maybe 3 (not including myself), so I must be living in BALLAD HEAVEN. As Gilda Radner once said " Nevermind ".


Rosario

We have the same at most places I frequent in central Florida. Many talented ballad singers here.

_________________
"Baby, Just Because I Rock, Doesn't Mean I'm Made Of Stone."

You guys are VERY lucky!
We only have ballad singers who THINK they're good!

Well, truth be told we have many talented singers, but the ones who do good ballads usually only have one good ballad in their repitoir. We don't have "ballad singers", that is, singers who only do ballads.

Nothing, per say, is WRONG with ballads themselves. True, they are timeless classics, and when performed well, can get standing ovations. But "Ballad Hell" refers to a night of mediocre singers singing ballad after ballad all night, and as a previous poster said, it drains the energy out of the room and before you know it, everyone's falling asleep or just plugging their ears. The same goes for slow love songs at dances and weddings. Once every 7 or 8 songs is okay, but if the DJ played nothing but slow songs all night, the event would be a disaster. I agree with other posters too though, it all depends on the type of crowd as well. If you have an older crowd (and the singers are very talented) then I can see how that would be seen as a great show. As for me personally, I'm 23 years old. I'm definitely a young karaoke host, and there aren't a lot of KJ's my age, so I enjoy catering to a younger crowd and keeping the energy high at my shows.

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"K-Jay"
www.kjayskaraoke.8m.com

So how would you deal with ballad after ballad? Just curious since you said you are going for a younger crowd, and I can think of a slew of ballads from "younger" artists. Do you not have that issue at your shows?

_________________
"Baby, Just Because I Rock, Doesn't Mean I'm Made Of Stone."

With a KJ/DJ format and the right fill or dance music. It seems the old ballad singers and hard core karaoke singers are selfish and all they want to is sing and to hell with everybody.With this format they go elsewhere and you get younger singers that try new things and the talent of singers improves over a period of time. Thr songers tend to sing what the screaming crowd wants.

The ones spending the money and partying could care less if it is a karaoke singer or a regular artist. A good host can provide karaoke only if the singers can provide entertainment. If the show is dying then shift to a different format and play more fill.

Either you are a KJ or a host that provides entertainment and what the crowd wants. I am a host and can provide what different venues need be it KJ DJ or a combination of both. Yall can argue until the cows come but I pack bars.

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Depends on the venue.

I thought this post was about karaoke bars. The people that go to karaoke bars are people that want to sing, at least in Orlando where I am from. They have the choice of hundreds of bars, disney, city walk, etc. If they walk into a karaoke bar, at least again from what I see in my town they expect karaoke, not DJ Lazer and his mix madness dance-party. There are plenty of other places for that.

_________________
"Baby, Just Because I Rock, Doesn't Mean I'm Made Of Stone."