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Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
https://mail.karaokescenemagazine.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16647		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  ripman8 [ Thu May 14, 2009 4:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
I went to a show last Friday, host was using cdgs. Lots of dead air space. I kid you not, it took her 11 tries to get my first song up. Song title would pop up on the screen and it would be a different song on the disk. She sang into a heavy rotation and played some dj music even with the heavy rotation. Sound was decent, not much for bass, mics were crappy. Nice big crowd. She had a cavs player and a home made rack similar to mine except hers had no back on it so wires were showing to the audience.

Yesterday the owner called me and asked me to fill in next Friday as the host will not be available. I really like this place, it's not what you would call upscale but I like the down to earth people there and I think I fit in nicely. I think they will like my filler music and I will announce to them that if they decide they would like a different song when they come up that I can have it for them in seconds. I think that is the advantage to digital and someone who hears the song before theirs and decides their upcoming song isn't a good follower might have a change of heart.
Meanwhile next door will be working on their 4th week of semi finals of a karaoke contest. I checked it out last week too, not much of a crowd.

The host I am replacing is an outfit from a city 45 minutes away. I've heard she has played hookie a few times so I won't mind if the owner asks me to be the regular host.
Author:  MorganLeFey [ Thu May 14, 2009 4:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
good luck :) reading between the lines I guess you had introduced yourself to management and left your card or whatever so as you could fill in at a moments notice :)
Author:  ripman8 [ Thu May 14, 2009 4:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Thanks! I was there last week, someone recognized me at the bar and brought up the subject and the bartender asked.
Author:  Babs [ Thu May 14, 2009 10:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Sounds like a good situation for you. I'm sure you'll impress them if that's what they've been dealing with. Hopefully you'll get a new gig out of it.
Author:  Karen K [ Thu May 14, 2009 10:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Excellent Ripman - sounds like good things on the horizon.
Author:  jamkaraoke [ Fri May 15, 2009 5:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Are they paying you the same ?
Author:  Gryf [ Fri May 15, 2009 12:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Thief! :)
Author:  ripman8 [ Fri May 15, 2009 2:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Gryf @ Fri May 15, 2009 2:25 pm wrote:
Thief! :)


Ouch! Sorry Grf.

I'm doing this for $150. I'm not going to campaign for this job or use underhanded methods to win this regular gig. I will just do my show, be myself and if at some point the owner asks me to be the regular on Friday nights, I won't turn it down. I'm ready for a regular karaoke job, just took a $33,000 a year cut in pay at my company, need to start getting my money back out of my investment!
Author:  ripman8 [ Fri May 15, 2009 2:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Thanks Babs and Karen!
Author:  JoeChartreuse [ Fri May 15, 2009 4:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Gryf @ Fri May 15, 2009 3:25 pm wrote:
Thief! :)


Agreed.
Author:  ripman8 [ Wed May 20, 2009 2:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
? Ok, I've heard it twice. How am I a thief? They asked me.
Author:  Gryf [ Wed May 20, 2009 5:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Actually the :) should tell you I'm yanking your chain. Just go do the work and don't solicit yourself. If you get an offer from the owner play coy and say you don't want to steal the current host's gig. Let them know you'll do the gig if something can be worked out with the current host.

Reality check: If you're subbing for the guy and the gig goes away from him and goes to you you're gonna look like a thief. If you're cool with that then do it, if you don't want it done to you figure a way to not steal it, earn it somehow.
Author:  karaoke koyote [ Wed May 20, 2009 6:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Gryf @ Wed May 20, 2009 5:41 pm wrote:
Actually the :) should tell you I'm yanking your chain. Just go do the work and don't solicit yourself. If you get an offer from the owner play coy and say you don't want to steal the current host's gig. Let them know you'll do the gig if something can be worked out with the current host.

Reality check: If you're subbing for the guy and the gig goes away from him and goes to you you're gonna look like a thief. If you're cool with that then do it, if you don't want it done to you figure a way to not steal it, earn it somehow.


I subbed for a KJ and got a gig at that venue, but it wasn't the same night, and the KJ that got replaced wasn't the one I subbed for. Why don't you just try to get your own night there?
Author:  JoeChartreuse [ Wed May 20, 2009 11:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Gryf @ Wed May 20, 2009 8:41 pm wrote:
Actually the :) should tell you I'm yanking your chain. Just go do the work and don't solicit yourself. If you get an offer from the owner play coy and say you don't want to steal the current host's gig. Let them know you'll do the gig if something can be worked out with the current host.

Reality check: If you're subbing for the guy and the gig goes away from him and goes to you you're gonna look like a thief. If you're cool with that then do it, if you don't want it done to you figure a way to not steal it, earn it somehow.



Gryf's got it covered. Keep in mind that no matter what, you're gonna look bad to some, the original host will tell everyone that you stole it, and other hosts are going to think twice before asking you to fill in.

If you can deal with that, more power to you. Not my style though....
Author:  SCORPION [ Thu May 21, 2009 3:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Ripman you go for it and don't look back,don't worry about what the other/whinners say.If they can't hold their own,to bad.

As for the kj's who say thief,or get your own night .Nobody has signed their soul away at the cross roads with you.Unless you own the venue you are working at it is not YOUR night.It is a night which you were hired to work and that can change.If your half as good on YOUR night as you think you are nobody should be able to touch YOUR night.

Bar owners and managment can be as fickle as your prom date,yes,no,yes,no,yes,no,yes,no,ect...ect..ect..Don't take it personal,some bars just like to change it up a bit.If you don't want to put up with the fickle venues the don't take the work or have them sign a contract (the contract did not work with my prom date) which they probably won't do.Move on and find another gig and stop crying about something you lost that was never YOURS in the first place.

Case in point.

Had a venue tue and thur I was doing karaoke,wed my band was playing there.The owner has decided to try karaoke on thur and an acoustic (one man) show on wed and nothing on tue.
The owner told me that in a few weeks (when the weather is nicer and the bikers are out)it will be band on thur, acoustic or whatever on wed and karaoke on tue.
It had been a few weeks last week and the owner still haden't decided what to do,Im not waiting around for the owners decision and as of last week I have a few thur booked with the band somewhere else and working on tue with another venue.

You see they have'nt sign at the crossed roads but neither did I.
Author:  Babs [ Thu May 21, 2009 9:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
If a place is unhappy with their KJ and would like to replace them they're not going to want any down time without entertainment. I think the other guy is lucky they didn't give him all his nights. It sounds like a very subpar KJ that needs to be replaced.

A thief is someone that comes in and steals a show. This show was offered to Rip because they are unhappy with the KJ they already have.
Author:  KaraokeBaby [ Thu May 21, 2009 9:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
I learned years ago there are up front people, there are indirect people and there are slick people. I don't like judging, but this does not feel good to me. Basically no matter what you will look like a SNAKE if you end up taking the GiG!

It may not matter to you right now, but when it happens to you a couple time, you will understand. It may be the other KJ is better, they are Cheaper, or they are related to the owner in some way. Regardless of what the circumstances are it will feel the same!

I don't know you intentions so I give you the benefit of the doubt, however please understand what you are dealing with before you jump!
Author:  diafel [ Thu May 21, 2009 10:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
Some are not getting that business is business. If they offer you the gig take it. You aren't weasling your way in, THEY asked YOU! It's not like you are specifically going after the gig at no one's behest. If this were any other business and you were offered a job because the other company wasn't performing up to par, it wouldn't be an issue. Ask yourself, if this was a plumber who couldn't plumb properly, would you have an qualms about replacing him? I think not. It's BUSINESS, people! If you don't run your business like one, don't expect to be in it for very long. If someone asked me to sub in and then asked me to take over on a regular basis, I would snap it up in a heartbeat and not think twice about it. It's the other guy's issue for not performing as he should. I do a great job and if the venue owner decides I'm the better person for the job, then so be it! Food needs to go on the table and the mortgage needs to be paid. When all is said and done, those things don't get paid by me trying to "appear" like the "good"guy.
Sorry, but I'm not going homeless or making my kids go hungry because someone might think I'm a snake. This "snake" is going to eat!
Author:  JoeChartreuse [ Thu May 21, 2009 11:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
To be clear, like Gryf, I was doing a bit of chain yanking. However, my observations in regard to the OUTCOME, regardless of your good intentions, stands.

In this situation, PERCEPTION will carry more weight than truth..
Author:  diafel [ Thu May 21, 2009 11:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Subbing for the regular Karaoke Host
JoeChartreuse @ Thu May 21, 2009 12:05 pm wrote:
To be clear, like Gryf, I was doing a bit of chain yanking. However, my observations in regard to the OUTCOME, regardless of your good intentions, stands.

In this situation, PERCEPTION will carry more weight than truth..

I agree, but perception doesn't pay the bills.
And perception CAN be overcome.
I know because I replaced a KJ in one of my venues. I didn't know the guy, but he apparently had a few loyal followers who saw fit to try and besmirch my character and cause trouble for me. I tyhink they were hoping that I would get fired and they would bring back the other guy. It didn't take long for the tables to be turned and those people are now MY loyal followers. All I did was ignore the rumours, treated everyone the same and did my job to the best of my abilities. That's all it took and those people now know me and know that I wouldn't walk in and "steal" a gig. They know I don't have to.
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