Karaoke Forums

Another post made me think of this. I was curious if others dealt with venue specific quirks.

Before I start my night I have regulars that will come on stage and let me know in what order people arrived. I keep index cards of song lists for my regualrs, so when they come in they don't give me a slip. I simply put their card in rotation when I see them. So as to not upset anyone I try to put my rotation order in the order they arrive. It's funny when someone comes up and says I was here before so & so and I haven't even started yet. I do the best I can without being there to actually see who comes in first.

My regulars know I keep a fair strict rotation, so when I make a mistake by getting out of order they aren't shy about telling me. I'd say about once or twice a year I get bubble headed and get out of order. But I'm sure to get back on track in one or two songs because the regulars let me know. Do your regulars pay attention to rotation that close? I'll simply announce I made mistake in order, but am making adjustments to get back on track, so others that may have noticed know I'm aware. The other night I skipped about five people accidently. I played one song out of order and I had half the bar tell me. Of course I try not to make these kind of mistakes, but I'm only human. I feel like I've created Karaoke fanatics.

No one really gets upset they just want to make sure I know. It just amazes me how many people keep track. Don't get me wrong I'm glad they tell me I'd hate to have skipped anyone. I just find it odd.

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

Yup! Gottem'

That's why I use a dry erase board. No-one is entered into rotation, or on the board, until they bring me (actually my wife) their first slip. Some of my regular singers come in and start to visit for some time before they actually submit a request.

When they do turn in their slip, they're entered into the rotation, and on the board. Then they know exactly where they stand (time-wise) and when they will sing (+/- 4min barring any unforseen delays).

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

My singers don't much care about the order in the first round. This time of year, when it's still daylight outside, it's only around six anyway. And I'll freely do some arranging in that first round, putting singers at the same table together, even if they didn't bring their slips up together.

The non-smoking law has drastically affected the way I handle rotation throughout the night. Half the room can be outside. I know the singers who want to sing in their exact spot, and will actually go out and try to track them down when they're up next. The rest know that I won't skip them but will call them up when they come back in, and they're good with that. But bottom line is that rotation is in constant flux.

There is a minority of singers who stay put and patiently wait their turn. But that's not the norm.

We have a few who expect that when we see them walk in, we will put them in the rotation and keep picking from their envelope of songs for the rest of the night. If we presume that because they didn't put in a song they must not want to sing, then they will complain that we skipped them. We can handle that but draw the line if they want to come and go. If they go, they have to tell us they are back to be put in line again. (It is mainly some older singers who can't see the books too well so we accomodate them.)

One quirk we have is the karaoke accessory craze. One person brings something for a joke and others want to get it too. First it was "karaoke hats" with LED lights in the brim. Now it is cheapo Radio Shack headset mics. When the first guy brought in his and asked if we could make it work we hooked him up for a joke. Next the bar owner brought in his and other people are borrowing them and saying they are going to get one also. If it's busy we can't mess with the adjusting but if it is slow we let them have their fun.

You know, when I got Compuhost I was very impressed initially with the "on screen rotation" feature that shows everyone when there turn is and who's up next, etc.
Lately though, it seems to be biting me in the butt. The weekly gig I do at Applebees is a prime example. Last night the bartender turned 21 at midnight so I decided that we'd all sing her happy birthday which we did. It also turned out that alot of her friends requested she sing a song right after so I put her up immediately and let her perform (she rarely sings)). After her song and the loudest ovation of the night one of my "diehards" comes up and says "hey, not that it's a big deal or anything but she was never in rotation and with her birthday song and all I may lose one of my spots because of time constraints.... Do you think I could sing 2 in a row????????"

After pulling my jaw from the floor and letting him see my disgust...... I simply said no and went on with my business. He must of realized this because he came up later and told me what a great idea it was to sing her Happy Birthday and let her have the spotlight for a minute. It never ceases to amaze the audacity of some and the
kindness of others.

How is that a compuhost issue? Do you mean because the singers could look at the screen and realize someone had been inserted? Or did I miss something.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

exactly rip. He could see that she wasnt in rotation.

jr2423
I have seen your erasable boards in action, and don't think it is a good Idea. I have been to a show at a crappy bar, hey only place to sing that night. The KJ uses a wipe board for his rotation. He is a smoker, so the setup is left unnattended for minutes at a time. I have seen patrons erasing, adding, and changing the order of the wipe board. I use song slips, and a clip board. Nobody writes on my clipboard.

Felix the KJ

Happen to agree with Felix on the dry erase board. Wouldn't go as far as having a clipboard that is why I have Compuhost and run the rotation the way I do. Which is as I get the request. I don't put them in when I first see them because then I would have to remember the ones who want to get something to drink inside them before singing and who just wants to get started. Either way They get up to sing when they want to with me.

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

That's why I make the length of the list 4. I insert new singers at position 5 (depending on time of the night, of course) when I have a long rotation. No one can tell they weren't there all along.

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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.

I also limit scrolling rotation to show only 3. That way, I can plan those special exceptions very easily. The only exception is, when I have a really busy night, then I might increase it to the next 7-8 singers. Like last Sunday, 46 in the rotation. What a pain in the butt!

That's a good idea, I will promptly steal it.


Wow! I was lucky to sing twice when I was there.

Glad your show is going so well. Sometimes they say things return stronger after a fire.

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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.

an unattended whiteboard is as bad as your slips just sitting on another table. I've seen people mess with those too. And seen someone so brass as to try to mess with the computer too!

It's all about how the KJ controls the situation. A smoker that has to leave for 30 seconds or more should take the markers with him, or appoint someone he trusts to watch it.

ANYTHING can be abused... although I admit the computer rotation works best for control.

I can see how smokers can be a challenge. I'm fortunate enough to have 2 windows directly behind me that look out over a large porch everyone uses when they want to go smoke. I just yell out the window who is up.

We also have a top of the line beer garden in the back. If a regular leaves to go in the back which is rare I simply pull out their name and reinsert them when they come back.

Karaoke singers get so fanatical about their turn in rotation. It always bothers me when someone complains. I try my absolute best to keep a fair rotation. I don't take breaks, I don't play music sets or sing so they can have as many turns as possible.

One night I found a sheet of paper where someone wrote down all the singers names and how many times they sang. I was so mad when I found it. (Get a life !)
Of course some people sang more than others depending on when they came in, Duh. No one gets special treatment and extra turns on my watch. I guess that is why I was so mad.

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

Totally agree, Babs - the average person doesn't understand the total rotation concept - I get angry, too, if someone even MENTIONS off-hand that the rotation wasn't "fair." I don't want to take the time to explain to everyone how it works, and there will always be those belly-achers. Too bad, so sad, sing somewhere else!

I neglected to mention that the board is on stage with us and it is large enough for people to see from the floor. Niether my wife nor I smoke, and we never leave our equipment unatended except for maybe a bathroom break (only one of us at a time). So we don't experience any of those problems. Athough, as a back up, I do have the request slips in the same order as the board.

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

jr, anyone ever tell you you look like Steve Buscemi in your picture?

Just kidding!

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I see more of a Jon Waters.

I loved Crybaby btw (needs to be some songs on karaoke)

I've been to too many shows where the rotations were always "in flux". I think the reason that someone decides to write down how many people sing and how many times they sing is because they want to have proof to show the KJ or bar manager how unfair the rotation may or may not have been. It seems that many bars have a prima donna who thinks that they should get to sing a solo every rotation as well as 2 or 3 duets in every rotation because they have lots of friends and they all seem to want to sing with this particular person. This diva is up on stage 4 times in every rotation while everyone else gets their ONE TURN. More often than not, their friends hardly ever put their microphones anywhere near their mouths. It's just a scam to get their DIVA friend extra turns to sing.

It's been a LOOONG time since i ran shows(1992) But when I used to run them my regulars were eagle eyes too. I had about 12 regulars...but the bar was in a tourist area so there were literally almost 60 different singers on any given night in a4 hour show. I kept the talking to a minimum and basically humped it through the shows. The regulars were darn lucky if they got to sing more than 2 times in a night because I had a policy of working in new singers fairly quickly. i got ticked at myself if i couldn't get 14 or 15 singers per hour up( that's 14 or 15 songs- there could be actually more singers if they were doing duets or groups) (I also took certain songs out of my books- Stairway to heaven is TEN freakin minutes long! - if the singer sucked they could clear the bar!)

There were a few divas- male and female- but I made it clear that if a person got on the stage(wether their name was on the slip or not) it counted as a turn. That put an end to many duets yes- but it also kept the divas and their friends from monopolizing such a busy show. Back then there were no computers I used slips and kept them on top of my humongous pioneer laser disk player-LMAO! The only thing that saved me was a photographic memory...there were a few times when daring singers tried to shift the order- I caught'em everytime and they found out quickly that if I DID catch them doing that- they might as well go home that week because they wouldn't get up again that night. Only took a few times before no one tried that anymore other then the occassional swaperoo just to see if i was still vigilant! Like 2 years olds testing mamas patience!

I still keep in touch with many of those regulars...I still remember how resistant they were when i suggested they change the key to suit their voices. They would rather scream a song than "cheat" as they said- ain't no accounting for taste-LOL- sometimes I just altered the key without asking them! It used to crack me up when they came up to me afterwards and said " you know I really am getting better- that song sounded the best I ever sang it- and it didn't feel like I was screaming". Yeah I know that's bad I got busted once when my regular went to another show who didn't know to switch the key- but..ROTFLMAO! The regular , instead of bichin me out for changing the key without his permission, told me he thought my "sound" was much better than the other guys because he could hear himself easier! Teee heee! Gotta love those karaoke egos! JK- seriously my regulars were near and dear to me! They made me laugh all the time...and they didn't even get ticked when I busted them trying to pull a fast one with the slips...they'd laugh and say" OK -- ya got me! See you next week"...and they'd leave without me even telling them they weren't singing again that night! That's what I call "trained regulars"

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