Karaoke Forums

I saw this comment in another thread and thought it was worthy of a separate discussion.To me, this is the height of egotism. I think any KJ who thinks that customers would no longer patronize their bar if they were no longer the host, is pretty much fooling themselves.

For many years I worked in radio, both as on-air talent and program director. The nature of that business is that the air talent is usually the most easily replaced "component" of the on-air product. The dial position hasn't changed, the music format hasn't changed, the jingles, contests, remotes, etc. haven't changed. So instead of "JJ Jones" they now have "Ron St. John". It was surprising that the "JJ Jones" of the world would insist that the station's ratings would go to hell because there was a new DJ.

Oh, and invariably on the deposed DJ's MySpace there would be an outpouring of comments like, "How can they do that to you...I am never listening to that station again!" Six weeks later, no more posts on the MySpace. The listeners moved on.

OK, so you are no longer the KJ. It doesn't change the location of the bar, the service of the bartenders, the food on the menu, the drink specials, or all the other things that contribute to why someone is coming to sing karaoke at that bar.

In some cases it might change the sound (if KJ is providing their own) and selection of music. And certainly the personality of the KJ. But will those factors alone make the bar's karaoke program completely go to $#!+? Probably not. Will a KJ with a good following be able to entice some of that crowd to go to his new venue. Probably.

But keep things in perspective. I believe no matter how good a KJ thinks he/she is, usually they are only PART of the reason patrons frequent the place.

Your take?

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[font=Lucida Console]DangerousKaraoke.com[/font]
[font=Lucida Console]"Sing for the day, sing for the moment, sing for the time of your life!"[/font]

There's nothing arrogant about it. It is fact. My singers tell me all the time that wherever I am, is where they will be. When I'm not there on Friday night, there is nobody there, the place is empty. Maybe your singers go to your gig because they prefer the bar. Mine don't. So yes, they go only to see me. The truth isn't always politically correct, or going to be liked by overly sensitive people, but I could care less. Come to my show and ask my singers if I am exagerating. They have followed my once already.

Felix the KJ

Agree 100%. In fact the tack I take for new business is we're going to build a clientele of patrons for *your* establishment not for *my* show. Guys who breeze in with 50 followers will breeze out with those 50 when you deny them what ever extortion money they demand. I'm amazed at how many KJs think they are merry nomads leading their "crowd" (followers) around. Eventually people find a place they like and settle in.

Solid business is make them patrons of the establishment and get paid to build the establishment's business. That's going to assure you long term success any place you go, across town or across the country.

Your asking for opinions, why? You've already made up your mind KJs that think their crowd would follow them are egotists.

I don't believe at all I'm an egotist, but know my crowd would follow. The karaoke crowd would. The people who come in just to drink and like the bartender will stay for the bartender and yes will follow them from bar to bar. I've seen it several times where a new batender has a following. I guess their egotists too.

You've never heard of a KJ bringing their following to a new bar or a KJ getting hired because they have a following. Bands have followings too. Most bands have standard followers. I guess they're all egotists too.

It all depends on if a KJ has a loyal following. Some do some don't. Some work in venues where they have a great turn over of new people, so they are never given the chance to build a regular following. I don't think that makes them bad KJs though.

It is offensive to assume just because a KJ has a following they are egotists. I've worked hard for many years to build the following I have. I'll take the chance of sounding egotistical by saying I've actually had bars fighting for my services because I have a following. And I received a substantial raise because of it. I don't believe I would have gotten otherwise. I did not solicit these other bars and did not tell the bar owner they were offerring me more money. I didn't even tell my regulars it was happening. Word got out and my bar owner panicked. The funny thing is I had no intention of leaving, so I didn't give it a second thought.

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Dan, The first thing out of a prospective bar owner's mouth when approached to get karaoke at a bar is "How big is your following?" and How many Songs do you have?". So don't think it's egostical for a host to say they have one. I can't count on my hands and feet how many would follow me but I know it's more than the number of fingers and toes I have.

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

Babs, I gave my "take" and invited others to offer their opinions. I didn't create it to be a "let's change Dan's mind" or "show Dan he's full of it" topic. It's a discussion.Apples and oranges, Babs. We're not talking about music talent like admiring the way someone plays guitar or someone's vocal range and styling. Even cover bands usually put their own "spin" on how they play certain songs.

In fact, we can't even compare this with DJs. Although DJs take widely available recorded music, they way they sequence it, mix and remix creates their own sound. And something more unique on which to build a following.

KJs do none of that.

You pushing play on SC8322-14 is the same as anyone else pushing play on SC8322-14. You don't control the talent of the singers, the songs they sing, nor, except perhaps in a limited fashion, the sequence of the music. So let's agree that most of what makes a KJ unique is their hosting skills. And to a lesser extent their sound gear and song library. But that's not what I said. I said, "I think any KJ who thinks that customers would no longer patronize their bar if they were no longer the host, is pretty much fooling themselves." Obviously I can't speak for everyone in every situation. It might well be some small town suburban sports bars with karaoke once a week might have trouble building a crowd with a new host.

But *everyone* accustomed to coming to the same karaoke bar every week suddenly traveling to another neighborhood and another bar just because they like the way a certain KJ plays SC8322-14? It just doesn't make sense.

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[font=Lucida Console]DangerousKaraoke.com[/font]
[font=Lucida Console]"Sing for the day, sing for the moment, sing for the time of your life!"[/font]

I think it is safe to say KJs do more than just push buttons, come on !

I know several people who have stated on this forum they won't attend certain shows because they don't like the KJ. Unfair rotations, bad equipment, bad song selection, KJs that think the show is about them etc....

People will follow a good show.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

I'll have to just disagree with your opinion then. I have a following that does follow me. I don't know how that makes me a fool?

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To be honest this sounds like you have a problem with fsapienjr because you singled him out.

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I would follow a particular KJ to his or her new venue as long as that KJ ran a show with a fair rotation, didn't play filler music or dance sets and didn't let the duet whores of the world get away with their brand of cheating everyone else in the rotation.....especially if the KJ was fired for not caving in to the bar owner's desire to pick and choose who sings and when. If I frequented a karaoke bar where the KJ wasn't what I would consider "fair" and he got fired because he took bribes to bump people up in the rotation or just played favorites with his friends, or sang too much himself; then I definitely would NOT follow him to his new venue. I would hope that the NEW KJ would be more to my liking. I recently thought I had found a new venue to sing at that seemed to have a fir rotation but the second time I was there, it was obvious that the KJ had some friends who played in some local bands and they were filtered into the rotation more often than anyone else. I stopped going there once I realized what was going on. I'd only go back to that location if that KJ was fired and replaced.

Some KJ's think that they have a following when all they have is a good location that would have a crowd whether they were there or not. The same KJ had a show on a different night at another location and the place had only a handful of singers and no one there just to listen.

Let's see how much the opinions have changed....

I opened this topic thread almost 2 years ago.... http://www.karaoke-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14749

Several people on the forum have admitted to following particular KJs. I guess I am guilty of that too. Before I became a host I followed a particular KJ to 3 different venues. The fact is it happens and some KJs do have a following. So my question is, why would it be foolish for a KJ to assume they have a following when they have proven it to be true in the past?

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

DD, if you HONESTLY think all a good KJ does is push a button and bring up the next singer, then I'd hate to go to your show. Its so mucj more than just hosting skills and sound gear.

We professionals know sound. How to mix it, how to try to make every venue as good with it's accustic field, how to bring up the highs for the low singers and vice-versa. How to deal with customers, how to deal with venue owners, how to deal with finding the right karaoke songs for their library, and how you deal with outside discs (something that's a WHOLE other subject, btw...).

I will say that I've heard through the grapevine that the place I ran karaoke at in Oregon for the last three years I was there has had a devil of a time finding anybody that would work with them. When I left, so many karaoke singers found other venues, and they haven't honestly tried to go back to that place. I had people who regularly drove across town to come to my venue, in a saturated market nonetheless.

There ARE finicky karaoke customers that DO want the best for their experience. And there are those that will go to their neighborhood bar and deal with the yutz that is trying to run a show on a $20 paycheck and all the beer he can drink, with crappy microphones, skipping discs (or worse yet, an illegal library), and the personality of a corn flake.

Cornflake? I love it!

Dan, you've been a program director, it would seem that you should realize that a dj or kh is not like a production worker. One leaves and with minimal training, the quality, safety, and productivity are right back up to snuff.

These positions are so much more about personality. I'm new at this but it's been drilled into my head, I've seen it elsewhere on the net, and I've seen it in person. So I don't understand why you don't understand that. Is the host the only reason someone goes to a particular bar? Of course not, but is service the only reason I USED to go to Best Buy? Of course not. But it's why I wouldn't buy a floppy disk from them even if it was free and they gave me a free lobster dinner.

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

As a dude who goes to karaoke (I'm not a host) I couldn't care less who the host is.

I don't go to karaoke to see the host.
I go out to have fun.

If it changed hosts, I would still go.. 'cuz the host ain't why I'm there.

I ain't driving any further to see a specific host.

I'm with Babs on this - I, too, have dozens and dozens of acquaintances with whom I've built much more than just karaoke relationships over the last 14 years. Your question about the crowd following the host is venue dependent in my opinion - I know if I up and start at a place that doesn't fulfill my normal requirements for some reason (like good service, cleanliness, decent prices, location, etc.) they are less likely to come as often but will support me wherever I seem to go. Geesh, Dan, of COURSE we don't just push buttons. Man, if button pushing was all it took, there'd be ten times as many successful hosts. The majority ARE button pushers, hence the predominance of krappyoke shows. Geesh, any connection there?

One of the things i try to do is choose venues that will provide the best place for my followers to sing at - and on the right night. Stupid to think that the entire crowd would go - I know there have been places I've had longevity at where people who normally don't go out and sing would congregate it. When I left, they left, but since they weren't 'bar hoppers' they didn't follow me. However, they have standing requests for contact from me if/when I start a new venue that fits their criteria.

I don't think egotistical is the right term to apply to a person who has built great entertainment relationships with people and rightfully suggests that those people will seek them out for their ability to put on a great show.


It is soooo related to personality, personality, personality....how much so? Well, there are people who approach me in a store or on the street who came to my show over 10 years ago...ask me if I remember them, and then ask where I'm doing shows.

It's not the host Turi, it's what the host offers. If he/she doesn't offer fun, (bad mixing, bad rotation, snobbish) why would you want to go there? If the host moves to a bar 3 blocks away and had a show with all the elements of fun and the new host sucked cornflakes, would you stay at the old bar?

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

Apples and oranges, Babs. We're not talking about music talent like admiring the way someone plays guitar or someone's vocal range and styling. Even cover bands usually put their own "spin" on how they play certain songs.

In fact, we can't even compare this with DJs. Although DJs take widely available recorded music, they way they sequence it, mix and remix creates their own sound. And something more unique on which to build a following.


They are called kara-oupies

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

Ummmm. . . aren't we talking about entertainers??? Most people don't go and see a band because they are musical genius'. . . they go and see someone or something because the show is entertaining. KJ, DJ, Cabaret, comedians, bands etc. . . all offer an evenings entertainment and produce it in various ways, which means every person involved in the entertainment industry has the chance to create a following. Karaoke is one of the few "musical" shows which continously disolves the fourth wall and creates a continual interaction between the entertainer and the customer. . . so i fully understand why shows have followings. Because of that one on one interaction, i imagine karaoke would have a larger following than most other types of show.

Simply not true. KJs have followings, and here's why:

All KJ's don't have the same library of music, and finding a KJ with a nice library of songs you want to sing can be difficult.

Second, KJ mix LIVE SOUND with prerecorded tracks. DJs do none of that, and finding someone who can do it with skill, balance the singer and make them sound good is rarer still.

Not all KJs have the same sound system, and finding a KJ with a rockin's system is not easy either.

Running a rotation, being entertaining, and running a good show also takes skill. You think I don't get regulars to sing certain songs to break it up a bit, or do duets or encourage others to do so to keep it going strong? I can look at a room and see what's going on and adjust my show appropraitely.

Oh, yes, I do control the talent of my singer too. I've got a top notch professional system, and the great singers love singing on it...

DJ's will NEVER have the intimate interaction with his crowd that a KJ does with his because karaoke is participatory. Making a song request and listening is not. A well done live performance gets everyone involved in ways that DJing simply does not have the capcity to achieve... a give and take between the performer and the audience. It is an emotional high, and a good KJ can induce this in his performers many times a night.

Egotistical? Darn tootin'! These are the reasons KJs have followings, and why many folks (not all of course) will go where the KJ plays on Saturday night, not the bar.

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