Karaoke Forums

It looks like the owner of the venue I work in is doing it again. Every NYE he thinks he needs to have a band and me. We take turns through the night always ending with me doing the count down. The place isn't big enough for the both of us, so we share the same space. This yr he hired a solo guitar player.

It will work out fine for me because I'll get paid the same even though he's there. The problem is the patrons hate it ! I'll hear complaints all night about why is the other guy there. I always feel bad for the other guy, so I'll try to get the crowd to except him the best I can.

There really isn't a suggestion that will help the situation. I've tried telling the owner the problem, but he doesn't understand. He actually thinks he's just doing something nice for everyone. I told him pick one or the other for the night that I won't be offended if he decides to go with just a band, but to have us both doesn't work out as well.

What usually happens is the karaoke people shun the band and the people who are there for the band ignore the karaoke people. The room gets divided like it's a competition or something. Aaarg! And since the karaoke people out number the band people I end up feeling bad for the band. Why he doesn't see this is beyond me.

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

Tell the patrons to quit complaining to you & complain to the person that can actually make the decision to have one or the other.

_________________
LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Here is what you do --see if you can get the PLAY LIST from the guitar player.
cue up the same songs in your player so the LYRICS appear on the screen while the guiitar player is singing. Maybe the audience will sing along and have some fun ???
Doubt the Guitar player will like it

Otherwise get some NEW YEARS EVE NOISE MAKERS and have your singers make noise anytime the Guitar player sings. Should take him about 10 minutes before he quits and leaves for the night...then you're all set

You crack me up, Jam...funny thing, I was thinking the same thing. As Lonman says, tell them to complain to the decider...owner... This is not the first time or the last time an owner thinks by changing things he'll end up with a better results. How frustrating for you, Babs. Argggg is right!

I remember you talking about this last year. I would be frustrated too!
Maybe explain to the owner that if he want to do "something nice" for the patrons, he can better spend his money.
Buy them a drink, or purchase small token gifts and hand them out to the patrons. Maybe even gift certificates of some sort.
He could have promo items made up in bulk like key chains or pens or things along that line and hand them out. That way, he's getting advertising out of it as well.
I know it doesn't help this year.
Also, like Lonnie said, get them to complain directly to the owner. That MAY have more impact for next year.

The manager called me last night. She wanted my opinion about hiring someone. I explained the problem to her about NYE. She totally agreed with my assessment. She suggested putting the guitar player in the back bar. Brilliant!

She is going to suggest it to the owner and said I should say something too. I explained that last time I said something he got poopie saying he hates when people tell him how to run his bar. So basically I've learned not to say anything. We had a bit of a laugh over it because we both know how he can be. That is one of the reasons I don't send patrons to him about an issue unless it is dire and I don't approach him on problems unless it's absolutely necessary. He is more apt to listen to me if ask very little of him.

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

The manager of the bar called again. She read an ad in our local paper that the guitar player was playing in the back bar and I will be in the main bar.

This is comical because not only did the manager not know, but the owner told me I'd be sharing time and space with this guy in the main bar.

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

Any chance you could alter the arrangement so that the act is on first, then you take over rather than swapping back and forth?

I was lucky enough to have a band warm up for me once, and it was great.

They didn't see it as warming up, they saw it as them being the main act and me filling for 4 hours after. , silly band

Really confusing, Babs.

My original reaction to your OP was that it is too bad that the place couldn't accommodate two distinct crowds. In fact, my last New Year's gig had a singer/guitar player in a separate room. And what was an additional benefit with that arrangement is that some people went back and forth throughout the evening.

Now we find out that your place has a "main bar" and another room (?). Out of curiosity, is there a bar in the other room? If there is, I can't imagine why the venue hasn't been doing two separate gigs all along on New Years?

Confusing for sure ! I'll try to explain.

The back bar is the beer garden. You have to exit the main bar to the outside to get to it. Patrons can not carry drinks from one bar to the other because of this. No drinks are aloud outside. There is a very nice full service bar back there and you can smoke. It was designed so all the walls slide open in the summer time. It has heaters and a fireplace, but is still a bit chilly. You'd definitely want to wear your coat. It is small, but very nice. The main crowd always stays inside. People who like to smoke or people who don't enjoy karaoke go back there.

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

Babs

Not really confusing at all or unusual. In fact, the place I described is really two separate buildings. And while people carry drinks back and forth, it's not really legal!

Main thing is that I'm glad that the owner has apparently figured it out and you're not going to have to put up with disgruntled customers on a festive night!