Karaoke Forums

I am a person who stays true to my principles and a strong code of ethics. That being said, here's what just happened to me last night.

Last night, I was supposed to do a fill-in gig for another KJ. I have filled in for him several times over the course of time, and at this particular place, I even filled in for him on what was supposed to be his very first gig at the place (that was a month ago).

Things had started off on the wrong foot when I walked in the door (nothing too major tho). There was a whole group of Bikers there, and they were celebrating someone's birthday. I started bringing in my equipment, and as I approached the table where I was (originally) instructed to set up, they (the Bikers) said that this area was reserved for them for a private party. I approached the Bartender, and asked her what to do. She told me to talk to the Manager (who happened to be around this time). I went to the Manager, and asked him where I should set up. He told me that he had set up 2 tables for me in the back. I informed him about the people back there (and what they had said), and told him that they looked like they were ready to fight to keep those tables. The Manager said that he would talk to them. He came back to me a few minutes later and asked me to set up at a different spot. OK... not a problem (since I had a little more than an hour before I was supposed to start). The area where I was directed to set up was a little more cramped (as far as personal work space), and I had to set up my TV in a direct path to and from the bathrooms. It was still workable, but it would be a distraction to the Singers as people would keep walking back and forth in front of them.

There was an older man (in his 60's) who was sitting at a table right in front of where I was set up. I know this person. He comes out to Karaoke shows 2 or 3 times a week, and he loves it. He likes to participate, but he really can't sing that good (he's really really bad). This person is the brunt of quite a few jokes about him in the other places he attends (but he is unaware of this). This is his one form of entertainment and enjoyment in his life.... basically, he doesn't really have anything else (and most of us who know him, know this as well). All of us (Regulars) who know him, always applaud loudly for him when he gets up to sing. In spite of some of the jokes made, we still cheer him on and encourage him to participate. Some of the songs that he sings are so old and obscure, nobody even recognizes them. One of the KJs has been encouraging him to sing more modern songs (for example: Barry Manilow stuff), and he has done so.

I finished setting up, and I was dripping from sweat. I went outside to cool down (since I had about 15 minutes before show time), and the Manager approached me. He told me that he didn't want "That Man" to sing. I was caught off guard with this, and was totally shocked. Here is what followed:

Me: I can't do that.
Mgr: I don't want him to sing now. He will drive the customers out.
Me: I can't tell him that he's not allowed to sing. He's been here since the beginning of the night.
Mgr: He can sing much later in the night, but not now.
Me: I can't discriminate against him like that. He even ordered food and drink, and he has paid his tab.
Mgr: I'll give him his money back.
Me. I won't tell him that he is not allowed to sing until later in the evening. This would reflect on my reputation as a KJ, and then people would not want to come to my shows.
Mgr: This is my place of business. You don't go telling me how to run my business. That's it! I don't want you doing this show.

Then the Manager walked over to the Bartender and instructed her to pay me for half the night. I then proceeded to break down my equipment. People started to ask me what was going on, and I told them that the Karaoke was canceled for the night. When they started to ask me why, I just told them that I had a disagreement with Management, and left it at that. The one thing that I am thankful for, is that the man in question believes the reason the show was canceled was because of the Biker crowd that was there.

After I got home, I called up the KJ who I was filling in for, and explained to him what happened. He was shocked too, and he said that he would have done the same thing. He said he was surprised that the Manager said something, because he never got any flack from him in the 3 weeks that he's been there. I asked him if the man described above had ever been to his show at this place before (he knows him too), and he said, "No.". But, this man has been to this venue in the past (when other KJs had worked there (so the Manager is familiar with him)). I told this KJ that I really felt bad about this, and he told me not to worry about it. He said that this is one of the things that he respects about me... that I will stick to my principles and run a good show. I told him that I hope I didn't get him fired from this gig, and he said that he will stop by and talk to the Manager later.

OK.... I'm done with my vent. Go ahead and chew me out for not listening to what the Manager wanted. Go ahead and tell me that this wasn't "My Show", and that I may have cost this KJ his gig there.

BUT.... if faced with the same situation in the future, I would do it again!

The only thing I might have done differently is to tell the manager that if he doesn't want someone to sing, then HE needs to be the one to tell them because I won't. Yes, it's happened to me before, too.
I just told the owner exactly that, and I let him know my policy of EVERYONE gets to sing.
Guess what the owner did in my situation?
Nothing!
When it came to him having to do it, there was no way he would. What he obviously wanted was for me to do his "dirty work" for him, which I absolutely will not do. I stood my ground and I am still at that venue. The owner has never asked that of me again.
Good for you cue!

Kudos to you Cueball!

_________________
Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

Sorry about your night Cue.

I would have looked that manager in the eye and told him he needs to go out there and tell his customer(whos spending $) why he could'nt sing that night.

I know I'm not in your shoes but I'm not sure if that would be enough to cause me to pack up and leave. It might just be "Breech of Contract" on my end.

The manager is the boss even when he/she is wrong. But if management wants to do karaoke, they need to embrace it, and that means the good, bad and whatever else.

Mojo

_________________
"It looks just like a Telefunken U47 !"

Same here

If they really had KJ's tell everyone that sang bad that they could not sing then who would get to sing? Everyone sounds bad to someone and that would leave no one to sing.
You did right.

I would have done the same thing. IT's for people like him that karaoke was intended for anyway. Good for you standing up for your principles.

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

I would have done the same thing, though if he was the type of bad singer who constantly chose 6-minute songs.....

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I didn't make the decision to pack up.... The Manager told me to (so there is no Breech of Contract on my part).

Just for the record, I have been faced with a situation between Management telling me what to do at "My Show," and me refusing to do so (I wrote about that here several years ago). The Management wanted me to break at Midnight to do about 30 minutes of just dance music. I told them that as long as I had people there waiting to sing, I would not do that. Then they tried to get me to compromise by telling me to do a 15 minute break (about 4 songs), and I still refused. I had rotations of about 15 to 20 people, and I was not going to make them wait just because I was told to play a dance set. The show is being advertised as Karaoke, not Karaoke and DJ. I then told all of the Managers (there were 3 of them at this place), that I only did this as a hobby, and I was not dependent on the money as a major source of income. I then said that if they wanted to hire another KJ in my place, I would have no hard feelings about that. They kept me on for another 2 months, and then hired someone else. It happened to be some KJ that I had filling in for me for a 3 month period until my work schedule allowed me to return.... they liked this KJ couple and decided to keep them (of which they (the KJ couple) never had the courtesy to call me up and tell me that they were offered my job there).

The thought did cross my mind, but the only thing that stopped me from saying that was, I didn't want this person to be publicly humiliated, insulted, and crushed. Believe me, if you knew this particular guy, you would feel the same. He truly believes that he can sing (and great at that).

Cue,

That totally sucks. It's lucky that you got anything moneywise for your effort of setting up. The manager sounds like a real piece of work. That is a horrible way to run a business. Good job on sticking to your guns, you no doubt did the right thing!

MrD

_________________
[highlight=midnightblue]MrD - KJ/DJ Specialist
Visit MrD on facebook - mrdsentertainment
& on myspace - larrynance[/highlight]

Nah.... he doesn't sing long songs at all.... Maybe 3 to 4 minute songs at best.

Then he owes you for the entire wage agreed upon.

Mojo

_________________
"It looks just like a Telefunken U47 !"

Well... I got some good news out of this. I didn't cause the KJ his gig. He just called me a few minutes ago and informed me that he spoke with the Manager (he said that he was also surprised to still see him there that late last night). The KJ informed me that, based on the crowd that was there, it was a loud and rowdy crowd. He said that it would not have been a good crowd for Karaoke anyway. He also apologized to me for what I went through, and assured me that he still has the show there.

I'm happy with the $100 that I got for doing nothing (except setting up and tearing down). As for pushing that point, even if I had thought about that, I wouldn't have done it, because then it really (possibly) would have jeopardized the KJ's future there (after all, I was a fill-in).

EXACTLY. Like he said, it's his place of business. Don't want someone to sing? YOU go tell him Mr. Manager.

That's pretty much how I told him, too!

Thank god I have never been put in that position. We all have had bad singers, but in reality the bad singers are par of the Karaoke experience.That is part of what makes it Fun.

You did exactly what i would have done. If management doesn't want him to sing, then it is his responsibility to let the patron know, not yours. What do you think he would do if there were some really good singers that were to come in and spend a lot of money in his place and said they were going someplace else to sing unless the the manager made the "bikers" leave. I will bet you that if one of them (the bikers) got up to sing and he was really bad the manager wouldn't have a problem with it. I don't know of any venue where people left because of a bad singer. It is sad that venues don't embrace karaoke as a true moneymaker it can be.

_________________
No venue to big or too small. From your den to the local club or event, we have the music most requested. Great sounding system!

Hell, you got my gears going Cueball. Find a bunch of bad singers who want free stuff and visit that place on karaoke night. Let the manager give everyone free food and drink not to sing till he goes out of business.

I disagree with your refusal to play 4 or 5 dance tunes at the managements request, especially if you've already had two hours or more of continuous karaoke.. but i'm the kind of entertainer that plays to the room.

As for the management saying, "That dude isn't allowed to sing!" i'd have told the manager that everybody gets to sing at my show that wants to. If he doesn't like it, then he can pay me for the entire night in cash right now, and i'll pack my stuff and go.

Now with that said.. I know singers like the one in question.. people who love to do karaoke, but just absolutely suck. They not only suck at singing, but also have no sense of timing.. they sound like they've never even heard the song before.

People like that like to write 14 songs on the back of a single request slip, and in many shows, that means they end up singing A LOT, particularly early on when there aren't many other singers.

So yeah.. I can see managements point if you've only got 4 singers in the place, and one guy has 14 songs in to everyone elses 1 or 2.

Most people can tolerate a super awful singer say once an hour or so.. but when the guy is up several times in an hour.. no way.. it will run people out of the club.