Karaoke Forums

Hi there, Ive been working for a pub doing karaoke and I've been offered 2nights a week there but some other lady has offered me 4nights a week. So how would i go about turning that place im at now, Down? The day's at the new place cover the days at the place im working at now. I just dunno how to say im not going to be doing karaoke for your pub anymore as ive been offered more days from the some pub and i can leave my equipment there so all i have to do is turn up and play. How should I say it without being rude.

My take home would be £360 a week. where as if i stayed that the pub im at now id be doing 2 nights and only getting £180 a week.

Please Help Guys

Thanks in advance.

It's like any other change in jobs -- it's going to be uncomfortable. I would see if you could find them some possible alternatives, so you can tell them that you got a job working more nights, but so and so is available and runs a show similar to mine....

Also, give them some time to replace you before you quit. It's not nice to just leave them without notice, and word will get around. Bar owners talk. Be gracious.

Birdofsong

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Birdofsong

If I did the math correctly, the per night is the same?
Would it be possible to do two nights at each venue, leaving some equiptment at one or both places?
This would be temporary, until you see if things are going to work out in the new place. Keeping one foot in each door, unless the new place is a sure thing, or you really want out of the current gig.....good luck, greg

In my book, loyalty counts for something.

If a venue has been treating me right, and paying me regularly for two years straight, i'd have a hard time telling them, "Hey.. I quit. I found someone else to pay me 4 nights a week!"

First off, and I don't know your regional conditions, but 4 nights a week in the same venue can be tough to pull off long term.

Sure, there are places that can make it happen, but it's a very specific kind of crowd.. and in most places, at least here in the U.S., it's not real sustainable.

So my fear would be you jump ship to the 4 night a week gig and within 6 months you're cut back to 2 nights.. or maybe even dropped all together.

My advice would be to keep the two nights you've been playing for the last two years, and see about just picking up the two additional nights at the new venue, and see how it goes.

Maybe it's time to expand your business and ad another KJ.

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KNOW THYSELF

That's all really good advice. I say that you should talk to the owner and put it all out on the table. Try and work out 2 nights at the first place and take only 2 at the 2nd place. Like someone mentioned, if it is a new show, it may not work out. And, have you done your homework? What kind of equipment do they use? How many songs? How is the staff and the drinks/prices at the new place?

You definitely don't want to burn any bridges in this biz, cause I agree with the statement that bar owners talk. And they are a strange bunch anyways that hold grudges.

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

You've been given some very good advice here. If it were me, I'd try to do 2 nights at each place as already suggested. In the long run, if you go to the new place for 4 nights per week, you'll be doing a big disservice to your original pub!

Many years ago, I had a club where I did karaoke 3 nights a week, and DJ'ed1 night. Speaking from experience, doing total of 4 nights in 1 club might sound great, but believe me, no matter how good you, or your show might be, you will get "old" to the regulars real quick! After a while the regulars stop coming, and business will slow because people feel like it's always the same thing.

Best to spread yourself as much as possible.

I'll have to agree with most said here.
Don't burn your bridges what happens if you give notice and move to the other place and it fails and the owner says "We can't do this anymore" and the old place has already replaced you.

I would try and do both clubs even if it means moving the equipment. Most of us KJ's set up and tear down every night.

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I like everyone when I first meet them. If you don't like me that's not my problem it's YOURS!
A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet

I would simply tell the new club that 4 nights is difficult to sustain HOWEVER, if they go with 2 then you have a possibility of bringing in some of your loyal followers from the other place. 2 great nights is far better than 4 so-so nights.

Not sure what you mean Troy, OP stated they have their own equipment.

As said, lots of good advice. Owners are fickle. I went through this same thing a couple years ago. Did one night at each, the new wanted me to do two nights (and give up the night I had at the original bar) and the original bar told me if I work at bar #2, he didn't want me anymore. Then bar #2 couldn't make their balloon payment and went belly under. A month later bar #1 let me go. It was "business" but there was personal issues there for sure!

If it were me, I would try the two at each, let each owner know what you want to try, hopefully it will work out for you.

As far as having two many nights a week at one place,,,?? Seems to work for Lonnie.

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

I think that that may be an exception, rather than a rule. They are strictly a karaoke bar, and I believe and they have the population in the area to support it. Most places aren't like that. I know in my area, the most any one bar could go was 3 nights a week and even then, it barely worked.

I like the 2 and 2 idea. Like mentioned 4 nights may get stale at the new place and you could get dropped to where you're at now, just 2 nights. Be honest with your current pub and see where it goes from there. I do think it was a great idea that if you leave, to find a possible replacement if you like that place that much. It'll definitely make you look better should you choose to leave.

Perhaps it is an exception. But take it to the other extreme, people like to be comfortable and cringe instinctively at change. If the watering hole you hang out at started playing polka on Saturdays, jazz on Fridays, blues on Monday, folk on Tuesdays, reggae on Wednesdays, spanish on Thursdays and then changed it up twice a month, they wouldn't have much of a following. People like to know what to expect and if you have karaoke every night, everyone knows this.
Of course this (karaoke every night) isn't going to work in a town of about 6,000 or less. But if the population is say 30,000 or more, everyone knows where to go on any given night and they will bring others, some of the others become hooked and now you have a strong business going. However, you would have to be committed to this in the long run, it's not something that would be successful overnight.

Also of course, it would depend on the quality of the show, yada yada.

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

It takes work to do multiple nights - let alone 7. However, we didn't start off successful when we went 7 nights, the weekends were the main nights, it took over a year before we started to see a turnaround (coincidently that was about the same time they enforced the no profanity/swearing on stage rule) to where the weeknights started showing steadyness. After that we started getting 'singers' that spent money, not just drunken screamers that couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. Started letting people know we would get the songs they actually ask for (back then that was a HUGE service, today it's just eh - unless you have absolutely nothing people want to begin with) which brought them back. Had big style sound (over 3000 watts & 18"subs) from day one so it sounded like band volume and thump. And we were dedicated to karaoke only - no dance breaks, if there were no singers the host would sing - take requests from people, or we'd just throw in a karaoke disc & push play while working the crowd to find someone to sing - this was when I used wireless mics, so we'd walk out in the crowd with it getting people to sing lines. We also have a stage with lights & dance floor neither of which are in the way of the other bar activities (ie darts, video games, etc.).
Today we don't pack the house every night but it's steady now days, the singers usually bring in friends, and we get alot of people that come in now just to watch the singers because they CAN sing most nights. Our slower nights usually avg 10-15 singers and steady busy nights usually avg 20-30.

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That's a lot of power! Ii'm bring about 2000 every night, don't need it all but comes in handy outdoors.

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

You could let your current bar know that so and so is starting karaoke. He could get the jump on them by adding another of your shows. Loyalty at the least.

What happens if you lose both gigs and are you okay with that result? Is this your only source of income or is the decision driven by greed? If it's a matter of survival, I say take the new gig and try to get someone to cover the old one for you. If it's greed, just stick with what you have until you're big enough to cover both. In my city, venues usually turn over a few KJ's before they find me or the other big players in town. You might get another chance down the road. It's a risk, just like buying your first set of equipment and setting out on your own. When I'm working, my main concern is that I'm okay even if I lost everything tomorrow. I am, and the worst case scenario is that I might have to get another "real job" until another venue calls. That's the way it works when I'm depending on a bar owner.