Karaoke Forums

Most bars now use the bar area for the smoking section and keep the regular dining area for non smoking.  So the bar seating is at a bigger premium.  Less places to sit.  

Anyway, some tables must be moved for me to set up.  The staff is supposed to tell the people that sit at these tables that they must move at 9 oclock for karaoke.  Well it seems that there is always some hard head that doesn't want to move.  Just being jerks or maybe trying to get money knocked off their bill or free drinks.

Someone even called the corporate office (It's a franchise) and complained because they were asked to move. That's really being a jerk.

If it was my bar, the first time i'll ask you nice. < That's all it should take for any normal person.>

The second time i may again ask you nicely. < Tells me that they may not be normal people.  >

The third time i'm bringing in the goons and you will move one way or another, you pick. < You'll be treated like the jerks you are.>


Also tonight, there is a dart board near the door i come in. There always seems to be someone shooting.  Well they never seem to want to move out of my way either.  Some muscle guy wanted to stand in my way so i would have to bump into him everytime i came in.  It got confrontational tonight.  He said can't you say excuse me?  I said can't you see i'm coming in?  

Later he tells me that he can't stand having someone tell him what to do.  Well go home and take your medication and leave the normal people alone, jerk.

Just what people with issues need, alcohol.

There is no reason for people to act like jerks. Or is there something i have missed?


Do any of you have people (jerks) like this?

that's why I used to go in an hour earlier to help move tables, etc.

Yep, mostly the club staff will take care of any problems, even before they actually develop, they are good at seeing potential problems brewing before it is apparent to most others. I agree with knightshow (again ) and go in early to make sure everthing is ready for an on time start.

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

People are obtuse.  How many times do you go in with a dolly full of equipment and people are standing in your way yakking.  They see you, yet won't get out of the way.  I see this all the time whether it is karaoke, a band, the beer guy, movers, etc, trying to get their work done.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

I don't know why anyone expects people under the influence to act in a sane and sober manner. Alcohol and drugs work on the judgment center of the brain and you are going to get people doing things they wouldn't dream of doing sober.

My pet peeve is like Tim above -- people who congregate in the traffic pattern and then don't move smartly out of the way when people try to get through. I want to say to them, "were you born a jerk or did your mother train you to be one?"

I have an idea  :D

What if you purchased some small plastic stand ups like bars use to advertise specials or to reserve tables. Have it say something like " These tables will be relocated when entertainment is present. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Those darn dart boards. I used to have to compete with one of those also. Luckily enough the bar owner got rid of the one that was by the door and in competition with people trying to get to the stage. I'll never understand why any bar would put a dart board by a doorway.

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

You missed the problem.  The limited smoker seating means they want use the tables as long as possible.  So they tell everyone that at 9 they have to move.  I don't start until 10.  Hard heads want to challenge everything.  I could get there at 6 but they are using the tables till 9.

I told the bar owner to close the dart board but he thinks he will lose a dollar.  The dart throwers aren't usually karaoke singers anyway.  So who cares if they can't throw.  The singers and people that like karaoke are the ones that will bring in the money tonight.  Not 3 trouble making dart throwers.

The guy guving me trouble moved to be in my way on purpose, so i would bump into him.  Beer muscles and limited brain capacity.  Probably throws rocks at cripples and retards for fun.

They use to put reserved at 9 table tents on those tables, but i haven't seen them lately.

How much of the bar income can you count on from the dart board?   There will never be as much money being spent on darts, as on the karaoke.   There aren't 25 dart throwers in the rotation.  Probably won't be 25 all week.   That dart board is just another possible trouble spot.  A place to start a fight over.

It really shouldn't be your problem, if the bar hired you to do karaoke and then refuses to help out with these problems I would show up and be ready to set up and get started only WHEN the bar staff make it possible for you, otherwise sit back and have a beer knowing you are still getting paid. It is ultimately the bar owner/managers decision whether the dart crowd is more important than the karaoke crowd. I know at the club I work at, if there is a big game on then my karaoke start may or may not be delayed....it all depends on the crowd that is present and spending money....knowing it will shortly turn into a majority karaoke crowd, so I get paid the 4 hour rate for 3 hours, no problem with me.

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

Do any of you guys use contracts?  Every bar I play has to sign a written agreement.  Which guarentees payment and accomodations.  It also makes sure that they take care of people who may damage me or my equipment (They are responsible for damages.)  If the set-up area isn't ready for me when I get there, I sit down and have a beer and wait.  I started one show two hours late once because their dinner crowd was more important than karaoke, apparently.  When he wanted a reduction in fees, I pointed out the contract he signed, which doesn't allow for a reduction of fees if my tables weren't ready for me to set up.   He usually gets four hours for $200.  He paid me $200 for two hours and it NEVER happened again.

Exactly what I'm talking about. Yes, it is the owners call as to what he feels at the particular moment in time is more important to him, and I fully understand if the dinner crowd (busier than normal) or the big sports game crowd (bigger than normal) is more important to him than starting karaoke on time, it is his establishment.
Reduction in fee isn't and should never be an issue and he should (and in my case, does) understand that.
The club eventually turns into an all karaoke crowd, within the first hour. If we are delayed, we start when we can and have a ball and life goes on.

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

I have to disagree with you about putting the other "priorities" ahead of karaoke.  The big game or extra dinner crowd is a once in a while thing.  The karaoke people are regulars at a regular event. So how should you treat regular paying customers?  Tell them they have to wait?  I understand you are going to get your full money, but what the bar owner doesn't realize, is how he could be putting his regular income at risk.

By ignoring the reason they are regulars customers.  That's the karaoke.   Last night the big game was on.  I had a guy that's normally not a regular, ask what time i was starting.  I said 9:30 (My normal time) he said the game better be over.  I again said around 9:30.  Now the owner wasn't there to say anything either way.  The place is filling up with regular singers.  At halftime which was almost 9:45, i turned down the TV volume and started karaoke.  You gotta love the 8 PM start time, it makes half-time just about perfect.    I fully expected there to be some commotion about it.  I sang "Amie" a mellow sing-along type song as to not be too offensive to the displaced football crowd.  The next singer was a girl with a monster boyfriend, so i had that covered too.

The hard-core football people eventually got up and left.  Some stayed and had a good time.

It's a so-called sports bar, but karaoke brings in the majority of the money.  Not the hit & miss semi to non-regular sports fanatics.  

How many times would you go somewhere for something and keep being told you will have to wait an hour or two.  My guess is not too many times.  I wouldn't.  And why should i?  So while you're sitting back downing a brewsky, thinking i'm going to make full money, who cares, the regular crowd that you have worked long and hard to build is going on down the road to a place that has more respect for the regular income providers. In the long run it makes you look bad.

"She never starts her karaoke on time."  " We always have to wait for the game to end."  You're taking a hit for the bar owner.   It's not fair to you.  It's not fair to the regular karaoke singers.  They actually pay your wage.  Not the bar owner.

And you have a contract that gets you full money, but does it cover compensation for the bar owner killing your business in the process?  So he can satisfy Joe once-in-a-while?

We battle the Monday night f/b crowd - only because they like to push their tables into the area where we set up. The dart players are actually pretty cool but are NOT in our area, more off to the side; however, we did get rid of the pool league - their constant whining about the volume of the music finally got the bartender to tell the owner that in view of the fact that they only drank water, never ate, and really didn't have much of an impact on the Monday night revenue, and he discontinued Monday night dart leagues. Funny, tables still stay busy with (drinking) people who enjoy hearing the singing and playing pool. It's a bottom line thing.

Everyone laughs when we walk in because the first thing I do is clear the front area of tables. I tell them it's just a nervous habit, moving furniture wherever I go. Usually people are pretty understanding. First time I bump them with a piece of equipment, for those who aren't so obliging, gets them to move.  Too bad we have to do that. They can be SOOOOOOOOO ignorant.

Oh, and hold the door open when they see me struggling to hold on to something and open the door?  HA.  Some guys are really nice but the majority just watch...

k

Yeah, they usually stand right in the way, so they have a real good view of your struggle to get past the rest of the idiots that are in the way.  LMAO

Why does alcohol turn people into ignorant jerks?  Or were they ignorant jerks before the drinking started?

If you think about the how much room it takes to play a game of pool and all of the sticks flying around all night, it makes me nervous.  Balls flying off the table, yelling if they make or miss a shot.  The noise from darts and pool can be a real distraction to anybody singing or trying to listen.

I used to have a gig where I had to move the pool table. if there was a big group playing we would have to wait till they finished. we would just move in our gear and when they asked we would tell them we would be setting up after they finished. if we kicked them off the table they would leave. the bar owner did not want them to leave so we had to wait. I tell people when I arrange a show that the pay is BASED on a 4 hour show. it we have a bunch of singers still when its time to quit we keep going, and dont up the pay. if our start is delayed by any of these type of reasons we may or may not be able to play late, but we still expect full pay.

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

I guess I didn't explain completely, yes you are correct, it is a once in a while occurence, but it does happen and it is the owners call, not mine. He bases his call on the crowd...if the dinner crowd is larger than normal and makes up 95% of the bar crowd (dinning-room is full and has overflowed into the bar (after all this is a supper club and that is where the money is)) and the bar/karaoke crowd accounts for 5%  he will wait until some of the dinner crowd finishes before wanting me to start karaoke but needless to say the dinner crowd is replaced by the karaoke crowd in short order. When it comes to the "big game" there again if the crowd in the bar is 90% sports game watchers and 10% bar/karaoke crowd I will start karaoke but leave the game on (with no volume) on the big screen for a short while...here again the sports game crowd is replaced by the karaoke crowd in short order. If there is still a mix of sports game fans and karaoke singers we will leave the game on 2 of the smaller tvs and run karaoke on the big screen and the other tvs. It is only 1 or 2 times a year that a sports game actually causes the owner to not want to start karaoke on time.

 
Not sure exactly what you meant here, the sports crowd are also regulars as are the karaoke singers, but I will say this -  the owner of the club I am at "knows where and when his bread is buttered" and makes his decisions based on the crowd/spending at the time, decisions which can be changed again in 10-15 minutes...crowds can change fast.(and crowds change like clockwork at this club-karaoke start time is 9pm and I can guarantee you that by 9:30 it is an all karaoke crowd-no more dinner crowd, maybe a few sports enthusiasts and there is always 1 tv behind the bar left on for them.


Business is great!  This club is a well known supperclub and karaoke hotspot in this area and that doesn't happen without good management (and of course a good KJ )

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

Is the owner present when any of this is going on? I would explain once again the headache this is causing you and request he be there to see it first hand. Maybe when he has to deal with the problem first hand he'll be more sympathetic.

When people complain they have to move for karaoke I would simply tell them it is not your call that they need to talk to management or the owner if they have a problem with it.

It does sound like part of the problem is the owner is not backing you.

As far as the dart board - I'm assuming they can't move it to another area. Is it the same person playing darts everytime you come in? If this person is such a headache to you the bar should be doing something about it !

I'm just trying to think of ways to help you. I could be way off base not completely understanding your circumstances.

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

I like it when the owner isn't there.  He gets smashed and comes up every 5 minutes to request a song for his group to sing. No slips, no numbers, no names just play this song. He is a nightmare.   But he loves me being there.

I can't believe that the Saturday guy just called today and said since the big game is on Saturday he wants to start karaoke after the game ends around 11ish.  Please kill me and don't let me suffer anymore....aaaaggghhhh

The karaoke people were flipping out last week, they will go crazy this week.  I highly doubt if they are going to wait around 2 1/2 hours or more to sing.  Anyone want to fill in for me?????  You can have all the money.

Our bar owner used to wait until after the games to start Karaoke and was loosing a ton of business.  The staff talked to him in our monthly meeting and explained to him that he owned a KARAOKE BAR not a Sports bar and that the game could be watched without sound while the regular patrons sing.  He changed it right after that meeting.

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Will sing or fish for food!!I'm not quite right!!

I have started late for a game or two. I don't care the pays the same. It really doesn't happen anymore because most people are there for karaoke and like Isis said they can turn off the volume on the tvs and still watch the game.

It is understandable if it is an important game. I live in Chicago. If the Chicago Bulls, White sox or Bears are in a championship game I want to watch it too.  LMAO

It would be rediculious to put off karaoke for a normal season game though.

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

Drunks are defiant by nature.  I need two tables cleared before I start setting up, and I never ask people to move.  I always leave that chore to the bar staff.  They're pretty good about it.  The dart board sits directly behind me so sometimes I have to wait for a game to finish, but it hasn't been too bad.

The issues I have most is with the pool players.  The area has a nine ball league that shoots on Wednesdays and they don't finish before I start.  What I'll do is get all set up and let them finish before I start breaking eardrums (unless they're slow and take too long).  I've had two pool players in the last month as me to turn off my lights 'because they bounce of the tables'.  I tell them each time that Wednesdays are karaoke nights and whether I shut them off for 15 minutes isn't going to have a bearing on the outcome of their results.  All players have the same disadvantage, so freaking get over it.  I once didn't start my show before they finished (about 10:30) because the bartender unplugged one of my lights to keep the peace.  She hasn't done that since.  

Drunks who come to a bar to play darts, pool or sing karaoke carry with them feelings of entitlement.  Pool players are not entitled to (@$%&#!) on karaoke nights.  I mean I could understand if they were good, or playing for some big money, but I've never ever seen a basketball player ask security to make people sit down and shut up while they were attempting free throws.  And these pool players suck anyways, what's turning off the lights going to do for their game.