Karaoke Forums

It was noted in another thread ("'Star' of the Show"), and has also been alluded to from time to time in this forum about having written show rules, (often bound into the song catalog).

Well, in fact, many people never read those rules (they don't notice them in the catalog, they don't care to read them, they don't use the catalog).  Also, I often make announcements throught the evening about timely information that would not be permanently bound into a song catalog.  For example, I make up separate song sheets during the holidays for seasonal songs.

Regardless of what I try, there always seem to be people in attendance who never hear the announcements (it was too noisy, they couldn't understand what was being said over the mic, they weren't really paying attention, they simply weren't around when the information was disseminated

Any suggestions on how to maximize the awareness of the audience to not only the rules but to the current announcements about timely information?

The best place to place the Rules notice is the washroom. It is well lighted and people can read them, but most of all they have the time to read them. This is not a joke, this is real.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

I make posters that are laminated just to keep them looking good and the first place i tell the bar owners to put them is the restrooms.  Everybody goes to the restroom.


Exactly what rules doesn't everyone get?

My rules are in the front of every song book.  6 pages of florescent paper about the rotation, mircophone things to do and not do.     Have fun.    About the vocal effects.   About abusing my equipment and the trip you "will" make to the magistrate.    :O  :yes:

I put mine on screen before the show... I have a series of them made. For a lot of newbies, I'll enqueue them during the show. They're only on the screen for fifteen seconds... and yes, on the big screen, people WILL watch them. I'll put funny ones inbetween them, have singers screens, NEXT singer is, etc... so my customers got trained to watch the screen.

There are rules bound into my song catalog. I do not use flourescent paper but I don't really think that will make a difference.  

In the post I presented on the "Star" of the show, I indicated that a regular at my show had been coming up to sing out of turn and uninvited.  My rules comprise two pages.  On the first page, rule seven:  "Do not approach the microphone until it is your turn to sing and do not come up to the mic to join in with other singers when ou have not been invited to do so"

Case in point regarding this thread, the above noted offender sings the same songs every week (as does many others) and I don't think he ever looks at the catalogs!  And please not that he, like too many others, would ask me if I have a particular song.

As everyone of you have surely done, I've committed my entire catalog to memory (lol)!  I only bring along the song catalog with me so that people will be able to find the rules (lol).  That said, having the rules in the catalog is obvioulsy not sufficient.  I'm not sure if postiing such things in a washroom that is used six other days of the week by people not interested in Karaoke will be anymore beneficial?

Again, is there any type of announcement, or anything else, that someone on the forum uses that might work to get people's attention about whatever the "important" info is at the moment?

Grab the offender and open your book to the page about not helping people sing and show him the rule.    That show take care of it unless he's an idiot.  

In which case  :whistle:


I wouldn't put them in the restrooms.   Color makes a presentation stand out.   If it's on white paper it looks just as boring as everthing else.


If all the lights were the same color at the traffic light, how would you know what to do?

That sounds like a great idea!  Do you use the hosting program for those screens or is it something you did?

The 1st rule of hosting karaoke in a bar is ...no matter how you convey your rules and messages - NEON flashing signs  / flyers  / sheets in books.

The more people drink
#1) They either forget the rules
#2) Remember but could care less
#3) The late in the evening the more of the idiots come out

I don't use a hosting program, but rather, winamp as my player. I can enqueue stuff to play, so when one finishes, the next begins.

These could be enqueued also in a hoster player!

When I make these, they're made initially as .bin files, and I use mp3toolz to convert them to mp3+g files... so any karaoke hosting program will recognize them!

Knightshow

Great idea, IMHO.  Announcements haven't worked; written rules haven't worked
But just about everyone checks out the screen from time to time

I'm going to give it a try.  I'll going to use Powerpoint with attention-getting music; I'll even try adding a recorded message

What rules aren't your singers capable of understanding?

Their actions are almost always a direct response to the way you run your show.

Hmmm?

If it barks like a dog

Smells like a dog

Has fleas like a dog

Hmmm?

I can't imagine what the reason might be but I have NEVER had to try to enforce any rules.  Could be that I host only at higher class places ... but even at the taverns I've hosted at, I've been able to keep trouble makers at bay (for example, one place had a piano on the stage and a drunk came up one night to sing, then sat down to pound on the it - I announced loudly over the mic that the bar charged $30/hour to use the piano and did he want to pay me now or later? You should have seen him jump and get off the stage!).  I have a feeling my being able to get away without 'rules' has to do with our followers - they're a very respectful and respectable group of people who would probably tell someone new to the show the rules if they thought that a rule was being broken.  I think the less attention that is garnered by the trouble makers, the less the chance that they'll make a fuss.

If I had to, I'd probably just announce a rule when there was an infraction. If someone even looks like they're going to swing a mic, I ask for their $100 deposit to use it - amazing how quickly they abort their Mick Jagger impression.  

As I've said before, I have an "angry mother" face that SERIOUSLY WORKS! Never have had to say anything twice or loudly.  

Guess I'm lucky that I don't have to be a kindergarten teacher/karaoke host, and just maybe the singers in my area are just more seasoned and figure rules they've read someplace else are universal?

K

I regress to my last statement about how you run your show and what you allow to go on.   That is how they will act and it will snowball the longer it goes on.    

I have heard about karaoke nights that had people throwing things at the singers and calling them names.  That only goes on when the KJ and the bar owner allow it.   I wouldn't work for any bar owner that thinks it's funny to behave like that.  I have standards that i'm not going to let some idiot dictate to me about how my show will look or sound.   Singers that get objects thrown at them or ridiculed while singing won't be back and they will spread the "good" word about you and the bar.

I say if the rules are constantly being broken, look in the mirror.    It's you and or the bar owner allowing it or you are playing to a room full of idiots that don't care or have respect for anything or anybody.   You have to be the one to stop the bad behavior.  Or you stand a good chance of losing your job, because nobody will want to be there.

I'm all in favor of singers having a good time.

I am not in favor of singers that want to act like total jerks and involve innocent people in the audience.     Irresponsible people really bother me.  I don't want to tolerate them or be forced to babysit them.   Fun is one thing but getting out of hand is another.    It doesn't take but 1, acting like a nut without something being said about it before others start to think they should be acting goofy too.   Especially after adding alcohol.   Troublemakers need to either be told to leave or made to settle down.    If they can't get with the program, then they can get out the door.

Fun is fun.   Crossing the "fun" line and the show will suffer.   I don't want to be around someone that is getting out of control.  Most people feel the same way.    They will leave in a heartbeat if they think there will be trouble.     If the bar gets that reputation and you are the KJ...it rolls downhill.

There are only a few things that can be said about a KJ.

1.  Boy they are really good.  Fun time.
2.  Yeah, they are So-so.
3.  Nothing but trouble.  Let's things get out of control.

ericlater,
 Just a quick question.... does that dog have to be a "BIG DOG" to have fleas, or does his little sidewinder carry them for him.....

                              Donny "B"    8)



BTW: Don't know why sidewinder comments on these topics. He doesn't DJ/KJ or have any venues. His mis-guided opinions and erroneous information, plus the "hostile attitude" and "sub par aptitude" are becoming alarmingly distressing

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It's a wonderful life!!

Eric, and all.

We all know there are many KJs that will do anything to get work.  Mostly they don't work because they are idiots, they have cheesy systems, no selection and play favorites.   And countless other things that the good KJs don't allow.

In order to work they will take anyone they can get so they get paid, even their minimum amount.  These are the shows that have no rules.   You can swear, abuse equipment and insult singers and whatever else they can think of.   These KJs breed the singers we dislike.    Because they have no show boundries.

In turn the bad (action wise) singers show up at our gigs and think they can act as they do at their regular no holds barred karaoke.

Control of these people must be immediate.   You will only have the kind of singers you allow.    If you run a controlled show, then you will have controlled singers.

I would rather the no rules guys leave, than think they are going to take control.  I don't need them or want them.  No matter their age.   That should be your attitude about them.  They can ruin your show.     And they will if you let them.    I'm actually happy to see them leave.   You know they will be going back to the KJ that created them.    Good for my show, bad for theirs.

Tell them the rules, show them the rules.  If they insist on not following them..    Tell them they are done singing.    Have the owner/bouncer show them out.   Before they chase away the decent people.   Let the bar owner know that they could be chasing away good business and damaging your equipment.   Make your case and stick to it.   The last thing you want to do is to cater to them.

It's interesting how "Side" is harping on having "rules" as if he's the only one amongst us that has them.  Then he notes the possible need to put the "rules" in the faces of those who break them.  I wonder how dare anyone break the rules, even if he/she is "drunk out of their minds"?

Furthermore, he then lauds Karen for how she handles her show, yet Karen admits she has no "rules"!  However, Karen also spoke of several examples of inappropriate behavior that she has encountered and how she ably handled them without having any "rules".

What exactly is "Side" trying to tell us?  Hmm?  Can anyone explain it to me?

You started the thread about people not obeying "your" rules.  Now do you have a problem or not?

I offered suggestions on how i handle the problem.   If you don't like them, continue having a problem at your shows.  I don't have them at mine because of what i have told you and others how i do it.

Drunk and out of their mind is all the more reason to enforce them.

1 month ago i had a drunk out of his mind singer.  He flipped my microphone in the air and it hit the floor.   I went right over and picked up the microphone and told him point blank.  "You're done"   He's bigger than me.   At that point i don't care if he's KING KONG.     He's not touching my stuff ever again.  I don't care if he comes back in sober.  He's DONE.    The bouncer threw him out after that anyway.   He will never sing on my system again.  I don't care if he spends $1000 a week in that bar.  If the bar owner doesn't like it he can get himself another boy.   I have rules and i enforce them.  Not any drunk, not any bar owner.  ME.

I beg your pardon, Side.  I believe this is what I asked!!!



If you'd stick to the question, as Knight & Jian did, your thoughts might prove beneficial!