Karaoke Forums

I started doing karaoke to have a secondary income.

My goal was to match my first income.    Maybe i have bigger ambitions than most.

Because i surpassed my first income.   Pretty stupid...


If i wanted to learn how to fly an airplane, i would go to a pilot that flys on a regular basis, not a guy that flys once a month but reads a lot of flight manuals.

If I wanted to converse with a blowhard, I'd look for someone who does it all the time, not just on occasion.  I'd look for someone who goes from forum to forum spouting off the same opinionated, often exaggerated judgments.  I mean if I really wanted to converse with a blowhard, I will leave no stone unturned to do so.

Fortunately, I'm smarter than that.  I have a very limited interest in what a blowhard has to say.   Though I must honestly say that I just can't wait until we return to the subject of EQ'ing a room.  Gosh that was such a blast!

I also feel compelled to share with everyone just how disappointed I am that tomorrow night I have to do a private party instead of going to some public venue, with a stupid owner, not enough bouncers, and people who open up the rings on my songs books.  Oh, wait a minute, my books are spiral bound!  What was I thinking?

I'm getting a chill from all of the hot air blowing around

Answer this.   We know why good shows draw a crowd.

Why do so many continue to go to the worst karaoke shows around?

I know the favorites get special rotation privileges.   I know the systems aren't good.  I know the song books are small.    I know the KJs are jerks.

What's the repeat attraction to a bad show?

Because you can sing more because there are less singers?

Because there is less talent, you are the star?

Because you get to sing more because you are a regular?

You like being treated like a jerk by a jerk?

Enlighten me please.

That last question posed by SW is an excellent one.  For those of us who have been to karaoke shows that we find less attractive than other shows around, some of SW's reasons maybe "just the ticket" as to why there are people in attendance?  And for folks attending such a show, SW's reasons may actually be justification enough for some to consider such a show to be a good one (to frequent)!!!

On the other hand, I have been to well-attended shows where I found much to be lacking.  So there must be more going on than even suggested by SW.  I have actually given this question a lot of thought.  My conclusion is that many people who frequent a praticular show, good or bad, do so because they like (some of) the people in attendance (singers and non-singers), and/or they like the singing of those in attendance.  Also, IMHO, comradarie may in fact "trump" everything else as to why folks go to one show vs another?

Most here are still locked in the notion the attraction should be mainly for singers. Our format drives away drunk singers and those that ruin it for everybody. Our crowd singer ratio is 10/1. The crowd is a bunch of partying get with it hey hey hey. We oftentimes have small birthday parties. and whether they are singers or not they get their moment of recognition. My pay raises come from how many people are in the bar spending not how many singers I have or whether or not they are drinking.

When we go in to setup there are maybe 10-20 people in the bar I dont even think they have happy hour. At this time it is dinner crowd. At 8:30 we have 100 people (yes we till at $1500-$2500 in a bar that seats maybe 90) The crowd might thin out at times but in 30 min is packed again. While we provide the only night that it is that way karaoke is just the main attraction but it has to be co-ordinated with other promos. The other night we had the Yaeger gals in. It takes a team effort from mngr staff security and the KJ/DJ's. An attitude (bar owners are dumb etc) or trepidations about things that should be discussed with mngr and staff beforehand and on a constant basis do not draw crowds.

If you have the best system and host then you are ahead of everybody else.  But at this point all the minor karaoke rules and traditions are mute. There is more to being a good host than all the things argued about here.  This is how you attract crowds.  I will shout now.

KARAOKE IS A BUSINESS NOT A RELIGION!!!! Any business caters to the customers and provides what they want If they want apples then you go find the best apples and you stock up.And you sell apples until the cows come home Or until demand wanes and then you must be ware of what trends or demands are on the horizon. Trends and businesses  in this day and age are constantly changing, it's not like it was years ago.

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For me it's singing on a decent system and a dj/kj that can keep the party alive and going.

Karaoke crowds tend to become very friendly easily.   Karaoke being the common denominator.    So that could help a lot.

I can understand going, if the KJ is going to grant you special singing privileges.

I know of a KJ that paid for a girls drinks all night because she was a good singer (his Ringer) and he wanted her there every night.   She has since admitted that his system wasn't that good.

How many singers of "talent" continually go to karaoke shows that have bad sounding systems?   Why?    If sounding good matters to you.

My shows sometimes suffer because there are so many singers in line you can't sing much.    So they go to other shows where they know they will sing a lot.   Maybe just for the practice.    No crowd, who cares?   I'll try new songs and it won't matter.

I know people were not happy with 28 singers the other night.   Some left before their second song came up.

If people are leaving because they can not sing enough...it's about the singers wouldn't you say?     THAT'S WHAT KARAOKE IS ABOUT.    A BUSINESS ABOUT PEOPLE GETTING TOGETHER AND SINGING.

So...

While this subtext has gotten us somewhat off thread, let's consider the points  which have made herein in regard to this subtext (whether you agree with all of them, or not):

- Every singer prefers to go where the best sound system is
- The places with the best sound system have the biggest rotation of singers
- Singers leave places where the rotation is (too) large in favor of a venue where the rotation is smaller (which may have an "inferior" sound sytsem) so they can have more opportunities to sing (which is why they went out to karaoke in the first place)
- Singers often become "friends" with one another
- Singers go where their "friends" go and where they like the people in attendance, so if your friends leave for another venue you might go with them
- Singers go where there is a large library of karaoke tunes
- Singers "may want apples" one day and "pears" the next.  Give them what they want.
- It was implied that if the Kj buys a good singer's drinks in order to keep him/her coming, it is a "bad thing" if the sound system is not actually the best
(I guess if the sound is good, buying a singer's drinks is then a good thing on the part of the KJ?).

Way to sum it up Eric.

in my area....not that u asked...

-singers go to the place that has the most to offer (darts,karaoke,pool,hot girls, good food, etc) and to the Larger venues to have a "broader audience" to applaud for them- sound quality is not #1 here.

-The biggest rotation here is at a place that has horrible sound but serves good food and is large and is for retired folks- cheap drink prices naturally- and a good sized stage.

-singers become friends with another after YEARS of socializing- most become "convenient acquaintenances" for the 1st year- unless alcoholics.

-singers follow real friends to better or different places if it's new or because there was a problem with the staff or kj.

-size of  karaoke library here appeals to young singers much more than to the older crowd because most older singers do the same songs weekly.

The implication of buying rounds to keep your audience or a singer happy but prevent them from going to a better sounding place is a little silly- but probably works. Most singers don't NEED but would like to sound halfway decent- it's more about the fun here. The paid career PRO singers here surprisingly aren't Divas...cause my sound is NOT THE BEST here and they still come nighlty because of the way they are treated. (I need to barter with Lonman for free trip to hawaii to fix my sound MO BETTA!)

My songbook is better than most though imo but who knows. Other newer venues i check out are good but the "friendship-culture" at everyone of those is lacking...and missing something...social magic.

I personally haven't had to buy rounds or drinks to keep customers- but have kept an older poor man by buying him dinner one night. He returns EVERY night now but thankfully management comps him his dinner...and not me anymore!

Most here are still locked in the notion the attraction should be mainly for singers. Our format drives away drunk singers and those that ruin it for everybody. Our crowd singer ratio is 10/1. The crowd is a bunch of partying get with it hey hey hey.

That's not what karaoke is about.

Could suggest that the actual karaoke singers don't really think they are being taken care of or perhaps there isn't enough actual karaoke going on during the night.  Too many other non karaoke distractions.  The real karaoke singers are at a real karaoke bar.   How else can you explain the continuous lack of more than a handful or two of karaoke singers?

Something is keeping them away.

Thats fine.. I have had those karaoke bars for years...I now have a venue where the local fire dept and others call Paul and ask is Ollie going to be there Sat? If yes ok could you reserve a table for a party of 15? It will be pizzas only and mainly pitcher beer with shots. This occurs on a weekly basis. At first when there was a doubt there were 2 or 4 others that were only charging $100 $125 competing for this venue. Singers and non singers were calling up prior to the show Is Ollie going to be there? Guess who got the job?  I now get $175 and have told the owner who agrees totally this summer it will be $200.

Something is keeping them away I think it might be the fact that we dont regard karaoke as a religion We play dance sets OMG and have about 10 singers who will blow them away. I have entertained crowds for over 60 years including the prime minister of Greece. I know how to work crowds and my host is the same WE could do a show and feature us only and fill 4 hours and never sing the same song twice and pack them in. I am an entertainer MC or whatever I have worked crowds of over 4000 fans at fairs and other events when my ex was a belly dancer. In fact a little bar whether singing or hosting is boring most of the time.

When we have a big rotation I or my host can handle it for we have done it for years and still have the best show in town.  I do have the best system and host in Northern Colorado. When you can provide links then you are viable. I am a professional in all venues and situations.

We go beyond karaoke and provide professional entertainment for all all events from birthday parties to  wedding receptions.

For further information please visit Cabaret Karaoke

To check out the system please visit  shorty's

You are also welcome to join my   forum

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JR & Ollie

Glad that you caught onto my "tongue in cheek" portrayal of my thoughts combined with a portrayal of one of our peer's postings herein

Isn't life wonderful when you have all the answers?

OK I'll bite. This seems to be a popular quote today. I'm in too.

Karyoker, how are you pulling this one off? In my experience if you've got a room full of 125 people (which is what you say is your weekend crowd) at the very least 20-25 of them are going to want to sing. So what are you doing? Are you totally ignoring their requests to come up, or do you just keep putting them at the bottom of rotation until they get so frustrated that they go to another karaoke bar?

What specifically is your technique for driving away drunk singers? How does that one work?

Thanks for that, Ollie!  I really enjoyed your website and also love the fact you will cater to the crowd and do whatever it takes to make the 'majority' of them happy.  If may NOT be All karaoke or All DJ, but find the right mix to Entertain the crowd.  This is how I brought up into Karaoke and how I try to run my shows and of course I try to do it better!  I can only think of one time when I had any type of complaints it was when we were overloaded with singers, for my little bars that's only about 15-20, but was also overloaded with a party/dance crowd.  I had one group of people that wanted to sing more at the end of the night, but I talked to them and told them the reason why we went to Dance at the end of the night.  They understood and agreed, everyone was happy!!!  Keep up the good work, MrD

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