Karaoke Forums

Completed my 1st night at new gig last Thursday ...... few observations

Young crowd -no problem , some requesting DANCE /Filler music
People putting in 4 or 5 requests at 1 time
Many requests duets/groups involving the owners daughter.

Show went well, kept a constant rotation and added in 1st time singers as I went along and kept the filler down to a minimum.  At 1:00 people were still bringing up slips so I made an annoucement that NO MORE requests etc.   SO now everyone starts to come up to see if they will sing THERE LAST REQUEST ETC.  I attempt to explain that ---I stop at 1:30 and will do the best I can   etc.  

At 1:30 I'm told to call LAST CALL and as the singer finishes  the LAST SONG .
I usually end the show with a song as I thank everyone for coming down, tip the bartenders , drive safe  etc etc etc. --  SO as I beging to sing  "MY" closing  song the OWNER approaches me within 30 seconds of the song and starts asking me WHILE I'm singing.....   WHERE ARE ALL YOUR SLIPS?    DID EVERYONE GET TO SING ?  JOE SAID HE ONLY SANG 1 SONG.  IS THERE ANY MORE KARAOKE SONGS.

So I stopped singing and she tells me "WE HAVE TO TALK" - She tells me that JOE has to sing another song and that BILL needs to sing Elvis.   I look at her and say ...It's 1:35 but if you want ....SURE ....but WE have to talk afterwards.

SO after I'm all packed up I explain a few things ---
#1) I've been doing this a long time
#2) Everyone can't sing every song they want
#3) Can't please everyone

Seems some prima donnas complained because I  sang the last song ( DON'T AGREE) but I agreed not to sing the last song (even though its on my time) Same group was complaining because they only sang 1 song.   Well HELL if you give me slips at 12:50 and we stop at 1:30 ....yeah that's what happens .

After the owner settled down ( or I settled her down   ) she mentioned that everyone had a good time, liked the system, liked the selection and liked the BOOKS.  She admitted that the "primadonnas" pulled the same junk with the last KJ every week.  I told her next show I am going to a SING ONE BRING ONE rotation and I will keep track of all the songs if there are any confusion or angry singers.

All in all a Good night --- Had a group of singers come in from the LARGER BAR across the street and told the owner that my system and selection were much better than the guy across the street.....  Thats All I Need To Know  :hi5:

I never sing the last song. Usually I don't sing the first one either. In fact sometimes I don't sing at all for two weeks.

I do the best I can to get everyone through the last round even if it means going over. It's an extra 10 minutes out of my life but much less stress and hassle in the long run. If there is a singer with more than one on the board I'll go out and let them know that they can sing only one of them before I close it down and let them pick. They all know in advance that this is the last round.

But that's just the way I'm doing it and from what I've picked up in here there are hosts who are convinced that people attend their shows to hear them sing primarily and the rest of the room is secondary.

So maybe it can be done. All I'm saying is that I couldn't.

Congratulations on your new gig. Hope it works out the way you want it to.

[font=verdana] Congratulations Jam, sounds like all and all the night was a success!

When, and If, I get my first gig I am going to try the 1 slip/ 1 song method.  I did do a benefit gig last Friday for Eden House, a senior facility where my daughter works.  Had kind of a rough start because it’s the first time I had set up the equipment by myself, but once I got things started, they went pretty well.  They are a wonderful audience to have, as they are so grateful to have anything to break up the monotony.  My daughter and granddaughter are coming up for Mother’s Day next month, and the three of us are going to go up and do another show for them.  The show I did was mostly DJ music, but with their help, we should be able to mix it up where it’s about half DJ and half karaoke.  [/font]

_________________
[align=center]
Dusty Rose
Blue Rose Classic Karaoke
More Sound! More Selections! More Fun!
[/align]

Kind of like being the substitute teacher for a 5th grade class. They'll try and pull everything in the book. Irritates me when people go and tattle to the owner. Problem is, again, that there are some hosts who get stomped on by demanding people who are apparently used to getting their own way wherever they go. Have to be firm.  Sing one bring one is the best way to handle this, you're right.  It takes a lot of years to be able to estimate and match up last singer with closing time. Sometimes that involves that you stop taking slips at 11:30! I do a last call for slips. And I also take a few extra just in case someone leaves and opens a spot in the rotation. MTU Hoster is great in that you can see how many minutes are left from the current singer to the last one you have listed on your rotation list. Makes the job of guestimating easier.

Best of luck with the new gig. Sounds like just the usual wrinkles to be ironed out. Glad the owner is open - sounds like she maybe gets stomped on by pushy people too and passes it on...not a great situation but a workable one.

Bill - My Saturday gig ends at 1:00AM and I always play OT and had no problem singing the last song ..it was expected at THAT show.   This Thursday show is just a learning experience .  I'm not one of those SINGING KJ's who think they have to sing every rotation but I DO sing the 1st song to open and adjust the sound and usually sing the last song as a close ( al the time on my time).   -- The Thursday show ends at 1:30 and the bar needs to be empty by 2:00 ( State Law)   I'm not working OT unless requested by the owner...  But then she will have to PAY ...business is business  :D

The real POINT of the topic is there are certain things that are DIFFERENT from show to show.  I'll continue to WORK with the Owner and from time to time bend my OWN rules to keep everyone happy ..But its important at a NEW GIG to discuss ASAP any expectations with the owner/manager so everyone is on the same page

We have very few rules and even break some the old ones. I have seen some shows fail because the host played favorites or the bar played favorites. If I caught my host taking tips to bump or whatever he knows he would be fired on the spot.

Also at a new gig I am talking to the mngr or owner asking about volume etc but discussing such things. The first night there should be 2 hosts there to get off on the right foot. Sounds like you handled that the right way. That is your business and should take input but anything that degrades or hurts your rep can be rejected. It is a contract breaker.

Another hint in  a new bar.. Check the jukebox and see if there is a prevelant genre.

Occasionally we will pick up empties and take up to the bar. We greet people and wave when they leave. This includes all whether they are singers or not. It tickles me when we are setting the mngr and a waitress is scrambling setting up more tables. More often than not there is a reserved sign on 2 or 3 tables pushed together.

At shortys we are pressed for space. The singing area is next to a pool table which we cover and use to put the books. A couple of times I have resisted the urge to get up and dance on the pool table but know I probably would break something and it wouldnt be balls

_________________
Join The Karaokle Singers Social Network. Upload Your Music!!

The sing one/bring one method is fine, I also don't mind if the singer brings 20 slips  at once...no difference.  They still only get to sing once a round.  I do my best job to be fair and if I'm not..oh well, try to do better next time.  I had my wife (of all people) get po'd at me this last weekend.  She came up, it was ot..passed last call and I had annouced no more songs..we're done....where was the song she wanted to sing and why can't I ever remember HER (she has a bad habit of NOT giving slips, I'm just supposed to remember), we were pretty busy all night and things were easily distracted by people coming up over and over.  I was shutting down and said NO....well she's still tinkled about it all.  Ugggh.  Jam, I like you 'hard' sence and you just do the best you can and bend where you think appropriate.  Best of luck and keep up the good work!  MrD

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

It seems that I made a few assumptions that I shouldn't have Jamkaraoke. If you agreed not to sing the last song when the bar asks you not to, then you're working with the room, not against it,  which is what most of try our best to do.

It's possible to take multiple slips and make it work if the singers know the rules about fair rotation. Once they get to know you you can probably allow it if you like working that way.

New gigs are tough - The people have to get used to the way you do things. It sounds like the previous KJ did not lay down any rules or wasn't around long enough to train the crowd. Once you train this crowd how a rotation works and that you aren't budging from it your life will get easier.

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

The one thing I don't like about the multiple slips is --singers change their mind all the time to the order of those songs. my normal rule is bring one sing one but last Thursday at this new gig I let it go and shouldn't have.  I don't mind muliple slips if they all contain 1 singer - but when its
JUDY AND MARY
MARY AND JUDY AND JOHN
JOHN AND MARY
BETTY AND MARY AND JOHN

It gets out of hand    LMAO  LMAO

That is why I have started a "one free duet" policy. After the one, both singers use their turn in the rotation. That keeps the true group sings, where you have non-karaoke singers doing their thing, going. At the same time it keeps the divas from singing several times a round.

I accept as many slips as a person wants to give me.

I can see your point though about the people that get out of hand with mutiple singers.

I don't quite have the same problem because my singers know if I get a slip with more than one singer on it goes on someones turn. Most people don't want to give up their turn, so I don't get that many.

Of course if you have a crowd that has a constant flux of new people it doesn't work as well. I have mostly regulars.  :D

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

Jam, you are right....there is a difference.  I then do have to answer 20 times a night, "which song am I singing" & they try to sneak in duets as well.  I generally don't have the list of singers that cause an issue, like over 15.....which would be a slow night for many of you, but is very good for one of ours.  I work in SMALL towns, we had 63 in my graduating class.  We can't draw or even fathom the type of crowds that have a 40 singer rotation....so we are different there as well.

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

Hey MrD, don't let them kid you, in Ft Lauderdale, 15 singers is a good night too!

Great to hear your back in the swing Jam!

Training a new bar is not easy. The only thing more difficult is when you have a room used to doing 2fers, get a busy night, and have to go to singles. They don't like that for some reason....

Keep it going thou, sounds like you are on the right track, and may even get a gig across the street if you play the cards right (just on a different night of course...)

_________________
Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

If the above were there all night and regulars it would be

Judys song
Marys song
Johns song
Bettys song.

But they would never sing back to back.  I would do one then go to the opposite side of the bar for the next singer then somehwere else then maybe back to Mary and so on..

Tell that bar owner that playing favorite KILLS the crowd and hurts YOUR reputation.    Set her straight.  

It's not your fault that Joe Blow waited till the last minute to put up 10 requests.  Tell her to tell him, if he wants to sing get his requests in like everyone else or shut up and quit WHINING.