Karaoke Forums

Karen you just described my brother's thursday night venue to a tee. He and I get several request every night, although technically I am a customer, he keeps himself in the rotation because it keeps the quality and the tempo of the show up.

It's a good mixture of people that really love to sing and people that are there to have a good time. He follows the rotation but every now and then people might be outside smoking and he''ll skip them but let them sing next when they walk back in. It's not like you're in line for a heart transplant, heck if it's too long a wait for singers both of us will skip our turns.

mckyj57, I agree, although I probably haven't been to as many shows as you, a majority of the shows I have been to the host keeps themselves in the rotation. I don't have a problem with that, as long as they don't have arrogant personalities and don't sing 3 in a row.

I'm sure in a location that is in a larger city, adhering to strict rotation rules and the host not singing much is the way to do things, luckily that's not the case for us. Oh, and by the way the last 2 months have been the largest and best crowds and the most fun I have had doing karaoke since I can remember. Rudy.

Oh don't get me wrong... I'm flattered that folks liked my singing, and my tunes I sang... but the reason I got paid was both for my regs and the rest of the bar.

"She actually said, "isn't that why people become KJs - so they can sing more?" "

Hahhaahhaa, ......that's the difference between fantasy and reality.....Some people just don't understand! MrD

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When I get more than 10 singers, I drop out.

I'm going to add a "new 2 cents" to this old subject.

I don't think it matters how many people may ask the KJ to sing, the show is about the customers. Besides, there may be quite a few more customers who don't want to hear the KJ sing, no matter how entertaining he/she may be

I do like the idea that the KJ should take over the requestor's spot in the rotation. Great Idea! This policy should be announced so that everyone know's that the KJ is not taking up a spot in the rotation. If so done, I'm all for having the KJ sing

PS: Knightshow (Matt), I do much the same as you (plus magic) to fill the dead air.

At paid gigs:

Starting the night can be were I'd usually sing. BUT I have found myself doing this less and less. If kids are present, they are always a good starter, let's everyone have a cheer and me to say "Now, they are 10, so let's see some of you adults have a try". Alternatively, if I know anyone there, I'll check with them but get them to kick it off, makes them feel a bit special. Otherwise me or my fiancee will start. After that - nope, it's not about me singing, it's about everyone else enjoying themselves - it would feel self-indulgent to me.

At my own gigs:

Sure

Actually Eric I dont do that. I was putting it up as a rhetorical question because we all know what the answer would be from most singers. They put themselves first, but of course wouldn't mind it if you took the place of that mediocre singer at the other table (in their opinion)...

Anyway last night I sang one right in the middle of a round of 20. A table of non-singing ladies asked me to do a specific dance song that no one else does, so I put myself in between some slow songs so they could all get on the floor. And I also put myself in the final round, even though it was over 8 (my usual cut-off rule) because I've been working on a new power ballad and wanted to hear what it sounded like through the big system. But the entire room was cool about both decisions because I don't abuse my role as KJ and I hardly sing at all most nights.

In the end it is my show though and we all have the ability to do things like that if we want to.

Karen it sounds like you have a sweet deal on Fridays.

Bill,

I still like the idea of someone giving up their turn for the Kj to sing. If it is so important to someone that the kJ sing, I'm sure they'll be happy to do so

as to audience requests, if they're not singing they don't understand how the rotation works, so they can be cavalier about requests

I think that would be worse for the kj overall getting an ego driven reputation. Having customers tellling people yeah he'll sing for us IF you give up your turn that you've been here waiting for all night.
IMO the kj shouldn't sing after a certain point. That is not what we are there for, plus everytime we sing one, it takes away a spot from someone else - so if we get 4-5 songs in a night, that's 4-5 singers that got aced out.

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any entertainer worth his or her salt is going to know how to fill dead air... and there's no real receipe for it... whatever works best for YOU. One kj I knew in Tillamook, OR was extremely well versed on the mic, and he would tell one liners, make fun of himself, compliment the previous singer... all while queuing up the next singer.

Never used one bit of fill music, but his show never really suffered. EVENTUALLY you'd get tired of his antics... so I can't say I honestly approved of his style. But his gigs were VERY, VERY popular, so who the heck am I to really sit in judgement on this dude?

I've had people suggest they'd give up their turn for me to sing. I could never do that. I usually tell them I'll sing later when it isn't so busy.

I'll try to sing if they ask, but sometimes it becomes a wierd problem. They don't realize it is hard for me to find a spot for me to sing when I have so many people that haven't sung yet. I can't in good conscious sing when a new person has been waiting an hour or more to sing.

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I would have to agree that the show is about the patrons. My patrons get mad if I don't sing. I have become pretty good friends with my regulars. They know how my rotation works and they call me out if I skip myself.

One regular I have is always there before I get there and is always first in line to sing. I put myself at the end of each rotation. She will refuse to take her turn if I don't sing before she does. I get requests all the time to sing certain songs.

I believe that also can keep the regs happy; even taking a turn for yourself. I know a lot of you will disagree with me, but it works at my shows.

Lon (and others)

Check any of my posts on this subject and you will find that I am 100% absolutely against KJ's singing for any reason. I sing when there is no other alternative.

My comment about the "trading places" was made, mostly, tongue in cheek. I believe, maybe wrongly, that most people want to hear themselves sing and would not give up one of their few chances to do so in order for the KJ to sing. I surely don't care if I ever hear "the KJ" sing, or not. They're are plenty enough entertaining people at most shows to avoid having to put the KJ in the rotation.

The worse case scenario of KJ ego is when the KJ announces that he/she is singing upon request. I always go around asking who made the request? Rarely do I find there even was such a request.

As I've stated in the past, I think I've missed my "mark" if I have to sing during my show. I can sing at home all day long if it's that important to me; and sometimes I do!

My show is about everyone but me!

yeah that upon request bit... pfhsheit!

If someone requests I sing something, I always dedicate it to them so there's no confusion.

I don't honor all requests. Only if I think it will benefit the room. The average number of times I sing per week is around one.

You probably don't all agree with this, but I get the feeling that I'm treated less like a member of the waitstaff (bartenders, servers) and more like an equal if I'm known as a singer. I'm treated nicer. But you don't have to sing more than once to get that point across.

My common norm is a song to start and then once in a rotation until I get busy. Some nights I start early when singers saunter in and if I have 4 or 5 I'll kick up the music and sing several with those folks before things get busy and I drop off the rotation.

Bill,

Great idea about dedicating a request to the requestor. I do realize that there are (rare) occasions when a KJ can't ignore a request.

Let us not forget what Karaoke is supposed to do, make money for the bar owner. How you do that can vary from venue to venue. If rarely taking requests works for your venue, great, it doesn't for ours, at least not now, but who knows that could change.

Several of our singers bring groups of people with them, a few of those people sing, a few don't, but they do make requests of songs they've heard before or even songs they would like for us to learn. Little by little some of those non singers are actually getting up to sing, ( we must be doing something right ) so maybe we won't get as many request as this happens, and that would be fine.

When we get requests we still wait our turn, there is no jumping ahead because Jane Doe wants to hear " Take on Me " or John Doe wants to hear "Cowboys from Hell " but it keeps people happy and the room jumping, and yes I say this is a special request from whoever.

If a KJ says " hey, my friend who has to get up early wants to hear a song before they leave " and they jump ahead in the rotation to sing it, I am not going to storm out or go to the manager and raise a big fuss over it. Yes if they do it all night or sing an obscene amount of times and the bar owner was a friend I might mention it to him to help him out. Life is short, and this ranks low on the bad things that have happened to me meter. There are some rules in karaoke that should be staunchly followed, I just don't believe this is one of them IMHO. Rudy.

Hey all, Scott here, new to the forum. Love karaoke a lot and have hosted shows in my area (a big area that is) for about 4 years now.

It's been a growing and learning experience for me along the way. I have NEVER considered myself a singer, ( I can carry a tune a bit though ), but I do sing at the beginning of each show I host.

I host three shows per week, in various towns and cities too, and each of them is so different from the others. Each have their own little needs and each deserve it's own special touch.

With that said, the one thing that is common to ALL shows is this,, karaoke is about the customers, NOT the KJ. Yes it is his/her running things, but its NOT him/her paying their wages, its the customers.

If the host monopolizes the show for themselves, its shows they are a selfish hog and will eventually fail as a host.

My personal opionion, (agree if ya wanna, and if not,,??) I will start a show with no less than 3 singers, and when it reaches 10, i'm out!

As far as requests??? remember, you can play possibly 14-15 songs per hour is all, and if they want you to sing requests, then plan accordingly so to NOT take time from the ones who pay your wage.

Sounds preachy, but again, its not about us, its about "them"

I sing to start the night mainly to verify and adjust levels.

I drop out when I have enough singers to support a rotation. If it's 3-4 people cranking through slips then I drop out - if it's 5-6 slower singers who are taking their time I'll continue to sing to fill in.

However....

I leave myself in the rotation. I don't normally sing, but as I posted in another thread, it helped with a problem I had at one venue (which BTW, I haven't played in nearly a year!). I stopped doing karaoke except as an add-on for weddings for nearly a year and just picked up a new bar gig which I start on Wednesday.

To be honest, that's one of the reasons I dropped by... to refresh myself on the karaoke trends...