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Bill is very right on this - word gets around. I have had so many people tell me that "such-and-such" a host at "such-and-such" a place is so busy taking money to move people up in the rotation (besides having his wife sing 5-6 times a night) that people ONLY go there because it's the only gig around.

I guess my thought on this is WHY would you want to offend anyone, or give anyone an opportunity to complain about this aspect of your show? The other thing is, you really don't know what kind of collateral damage is being done by this sort of behavior - unless you have so many singers that you can't handle them all, and you're the only show around, you risk alienating people (people you will NEVER see at your show) because this sort of thing gets around.

I guess to each their own on this. I brought up the issue of buying someone else's place in the rotation - because I've made it so clear over the years that I won't bite on a bribe, I don't have to deal with it, but should it arise, I will suggest to the potential briber that they can speak to the next person in the rotation to see if they can buy their place. The real proof will be how quickly anyone wants to accept the $$ instead of sing.... The singers are our shows go to SING, not to earn money...

k

I think the problem here is the KJ that excepts bribes thinks they are making more money. Not true ! The amount of customers you turn off from coming to your show loses you money or possibly the gig. I except tips not bribes. People appreciate a fair show and will show their generousity in tips for it every night not just when they want to be pushed up in rotation.

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I had a 38 person rotation last night (which is unusual in our club for a Mon). I cut slips off at 11:30 to be able to finish out the night. Over a 2 hour wait, most that were there all night got 2 songs. One guy cam in at 12:30 & wanted to sing saying he couldn't stay long, I told him there was a chance as some people were leaving, but I can't promise anything. He pulled out a $20 & said here, just make sure it happens! I gave it back and said no I don't work that way & if I have time i'd get you up after all these people that have been waiting 2 hours. He told me I was an idiot. I said thanks & smiled. His slip now went to the discard pile with no chance - sad thing was he was still there at closing time, which I thought he told me he couldn't stay long !

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Woo Hoo Lon !

I never believe someone when they say they have to leave, so can I get them up soon. I swear they must think I'm an idiot when they stay til close. 9 out of 10 times this happens.

Some people think if they throw their money around they can get anything they want. It feels good to tell them I can't be bought.

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Lon, I had a huge rotation last night, too, cut off slips at 11:30. Wonder what's going on? Maybe people are taking this week off? I didn't have 38 singers but singers got 2 songs, some 3 if they hung out until the end. Got tips last night with no expectation of special treatment...gotta love running a 'clean' show. I've never had anyone call me an idiot but that would certainly result in their slip not going into the played pile but right in the trash, preferably right in front of his face. Some people have no class.

Oh, and let me just add that the people who tipped last night said, "It's so nice to go to a show where the rotation is so FAIR." So, for everyone who has said that, there are probably 50 who haven't, and those 50 probably don't hesitate to announce loudly when the rotation ISN'T fair. To me this is a no-brainer...

k

somethings to think about ...............

If there is no one waiting and someone gives you $20 to sing next is that a bribe?

If singer A is next and someone hands you $20 to sing in place of singer A
and you GIVE THAT $20 TO SINGER A
What happens to singer A --does he go to the BOTTOM of the rotation ? You can't just bunp him back 1 spot ! cause then you still bumpbed everyone else back one anyway ?

If a singer was sincere and asked to be bumped up 1 spot would you ?
2 spots ? 3 spots ? when do you draw the line ?

If somone gave you $20 and asked to be be bumped from NEXT to LAST would you take it ? Is that a BRIBE

If you advertised a NEXT SINGER fee of $5 for all that wanted to pay to sing NEXT would that be fair ?

Is it wrong as a KJ to give $20 to some people so they DON'T SING ?

If no one is waiting to sing & someone STILL wanted to give me $20 to sing, I do not consider this a bribe, but more of a tip. There would be no one to bump up ahead of.



I have considered doing this where Singer A could buy/trade singer B, but in the consideration felt this would just create more 'perception' problems from the audience when they see the same person getting up again before them so I don't do it.



Sincere or not, you don't move up in the rotation.



This is the only time someone CAN be moved in a rotation. If you want to bumped DOWN the list making a longer wait for you, then by all means I will move you. If you want to 'tip' me for this, then I will try to turn it away, if you insist, then I will take as it is not impacting anyones wait time but your own.



So you have a rotation of 10 singers. You have a Next Singer fee of $5. You get 8 of them 10 that pay you the $5 to be next - NOW WHAT, make an announcement that now that several people paid to be next that we will now make the next song to anyone that is willing to pay more?? You cannot make them all next. So you end up giving all the money back & quickly reconsider the 'Next Singer Fee' policy because it doesn't work.



I didn't pay anyone, but a few years back we had a crowd that gathered up $100 for 1 guy to not sing for 30 days. He gladly & laughingly accepted & honored the 30 day mark.

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I don't let singers 'swap' because the problem isn't the perception of someone singing more, but the FACT that 2 singers will sign up, and one of them keeps giving their spot to the other one. Not cool.

I have a similar issue with duets where I have 4 people who put in duets with one person. I start to spread them out through the night - forcing some people to wait for later rotations. If they complain I tell them to sing with someone else because I'm not going to let one person get up and sing 5 times in one rotation. If they want to sing, they either need to sing solo, sing the duet with someone else, or understand that the individual is popular and there are others that want to sing.

I have approached a few bar owners about doing karaoke that said no because they tried it and a host came with his singers and groupies and showed favorites and his regs got mad. It is a NONO. I have told my host you accept one bribe and he is fired on the spot. After awhile it will kill any bars karaoke business. I rarely go other shows now but if the host sings 2 songs in row or bumps someone I tell the mngr and walk out. In the last hour if new singers come we will distribute them in rotation to get them up. If they show up on a regular basis and turn out to be bar hoppers they wait and might not sing.

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To my thinking that is all backwards. I tip for service received... the better the service, the better the tip. So if a bar tender gives slow/poor service then their tip from me is reduced proportionally. Exceptional service receives exceptional tips!

Same goes for KJ's... give me good service and I'll give you a good tip. I was at a place once where one guy sang (solo) three or four times in one rotation. When I queried the KJ about this, the response was that the guy had given a nice tip and said he had to leave soon. Too bad that most of the other singers in the bar had been there for a couple of hours buying drinks and supporting the bar. Funny thing was that was the ONLY tip the KJ received that night... and the bar now has a new KJ!

It's a pain going to a new gig where the KJ before you had different rules and was established at the place for many yrs. But if he took bribes and favored the regulars it makes it all that worse.

I have a KJ friend who just went through this. The regulars rebelled because the new KJ did not play favorites and take bribes. What ultimately happened was the old crowd left and a new crowd started coming in. He ended up with a crowd twice as big as the bar had before with karaoke. It was a tough transition, but thank goodness the bar owner backed him.

The old crowd got so nasty they actually reserved tables then called right before the show cancelling because the old KJ wasn't back.

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Yeah I know the bartenders in our club would be fired if they displayed this mentality. You serve everyone in a first come first serve basis, if you purposely bypass someone because someone behind them is flashing a Hamilton at you and the manager found out about it, the end of the night wouldn't be a very nice result for that bartender. I would also leave a club if I saw this behavior from the staff. I too tip for the service I get, not ahead of time or with any expectations of getting better service, if a server WANTS a tip, then give good service in the first place.

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Gotta LOVE Kindergarten mentality rebels!

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Had the rotation from hell last night (35 plus), and low and behold!,,I never bumped, never played favorites, and everyone stayed til the end,,,and guess what??? Nobody complained that I wasn't fair, just they wished they could sing more,,,but they were as patient as could possibly be expected. They were totally terrific,,and to top that off, not one of them tried to buy me off...Gotta love the true karaoke fanatics..

I think that is the way it should be.

I have asked KJs to bump me up because I've had to leave...honestly. But i don't think I'll ever do that again after reading the posts here. I wasn't proffering monies, just asking. Now I see it's rude to insert yourself into a rotation. I have been bad...I will now accept my punishment.

Ok here you go

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the line to the left is for yer spankin'!

Spanky spank spank bad boy

It's like a line at the grocery store. Can you imagine someone going up to the cashier and saying I need to go in front of everyone else because I'm leaving. While everyone else waits an hour.

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Well I'm glad you're happy, but you would have just made me unhappy. If I sang twice already it means that I've been there patronizing the bar for a couple of hours. If someone wasn't even in the bar yet when my last song was put in, why exactly should they get to sing before me?