Karaoke Forums

I'd be suggesting that the briber offer the next singer the bucks to take their place in the rotation. I'm not big on taking bribes and ultimately risk being bad-mouthed in the karaoke community as one of those "on-the-take" hosts. Too many of those already. As a long-time host, and one with a reputation for being very fair, a lot of singers love to come and discuss other hosts with me and seem to derive a lot of joy from telling me all about other hosts and their habits, and especially those who are on the take. I believe it ultimately DOES affect the attendance at your shows once word spreads (based on what these singers tell me). This is maybe not so true for the casual singers who decide to go and sing for someone's birthday, maybe go out and sing once or twice a year, but for those hard-core and loyal followers (and there are a lot of those kinds of singers in this corner of Washington State) it's a bitter pill to swallow when they see their fave host, who is always fair, allow an interloper with money to influence the fairness of the rotation. Just a personal thing with me, I guess. I'm a little less worried about the potential loss of a few bucks than I am about my rep and singers.

Yeah I agree with just about all you said Karen. The main thing for me is I think I would lose my best singers if I bumped with bribes. I know I would lose their trust.

When this topic came up a few months ago I thought the best solution offered was for the briber to shop it to the next few singers up, and I'd stay out of the money end of it. But if it was for $50 and up I might try for some of that action... I mean that's a lot of money. But I've turned down so many money offers in the past that it hasn't come up for me to test out. They all know that it hasn't worked before.

This is the funny thing. The last time I turned down a hundred dollar tip the regulars told me I was crazy. I work in a small venue where everyone pretty much knows what's going on. It depends on the situation I suppose. If the bar is full of people I know wouldn't mind I would consider it. I have a pretty heavty conscience, so I'd have to give it great thought.

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Morgan.....I guess the netball team watched too much "Prisoner Cell Block H !!"

I pretty much feel the same way. I won't mess with my reputation as the only fair host in town, all the others let the bar owners either push them around to sell more beer or outright encourage their favorite firends more than any other patron. This is one of the reasons I am getting out of bar shows alltogether and just do Private parties off of referals from private parties.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

And then, before you know it, the KJ will start making regular announcements that he/she is sure you'll understand that "Mr. X" will be up to sing next because he just handed him/her $20. and then next week, he announces that he's/she's sure you'll understand that he/she is letting "Mrs. Z" up because she just handed him/her $10.... and so on and so on... Let's see how long it takes before you're no longer not upset with the fact that your KJ accepts bribes at the expense of everyone else who is waiting to sing.

But, no problem... this is the KJ's only source of income, so you understand!

after alotta thought on this i agree...split the money hmmmmmm 70/30 my fav. with the next guy up....i don't think anyone would mind 30 bucks NOT to sing....alls fair....jmo....proves not only can i be bought but so can the guy coming up next....and next, and next....

If I see a KJ take a tip so a singer can get moved up in the rotation they will lose my respect and i will make sure everyone know what he did....I understand about wanting to make money but respect for yourself has to be a major factor

(and i will make sure everyone know what he did)

oh i just love guys like you....everyone just loves a squeeler....better known as a prick....

explain to me how lets call him joe is next in line and he decides to let....lets call him moe...take his place and joe goes to the very back of the line how that effects you in any way at all as far as u getting ur turn to sing....and if not, how does money change anything? no other singer was effcted just traded places....now run and tell mama what i said.....and the names Billy

(I understand about wanting to make money but respect for yourself has to be a major factor)

as far as having respect....If i DIDN'T take the money i should just dig in my own pocket go out buy a tee shirt that reads.....STUPID AZZ.....guessing i would see u in line buying a tee shirt reading.....OHHH HE SAID A BAD WORD I'M TELLING....

What does that have to do with self respect? Tipping for premium service happens all over the country in all sorts of industries.

The only place I see self respect coming into play is with people with your attitude. Have a little more respect for yourself and don't turn such insignificant things in life into huge moral issues. There are more important battles in life to fight than the one that involves you having to wait an extra 5 minutes to do your karaoke song so that somebody who is probably underpaid can get a little extra cash in their pocket.

I disagree. It's not a "little thing" when your reputation as a kj that can be bought becomes a reality.

As I said before, I won't take tips or BRIBES as they are commonly known. While I think Gem's stance is extreme, I can't say I disagree with him on this issue!

But I'm not talking about the KJ, I'm talking about the patron getting upset. The KJ should do whatever he feels comfortable doing, it's not a "little thing" in that case because it involves his livelihood. To the patron it involves having to wait an extra 5 minutes to sing a song, that is DEFINITELY a "little thing" as it pertains to his life.

And this is all assuming that the host is running a fair, consistent rotation in the first place. Which is definitely not always the case. In fact in my experience over the past couple of years, that seems to be something that's more the exception to the rule than the norm anymore.

When someone get bump up the rotation, regardless of how he get the bump, and if that act anger just one wrong guy in the rotation, the KJ may even loose his life. Forget even about you reputation. You will be lucky if that wrong guy just smash your van/truck on the way out.

I would not even try it. No, I have not seen a KJ killed for such an act but, I have seen one that almost got killed. He was in the hospital for a month on life support machine. I have seen KJ being punched, smashed on the head with a beer jug, and chair thrown at; all because of an unfair ration. Remember we here use the table rotation: even a drunk will know if a table miss a rotation or a table was called 2 time in that rotation.

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A whore is a whore; regardless of how much he or she charges. It's quite obvious how a great deal of KJ's think about the almighty dollar. It's more important than anything else. It's a shame that the regular singers at a gig like that wouldn't just tab out and leave. It would only have to happen once for the bar owner to realize that the KJ taking a bribe just cost the bar owner a lot of money. It would be even better if the singers didn't come back for a few weeks and then the KJ would only have the briber at his show and with no regulars there; the briber wouldn't have to bribe anyone because he would always be next but he would have no one to listen to him so the KJ would lose him as a customer too. Then another KJ with a good following, due his fair rotation policy, could come in and steal the gig from the bribe taking KJ. Oh if it would only happen more often.

As we all know, there are certain times in a rotation that we integrate new singers into the regular rotation. So someone waits one more song to sing their 3rd song of the night. I agree that is a "little thing". Granted some singers sit there with a pen and paper waiting for their turn...but luckily not at my venue.It is in my case. As I started this thread, the initial 5 bucks put in my jar didn't automatically bump up the request. I accepted it as their appreciation for my show and to make them sound great when they came up.

By the way, just got home from this week's show. Same guy was there. Would you believe he gave me $100 AGAIN to get his girlfriend up next? Again, I said "YES!" This guy may be a drug dealer for all I know to have that kind of expendable cash, or else his GF is REALLY good in horizontal mode! Either way, sounds like a win-win because the bar just dumped their Monday night band and hired me to do a second show!

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I've been avioding this thread at all costs...but after my last post on the drink of choice thing. I had to respond. I must be that mood today!
Dangerous Dan, I'm sad to see all the bad press you've gotten from this, it in NO way surpises me though. My stance, I'm sorry......I'd take the cash too! $100 is A LOT of $ to me, there is no silver spoon here. Life is too short to get caught up in all these little rules and regulations about EVERYTHING. Come to my house, you can sing anytime you want...10 songs in a row! As stated many times before, the places I work in are SMALL. 60-80 people, max! IF I get a 10-15 people rotation, I'm happy and that's what I can easily handle. Everyone is happy. I do not personally know any of my patrons that are that serious about karaoke, I've seen that a few at other shows..........uggggggggggggh, makes me thankful. If you have to complain that so&so got 3 songs and I only got 2 or I wanted to sing that song or that's my song, let me sing it again.....MrD

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A KJ may feel totally comfortable doing it, but when the customers find out & quit coming, the kj may be out of a job because the reputation is he's not a fair kj - an extra 5 minutes or not to the person being bumped down.

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I'm a customer and that wouldn't cause me to quit coming. How the host does the rotation can be a factor in me deciding to go to a certain place or not, but it's certainly not the only factor, nor is it the main deciding factor. And I find it hard to believe that most reasonable people would do any different when we're just talking about a very occasional thing. I'm not a KJ, but I'm assuming being offered $100 tips isn't a regular occurrence.

It's made me quit going to places where they bump people up according to how much they tip the KJ.

I pay my hard earned money to go out of my way to a karaoke bar. Paying more for food and drink than normal. And then I have to pay MORE so I can have the pleasure of NOT being treated evenly and fairly???