Karaoke Forums

I HATE to do it, because I've only seen it at one venue out of a dozen, but... I gotta print some rules to go in the song book. Too many whiners at this point (I'm still a new KJ, most of them knew me when I was "just a singer")

rough draft outline:

Thanks for coming! Enjoy!

Bring one, Sing one (with brief explanation)

F word, N word, cursing, derogatory language not allowed. Your song will end immediately. (Moose Lodge - house rule)

Everyone is on stage once per rotation. Duets - both people use their turn for the rotation.

Want to sing a song not in the song book? Write the Artist and Title on the back of a slip. I'll try to get it soon.

Please enjoy the singers. Show your support!


OK, lemme have it. Additions, comments, flames...

You could make a case for leaving the duets rule out. I know that I have been coerced to sing a duet with a less confident singer or had my name put in without my knowledge to do a duet with another singer. I'd hate to sing to help someone out and not get to sing the request that I put in. I know that if someone comes up for a duet I won't have them as the next singer up even if it was there turn but I don't completely take them out of that rotation either. I just try and move them back a few and try and keep things fair. You can usually tell when someone is doing a duet they wanted to do and when they are not.

Thanks,
Ken

How about PLEASE don't curse, swing, or scream on the microphones.

-don't try to bribe the kj to "bump you" ahead of other singers

-Please take care of the songbooks and respect the karaoke equipment

-don't join in another persons song unless asked by them

-be considerate and applaud for every singers' effort- good or bad

-support the karaoke show by purchasing drinks and food

I think you're in for a rude awakening if you think having a list of rules in the book is going to stop the whiners. How many people even open the songbook to the first page in the first place, unless they're looking for a 10,000 Maniacs or 1910 Fruitgum Company song to sing?

I guess it can't hurt to have them in there, but I can't imagine it's going to change anything. The whiners probably already know the basic karaoke rules, they just don't want the rules to apply to themselves.

TRUE that MOST young singers won't look completely at your songbooks, but i think it's a nice thing to fall back on if you encounter trouble or to justify why you may have had to cut someone off for disrespecting you or others.

You'd be surprised how many people get bored sitting there waiting their turn and decide to thumb through every page.

I think it's better to have them. For new singers it gives them guidelines, for other hosts looking at your books, your presentation and verbage in your books and how they're arranged and maintained, gives a glimpse of your professionalism, and perhaps a little info on how much you care about your presentation. It also gives the impression that you're a bit in charge as it IS your show.

TRUE, nothing is going to stop the whiners!

You'd be surprised how many actually do read them at least in my experience.

10,000 Maniacs are listed under T alphabetically as ten in my books, so they aren't on the first page....

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Our shows always worked to strict rules, more that one person hasa worked for me at some time, so for consistanty we have followed the same rules across all shows. However, I hesitated over putting the rules in my book, but after one very stressful night, I finally did it. More so as a reference point for anyone who decided to get angry when I enforced one.

I don't know if it made a difference in the running our shows, but we have gained a new customer, who had been to karaoke's before that had not had rules saw ours, was impressed with the common sense and stayed.

I have loads of karaoke related info at the back of our books including my favourite "The marble entertainents end of year report". They do get read by all the regulars, who now seem to have attained their own set of in jokes from them.

Here are my "rules" I put in the first page of my song books:


So everyone can enjoy themselves, we ask that you PLEASE observe these KARAOKE COURTESIES

= PLEASE TREAT MY BOOKS NICELY! – I’m poor and they’re expensive to print! Keep them dry and away from your drinks. Don’t write in them or tear the pages. Bring back to the stage when you’re done so someone else can use them … thanks!

= PRINT YOUR REQUEST CLEARLY – Fill it out completely with Your Name, the Song Name, the Disc & Track of the song. Please DOUBLE CHECK that you wrote down the right number.

= SING ONE, BRING ONE – Please respect the singer rotation and bring only ONE song request slip at a time to your host. After your song, you can then bring up your next request.

= NEW SINGERS – Don’t be shy! We’ll make sure new singers are given special consideration in the rotation. It’s our goal that everyone who wants to sing gets stage time at least once.

= DUETS – They count as one turn for EACH singer. Please respect our singers! No person may have a second microphone without the permission of the singer who turned in the request.

= LISTEN FOR YOUR NAME – If a singer leaves and we call their name, the request will be placed at the bottom of the rotation. Going out to smoke? Please check with your host first.

= BEING SNEAKY – You may not sign up your friend or any another singer, only yourself. Singers who turn in requests under different names trying to defeat the rotation will not be allowed to sing for the rest of the show. And we’ll all boo, too!

Making sure you have a good time is why I’m here… Let me know if there’s anything I can do to make your night more fun!

I'm not sure how many people actually read these, because at least once a night someone "violates" each one of these "courtesies"!

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Knowing my show... can i make a guess that this one gets broken without fail every night?????

On CompuHost, you can set up a bunch of promo trailers with the rules on them. They will get known real quick -- people pay attention to the list of singers and these announcements. If you change them often, people will check them constantly.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
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Ehhhhhhhhh, NO Rules.....Just Right!

On a serious note, I believe that I should and may put something in the front of my books in the future...just becuase. There is nothing in there right now. However, contrary to popular belief, THIS IS A DICTATORSHIP! I'm generally free flowing and ready to change at moments notice. I try to keep a fair rotation, but that's not set in stone....I may change it, period...at anytime. This is NOT America has talent or American Idol, if it's not to have fun...I want NO part of it. Most places I've been allow "anything" and I use my discrestion as to whether or not something that is questionable, especially early in the night. If it's early or kids are there or an older crowd, certain requests don't get played or sung. I simply say, sorry not until later in the night...or if it's not a place for it....I say, sorry I can't allow that to be played or sung here. If you are whiney, bytchy, swearing on the mics (w/o it being in the song), abusing my equipment. Guess what, you may not sing again the rest of the night. You also may not get your request played. It's simple, treat me and my stuff with respect...I promise to treat you with the same respect in return. I try to please the largest majority of people in my room at any given time. When I first started in the business, I literally made myself sick if I couldn't please everyone, all the time. I try to do the best job I can, if I screw up..I try to learn from that mistake to make my show better the next time around....rant over, I'm sure I've ruffled enough feathers! MrD

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Unless you are personally planning on going around to all the tables throughout the night and tidying the books so the "rules" page is the first thing they see, I wouldn't put it there. Make a separate laminated rules sheet or post them in a size that can be seen from the tables where you are.

I have two books: one country and oldies, and one everything else. Both are identified by their front page. Neither gets read. Singers are always complaining that they can't find their song because they are looking for it in the wrong book. I'm going to go back to combining them next printing because of the confusion.

My conclusion from all this is that front pages seldom get read!

First entry in my book:

? And The Mysterians

You guys know the song.

Right under that: 10,000 Maniacs. I did it that way.

From doing allnighters and many different type parties I have about thrown all the rules out. Fair rotation and no abuse of the gear. Other than that it depends upon the agenda.

Sing one bring one drives me nuts. I would rather have 4 songs on one slip. Or just tell what you want to sing and in less than 2 seconds you are qued and I am not even messing with slips. Numerous times I have had a stranger walk up and say there are no numbers in the book!! Whada ya wanta sing? Wats ur name? OK ur in...

We run a snake and are in the middle of the crowd. After awhile they learn if your hand is on the mouse or the board wait a minute.

As far as cussing I guess we still live in rural America where if kids or somebody's mother is present you better watch your mouth. We dont need a flipping rule about it..

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I have my rules in my book, and also put them on the screen as a slideshow, and occassionally between singers for the odd reminder, especially if something is happening that goes against a known rule in my shows.

Rules are a good thing .more then not most will not look at the rules and will try to see how far they can push the envelope...most people have found out im a rules person...you can get banned from my show if it is serious enough..or if you just trying to piss me off....I dont have time for games and small minded people...the rules are there and your excepted to abide by them

I stopped putting the rules in my books because I find people don't read them. I think the people who break the rules either know they are doing it and don't care or they haven't read them. But that is just my experience. I even posted the rules in large print under the monitor and they didn't read them.

The plus to having the rules in your book are that if there is any confrontation about what you can and can not do you can refer to them. They can't argue they didn't know if they are in plain sight.

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Why?

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I dont have time to enforce all these rules and our singers would look at you as if you were totally nuts and then leave, me included...

BTW I am in total control of my show and dont need rules.. Why do you need rules for everything?

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You sound like a real fun guy.

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Hate is like taking poison, hoping the other guy gets sick