Karaoke Forums

To all those that think taking a bribe and it is a bribe not a tip,you don't tip a waitress tell after your meal.If people came in after you and ordered after you but got their order first because they gave her money so their order was done before yours,then that would be ok with you.

If you took your car to the shop and the mechanic said you could have it back in a day then somebody came in and gave the mechanic money to have their car done before yours so now its gonna be 2 days,then that would be ok.

It dosen't matter how much money it is or how much time it is, WHATS RIGHT IS RIGHT AND WHATS WRONG IS WRONG.

I would expect more out of the President of the Seattle Disk Jockey Associaton which is dedicated to the networking and education of Disk jockeys,Karaoke host and mobile entertainers in western washington.

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SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE LAST TUESDAY

As a KJ, I accept tips. When that is what they are. They are given to me for simply doing a good job. Giving money to influence or persuade me, is a bribe ,...period. Also as a public official, if you try to give me a "gift" just to buy your product, that is also a bribe.

My services both part time and professionally are "for sale." My character is not.

Kelly

"If you took your car to the shop and the mechanic said you could have it back in a day then somebody came in and gave the mechanic money to have their car done before yours so now its gonna be 2 days,then that would be ok. "

You don't think that happens? What if it was the Presidents car or Tom Brady's car.....guess what, you are waiting! Ummmmmm, since when is life..FAIR?

It's never been fair, it never will be fair! It's a great thing to shoot for, but sadly it's far from being reality.

Now, I'm not this total spineless DJ hack that backstabs everyone to get ahead....much the opposite actually. It is hard to control myself when I read about the people that are so 'perfect and righteous', they would never do this or that..it makes me want to

MrD

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

I know people who started coming to my shows that mentioned they quit going to others due to the host bumping people &/or playing favorites.
You wouldn't get upset if (worst case) you are in the place waiting to sing. You are coming up in a couple, someone just bought their way in for next slot, well now you are 3 away, back down to next, 2 people pay to be next, well they can't BOTH be next, but can follow one another, now you are back down to 3 singers away....and so on, yeah I know, most likely wouldn't happen, but if a host does it for one & you are good with it, then it shouldn't matter if they do it all night? I mean they are just supporting themselves, even though you've been spending money waiting to sing.
I'd personally would rather the people come in & be supportive following knowing I will not do that giving me a more stable job, than take a $ bribe that could lose some of those customers. Not worth it IMO.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

You're presenting a different scenario than I'm talking about. If it's a place where it's considered the norm to slip the KJ some money if you want to sing, then no, I'm not going to go to a place like that. And I do know of one around here that is just like that, and it's always packed.

But what we're talking about is a run of the mill karaoke night where somebody broke out $100 to sing next. That is simply not going to happen repeated times in the same rotation, it's an anomaly. But if it did happen 3 times in the same rotation, I wouldn't blame the KJ for taking an easy $300, and I wouldn't hold it against him.

Lonnie, as I mentioned it all depends on your venue. As has been said by several hosts and singers in this thread, it wouldn't be a big deal. Again, if this was "business as usual" that you had to tip to sing or that the KJ constantly hyped his tip jar, it's another story. I recently ranted about that on my KJ blog.Everyone is going to run their show their own way. You are certainly free to make a value judgment as to what is "right" and "wrong". The customers are the ultimate judge: they either come to the show or not. My crowds are bigger than ever, and as I mentioned the bar is so happy they booked me for a second night. Me? I'm taking the cash!We've discussed on many occasions at our meetings and also in other DJ forum websites a scenario where people are dancing to club music, and a guy walks up and requests perhaps a country song and lays a C-note down on the console to play their song next. The overwhelming number of DJs would take the money and play the song! So say what you want about "right" and "wrong". In the end, you have to weigh all the factors. Five minutes won't kill anyone.

There's one guy who comes to my show every week who I don't think I've ever seen buy a drink. We have a large water jug and plastic cups for the patrons; he makes a beeline for it. As soon as he comes in he rudely demands to know where the books are. (Sometimes they're all out on tables; sometimes they're right in front of his face!) When its his turn to sing, he will yell out to me on stage mid-song to turn his mic or reverb up or down. All of these things I'm happy to do, even knowing that he's not making the bar one cent nor putting cash in my jar. Because that's the job I'm paid to do!

But when an opportunity to put $100 in my pocket comes along for a 5 minute difference in time? I don't know about anyone else, but this isn't a hobby for me. As a singer I wouldn't care. And any singer who is so persnickety that they can't wait one more person in rotation? I think the show (and the bar) can probably do without them.

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[font=Lucida Console]DangerousKaraoke.com[/font]
[font=Lucida Console]"Sing for the day, sing for the moment, sing for the time of your life!"[/font]

What's this all about then? This is from your own MySpace page, Dangerous Dan.



My favorite patrons (NOT!) are those who grip a $10 bill and wave it at me when I have 20 or more people waiting in the rotation "if I'll let them sing next". Again, if you haven't already sung and most others have already been on stage a couple of times, I'll do my best to get you on stage a little sooner.

I believe I can probably speak for those of us who choose NOT to accept the money. Yes, that "type" of thing happens all the time. Life is like that; and when I find out that a business practices that, I take my business elsewhere; and I'm old enough to know life is not fair. I don't claim to be perfect or righteous. I just just choose to treat others as I would like to be treated. It's a real easy philosophy. And for 52 years it has served me well.

And oh, by the way, where I do my gig they had another guy KJing a couple of the other nights. He had been there about a year and a few months back he started taking "bribes" to bump people up. They fired him last month due to the complaints.

Kelly

I don't know why would anybody complain, it's just another 5 minutes or so....
I agree!

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i have been offered $100 a few times but my answer is always "NO". i tel lthem i don't care if they want to buy my house, running karaoke is not my job, it's what i do for fun and no amount of money is worth ruining my reputation for that.
i don't take tips after the show either.
now that that's been said i have to admit i've been incredibly tempted on occasion. i think the only way i'd accept it is if it paid for drinks for everyone i had to skip.

the reason is that it always and i mean always leads to people wanting to be moved up in the rotation or people thinking they've been skipped.

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All work and no play make Homer something something

I have left bars and never went back because of an unfair rotation before and I will again. I treat my singers the way I want to be treated at my shows.

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

Huge difference between $10 and $100, Lord.

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[font=Lucida Console]DangerousKaraoke.com[/font]
[font=Lucida Console]"Sing for the day, sing for the moment, sing for the time of your life!"[/font]

I'll probably never be in the Seattle area but I would scratch off any Dangerous Dan shows off of my list of things to do if I ever was in that part of the country. Those 5 minutes of my life, that he wants to steal from me, are important to me; even if they're not important to him. It's a shame that people like him have any shows at all. People like him must wait all night for the line to get long enough so that some douche bag will pay to jump to the front of the line because he thinks he's a better person than every other person in the bar. Everybody should wait their turn except for the guy with a few extra bucks in his pocket. These "whores" try to justify what they do by saying something to the effect that they wouldn't mind a bit if it happened to them and they had to wait an extra 5 minutes. If 15 or more people can patiently wait their turns; why can't everyone wait? Why does someone have to be rude to every other person in the bar just because he can? And why does any KJ have to let him get away with it? Because the KJ is a greedy S.O.B. who thinks his boss isn't paying him enough so he's gonna sell his reputation to make a few extra bucks for himself while costing the bar money at the same time. Trust me; people will notice and people will leave and they will tell the manager why they're leaving. If enough people leave because of the bribery going on; The KJ will eventually get fired. I hope so anyway.

I have taken a few bribes in my 12 years. Nothing less than a 50.00 spot or a quickie. Still have SRO shows and NOBODY has left. Cant we all just get along?

If you want EVERYONE to get along; YOU just have to treat EVERYONE EQUALLY.It's really a quite simple concept. Leave your GREED at home and run a fair show for EVERYONE.

It's really a shame that everything has to be treated like it's E-bay. How successful do you think your standing room only show would be if every singing slot had to be bid on? I know I wouldn't go to a show like that............well, maybe if the beer and food were free there???? nope! not even then. I'd rather go tot a show where I get a spot in line and wait my turn; just like EVERYONE else. I think if I'm willing to wait an hour to sing my next song; then anyone who walks in the door should have to wait an hour to sing their first song. It's not rocket science. Everyone should wait the same amount of time. The show should be as fair as it possibly can be.

Slow down there, I had know idea she was your wife. geeez .Hey whatever it takes is my motto. I am truly grateful for all the wonders that KARAOKE has bestowed upon me and my family. And I thank GOD that ALL my singers have remained loyal to me throughout the last decade of ROKKENKARAOKE. Even with my occasional slip ups. I guess great people skills, a winning personality, smokin sound system, tip top vocal chops and most importantly having alot of southern californias hottest looking ladies at my showcase events seems to make EVERYONE forget about the occasional bump up. peace , love ,karaoke.

Nothing less than a 50.00 spot or a quickie.. .... ....

you forgot to add modesty

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Not really, it's the same except one is like a street walker and the other a high end call girl, they are both prostitutes!

Allow me to don my waders, it's gettin' deep in here!