Karaoke Forums

what percent of people do you have at your shows that never sing?
the wife and i dont sing but like to go out to karaoke and just watch.
would you rather not have non singers taking up chairs?

thanks

randy

We especially want non-singers taking up chairs!

Karaoke is usually self-limiting. The big attraction is being able to sing, so you attract singers. But if you attract too many, it takes forever to sing and you only get to sing 2-3 times a night. That drives away singers.

At my service club, we have 25% singers, 75% non-singers. Other places I have seen are 50-50. If you get too many regular singers, the gig usually folds, as week-in / week-out singers are not usually drinkers.

So to repeat -- we love you! Please come to my show!

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

thats interesting, i would think you would want more singers. but i see
your point! i have plenty of refreshments to keep the bar owner happy!


randy

What really makes it fun is if the non-singers like to dance. Many singers consider it a compliment it people get up and dance during their song. The fellow above nailed it--singers like a crowd but not so many singers that they only get a few chances up. So a balance of singers/non-singers is essential.

Absolutely they want non-singers! If you had nothing but singers you would only have seventy people in the place and half of them would have a two plus hour wait to sing so they would leave. Keep the singers give me party animals every time.

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Okay, who took my pants?

Please continue to support your local karaoke show! None of us who host these things want our rooms full of just singers. It's tough enough for us hosts when 1/3 of the room sings. We'd all go nuts if the whole place sang!

It's funny, that you brought up that subject yesterday...

I got a call yesterday from a well known Sports Bar Franchise here in Florida. They had to fire their old KJ, that has been there for years. (Short story: Something about the host working behind the Karaoke business owner's back, they fighting in the venue during the show, Manager walks up, gets involved and throws both out)

They hired a new company and yesterday was the guy's second night. They invited me to come in. And oh my god, I've (almost) never seen a worse show. One powered speaker for a venue with about 4000 square feet. He only used one $hitty wired mic (imagine Duets...). It took him about 5 minutes to queue up 1 song and he was using a shareware version of a hosting program. I've never seen something like that...

So to the subject: That venue was packed to the last seat, but they only had about 5 singers all night. AND on top of that, all the non singers were the best supporting crowd I've ever seen. They all clapped at the end of each song, no matter how bad people sang. That was a great experience which made up for the bad host.

End of story is, they want me to take over that show, when their 4 weeks contract with that other company runs out.

In my home room the singers definitely do their part in drinking just as much, or more, than the non-singers.

This is a double-edged sword BTW.

I drink just as much if I am singing or not

I have mostly singers. It would be nice to have more nonsingers. I have people comment all the time that they are surprised that everyone sings. The main draw is karaoke though. There is a beautiful beer garden bar off the back, so if people don't want karaoke they go back there. It's nice for people if they are watching a game etc...

The funny thing is the bar on a slow night is deceiving. I can have only 15 people in the bar and the rotation takes longer than people think because everyone is singing.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

You want MORE non singers than singers, that's a fact. A show or BAR could not survive with JUST singers in the place. Unless you have 50 all happy to sing 1 song and some waiting 4 hours to do so. In the perfect world you need a rotation of singers...some who sing all night ...some who come and go and as many people (NON SINGERS) as the place will hold spending $$$$

This is part of my problem. Really the only nonsingers I have are people that have come in with singers. When there isn't karaoke you are lucky to find 5 people in the bar. Aaarg!

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

one of my sales lines is " usually 25% of the bar (tops) will sing, I cater to the other 75% more so than the singers, and i WILL keep the 75% happy and having fun. the singers will come for the good song selection and good sound. the non singers will stay for the good sound (or lack of bad) and various other things that we do better than the others around. If the non singers leave you have an empty bar"

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

I'm in a similar situation as Babs. I have one show that is very different, it's a lesbian bar on a tuesday night. First off, the lesbian part is no problem at all, they are a great bunch of ladies (and a few man/girls too, hehe). The part of the problem is its tuesdays and thats the worst night to have a show. That causes a lack of non-singers. The major part of the patrons are terrific singers, and when the bar looks slow, it's usually quite a long rotation. It really makes me nervous each week that this happens. I have been hosting this show for over 2 1/2 years, with the owner who is very supportive. I sometimes think I am wasting her money, but she keeps reassuring me everything is terrific. I wish that that singer/non-singer ratio was very much in the non-singers favor, and I would think that this is the norm.

Non-Singers are some of my favorite peeps! We have a medium size venue, and when everyone in the room is singing, the rotation easily becomes 2+ hours! I then start getting complaints about the wait. The non-singers are the buffer that keeps the place looking fun and packed, while not adding time on to our singers' participation.

At my show, I've noticed that the people that dance the most are the non-singers. It's too hard to determine who spends more money, I've seen my share of drinking singers and non-singers alike. As for tips, I frequently get tips from non-singers who thank me for a great time.

I will say this though.....I have a few singers that NEVER drink (and rarely tip for that matter). It's not typically like that with the non-singers (unless they are the DD for one of the singers!) Cheers!

I do okay with it because I work in a small venue and on a busy night people understand it will be a very long wait to sing. I don't feel it is my responsibility to bring in nonsingers, but of course I try to appeal to everyone. I've turned the bar into a karaoke bar which is funny because that is what the owner didn't originally want, but it is his only crowd.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

I would say that 50 percent of the regulars that come to my different shows are non singers. I love them though because they participate, dance, and applaud for everyone. It makes the night more fun and the the singers love the support too!

I've seen it happen too where a regular non singer finally gets up the nerve to karaoke for the first time... and do well, then become a singer themselves.

I had a fluke night last night, around 30 individual singers in a crowd of 40 or so. Grat crowd too. Definitely not the norm by any means. usually it's about 1/4 singers to non.

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