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Ok, my wife and I went to Las Vegas for a few days over the weekend for our 25th wedding anniversary. While we were there, we visited a couple of different shows, one on Sunday, and one on Monday. Both shows were definitely "lacking". Both hosts were late in arriving, slow to set up, and generally were not very personable. My question is two-fold here, was this a "Vegas" thing? or am I in a minority and thinks that a host (KJ in particular) should put the venues needs before his/her own and be ready for the singers when they arrive? I host shows myself three nights per week, and NEVER am late, always show that I genuinely care about my gigs. Both these hosts had pretty good systems, good sound, good selection, but in all honesty, would keep looking for a better or more professional person to host a show.

What are all your thoughts?

I absolutely agree with you. I always arrive at my gigs about an hour before the show starts (+/-15 minutes). My setup takes about 30 minutes if I don't rush. That gives me enough time to check everything, change my shirt (my equipment is heavy ) and relax for a couple of minutes or socialize with early birds and listen to their stories.

If I have a new gig, I might even arrive up to 2 hours before the gig starts, just to make sure how to best setup, talk to employees and get their names, get infos about specials, eventually get cables/equipment I might need and don't know it up front, etc etc.

I take my business very serious. And people appreciate that in every way.

It's NOT a "Vegas Thing." I've been to several shows in Vegas that I would go back to again and again. I think your experience was a fluke (that 2 days in a row, the KJ was late to arrive, etc...). As you pointed out, both had excellent sound and selection, so that shows that they do care (if not, you would not have noticed).

One show that I love to go to (when I am in Vegas) is TJ's All-Star show at Harrah's I'm not sure which nights it is, but he starts at 6 PM. For the first hour, he and his troops do musical impersonations (Tina, Gladys, Elvis, Tom Jones, and he throws in a Richard Simmons for good measure). Then from 7 to 9 PM, it's open Karaoke. He also does the Stratosphere (regular Karaoke show). Another place that I enjoyed was at Ellis Island (behind Bally's), although I did have one not so good experience with the KJ there... he didn't like "The Pussycat Song" (even tho everyone else there ate it up (no pun intended)), and told me not to ever sing that song again. The Karaoke at The Barbary Coast is also pretty good (a lot of people waiting to sing there, so you might only sing once).

There are shows all over Vegas (up and down the main Strip, as I'm sure you know). Some are good, and some are bad. I avoid Tequilla Joe's (by the Imperial Palace)... The KJ there takes bribes, and there's no logic to his Rotation.

I'm also surprised that two Vega KJs in a row were late. But more surprising is that a Vegas KJ (or any experienced KJ) didn't know what the Pussycat Song was.

My host does everything now but when I did host I was an hour and a half before show and visited with customers even non-singers and mngr and owner. Sound check 30 min before show and maybe dinner music for 30 min. This is why I get more than average in this area.

Which brings up another question. Does anybody go down in the middle of the week have lunch and visit with the owner? I do..

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Olllie, would do the lunch thing if I had time ... SOME OF US STILL WORK FULL TIME!

Then why on earth would he even have it in his song list?

I would NEVER dream of telling someone not to ever sing a particular song again.
If it offended me that much I would just quietly remove it from my list and say nothing more about it.
He's no one to blame but himself for it being sung.

As for being late, I, too show up at least an hour (+/- 15 mins) befire my gigs, just in case something goes wrong and I need to run and get a replacement for something that fails, work out any problems etc.
I play music until the show starts and visit / relax beforehand.

Exactly! Host don't like a song, then host needs to pull it out of the book.



I think I can count on one hand the times i've been late in 15 years. 3 of them due to a train crossing which gets used 1 or 2 times a week. My equipment is stationary so no set up, I am there 10-15 minutes before show starts & never start late - even in the rare case of no one in the bar, I will sing or throw a karaoke disc in & let it play through until someone puts up a song.

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Never did lunch, but have been over to her house several times for bbq's & afterhours.

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Going back to Pussycat Song, yeah that's pretty cheeky for a KJ to scold a singer for doing a song in his book and in his library. And if you brought it in he should have known what it was.

Only in Vegas I guess. It wouldn't happen in any local neighborhood show I know of that's been around for awhile.

Both these shows I attended were "off" the strip quite a ways. They were just regular shows at regular bars, not casinos. I tried to go to one at Tuscany's on Tuesday night, but even tho there was one scheduled and advertised, it turned out to be something quite different, not karaoke at all. So my wife and I just walked back to our hotel.

I ask the question basically because I have visited tons of different shows over the past several years, and each one of them is hosted differently, be it rotation, or do they mix in dance music, or just plainly the different types of personalities. But one thing in common, that a show MUST be about the customers,,,not the needs or worries of the host. These two shows just didn't seem to care enough about their clientel at all. They just didn't seem like they were "professional". The saddest part? the customers just sat there and waited,,,like it wasn't a big deal. That's why I wondered if it was a "Vegas" thing, like they are in their own planet or something, dunno.

I too, show up and my venues at least an hour before, just in case, and visit with all the early birds,,,singers and non-singers alike. My personal opinion is its about them, not me. My needs come second. And I was wondering which is the "norm".
Like I said, I have three shows per week, and have been doing them all for over 2 1/2 or more each. My singers, I call them "my friends", seem to appreciate it.

My wife and I still enjoyed the trip to Vegas, even with the bad karaoke experiences.

It is a karaoke show where you get paid $25 an hour Tthe word professional does not really come to mind when I walk into a karaoke bar full of drunken people trying some white trash version of [fill in your song] , it is entertainment. Dire Straits is professional, so is AC~DC, not karaoke
Go to Asia, and see some real karaoke!

Professional in the manner that one portrays themselves. Anyone can be a professional, it doesn't need be driven by money, it's a matter on how one does their job.

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It was from my personal disc (which I handed up to him with my song request).

Thanks Lonnie, i like your definition of "professional". It seems to fit exactly what I had in mind for this question. These two KJ's, both men by the way, seemed to me just exactly the opposite. I hope that the good ones far out-weigh the likes of these two guys. I was hoping for a good learning experience while my wife and I were vacationing, I guess I learned more than I bargained for, huh?

Thanks everyone for your input,,keep it going! It's a great help for all of us. We should all never forget who is actually paying our wages.

Let me play devil's advocate for a minute.

How often do you see bars advertise bands that "start" at 9, but the owner's contract with the band is to start at 10? The bar wants to get people there early to drink! They're not in the business to pay for entertainment for you to see for free...they want you there buying drinks. Is it possible the bar who advertised karaoke did the same thing? It might well be the KJ started when he was paid to do so, but the bar advertised an earlier time.I'm curious what your definition of "personable" is. Did you expect a Vegas "Rat Pack" lounge singer-type? Maybe the guy isn't a performer, but more of a host.

OK as to the question about being "professional". When I hire a host to do shows for me I want someone with good sounding gear that's well-presented (not a bunch of wires hanging out), a decent library (5000+ songs), wireless mics. He also has to be friendly, but not TOO friendly. Think of a good waiter. He takes care of your needs, but isn't in your face.

He doesn't have to have an over-the-top personality, or even be a singer him/herself. But technically they need to have some acumen to work the knobs so that singers sound great.

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Maybe it's different where you are, but being we're in the same general area I would thing differently, any band i've went to see that said they are to start at 9 - starts at 9. I know this was the case when my band played as well. My show is advertised to start at 9, it starts at 9, regardless of how many people are there.

I'm curious what your definition of "personable" is. Did you expect a Vegas "Rat Pack" lounge singer-type? Maybe the guy isn't a performer, but more of a host.

OK as to the question about being "professional". When I hire a host to do shows for me I want someone with good sounding gear that's well-presented (not a bunch of wires hanging out), a decent library (5000+ songs), wireless mics. He also has to be friendly, but not TOO friendly. Think of a good waiter. He takes care of your needs, but isn't in your face.

He doesn't have to have an over-the-top personality, or even be a singer him/herself. But technically they need to have some acumen to work the knobs so that singers sound great.[/quote]
Agree/disagree. It isn't necessarily about how their equipment sounds, it's how host portrays themselves. Are they doing everything to make a customer feel welcome/like they are worth singing (whether they can or not), do they start ON time that is advertised, do they interact in a positive manner with the crowd no matter what the crowd is for a night - meaning will you support all genres? I have seen hosts that will shun certain people simply because they feel the singer don't fit in. I have one older later 60's singer that comes in does nothing but old 50's country in the midst of a Pantera and Metallica song, but my younger (HEAVY rock) crowd love him & are the first to stand up to applaud. Cater to all & make all feel welcome! These are the people that are ultimately paying you in return!

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Turning up late for anything is something I consider a sin. I particularly hate the idea that some people send a text to say they are running late. So? Be here on time or don't be here.

I always setup so that I have at least half an hour before the gig starts, a new place I will get there 2 hours early and if possible, setup, if not then just chill.

Whether a karaoke show starts promptly or late is not a geographic phenomenum. There are plenty of shows here in So Fl that habitually start late. The owner of one of these shows accused me of being anal for complaining.

I didn't know that there are shows at Harrah's and Barbary Coast; thanx for the heads up. Yeah, the show at Imperial Palace is "interesting". Ellis Island is on Koval St, two blocks east of the strip! Karaoke is there every night of the week and is a permanent set-up; so it's, basically, ready to go when the KJ arrives! BTW, Ellis Island has a mini-brewery, a great pizza stand, fabulous BBQ and an INexpensive restaurant worth standing on line for!

I recently found a new show, not as yet well-attended at the Havana Cigar Bar on Paradise, it's either on Tue or Wed, I believe? It's a very nice show, but "way off the beaten track", but so are many other good things in Vegas!

Live band karaoke is available Monday at Mandalay Bay. It doesn't start on time; though there's some "debate" among the employees as to what the starting time is. If you call over and asks when it starts, they'll provide you with the time the doors open.

No Logic ??? sure there is HIGHEST BIDDER GETS TO SING seems like the KJ has some logic intended