Karaoke Forums

And for a first night it was very good. I had a lot of my regs there and the bartender told me she was "very happy" with the turnout. I guess, considering that it's been dead there since I left.
I have every confidence that it won't take as long as I thought to build it up again.
The owner never even told me to turn it down once! I guess he may be learning.

Anyhow, just to let you all know, as a comment, the owner came to me afterwards and told me he had to "pay fees" of about $450 for music and karaoke. It was a little hard to understand him and what he was trying to say, due to his accent and the noise level, but I think he may have been referring to performance rights royalties. He also told me that "you gotta pay too".
I really had a difficult time hearing him so he told me "we talk later, - next week".
I'm guessing he must have just got his Performance Rights License bill in the mail.
Well, if he thinks I'm gonna shell out for what he has to pay anyways, he's thinking wrong. This guy thinks he can pull one over on me. He doesn't understand that I know ALL aspects of the business VERY well.
If this is truly what he's seeking, for me to pay a portion of his fees, I will tell him to take a hike in no uncertain terms.
It's part of his operating costs as a business and is nothing to do with me. He's just a cheap SOB, I'm sure, and is hoping he can trick me into paying so he can recover some of the higher fee he now has to pay me.
As I stated in another post, I am not afraid to walk from this venue and will do so if it comes to it. I'm sure it won't, though. I've found with this guy that you just have to be firm and don't bend. He eventually gets it. Just a pain in the arse until he does, though .
Funny thing is, all it will cost him is $191.24 for the year. That's how cheap he is!

Yep it's not the dj/kj/bands responsibility to pay the publisher fees.

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

Sure I'd pay it... if he split the profits down the middle!!

This guy just DOESNT LEARN!! He CANNOT CHISEL YOU and try to weasel pay from you!! Again be direct and walk if neccessary. Just one more example of his untrustworthy nature/character. And he will NEVER STOP TRYING to get over on you in such ways. Remeber your emergency hospitalization episode!!

_________________
"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

Thanks, Kurt, but really, I'm not worried. I'm sure there will be more shenanagans from him in the future, but it doesn't bother me that much. It's really simple. I firmly say no and walk if necessary. I am not dependant on this or any other gig, so it's not a huge loss, other than I will miss my regs and the bar staff.
I told my hubby about it today and he laughed. Then he told me, "no way are you paying anything", as I knew he would. It helps that I am well educated in all aspects of the business, and what I lack, hubby easily takes up the slack.
It's really just an annoyance more than anything, to have to go through the rigamorole of meeting with him before the gig, then telling him no and then having him uptight for the rest of the night. But there won't even be a question on my end. The answer is very clearly no. And then I will hand him the license application form from SOCAN which very clearly states the price for the year as well as the information required about the venue (Not the karaoke company). That, at least, will show him that I am not stupid, nor am I easily duped and that when I told him I used to run a bar, I actually meant it and know what I'm talking about.

my longstanding gig in Portland tried to do the same thing.

I told him he hired me.... I have nothing to do with the profits, just as long as you're making money, I'll still be there.

But those ASCAP fees he was asked to pay, included bands and I THINK the jukebox. Once that was pointed out, he backed off on asking me to split the fees!

I can't wait to hear the next installment from diafel.

It sure helps to know I'm not the only one this scam has been tried on. Thanks, Knightshow.
And you're right. In Canada, it's SOCAN we deal with, and the fees are all included in one lump payment and does include live performances and satellite radio, television, jukebox, anything played for the public, really.
I have the form for a karaoke bar, where they would play ONLY karaoke and nothing else. It's not appropriate for this venue as he also has all the aforementioned entertainement going on. But I do want to hand it to him just to make my point: that I'm well versed in what the law is and what needs to be paid to whom and more importantly BY WHOM
I did make a quick call to SOCAN, just so I can tell him that I called them and be armed with a name of the person I spoke to. They also confirmed what we all already know.

Cueball:

Will the venue owner pull the wool over Diafel's eyes?
Will Diafel tell the venue owner where to go?
Will Diafel walk away and lose her gig?
The next installment of The Continuing SAGA of the Karaoke Kaper will be right here next week with all the answers to these questions and much, much more.
Stay tuned.....

Ah, the best revenge is sweet success. Congrats! My favorite KJ had the same experience; canned because she wasn't bringing in enough people, followed by weeks of sub KJs sucking wind, followed by the owner asking her back.

_________________
See/hear the serial version of Michael's karaoke novel, "Outro," at outronovel.blogspot.com

I wasn't let go because I didn't bring in enough people. Quite the opposite. I had the place rocking every night and the owner was raking it in on my nights.
But when the owner ran a bogus "contest" that P O'd a lot of patrons, and I dared to tell him how to do it right, he let me go. That, and I demanded and got a measly $25 per show raise. He was very cheap and figured he could hold the crowd once I had it established. Thing was, that once I was gone, so were all the patrons.

The guy is just a cheap A plain and simple. He know's he needs you now, I wouldn't ever bend on anything. Especially not rights fees, he has to pay that for the jukebox, bands, karaoke and anything else. Just like Lon said. I'd like to see him hire a band and tell them they have to chip in. Thats just funny.

Diafel, please tell me this. When he said it, did you just burst out laughing in his face? I would have.

_________________
#####################################

To be honest, I'm not 100 % sure that that's what he was talking about, but if I had to place a bet I would bet heavily that that's what it was. I had a hard time understanding what he was saying due to his accent and the noise in the club. He just said that we can talk about it next week.
But for sure, I'll be laughing in his face if that's truly what he's after. Heck, it doesn't really matter what he's after. I'm gonna laugh at him anyway. I am NOT paying for anything and as I said I will walk if need be.
Oh, wait.
I think I WILL pay for his fees for karaoke, but only IF he pays for my books to be reprinted and pays for a ream or two of my request slips to be printed.
Let's see, the fees are $192 and the cost of my books are close to $100 each. I have six books.
Sounds better and better to me.

Just strange that he'd even ask. I'm sure thats what he meant. The only thing I'd ever pay for on the job are drinks.

I hate it when I cant understand people because of an accent, I had that problem with some of my math professors in college. There again they probably wouldn't have been able to understand me either, southern accent and all.

_________________
#####################################

Ok so for this week's installment.
I think he's actually starting to get it!
No mention at all of the SOCAN fees. Not even a peep. All good.
Had twice as many people as last week which would have been a rather slow night before he killed it. Roughly 30 or so people. But they came in and STAYED.
Once again, the bar owner's wife from the other place that tried to steal me came over to spy. I guess she wondered why she had no one in her bar.
They haven't seen her since I left, so I guess that's good news for me.
At the end of the night, he said he knows that more people will be coming each week and that I bring them in.
He finally UNDERSTANDS!
Maybe he will finally quit trying to bite the hand that feeds him.
We can only hope.
I'm glad to say that this update is really not as exciting as I thought it was going to be.
Anyway, stay tuned. I'm sure there will something more to report next week.

Good....

I have been one of the most skeptical about your decision to return and so far it sounds all "good"

Keep us posted