Karaoke Forums

If I have jerks (or similar) at my shows, I usually kill them with kindness. Works most of the time. If for some reason, they're looking for trouble, I start to ignore them. If it gets out of hand, I talk to the person in charge of the place.

Sevarin:

excellent advice! but easy to forget, thanx for the reminder

Diafel:

I am not sure what your point is. The Dr is saying that no matter how drunk someone gets, they will never utter a racist remark under the influence, if THEY ARE NOT in reality a racist!

Or, look at it this way, if someone truly hates karaoke, they are not going to espouse, while drunk, how much they LOVE karaoke. In fact, discussing such an affection would not likely be a topic of discussion while inebriated for someone who hates karaoke!

I look at most of your "problems" and I almost have to laugh. I just dont consider them problems or the attitude of "jerks".



1. Hey everyone has music taste sometimes it does not match yours. They can leave. You do in general not pick the songs.

2. Sometimes they are right. Every Dj has their own perception of volume, and sometimes it is off on particular nights due to what they have been around in the previous hours sound wise. It may sound "loud" or "quiet" to you.

3-5. Sure some people dont want to use the books/slips or choose a song for themselves. In general I let my regulars get away with it. If they want to come up to me and ask "do you have song x" or what do you have by "y" I can search it real quick or not bother with a slip it is no extra effort on my part. As for picking a song sure I have my favorite songs from the past songs many of my regulars sing, and I sometimes suggest it if they ask, I sometimes go as far as to suggest other songs that are in their range when asked as well. I feel a little on the spot when it comes to a stranger though.

6. Key changes are a bit hard sometimes and many people do not do well with them. Other people are just not good singers. Grin and deal with it. They know they are probably sounding worse for the key change and wont ask for it next time if it hurt the performance.

In general I try to treat the singers as friends, and If they take a bit of advantage of it, then its ok with me. It is not like I have a lot to do running a karaoke show, and interacting with future singers is 95% of the time it takes while the show is active. The mechanical running of the karaoke is a trivial ammount of time. What else do I have to do but interact with the singers, even if it is the 5th time they ask when they are going to be up or repeated pleading to be moved up in the line.

For me the real problem is the rare person that is stumbling drunk, stoned or just obnoxious. These people try to get up and sing without their turn, are insulting to other people and or is about to get into a fight. For them it is generally time to leave, or repeateldy looks like they are going to damage the equipment by tipping over tvs/speakers etc. Try to be firm and use the "bad dog" voice, and in the extreme have them removed from the bar. The comprension level of a drunk is on the order of a dog anyway. THey won't comprehend what you are saying but understand the tone. Ive had to evict a person once, and been close a couple of other times. I have always had good support from the audience and bartenders, and combined they can quickly make a person feel their behavior is unwelcome, and the unplesantness of being escorted out and banned from the venue is avoided.

Another problem is the rare person that has horrible odor to the point that many others complain. Ive only had this problem once and since the guy usually was not noticeably bad in the BO department on past shows I kinda let it pass that time, but after I discussed it with the bartender and in the future he would be talked to. This has only happend once in nearly 100 shows....

Karoke is a customer service business. It's up to us to deliver the service. Personally I don't like drunks or jerks (the two are not always the same) and in my private life I don't suffer either gladly. In my professional life I have to deal with them and do it in such a way that I don't sacrifce my show or end up making an enemy for life.

For the most part, though, they are pretty easy to deal with. Agreeing with them goes a long way. Oh the music is too loud. Let me adjust it. What's so difficult about that? It doesn't mean that I actually do the adjustment. It just means that I agree and the guy goes off happy that he's made his point. Strange as it may seem I always take that kind of suggestion/demand seriously. Because it could be too loud.

At my second karaoke show I learned a valuable lesson about insisting that the singers find their own songs and fill out their own slips. After doing this twice for a guy I finally suggested that he take a book and a slip and do it himself. He was very embarrassed but admitted to me that he could not read or write. Then I was the embarassed one. Since the I've found the time to do both when I have to. It doesn't happen that often and it really doesn't hurt me. So why not do it?

From the perspective of being in a business that involves dealing with the public I guess the best suggestion I can make is to remember that you're dealing with the public. They are not always right, they are not always pleasant but we are there to make sure they have a good time. We are getting paid to do that. It's not really our show, its theirs. We are faciliators.

If a song is in the wrong key for someone I stop, change the key and we have a do-over. If it takes a couple of trys no one is hurt and I always figure that the other singers notice that I'm being as accomodating as I can be to assure that they have a good time. No one has ever criticized me for that. And it's another thing that doesn't happen very often.

Does all of this mean that I never say no? Of course not. But I try to be accomodating. Once in a while there is someone I just can't deal with no matter how hard I try. I chalk it up to "that's life" and I go on.

Once in a great while I'll talk the owner or manager and suggest that a particular person has been grossly overserved and is becoming a danger to himself, my equipment, and to the bar. I live in Wisconsin which has some very stiff DUI laws and where individual bartenders are held liable for their customer's condition. I've not yet encountered a situation in which the owner/manager hasn't been pretty cooperative.

A jerk is a different story because when he wakes up tomorrow he'll still be a jerk. Being polite is always a good place to start. One of the things I've found about jerks is that, by and large, once they have made their point they are satisied and that's that. When the trouble starts is generally when you try to argue with them.

I've not had to deal with someone who instructs me not to allow certain types of music. In the event I do I'll agree that I'm not fond of that kind of music either but that I can't control what the singers want to sing and it's their show. I'll also assure the "jerk" that there will be lots of singers and he probably won't have to listen to that kind of music more than a few times.

I realize that what I've offered are not perfect solutions. From time to time I encounter someone I cannot deal with no matter how hard I try. I don't have any general advice for that because it depends on exactly what the situation is.

When being friendly, accomodating, flexible and treating people the way I would like to be treated fails about the only thing I have left is that I'm 6'3" and 250 lb. and most people, drunk or not, don't seem to be willing to take things past a certain point. I never want things to get to that point and thus far they haven't. But there are nights when it's difficult. I just try to remember why I'm there and hope for the best.

And here's a truism no matter how unjust we think it is; we will never, ever, win an argument with a customer.

Larry

_________________
"Life is too short for diet soda and lite beer"

Karoke is a customer service business. It's up to us to deliver the service. Personally I don't like drunks or jerks (the two are not always the same) and in my private life I don't suffer either gladly. In my professional life I have to deal with them and do it in such a way that I don't sacrifce my show or end up making an enemy for life.

For the most part, though, they are pretty easy to deal with. Agreeing with them goes a long way. Oh the music is too loud. Let me adjust it. What's so difficult about that? It doesn't mean that I actually do the adjustment. It just means that I agree and the guy goes off happy that he's made his point. Strange as it may seem I always take that kind of suggestion/demand seriously. Because it could be too loud.

At my second karaoke show I learned a valuable lesson about insisting that the singers find their own songs and fill out their own slips. After doing this twice for a guy I finally suggested that he take a book and a slip and do it himself. He was very embarrassed but admitted to me that he could not read or write. Then I was the embarassed one. Since the I've found the time to do both when I have to. It doesn't happen that often and it really doesn't hurt me. So why not do it?

From the perspective of being in a business that involves dealing with the public I guess the best suggestion I can make is to remember that you're dealing with the public. They are not always right, they are not always pleasant but we are there to make sure they have a good time. We are getting paid to do that. It's not really our show, its theirs. We are faciliators.

If a song is in the wrong key for someone I stop, change the key and we have a do-over. If it takes a couple of trys no one is hurt and I always figure that the other singers notice that I'm being as accomodating as I can be to assure that they have a good time. No one has ever criticized me for that. And it's another thing that doesn't happen very often.

Does all of this mean that I never say no? Of course not. But I try to be accomodating. Once in a while there is someone I just can't deal with no matter how hard I try. I chalk it up to "that's life" and I go on.

Once in a great while I'll talk the owner or manager and suggest that a particular person has been grossly overserved and is becoming a danger to himself, my equipment, and to the bar. I live in Wisconsin which has some very stiff DUI laws and where individual bartenders are held liable for their customer's condition. I've not yet encountered a situation in which the owner/manager hasn't been pretty cooperative.

A jerk is a different story because when he wakes up tomorrow he'll still be a jerk. Being polite is always a good place to start. One of the things I've found about jerks is that, by and large, once they have made their point they are satisied and that's that. When the trouble starts is generally when you try to argue with them.

I've not had to deal with someone who instructs me not to allow certain types of music. In the event I do I'll agree that I'm not fond of that kind of music either but that I can't control what the singers want to sing and it's their show. I'll also assure the "jerk" that there will be lots of singers and he probably won't have to listen to that kind of music more than a few times.

I realize that what I've offered are not perfect solutions. From time to time I encounter someone I cannot deal with no matter how hard I try. I don't have any general advice for that because it depends on exactly what the situation is.

When being friendly, accomodating, flexible and treating people the way I would like to be treated fails about the only thing I have left is that I'm 6'3" and 250 lb. and most people, drunk or not, don't seem to be willing to take things past a certain point. I never want things to get to that point and thus far they haven't. But there are nights when it's difficult. I just try to remember why I'm there and hope for the best.

And here's a truism no matter how unjust we think it is; we will never, ever, win an argument with a customer.

Larry

_________________
"Life is too short for diet soda and lite beer"

A loud festive atmosphere mixed with alcohol equals at least one problem child in the room. You cannot please everyone!

I never try to handle the problem on my own. If the person is out of control you should let the manager or owner of the bar take care of them. If it is a problem of them not getting up to sing as quickly as they would like then you give them the standard answer - Sorry, we have a lot of singer's and everyone is waiting their turn.

Turn it down... it is too loud - This one is annoying. - We play the same level everynight, see the bartender.....

I need to leave, can you move me up - I wish I could but that wouldn't be fair to everyone else waiting.

You want to be as freindly as possible because chances are you will see them again around town where you play or visit.

Unfortunately there are those few that you will piss off. Back to the can't please everyone!

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A typical drunk goes through 3 stages Happy, Crying and Pissed off or aggressive. Anyone with experience cuts them off or rejects their slips in the crying stage. Dont believe me? watch a typical drunk from start to finish.

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Ollie, absolutely true. Just have to figure out where they are and tackle it from there. Beyond not listening to me and hearing what I'm saying, you're now a problem for the bartender. It's their job and their license on the line, not mine.

I love when a drunk singer insists that I let them sing one more or move them up because they know the owner. Cool....what they forget is it is your equipment they are using and the KJ has the actual final word. I know every bartender supports me. You are DONE when you start swinging the mic or yelling into it.

" I'm not an Alcoholic... I'm a Drunk!... Alcoholics have to go to those Meetings" Richard Pryor

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Man Must Know His Limitations -Clint Eastwood

I just say, "You got that right!" Smile, and do what I want anyway.



"got it!" Pretend to mess with the controls, and smile back at them. Move on.

I like to go to the bar, talk in a normal speaking voice, and if I can be heard, and the music and the singer are balanced, I leave the volume alone. As the night progreasses, the bar fills up, you my need to increase volume to overcome the noise of the crowd.



"Yes!" Smile, move on.



"Nope" Smile, move on. Let me also add, that once I've heard someone sing, I'm always happy to make suggestions.



"Sure" Hand them a slip, and a pen and ask them to fill that out, then announce the next singer.



I'll stop it once, and start over. That's it.



Eric, the key here is to speak and act with confidence. Your the host, its your show, and your the professional. Treat everyone with respect, smile, be personable, but direct with authority.

I don't know about you, but after a few bars I can tell if a singer's in trouble or not. Frequently, I will key chenge them during a break in the song, and they don't ever realise it. You can tell when to do this, when you hear that the singer is singing in "his key" regardless of the music. If you've got a good ear, and with practice you should be able to key change him.

I frequently find, that the singer isn't singing badly, just out of key. Get the singer in key, and sounding good and you've got a regular.

If at the end of the song, there's applause for a fine performance, and the guy says "Man, you're system rocks!" you've done your job, and you can be confident that you've picked the right vocation.

Don't take nobody's crap, but be nice about it.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!