Karaoke Forums

In your example there is nothing hell related about it. It seems that ballad hell would refer to multiple ballad songs back to back and people not enjoying them. At least that is how I am understanding it from everyones posts.

I just added that you should let your patrons fix this issue. You can be in country hell, or pop hell, or whatever other hell you want.

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"Baby, Just Because I Rock, Doesn't Mean I'm Made Of Stone."

Well, Ive had quite the response to this thread, and realize that SOME of the karaoke hosts believe that NO MATTER WHAT, they're not going to give ballad singers a chance, as they will do everything in their power to to discourage someone from singing a ballad. This has also been my personal experience in my area. They are under the impression that BALLADS kill the venue. I will be GLAD to take ALL of those MISPLACED, and UNWANTED ballad singers, and have the most PACKED venue in the area, full of BORING (patrons) who are having a nice peaceful night of maybe a few appetizers, a few drinks, a nice laid back atmosphere, mixed in with a WILD ONE or two every rotation, to keep it interesting. I probably won't have anyone SWINGING my mics, falling down into my equipment, BUT I think I can deal with that. The venue that I am HOPING for is more of a NIGHTCLUB atmosphere, with people dancing, eating, drinking, SOCIALIZING, and generally having a good time. Kind of fits the name of my show, SERENITY NOW KARAOKE.

Thanks,

Rosario

Rosaio

In this conjured image you have full of ballad karaoke - it may work well in your head, but it would soon turn into a snoozefest. Also with pure ballds you get a lot of rivalry and one-upmanship - poor singers believing themselves to be great because they have been told their "My heart will go on" is awesome...

It would die within weeks. I have found that the gigs I do, when the karaoke has gone on "too long" (both my feeling and that of many locals) it becomes ballad hell. As such, I pull the "no more ballads" card. It is 99% of the time appreciated.

Hey Rosario, where in Port Washington are you? I'll be there at the end of May... love to come to your show.

As for some of the other KJs posting here, well I made up my mind long ago to avoid their gigs if ever I was to be in their areas... their self-centredness and lack of customer service skills is quite unbelievable.

To answer the subject's question.... there is nothing wrong with ballads. I sing them a lot of the time. I also sing upbeat songs quite often. Yes, I have the ability to be able to read a crowd just as well as a KJ and I will choose my songs accordingly. I don't need a KJ telling me what I can or can't sing... it is my choice, not theirs and I am their customer, they aren't mine.

There are times to sing ballads.

These are some I sing and when I do the audience is listening intently.

first time

fifties]

after

If it is dead and needs picked up

hop

surf

jump

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First, Nlouch, my show doesn't consist of only ballad singers, BUT, if it did, and they were happy with it being that way, and NOT scrambling for the doors, I'd be happy. I have a mixed crowd right now, more of an older crowd (I must admit), but they seem to be enjoying the karaoke. My show is VERY new, but I have noticed that I am attracting several of the ballad/crooner/lounge lizard type. I do have some young people coming in, but they're more the audience, UNTIL about 1am, when the liquid courage takes effect, then I get a rush of song requests at the last part of the show. The reason I posted this thread, is because, as you stated, as well as MANY others, the DREADED ballad hell. So far, it seems to be working for me, MAYBE, it won't last, but I like to think positive, and will make every effort to keep the PATRONS happy. If that means that I'm taking them ALL to "ballad hell", at least we'll all go HAPPILY. Murrlyn, just do a YAHOO search, type in Serenity Now Karaoke, you will see it in the search @ Tello's Grill and Cafe'. I hope you know it's Port Washington, Wisconsin, not New York.

Thanks

Rosario

If everyone is happy, then it's not "Ballad Hell" - it's simply a good show.

"Ballad Hell" is when a string of ballads drop the excitement factor and the slow goes really slow and dull.

It's all about the crowd. If they are honestly happy listening to ballad after ballad, then so be it. But I know that none of my crowds are.

What works in your show/location/style may not work in mine and vice versa. However, it's telling that the phrase "Ballad hell" even exists and the majority of people knew it...

Bingo. As a customer, I can see what is going on and adapt. I do lots of upbeat songs simply because there are so many slow country songs around where I am. For every Chiseled In Stone it's nice to have a Tall Tall Trees. The other night, I did If You're Going Through Hell after about 5 slow songs in a row and had half the joint coming over to shake my hand.

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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.

For 15-20 years I have never heard of the term.

For years I have argued on this forum about singers putting up 4- 5 songs. OH NO NO.

Sing one bring one. When you have a selection of of songs from each singers you can regulate the mood and choose songs.

I have argued playing more fill or transition music. OH NO NO

If you do that I will get mad and leave. BYE..

Now you sit here and (@$%&#!) because your show has periods of low energy as always you put the blame on the singers or management or whatever.

As a singer with 60 years of experience I know how to energize crowds with any genre.
Yes I can walk into any show and take it over. not from the KJ but entertain the crowd and I know what songs to sing at that moment.

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I think a ballad sung extremely well is an awesome thing to hear.

(AT the right moment... and NOT one after the other)

Where I normally hang out, some of the very best singers there (and we have a room full of mostly great singers...) the only songs they usually do are ballads. And they do them all very well. But it gets old when you hear those same 4-6 people sing those same damm ballads, night after night after night. But to get these girls to get up and try something new & upbeat.... would be impossible.

And it makes ya sleepy. I never sing ballads out at karaoke, just because I try and choose stuff the bar will appreciate more.... sometimes I'm the only one (atleast the only female) in rotation doing upbeat songs. And often I've had the KJ ask me "please put up a fast one"... cause it gets old to him to. So, it's not just a matter of personal opinion, it does affect the listeners and KJ too. For the most part, when people are in a party/drinking atmosphere, they don't wanna hear all sad, sappy songs.

*personal opinion, don't throw any stones*

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Now Blue, how could I possibly throw stones? You are correct about a ballad (can be) a lovely thing. That's why many of them are so timeless. As stated earlier, if they weren't good songs, why have they been around for so long. Why are generation, after generation picking up on these songs. ALL ballads aren't snooze fests, there are MANY country ballads that are very upbeat. That's what I as the host will INJECT into the show, if I see it needs some energy, or if I see some women squirming in their seats looking to dance. So, I guess it all depends on WHICH ballads are being sung one after the other. I don't know, I'm just guessing.
Maybe I'll post on here a year from now and RETRACT all of my statements from this thread, and ask someone to PLEASE come shoot me for wishing this misery on myself, who knows what the future holds for any of us.

Thanks,

Rosario

Before I became a "singer," I used to go with singing friends to karaoke. There were several of us that loved to dance. Bruce will hate me but we used to look forward to the hosts jumping into the rotation because they sang good dancing songs. If there were too many ballads in a row, by the time you got to a fast song sometimes your drink had worn off and you weren't in the mood to get out there anyway. Plus you got to feeling uncomfortable because you kept having to slow dance too many times with people who made it difficult to say "no" without a scene yet they were starting to creep you out. Plus I couldn't follow and whenever I tried to decline on the grounds of being a bad slow dancer, I'd get an unwanted, patronizing dancing lesson instead. I dreaded too many slow ones in a row--it was true ballad hell for me.

On the other hand, my friend was a professional grade singer and she tended toward ballads. The host would sometimes ask her to change her song to something faster (he knew she had some numbers that got people out on the floor) and she obliged at first but then started to feel a bit miffed that she couldn't sing what she wanted so she stuck to her ballads. The people who WANTED to slow dance with each other loved them.

There is never just one side to any of this.

I can't get away with NOT singing Faithfully at my show because a lady there won't get up to sing until I do. Go figure. So as soon as I see her come in I put it in my que as the next song I sing. She has a beautiful voice and the customers love hearing her sing.

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

Rosario, if you do mostly ballads...... I'm sure you make a nice mix where you go sing. I would hate to see a show with NO ballads sang.... I think people would start missing them.

As long as they don't "dominate" in what is normally a "party" atmosphere, I think ballads fit in fine.

I have to admit at times I hear a ballad start and I think "Oh gawd, no, I can't listen to this right now".

BUT... to be fair, maybe that's because I've heard that song too many times by that certain singer, or maybe cause I'm in a bad frame of mind and don't want to cry a tear in my beer by hearing it at that moment? (not that i ever cry, mind you, .... but i do wear my heart on my sleeve much too often, and music does funny things with my moods)


It's all good. Sing what you like to sing...

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

If the encomony continues to plummet, KJ's may start really valuing every singer they have, instead of taking their customers for givens, and Ballad Hell might start being called Ballad Heaven.

I like going to a karaoke place where a wide variety of songs are sung. I'm not a big dancer, so I less like the shows that are non-stop high energy (with Nelly's Hot in Here used for filler music between every song). It almost seems too contrived--kind of like being forced to drink a 6-pack of Red Bull. But if people are singing what they want to sing, and it's all high energy (or all low energy, or all in between), then as a singer I can't complain, because I have the same opportunity to select from the same mix. They and I are doing what we want. On the other hand, if I'm being pressured to sing a select set of songs out of the KJ's book, then shouldn't the KJ be paying me to sing? After all, I'm no longer singing what I really want to sing, but instead the KJ and bar have basically got me providing entertainment for nonsingers, and I'm still buying my own drinks! It seems to a certain extent in this case that I have become....the kj's slave. Hmmm....maybe this would be the time to sing some.....Audioslave!

[schild=11 fontcolor=000000 shadowcolor=C0C0C0 shieldshadow=1]Er right boss! Tell me what to sing and when, and I'll do it![/schild]

Actually...no. The bar owner hired me. The bar owner pays me. I am only there because he has decided I should be. If I am making his customers happy, then he will stay my customer and I will stay in his bar. But if he complains, whether it's because his customers complained or just because of something he personally doesn't like, rectifying that takes number one priority if I want to keep my show. He will have nothing to complain about if his customers have nothing to complain about. Keeping his customers happy at the show is also my job, and I certainly strive to make them happy -- ALL OF THEM, including the non-singers, who can kill a show with complaints over ballad hell nights just as easily as singers can. They like high energy, and it's important that I don't ignore them just because they aren't singing.

The only complaints I ever get are from people who don't get to sing as often as they'd like (because of the 1 1/2 hour to 2 hour rotation). That's the only thing I can't do anything about.

birdofsong

The big majority of KJ here who love high energy songs do not have the rig to go with the kind of music they love to play. The result is a loud buy heavily clipped sound. I would avoid those kind of KJ.
If I want to listen to or want to dance to high energy music I go a dance club that have proper PA installed.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

That is quite the generalization. I see quite a lot of that around here. Sweeping generalizations are usually based on nothing but supposition. Not trying to be argumentative, but have you done thorough research on what equipment each KJ is running here? Or are you making an assumption? I love high-energy Karaoke and I have never had an issue with heavily clipped sound. Never.

Regardless, people who want to go dancing go to a dance club. People who want to sing or listen to Karaoke go to a Karaoke club. Two different animals.

birdofsong

If you don't use sub, then the your rig is never suitable for those dance-able song. But for ballad they are very good.

Yes I do read almost every posts here and I have been here long enough. And remember, there are many who do not post much but ask very basic question in the tech forum.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

[quote="Jian @ Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:44 pm
If you don't use sub, then the your rig is never suitable for those dance-able song. But for ballad they are very good.[/quote]

I have to disagree. I'm sure in some cases that may be true, but there you go again with the sweeping generalizations when you say "NEVER." I'd get my hackles up far less if you simply said, "In my experience, I find that KJ rigs often have this problem."

I run 15" JBL speakers. These are the same speakers I use when I DJ school dances in large gyms. Two speakers. Good bass. No clipping. Great full sound. I have hundreds of happy teenagers. And they don't want to hear too many ballads, either.

birdofsong