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At the bar I'm at on Saturdays, most of the singers are fantastic. I generally have a 1-2 hour rotation...BUT...when it gets really busy, I find the amount of audience encouragement...applause, etc. can, at times, go to the dogs. I always encourage applause, and I have some standard jokes to get people involved, but it can be really tough at times, and I don't want to sound repetitive. Sometimes even the singers don't support each other. It gets very frustrating.

What do you do to get your audience to respond to your singers?

Thanks.

birdofsong

I at times will threaten to have the previous singer sing again jokingly. Have never been taken up on it yet and they usually clap after I said this.

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

I play an applause soundbyte and thank the audience profusely.... pretty soon, they all look around to see who else is clapping.. and find no one... then they get the hint.

I might also suggest to the audience that "If you're not clapping... you must be singing."

However I never belittle the audience for any reason... I've seen other hosts swear at unresponsive audiences and I think it's beyond tacky and unprofessional.

I knew a host that would thank the audience for "that rousing round of indifference!" (a real backhanded way of getting some kind of reaction.)

I try and am often successful. I use my realistic "trigger" recorded applause bits. Sometimes if someone has done a really good job and people don't clap I get on them a bit, "Come on people! CLAP OUT THERE! That was good!"

Some nights, particularly with mostly younger crowds, they won't clap for the performance, they clap for the person. The worst performances get the most applause. Most of our good singers understand this on some level, I think.

I know that one reason I keep going to new shows is that I am nothing new where I am known. I can do my best ever and sometimes people won't pay any attention at all. Why should they? They've heard me sing a hundred times. When I go to a new show -- one that doesn't have scads of good singers, anyway -- people come up to me after I sing and tell me they liked it or ask if I do a certain artist. One thing I am amazed at is that the pro singers are the ones who come up and compliment me the most -- some of them recognize that the songs I do are typically not easy.

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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.

It's the old case of - it takes one to know one!

I dont need applause every time but like dancers or compliments on my singing or show. I can also tell when I have energized a crowd. A few times I would sing and give everything I had the crowd was drunk or not giving any energy back I would go home emotionally and physically drained. Then the next week they would totally be going banannas for every singer.

I dont demand applause but I do get irritated when someone absolutely nails a song and they all ignore them. Thats when I kill the fill music and scream Hey was anybody listening to that?.

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Yeah that's when it can get the worst. When it's slower I can take time to say a few complimentary things on the mic which helps but when rotation's out there I'm just trying to slam them through and all they get from me is a thank you, I'm afraid.

You can't chide of scold the room though. Even if it's lightly. I just try to lead by example. If the room joins in they do and if they don't they don't.

My singers know what to do to get response. It's the choice of material, not vocal performance that counts. It's really on their shoulders. My most talented singers will often insert things like raps during the busiest hour because they know what works and want that roar of approval.

And they get it. The rap guys and hiphop ladies get all the glory.

I have a printed 2 footlong sign in big black letters that says HUGE APPLAUSE on one side and EVERYBODY SCREAM on the other side.

believe it when i say IT WORKS WONDERS! I 'll use it when someone is really nervous and unsure of themselves and flash it quickly during the instrumental part or at the end of the song, but the singer has NO IDEA i did.

I do get busted ocassionally, but it's all in FUN. We get mostly tourists here and the singers are a bit shy at first until they get a shot of confidence with the sign, then they open up and really put on a better showing.

TRY a SIGN and you will see it work and be utterly surprised how the applause catches on like wildfire once one person starts to clap, and see your singers REACT and give a better performance!

I Enthusiastically put the sign up for like 5 seconds then hide it before the singer tries to figure out what's up and turns to look at me. I just applaud and shrug my shoulders. When their friends tell them about it after the song, i usually get a hi-five or a comical blame, but it does endear most to me as the host, and helps to energize a slow song or turn the singer into a preformer.

Of course don't use it every or every other song, just when it's called for! MAKE A SIGN AND TRY IT! Aloha! J.R.

Actually I will. That sounds like a positive suggestion.

That made me think of something. I'd like to make a video clip that I could play of just Nancy Pelosi standing up repeatedly and applauding during Obama's speech to Congress. I think most people (at least here in Texas) would find that funny.
Other sound bytes that are good (not necessarily appropriate but funny) are:

1. "You use your tongue purtier than a $20 whore!" Blazing Saddles
2. "You're amazing! I want you to know, I am going to pleasure myself tonight to that image of you doing that..." Step Brothers
3. "Your voice sounds like a combination of Jesus and Fergie." Step Brothers
4. "Sweet!" Napoleon Dynamite

I'm sure there's a lot more but that's a good start.

I found a video bite that shows the guy throwing the shoe at Bush. It just loops over and over and has a title "Duck Sucker". Along with sound bites like "Yeah Baby" and "Wow, all I can say is Wow". I do like the banner idea.

Bill H said



This is very true.

In my place it's not so much rapping but it's amazing how many of them come up to change the songs that they handed in earlier, just after someone else has just brought the house down with an upbeat number.

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[font=Fantasy][/font] "Travellin' at the speed of light"

You put a smile on my face because if something really goes over I can expect a rush to the slip board with several singers swapping out what they had for the round with something else.

Personally I allow singers to change their song right up until their turn, which I guess is not the case with all KJs.

My wife and I are a 2 person team. I am behind the controls, and she is in the audience mixing and mingling. She has a good time and encourages people to get up and sing. She will give the loudest applause of all if the crowd is not carrying the weight.

Bill H said



Yeah, me too. In fact I have one regular singer with a repertoire of about 6 songs, who'll hand in slips for about 4 with the strict instruction "this one first, then that one, then that one".

I will guarantee - GUARANTEE - that he will change it. The songs, the order of singing and that's before he's even sung a note !

I think he's influenced by A) how much beer he's had B) Who else is in C) how much beer he's had D) How much beer he's had.

I just smile and change it. No big deal. He's there to enjoy himself and I'm there to work.

My favorite line of his though is "can I sing so-and-so song next - that lady in the corner has requested it"

Yeah ! Whatever - again I'll change it no problem.

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[font=Fantasy][/font] "Travellin' at the speed of light"

Pelosi over-applause! Fantastic! I like the idea of nabbing some of those film quotes too!

- Jonn

How about.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gorgeous-1940s-Deco ... dZViewItem

- Jonn