Karaoke Forums

Don't quite get the grid thing. I never did that. If you're not using the computer to keep track of the rotation, than let me suggest the following:

Keep a small ruled tablet on your table. Simply write the singer's names down in the correct order, on down the page. New singers go to the bottom. Use this as a reference to keep your song slips in the same order, which are organised in a neat stack next to your note pad. This take up minimal amount of space, and is super easy to keep track of.

On the slips you can attach little post it notes like, "Duet with Amy", and so forth, use a highlighter to highlight key changes on the slip.

When a singer leaves, you just put a line through them on the list. If you want to "insert" a new singer, simply write the new singer's name next to the crossed out one, but generally continue to add newbies to the bottom of the list.

If you're using disks, keep the song slip of the current singer in the slot the disk goes in, and the song slip for the next singer in the disk slot as well, with the disk slightly raised. This will allow you to quickly refile the used disk and cue the new one without missteps. Misfilling a disk is a pain, because you ususally don't discover your error until a week later when you reach for the disk, and that slot is empty!!

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

I was at a show in a neighbouring province. The system was a good system and a small library. The host starts the show and the sound is horrible and no fx, though builtin to the mixer. I asked her about the show and she said she was working for the company for about a year and I further learned no one showed her the first thing about mixing. Since there was hardly anyone in the bar, and she was a very nice woman, I asked if she wanted any help in setting the mixer. She said yes, and I gave her a crash course on the workings of the board and a few other tips. I told her to play around a bit to get the sound she liked. By the end of the night it improved greatly.

Can you believe a company puts someone in and just says put in the disc.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Unfortunately, yes. I believe it.

Sadly that it all too common here - especially the pirates who get a gig offer, throw another hard drive together, pick up some cheap equipment and ask the first guy/gal who can sing if they want a job. Pathetic. It happens ALL the time.

There are hosts that are bad on so many levels it isn't even funny.

Went to two shows last night. One was a pleasant surprise, as it had that most rare of animals -- a monitor speaker! It was a pleasure to sing there. They also had EV speakers and the sound was great. They ran Sax 'N Dotty's, though, so I made sure I didn't ask for a key change.

The other was a host who was personable, nice to me, and everything else. And the first verse was great, as even though she had no monitor, I could hear myself fine. Then -- she turned me down.

I can't tell you how often this happens. Hosts who don't provide monitor speakers think they know how to mix music, except for one problem -- letting the singer hear themself. I talked with another fellow with a baritone voice and asked him, and he said yes -- he had trouble hearing too. He boomed out through the mains, though, so it was just speaker placement.

What a pain. Another show I won't go back to because I can't hear myself. Sigh. Also, the problem seems to be greater for low-voiced singers. Many hosts are female or have tenor voices, and they seem to have zero empathy for the lower-voiced singer and how they can hear themselves.

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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 sad that bad shows and bad hosts continue to screw things up for the rest of us. I have to say that in my immediate area, there's little to no loyalty for a professional karaoke show. What I mean is this: I am professional in every sense of the word. I have an awesome sound system, and library, and I know how to use it! I am friendly and cordial to everyone at my show, including the owners and staff. My library is second to none. I ALWAYS start and end ON TIME! And, my appearance is ALWAYS neat and professional.

That being said, I work very hard at building the club's clientele, only to have some karaoke hack with a table top system and 100 song show come in to the very club I'm playing, and low-ball me to the owner! So now I have the owner telling me that he can get a karaoke show in his bar for $50.00 a night and free drinks. I mean these club owners here don't care about anything but price. There's NO loyalty whatsoever. After I build up their business, they're willing to throw me over for some clown who'll do it for cheap !

I used to get upset when they'd do this . Now I just remind them that they get what they pay for, and the clients will follow who they like. So after "Jocko" empties out your place because his show is so terrible........DON'T call me, and ask me to come back !

I know thatI'm not the only one that this has happened to, I just needed to vent !

I am so glad I have compuhost and the rotation tools that it has. If I didn't have hosting software that would keep track of the rotation, I think I would keep it on excel so I could move names around easily if needed.

Hmm, then I would say take your show elsewhere. Honestly, I don't care about that crap, I can pick up gig in short order if I need to.

I would ask him: You like that I show up on time, with nice sound, and I know what I'm doing? How long do you think people will hang with poor sound and screwed up rotations? Do you really believe that you can get a quality guyfor $50 a night that will wastisfiy you customers? If you can go for it!!

In all likelyhood he's just trying to con you into dropping your price. Call him on it, and be prepared to walk.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!