Karaoke Forums

I hate to even say this, but there is ONE good use for freeloaders--they at least make it look like someone is at your show. As reported above, we were experiencing a freeloader problem which was cured when the bar owner put a different barmaid in for our night. The ones that were evidently being comped now only go to the Friday show where the barmaid they like still works. So we started getting the, "There's no one here, I think I'll go next door," problem and wished we had those freeloaders back, just to make an audience for the new people we had venturing in.

That being said, by luck, two karaoke shows in the area got cancelled and we started getting in some refugees from those. Some of the afore-mentioned freeloaders were rather volatile and high maintenance and we noticed that with them gone, the atmosphere was less tense. So we kept our newcomers for the entire night. We are building up yet again.

But a light did go off in my head the other evening when some friends and I were trying to decide wether or not to try a new restaurant or go next door to our usual spot. We looked in the window of the new place and saw just one person sitting there and decided, "Well, maybe next time," and went next door. I said, "That's just what happens to us at our karaoke show!" So I could understand management knowing about freeloaders but perhaps keeping them around to make it look like a happening place. At least for a while, anyway. (PS--we decided to give the new place a try after my "revelation" but when we went back we discovered the reason only one person was in there was because they were closed that day--but it was still a lesson in crowd psychology.)

MickyJ, you know I read ALL of your posts.

Now I thought I was pretty thrifty with that but I just did the math for what they consider a big night at our venue. The Friday hosts usually have around 30 singers and the place holds 50. The bar owner thinks $500 is a good rare night and $600 is spectacular. $500 divided by 30 singers comes to each one spending around $17 a night. Divide that by 5 hours and that's $3.33 per person per hour. Which at our place means either most are getting draft beer or they aren't buying a drink an hour-- Yet the owner considers it a great night. Results may vary at your location.

Oh--I tend to set as my own criteria that I buy something for each hour I occupy my seat. If I am there 5 hours and I am driving, then I know I can't buy alcohol for the last 3 hours (I'm a light weight when it comes to getting drunk) so I try to buy something else instead--like a microwave pizza or a plate of appetizers early in the evening when they are still serving or a bag of chips if they have nothing else. So my tab should equal out to what I would have spent if I bought a drink an hour.

Now I thought I was pretty thrifty with that but I just did the math for what they consider a big night at our venue. The Friday hosts usually have around 30 singers and the place holds 50. The bar owner thinks $500 is a good rare night and $600 is spectacular. $500 divided by 30 singers comes to each one spending around $17 a night. Divide that by 5 hours and that's $3.33 per person per hour. Which at our place means either most are getting draft beer or they aren't buying a drink an hour-- Yet the owner considers it a great night. Results may vary at your location.

Let's keep the matter as simple as it really is! You, Lonman and Leopard, as so many others have done, keep drawing hypothetical pictures based upon your small world. Once again I will state, the places I have always been referring to are full-service restaurants. So forget about imbibing alcohol and all the related discussions of drunk driving. I'm tired of dealing with such off-base discussions. Like the time MckyJ accused me of wanting people to get drunk and have accidents! Geesh?. Who has to drink alcohol at a restaurant?

So, try this. I think there is a Denny's restaurant in most major metropolitan areas, or some equivalent. Go into to your local family restaurant during the breakfast hour, every morning for the next week, by yourself, occupy a table for four and sit there for four hours with a cup of (refilled) coffee, nothing more. Oh, and if you like, tip the wait person big!!!

Now how many of you would actually think about doing that. But, oh, have a karaoke show going on and many of you will come up with every excuse in the book for doing the very same thing!

PS: If the restaurant you choose is like those around here during breakfast, they'll be people waiting to get that table you so inconsiderately determined that you have every right to occupy! And.. you'll likely interfere with the lunch crowd as well.

I am not being hypothetical but simply talking about what goes on in my world--which I consider to be just as legitimate a world as anyone elses. If I were at a strictly restaurant karaoke i would definitely be considered a freeloader because I couldn't afford to buy (nor even choke down) a meal an hour to keep my seat, nor stretch one meal 5 hours. So it looks like a bad set-up for making money in the first place. If one were expected to buy a meal and then continue keeping one's seat with alcohol purchases than I would be in the same boat as not being able to do it. I consider not killing someone while driving drunk nor ruining my finances and insurance from being ticketed as a legitimate issue and not an excuse.

If it is difficult in a restaurant situation to make enough per hour on each person via food purchases, then maybe the cover charge ticket thing redeemable for merchandise that was mentioned in the post on pizza parlours/youth karaoke might be the way to go.