Karaoke Forums

In my admittedly short career as KJ, the only alcohol free karaoke event I've hosted was a pre-Christmas dinner and rally for the area's Hickory Farms franchises. I was hired because a few of my club singers are involved with this outfit.

Amazingly quite a few sang without liquid courage.

But here's the deal. Hickory Farms picked up the tab for the event. This is hardly a sustainable business model. I can't see how a room could make any kind of profit long term without alcohol in the mix. That's where the money is. As it definitely is in my earlier example.

See everyone stating non-alcohol venues are not actual regular venues for the most part - yes there may be exceptions, but typically again, it's not the rule, but most listed are one off's or promotions or charities, or private parties, or in malls, or in nursing homes (kind of like a private party), etc. These are not typically regular weekly gigs in which the entertainment is going to be covered pricewise by the people it brings in & still make a profit - I cannot imagine a nursing home making a killing off karaoke - this is done here simply for the enjoyment of the residents that live there, they are not making money & sometimes the kj doesn't make anything & is more of a donation thing. This is where my thought was lying when I said karaoke won't work in places like restaurants that serve no alchohol - I was thinking about the money to be made possibility for the venue hiring.
But again, maybe the question should have read - where do you think karaoke will not be profitable for a venue.

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I don't think it works at car shows either. Some time ago, a Corvette club had Karaoke at their yearly big show and people complained. On the Thursday night cruise that I do three Thursdays of the month, the remaining Thursday was covered by a really bad Elvis impersonator and he also had karaoke. Our show attendance was always down on his night.

BROADCAST AT A CONCERT VENUE !

Ok, to explain this i will relate a recent experience....

As we walked up to the venue of a Nickelback concert in Calgary, we enjoyed the sound of the band's "Gotta Be Somebody" playing over the PA. But as we lined up before the doors to the Saddledome were opened, we were subjected to that same PA broadcasting a karaoke version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" which made everyone in line cringe!

OK, getting some good answeres. I think I want to explain why this question came to mind.

Back a few years, I was told about a show at a place called Modern Bagel. I figured it was a weird name for a bar or maybe even a coffee shop.

You guessed it- it WAS a bagel shop. No booze, no butts, just a big bagel shop with a lot of tables!

The host was your basic " Next-Play-Next" KJ. It lasted almost a year. I'm still trying to figure it out.....

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It wouldnt work at 3 in the morning you are 40 miles from the nearest gas station and out of gas..You are out of beer and mike is in back of the car puking. maria decides you are an arsehole and says quit it!! John and Sue are singing dashbored lites for the fifthiest time. At that time it wont work!!!

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....and think how much worse it would be on a BAD night....

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

People and families have been singing together for thousands of years. Alcohol does loosen inhibitions but to say it is absolutelutley necessary is absurd. I have done parties for AA clubs. There are non alcoholic clubs they sponsor and karaoke would work there on a weekly basis.

BTW I forget what thread it was about my ad. It came out today and I am getting calls already. I did lose my gig today with a mutual parting of the ways so I am a KJ no more. I really dont think I want to do bars on a weekly basis anymore but with my format which is more than karaoke I think I can still survive.

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Here are two places it didn't work: 1. A bar the size of a hallway that seated around 15 people. The host wanted $200/night and the capacity couldn't generate it so they booted him. But in their glory days, they used to move the tables in the adjoining restaurant and have bands. But the new owners aren't into moving tables so they have nothing. It COULD have worked.

2. A casino with an open floor plan so there were no walls higher then 4 feet separating the bar from the restaurant from the casino. The restaurant and casino patrons complained about the "noise" so karaoke got the boot.

The bagel thing is a mystery to me, also. I think the reason alcohol and karaoke are associated is not just the liquid courage but because a person is more likely to have drink after drink rather than bagel after bagel after bagel. Or donut after donut. But I guess you never know.

When I used to go to open mics at a coffee house I would have a latte, then a bagel, then a fruit smoothie, then a decaf latte but no way could I have had 4 lattes in one night without having an anxiety attack and killing myself.

Never said it was absolutely necessary, but again this would be a private type functions & specialized type venue designed specifically for non-alchohol drinkers - not your typical show down the street that anyone can walk into.
I did say & will stand by, for a regular weekly show, alcohol will typically be needed to be profitable.

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