Karaoke Forums

Sunday was crazy. Busy and a generally great crowd, but for 3 morons.
All night they kept jumping up on the stage. I was constantly telling them "If you're not singing , GET OFF THE STAGE".
Near the end I was physically shoving them off and the owner and bouncer were pulling them off.
They also kept begging the singers for the mics. I finally got on the mic after a singer and said "It's great you want to sing, but PUT YOUR OWN D##M SONG IN!" The crowd went nuts cheering and screaming "YEAH!!" Of course they never did put their own song in.
I was so fed up with them halfway through the night that even if they HAD put in their own song they wouldn't have been allowed near a mic. I could tell they were the mic swinging, screaming in the mic type. Not gonna happen with me.
Eventually, they earned themselves an escort to the door.
Then they got a free ride in a police car after they tried to come back in and then egged the front doors and tried to throw a big rock through it. The owner and bouncer were trying to keep things calmed down and really went the extra mile trying to keep from throwing those guys out but they just kept pushing it to the point of no return.
My question is this: How do you handle stage jumpers and mic stealers/beggars?

Translation: They were spending money buying drinks!

Unfortunately I've had to deal with drunk and belligerent patrons who didn't get 86ed (or were let back in after being 86ed) because the bar wanted their money!

I do my best to be polite or even forceful to a degree toward those who can't get a clue not to disrupt the show by being on stage or begging me constantly to sing next. There have been times that I've stopped the show and said on the mic, "I'm sorry, but we can't continue until (the offending customers) are out of here. They're spoiling the fun for everyone!" The crowd will usually boo me, but when the bar people see that I'm serious, they'll get the offenders out.

I hate to be put in that position (what if the disrupting patrons want to hang around until I get done and load out to hassle me) but I'm not letting a couple of jokers ruin everyone's night. I'm paid to be a KJ, not a policeman.

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I have a lcd monitor in the path and when they start that the mic cords more often than not get stepped on and the connection to the mic breaks in the end of the mic cord. The first time it happens I shut the music off and go to the stage and politely say this is a nono and will not be tolerated or I will shut down.

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Your question about mic thiefs and stage jumpers is a GREAT one ....... I actually have a solution for you .... first off do the singers have to be onstage when they sing ?? Is that a requirement??? If not- it is easier to deal with them ,Because at that moment it becomes a bar issue since they would be bothering the actual singer instead of you personally as the host.

If in fact they do have to then, here is what I suggest ..... make an announcement before you start your rotation that unless the song requires more then one person ie: duets/muti-person songs like lady marmalade then only one person is to be onstage at a time . I did that once and no one has ever done that again .

As far as the mic theifs ..... I just turn their mics OFF until they are done and walk over and grab the mic back and give it back to the person that signed up for the song ........ I have also done THIS , but u have to have ALOT of patience ....... what I do is find out their name and put in the most off the wall song you have in your library and MAKE them sing ...usually what happens is that they are so embarassed to come to the mic without someone else that they wont STEAL the mic anymore , then when they DONT sing ...you just "POLITELY" (hehehehehe) say then next time you grab the mic from someone you WILL SING or YOU WILL GO !!!

Hope that helps !!!

Your question about mic thiefs and stage jumpers is a GREAT one ....... I actually have a solution for you .... first off do the singers have to be onstage when they sing ?? Is that a requirement??? If not- it is easier to deal with them ,Because at that moment it becomes a bar issue since they would be bothering the actual singer instead of you personally as the host.

If in fact they do have to then, here is what I suggest ..... make an announcement before you start your rotation that unless the song requires more then one person ie: duets/muti-person songs like lady marmalade then only one person is to be onstage at a time . I did that once and no one has ever done that again .

As far as the mic theifs ..... I just turn their mics OFF until they are done and walk over and grab the mic back and give it back to the person that signed up for the song ........ I have also done THIS , but u have to have ALOT of patience ....... what I do is find out their name and put in the most off the wall song you have in your library and MAKE them sing ...usually what happens is that they are so embarassed to come to the mic without someone else that they wont STEAL the mic anymore , then when they DONT sing ...you just "POLITELY" (hehehehehe) say then next time you grab the mic from someone you WILL SING or YOU WILL GO !!!

Hope that helps !!!

When I have that problem, the bar supports me immediately. If I were you, I would speak with the manager or owner, whomever would be most appropriate in your situation, and request help more promptly in these situations. It does spoil the fun for everyone else. When people put in a slip, it is unfair when others "steal their thunder". I try to speak with the person first. Usually, they understand. If not, you are going to have the problem continually with them. If it got to the point for me that it got to for you, I would have turned my equipment off until I was supported.

Boy do I sympathise with you on this one. You can only politely say no so many times before you have to take the next step. The number one thing I have to remember is keep my cool.

I'm not sure I would have handled it much differently. It's hard to judge someone elses situation without being there.

Most of the time I escort them off the stage and just tell them they have to get down. I don't believe I have to explain why. Most people get the clue after that.

If they continue to be a problem by grabbing people's mics etc.. I will get help to make sure they either stay away from the stage or are escorted out. I know in the past I've had to ask the owner over the mic to come to the stage to remove people, but those were guys that were singing and got out of hand, so I stopped the music. In your case I would have had someone stand by the stage to make sure they stayed away.

I hate when I have to take it that far, but it's our job to make sure a couple of jerks don't disrupt night for everyone else.

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