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One of my accounts wants to do an extra night of karaoke. I want to make the 2nd night a little different than the first by adding some props like blow up guitars, wigs, hats, ect. I was also wanting to place a giant gong up somewhere so when somebody is really bad a customer can hit the gong with a mallet and the singer has to exit the stage.

Who determines who hits the gong and when might get kinda sticky, I want it all in fun but ya know there is always somebody who gets ticked off about something.
I don't want somebody to get the gong if they are pretty good and maybe not get it even if they are really bad but entertaining.

I was hoping some of you guys might have some ideas on things I could incorporate into my show.

Thanks, Mojo

I don't know about the gong thing. A gong would be a really cool addition to a show, but if it only gets hit when someone is bad and they have to leave the stage, it would probably insult someone. Everyone else would think it was funny, but some singers would be totally embarrassed. Some people may think I'm too sensitive, maybe, but I worry about how people feel, and many people that don't sing very well (and are not entertaining either) think they do. If they were insulted, would they decide never to try again? I don't know.

It might would work if the show was being presented as "Crazyoke" or something, so that people know it's not so serious. Maybe then they would realize they need to do something fun or maybe comical. Then, you would eliminate the singer that really hasn't sung karaoke much, and knows they're not very good, and wants to sing "Crazy" by Patsy Cline (if they know they'll butcher it).

I would probably think of a different way to incorporate the gong. Maybe you could use a hit on the gong to introduce every singer. Maybe even combined with a little drum roll. The costume idea is great though. It will make for an interesting and entertaining showf...allow singers to explore some creativity. Rock on!!

The gong thing is really NOT a good idea in my opinion. I did a show a few years ago for a local small college, and they set up the whole idea of the gong. Now, let me tell you, it happened to be the busiest show that i have EVER done (probably over 90 people sign up), but the problem was the gong. The show was "sing-for-your-books" type contest. The winner got his books paid for, for that semester (somewhere around 900 bucks in value, so not a small thing), so the pressure was on everyone to perform. Almost all of the students were about 18-19 years old, so peer pressure was also high. Then they brought out the gong and embarrased lots of these students in front of their friends. Needless to say, it hurt a lot of feelings, because most of them were trying their hardest, they didn't need to feel ashamed at all.

So, my opinion, if you use the gong as a prop, make sure the people can handle the ridicule they will receive.

I think it is Oneofakind that said she did a Gong Show type show in Myrtle Beach. It was successful for her. Hopefully she'll chime in soon. I'd think you'd need a certain type of crowd to do it and promote as something different.

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Some Karaoke Singers tend to be very sensative, and having a Gong Show themed Karaoke night might be insulting to them. Just my opinion.

I have often sat at shows wishing that I had a gong or even better a trap door. This however IMO defeats the purpose of Karaoke. Karaoke is for everyone. If any of us were really that good we wouldn't be in a karaoke bar but rather on a stage somewhere performing. I post some karaoke dos and don'ts in my book and one of them is that everyone should applaud for all performers good or bad. You could applaud because you like their performance or that you are happy that it is over. The singer will not know the difference. A gong sounds like trouble especially when it is mixed with alcohol.

I would not attend a show with a gong.
People can be rather cruel and even if the singer does OK, they may get gonged just because someone doesn't like them. this could potentially start fights between the gongers and the gongees.
There are many singers who know they're bad. They don't need a gong or anybody else to tell them. They go to karaoke because they like to sing anyway.
Why would you provide a perfect opportunity to cause fights and a night full of hurt feelings?

One guy here does one, however, if you get gonged you get a t-shirt, a drink, or something.

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Rather than the "Gong Show" Theme... why not a "Gender Bender Night", you HAVE to sing songs intended for the opposite sex.

A guy doing Wilson Phillips "Hold On" or "I Touch Myself".... a woman doing Rick James "Super Freak" or "Because I Got High".

It's the type of thing that Forces people to have a good time, and promotes new singers... nothing says "Let Me Try It" like watching a "Good" singer make a fool out of themselves!!

Use of a gong is not a good idea..ive seen some sohow like this at it can hurt people feelings..people come out to sing karaoke because they like it and it could mAKE SOME STAY AWAY..THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA

I think the gong is a GREAT idea , and why not add rotten eggs and tomatoes to the prop list and they can throw them at the bad singers ..thats a real hoot!!!

Now I don't care who you are ..That's FUNNY !!!

hey there! I'm the one that actually HAD a gong show karaoke and you need to know a few things before you do it.

it will NOT draw the normal karaoke singers who are a sensitive lot as far as ego's are concerned. It will draw a HUGE crowd & the singers that DO show up will usually be pretty good. Or they will be SOOO Bad they they are entertaining!

YOU BETTER MAKE D^MN SURE YOU CONTROL THAT CROWD! That means you have a talk with the owner/manager and get FULL support to toss anyone that tries to contest your authority. That's for the drunk that simply doesn't like the person on stage who is a decent singer, or who just wants to get up faster themselves by booing everyone in front of them. You tell them that they need to shut up or get OUT! They need to know you're serious. Booing is something that happens in a wave...a few start then the crowd will either tell the booers to shut up(if they like the singer)- or they'll join them. This gives you some time to head it off before it gets going if the singer is really decent but chooses a bad song. In most cases unless the song is TOTALLY the wrong choice- you can make the crowd refrian from booing. You'll also learn to spot a "bad choice" when it's handed it & warn the singer even though they may be a good singer, they've selected an unpopular song & there is a good chance they'll be gonged. It's on them if they forge ahead with the bad song & they should prepared if it happens.

YOU NEED TO BE THE ONLY ONE IN CONTROL OF THE GONG! Seriously- I can't stress this enough! It's a DISASTER if anyone other than YOU does the gonging EVER- you'll lose control of your show if you allow this. The gong needs to be placed behind the singer and you- so anyone trying to "gong" has to pass the singer & YOU! This will stop most attempts at premature gonging for whatever reason. You also have to have a majority rule to gong (something like showtime at the apollo does). If the majority and I do mean MAJORITY(not just a loud pocket here & there) of the crowd is booing the singer then YOU are the one who has to gong them. But it needs to be ummistakeable that you are only following the majority of the crowd and it isn't personal towards the singer!As I said- After a few weeks you'll Learn what songs never go over. When a singer hands it in- you can warn them "that song" will most likely get the gong. For example: If "BUBBA" hand's in "like a virgin" He's either gonna get the gong or they will love him because he's so bad. That was the show motto...you better be good or so BAD you're good!

You actually have much more control over your crowd than you think you do...most times if a decent singer go up to sing " i will always love you"( which NEVER went over very well prolly cuz in 92 when it came out every other singer wanted to sing it!) I could stand there and glare at any people who looked like they were gonna start booing - I'd catch their eye and shake my head "NO" - once I had an out of town cabaret singer who actually was PROFESSIONAL...she did welll Cabaret songs! This was s buncha drunk college kids. I had to stand in front of the gong and hold my hands up behind her like "STOP" to keep them from booing...when she finished- I had to clap my hands over my head like "C'mon lets CLAP you rude jerks" and they did. After the first month or so- Everyone was pretty wel trained and they knew that I wouldn't allow any "decent singer" to get the gong unless the picked a REALLY gawdawful song!

I also suggest something other than "BOOING" it gives you more control if you make the crowd sing something like "na na na na, hey hey hey, goobye" because someone has to actually start singing for every one to follow and you can always nip the first singer in the bud if the boo is undeserved. They also had to do a hand gesture that looked like traffic director that was motioning for the singer to clear the stage. That way it was easy to tell if the entire bar really wanter the singer gone or just one group of a-holes who didn't like them or the song.

Now for the tough part...you need to warn every singer that is a newbie that is IS a "GONG KARAOKE" if someone hands you in a song you KNOW will be Booed you need to TELL them it will be booed and to pick another unless they WANT to be booed which DOES happen FREQUENTLY believe it or not. It needs to say GONG karaoke and we Do mean GONG GONG GONG! on the marquee so you don't have regular karaokers coming in and getting offended. Just based on the previous peoples comments you can see that there are VERY few traditional karaoke singers who would find this kind of show appealing- unless they are very good and confident in their ability which "most" karaokers aren't. (super confident) it takes a special kind of person to laugh it off if they get booed. Heck- first time I sang "I have nothing" they booed ME and I had to gong MYSELF! ...you have to have a sense of humor and can't take yourself or them too personally! If anyone comes in there with a combination of "being too serious and not enough talent to back it up" they will take a fall....so they need to be warned BEFORE they sing that they can be gonged.

Now for the good stuff...you will have a packed bar- especially if you have a younger crowd. You will get entertaining and popular songs for the most part and you will NEVER have 10 mauldin ballads in a row. More people will get to sing because the ones that aren't worth listening to don't last long. You also get really good feedback about what's popular and what's not- so do your singers. If a song makes it at a GONG karaoke...they are a good singer and they have a good song!(or at LEASY they are entertaining!) It also draws the non singers into the action and makes them feel like part of the show. The bar sales go up from people trying to get some liquid courage! And best of all...no one will ever have to sit through a long suck (@$%&#!) song not being done well ever again so non singers will be more likely to frequent your show. Will egos get hurt...Yup! They will...but they were warned on the marquee, they were warned when they watched the singers in front of them , and they were warned when they handed in the song.

Funny thing is...most will go home try to genuinely pick a song that think THAT crowd will like and they COME BACK! We had one old man who loved sentimental ballads and he would get up there and get booed singing stuff like "sentimental reasons"and or "my way" he'd get really pis5ed and leave...then he'd be back the next week with a new song. He finally showed up one week and handed in " I'm to sexy for my shirt" and did it tongue and cheek...the CROWD LOVED IT! The next week he was doing PM DAWN's "that's the way it goes I guess" ! He LEARNED how to adapt his music for the crowd! THAT is what being a singer is all about! So many karaoke singers politely clap and wait to get up and sing whatever they like and they tell themselves " Oh the crowd will love this" and the crowd doesn't! THat is one of the huge differences between a professional singer and am amateur- the professionals have to learn to perform what a AUDIENCE loves...amateurs- especially at a karaoke show where everyone is usually forced to be polite- even if they HATE the song- NEVER learn to be anything other then "self serving" it is a HUGE and difficult lesson to learn actually is very beneficial... especially for those singer's who actually WANT to learn how to please a crowd rather than having it be all about 'themselves"the way is is in a normal karaoke show. It will weed the wannabe's from the Willbe's in a quick minute. For an aspiring vocalist it is a wonderful learning experience if approached with an open mind and a willingness to "learn" rather than a desire to have their ego stroked. With gong karaoke you KNOW what the crowd loves andwhat they dont...you learn to read a crowd...each singer learns to step outside their comfort zones to try new music... you(as the KJ) learn to control a rowdy bunch with a iron fist...and the bar makes scads of money! Everyone with the few exceptions of a few egotistical singers comes away happy. I'd love to see a Gong Karaoke in my area....it was one helluva show! i'd probably drag all my karaoke hating friends to it too...their main beef with karaoke (at least the shows here) is all the syrupy ballads( seriously- last show I went to- i counted- there were FIFTEEN Ballads in a row!) sung by singers who take themselves WAAAAYYYYY to seriously and who don't give a flying @uCk if the audience is enjoying what they are doing. They have the mentality that " If "I" like it...they will too" and I'd personally rather slit my wrists and bleed into my beer than listen to 4 hours of singers like that! If I could gong them I'd ba "all in" and so would most of the people I know. Go for it! You and the bar will be surprised at how well it goes over!

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I believe it was "eben" that mentioned the gender bender, and said it worked pretty good in a thread/post I had about themes. I agree with "Tarzan" , plus I think the Gender Bender theme would allow you to use the gong as well, without hurting feelings.

Not everyone is out to get wasted, but a gong in a drinking crowd seems quite risky to your show. Patrons get bad enough without being insulted by a gong.

also to Tarzan and avgjoe...I say this respectfully...a "good singer" would have no problem with a "gender bender night" they don't have to resort to "making a fool out of themselves" to sing a song. If you look at my list of TEN subs. FIVE of them are "gender benders" ...Moondance(Van Morrison), desperado(the eagles), Can't get enough of your love(BARRY FREAKIN WHITE!), feel the fire(peabo bryson and teddy pendergrass) and Reasons(phillip Bailey and Earth Wind and Fire)

if you want to have a karaoke show where a singer is forced into making a "fool" of themselves...then the singer can't have any control over the songs...they either have to do requests from someone else, or draw them out of a hat or something.....nothing hard about singing a song done by the other 'sex" if it's a good song...it's a good song! Personally..I wouldn't find this particularly entertaining for myself, nor do I think for those who would have to listen to me butcher my way through a song that didn't suit me.

JMHO as both a professional vocalist( who's all about making the crowd happy) and as a former KJ.

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I've been waiting for Oneofakind to chime in. sorry I meant to be your name on the top of the quote I posted by you.

You definitely have to have the right kind of crowd for this to work. Although it sounds like fun it could also be a KJ nightmare. Good luck !

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In our area, the only ones that would be kind of funny with the gender benders is the guys. Most of the songs I do are done by males, originally, so women gender bending is very old hat. But guys....
I do have some men who do women's songs and do them well! So well that people tend to forget that they are gender benders. I have one guy who does "What Part of No" and the crowd doesn't bat an eye.
Thank you, oneofakind864, for a well written, thorough post. You wrote so well that it almost makes me want to try a gong show! But I know it would never go over here.

I sing Indy Day First time Ever I Saw Your Face I'm Sorry Crazy (Louie Armstrong) and many others To me music has no gender nor do I mimic artists. Last holloween I put a wig on and sang I'm Just a Honkytonk Girl. Thats when it is a gender bendr.

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Uh Karyoke...in most cases(rupaul, lady chablis and others who make transgender dressing an "artform" and similar acts being the exception) a MAN in a ladies WIG, singing ANYTHING... is when it's jusy "WRONG" !

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Thanks for the replies everybody, I'm kinda surprised so may think its a bad idea.

Oneofakind, great advice, gave me some things to think about.

Mojo