Karaoke Forums

How many people were hard-core enough followers to leave with you and go to a bar down the road? If you had a lot of people doing that, would you mind sharing how you built up your group of hard core followers, how long it took, etc.?

Some KJs play favorites with a core group of singers. They sing more than once in a rotation while you sit there.

I heard of one that bought drinks all night for a good singer who would follow them around from job to job. She sang a lot too.

It has been my experience that singers and crowds can go different ways. Most singers become glued to the bar. It's the place they like to go to drink and hang out. If you leave they will stay there.

Since they changed the smoking laws smokers are loyal to the bar they can smoke in.

I know KJs that have parties and always invite certain singers. Or they "party" (wink) together during the shows in the parking lot.

Junkies will follow you around. Most singers won't. Don't ask me why good singers will stay with and follow bad KJs.

If a KJ gets canned the amount of people that leave with them depends on how friendly the crowds are with the owners and bartenders. Depends on how far they have to travel to follow you. Depends on if they like the new bar. Depends on how cheap the drinks are.

I've found out recently it doesn't matter how good you are, some people will not follow you 20 feet. Some will go 20 miles.

Most times you will have to build a new core group of singers at the new bar. No magic. No ryhme or reason.

I would have to disagree with Angel, with some conditions...


You CAN build a loyal following, and to be successful, you really must. Many venue owners will ask about a following.

They are also a huge help in bringing in NEW loyal patrons at the new venue..

Distance is really key. They will follow you, but not to the ends of the earth. When starting out, I worked a spiral pattern out from the first bar, where some followed me to the second, helped build it, and some followed me to the third, etc....

What worked for me was not "special treatment" in regard to the show and singing. That can actually kill a show. It was "treating them as special" in regard to themselves. Making friends, asking of their other interests......in short, showing that you care about THEM.

I get calls of apology from singers who can't make it that night, wonderful birthdays and holidays, they follow me if at all possible.....in other words, they care back.

Of course you have to run a quality show, but being not only personally accessible, but personalizing your relationships a little with the singers AND NON-SINGERS is a huge help. Yes, non-singers will follow too, if they like you and your show- and spend at the new venue as well...

Good luck!

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

Karaoke is a people business..

I have personally experienced all of the things i listed. Believe 'em. It's always going to be a crap shoot as to how many will actually be there on a regular basis week after week. Some will show up once in a while. It's best to error on the premise that you will need to build a brand new crowd for every new job. If the regulars show up it's a bonus.

Makes sense to me Joe, but I'm curious about how you went about demonstrating that caring. Any particular actions you took, or are we just talking about conversing with them in a friendly matter when you happen to run into them somewhere?

I already do talk to people just because it's natural for me to act that way, but I was thinking about anything else special that you do for the people who have come to your show.

Make them sound better than at any other show.

No doubt making the singer sound good is important, but there are several well established, excellent sounding shows with selection I can only dream of in my neck of the woods. (I take pride in running a 100% legit library, but there's a price to be paid for doing it the right way when you go up against established companies with 28,000 songs and multiple rigs. )

Thus I think building the human relationships, adding little extras that others aren't such as the stage monitor, props, hats, etc. and providing the best service I possibly can is going to be my key to becoming competitive in a very tough market.

So what I'm after here is ideas more along the lines of one of the activities you mentioned earlier -- throwing a private party for singers. That seems like a great idea to me as long as it's based off rewarding those who are coming out to see you, or who you might find it fairly convenient to come out to see you in the future vs. any elitism or snobbery based off looks, singing ability, etc.

Natural friendliness is a BIG key.

I offer to buy any tracks they want (which will easily outfox an illegal system for a while, whilst the owner waits for it to come availiable on a download site, assuming they can even be bothered).

I also make an extra special effort for birthdays, and always have cards and in some cases presents. For the last regular it was a bottle of champane (but then it was his 50th and he has been an absolute star this year in helping me out), the one before received http://www.gettingpersonal.co.uk/personalised-pictures/personalised-world-tour-print.htm and others have been given little personalised chocolates or (shhh) a cd of them singing.

Where possible I try and make their special events or join them on a night out. I also check that they are okay if they haven't been around for a while.

For new customers I do cheat a little, I write down their name and song on a card so I can remember them, but then if they come to my show three times and i'll know who are anyway.

I also take photo's of everyone (with permission) and stick them on facebook x

Well close, my Tuesday night gig decided to discontinue Karaoke but they gave me a weeks notice (i.e. I had one last show to do). Well all of my regulars and some new faces showed up as well. They were very disappointed to find out it would be the last show and they let the bar manager know it. The result, they didn't cancel Karaoke after all, my guests saved the show.

There are lots of ways to build a crowd, but to get regulars that follow you takes having something special. It can be different things but you need to have something that makes you stand out above the others in your area. I honestly can't say what it is for me that makes people come back. Maybe it's the audio quality, maybe the fact that I buy songs based on their requests, maybe it's my personality or the fair rotation I run. who knows. The key is be quality and do it consistently.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

I started karaoke at a little bar down the street from my current bar, where I have been the last 5 years.

When I was fired from my first bar, I'd say about 75% of my regulars followed me to my second bar, and about 1/2 of those are still around to this day. I don't think it is coincidental that the ones who followed me are the ones that I came to know on a first-name basis and even hung out with outside of my show (usually joining them for other karaoke shows). BUT, I would realistically say that the reasons they followed me are this:

1) My karaoke show was the best thing going at the bar. It was his busiest nights. The bar was still struggling financially and the owner expected me to bring in more and more people week to week. It was never enough. The bar was just mismanged and not laid out very well. The bar went out of business within 6 months of them firing me.

2) The bar I ended up at where everyone followed me is about 2 miles from my original bar, and is much much nicer with more going on (pool tables, darts, poker, lots of LCD TVs, etc.). So, it was still in everyone's neighborhood and had more overall to offer. Not to mention that the drink prices are cheaper.

I am currently in negotiations with a bar about 15 miles from my current bar. This bar has never had karaoke before, but the owner is an avid karaoke singer. When the owner asked me if I "had a following" that I could bring to her bar, I told her that yes, I had a following, but I doubted I could get them to make the 15 mile trip to drink 15 miles from home instead of right around the corner. This bar owner, like most bar owners, is expecting my karaoke to be instant business. I explained to her that it would take a good 6-8 weeks to build a good karaoke show, and anyone that told her any different was going to disappoint her.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Good system Blah blah is only one facet. Usually when I move it is to a better more lucrative gig. I do not move to a failing business that expects me to save it with my following.

For them to follow these are the things that affect migration.

The new place has to have the same atmosphere or similar.
The new place has to be as clean or cleaner than the old venue.
Your singers have to be as secure and feel welcome in the new place.
Regulars need to welcome them and accept them as friends.
Drink prices have to be comparable with the old place.
It helps if part of the non singers migrate also.

These are things discussed when a potential owner expects a change for the better.

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It takes awhile to secure a following, get to know the regulars.
Small talk before during and after the show is a good idea.
Saving slips and remembering each singers CORE set of songs.
Get email and myspace information from your customers.

Then after you do all that ....75% won't leave the bar anyway --They were not YOUR customers but the BARS ...they go to the venue because of location etc.

The only people who will follow you any where are FRIENDS and FAMILY and then at a new venue ...that just rasies eyebrows from those regulars

I make it a point when looking for a new gig.. I never promise or estimate the size of my following --- Can't guarantee what someone else will do

I really had to think about this to give an answer. First of all let me say I don't think someone is a bad KJ if they don't have a following.

Some places it is hard to have hard core followers just because of the atmosphere. If it is a large venue with a big flux of people, a tourist area, your stuck in a booth etc...

For me it's a combination of things. I work in a small venue and have a lot of contact with my customers. I'm on the stage right next to them. When people are uncomfortable when a music break comes in the middle of their song I talk to them, dance with them etc.. Some regulars I even have a little dance routine with during certain songs.

I'm in the same venue 3 nights a week. I think having a steady show at least once a week is a must to build a following. At least for a couple yrs. I see my regulars more often then they see their friends and family sometimes.

They get comfortable with you because they know you. I have a list of their songs that they sing so they don't have to look them up in a book. I know their key changes, so they don't have to tell me. I help them learn new songs and sing with them.

It is an atmosphere where they can bring in their kids, parents and grandparents. I know their families and celebrate their biggest occasions with them. Birthdays, anniversaries, deaths, divorces, births ...

I introduce newcomers to the group. Everyone talks to each other and enjoys the night together. If someones having a birthday everyone celebrates. This group likes being together and what they have a connection to is karaoke and me. They aren't friends outside the venue. They don't have an attachment to the owner. He is different (trying to be nice).

I've seen KJs with bad equipment and sound have followings because they are so attached to the KJ personally. Is he the show, no, but people like him and the atmosphere he has created. People don't mind if he has a fill in because the atmosphee is still there, but if he goes they follow because they want that karaoke family feeling he has created.

When I hire someone to fill in for me I make sure it is someone from the karaoke family that knows the regulars and their likes and dislikes. It would be suicide for them otherwise.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Conversing in a friendly manner, asking about themselves and their other interests, answering questions, solving problems within the venue that may not be karaoke related, complimenting a lady's perfume, sharing laughter, making them feel relaxed with me, - simply making friends, and showing interest IN THEM. Letting them know that karaoke isn't the only reason that I speak to them...I don't know....just being me...

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

Exactly.

When i start a new bar i don't expect anyone to follow me. Seen it happen too many times. I just count on building a new crowd at every new job. People don't like change. That's why it's usually so hard to get new nights going in the first place. It's why everyone sits in the same spot week after week. They are sitting in the same seat from the first time they came to that bar. It's their comfort zone.

Just tonight i had an awesome crowd. Many new people. I told one girl why it was taking so long to sing. I had 25-30 singers. She said there were people from an old bar 5 miles away that i no longer work. She said it sucks. I thought she was going to say something bad about the new KJ. She said no the KJ was fantastic. But the bartender runs everyone out at 1 o'clock. The karaoke is 9-1. She wants everyone gone at 1. So people are getting mad about it.

The point of that story is not one person followed me to the new job 6 months ago. Think about that.

For too many years i have been hearing the old "how big is your following?" I tell them don't expect a bus load of people to walk in behind me because it doesn't work that way. Never did and never will. We do it the old fashioned way. One new person at a time. It's the same for every other KJ too. The price doesn't matter. The number of songs doesn't matter. The drink prices don't matter. The atmosphere doesn't matter. The sound system doesn't matter. Doesn't matter how much you kissed their butts. Or how many parties you had for them or how many Emails you sent. If they want to come they will. If they don't they usually won't.

Smoking or non smoking matters. That's about it. Take it to the bank.

Angel ..you seem rather FULL OF YOURSELF. probably wise to think before you speak your stated-as-fact opinions and you would do well to proof read them before posting.

Please only speak for yourself and as your opinion, because there has been an increasingly number of members that disagree with you completely, try to politely correct you on misinformation, and a few that just ignore you. Doesn't that personally tell you anything???

You DO come across sometimes as a teenager that thinks they know it all but i bet you're new to this karaoke game. IT SHOWS in a lot of your posts. How many years and how many show venues have you worked as a karaoke host?

your quote referring to a karaoke following not making a difference:
"It's the same way for every other kj too."

NO it is NOT. How can you say that drink prices, number of songs, atmoshere and sound systems don't matter? please clarify, or is it really that simple for you?

If NOT ONE person followed you to the next venue, why don't you consider that it may be something Y-O-U may or may not have done. Why didn't you invite any regulars to help start out the NEW venue and decide if they liked it or not? I can understand if the venues were 10 miles or further apart.


I DO agree that a lot of people don't like change and may not follow, but i believe if you created real caring and compassion for your regulars and formed a semi-real friendship, then asked them to support another venue, they would gladly help out to return some of that compassion, if able. But NOT ONE?? I'd take that personally.

Sorry but i can't take any of this to the WAMU bank.....i'd go broke!

Ouch ! Not one person? Interesting

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

I have played in 11 different steady venues a week. You are in the middle of 3000 miles of ocean in any direction. That limits your experience. Your singers don't have to drive 20 miles because they will be wet. When your new job is on the next block there is a non-issue with who shows up and how many. Not apples to apples.

I don't take it personally because the bar started $1 giant drafts after i quit. They are getting "people" that want to get drunk cheap. They aren't there for the show. Secondly, it's a smoking bar. The majority of the singers smoke heavy. They won't leave without dynamite.

Let's hear from everyone that always has instant steady crowds at a new job from day one. Just add you and instant successful packed full house show without any dead nights. No advertising needed. Bar owner raises your pay every week because he's making sooooo much money.

I know i'm a minority. It's only me that has to work at building a crowd a few new people a week. Now how is it in the real world? Easy or hard?

Could say something about the KJ, I would usually have at least 10-20 people come with me to every new show and repeat each week.
The other reason may be that many people get bar comfortable and don't like to venture out to different places no matter who works.

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