Karaoke Forums

Many comments that come from lack of experience and engage in conjecture.

my experience spans over 60 years singing with all types of bands and many jam sessions in back rooms including jazz, country and mariachi I have MC"D and hosted many types of events. I know how to read and work crowds, entertain and keep the energy up.

90% of the time when I sing it is not an audition for AI. I might be slaughtering a song but I am laughing and the crowd is laughing with me and cheering. Most have heard me when I sang from the heart and got real serious about certain songs.

A good host does not sing his best songs at his show except for certain times which I will explain later. A host is working the crowd and priming them for the singing and stuff to come and then presents singers and other things with enthusiasm and with energy. Singing talent has nothing to do with it. It is the ability to read the crowd and give them what they want. Sometimes when the show is dying I will sing an upbeat signature song that will pick it up again. That is the only time when talent matters although it doesnt take super talent just the ability to work crowds.

I open shows with the realization that first impressions last forever. I use a shure mic for the announce mic and it is the first one I mic check. The first thing I hit them with is a crystal clear PA system with no distortion. Strangers look up and realize that this is not your run of the mill system.Then I check the stage mics for level and EFX.

The first song if I dont have a better than average singer I will open with one of my better songs which I have memorized like Van Sheltons After THe Lights Go Out. I will walk around the room singing and check out the acoustics. By this time first impressions are over and the crowd realizes that the system is better than average.

From then on it just takes keeping up a tempo and enthusiasm. My singing skills dont make any difference but my hosting skills come from long experiences working a crowd singing and goofing off having fun. This lets them know the show is not about me but about them and what they want. Does this make sense? Lets Party And Let My Children Sing!!!

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I've actually never witnessed a host that didn't sing.

I'm sure you could find ways around it. Play music if there is a lull instead of singing etc...

I do find it a huge advantage to be able to help singers though. When they get off track I can sing next to them to get them back on track. I can sing with a newbie that is to afraid to sing on their own. I can help a patron learn a new song. One gal has me sing behind her on every song or she won't sing.

I have nights where I only sing the first song and that isn't a must. If I have a packed house there is no reason to sing my own song. But a lot of the time I find I've sang a lot because so many people ask me to do backups or sing with them.

I'm sure you could have a successful show without singing. It's a handicap, but like most handicapped people you find other ways to do things just as well.

For instance:
You have a singer who can't sing to the beat. You encourage the audience to help out. At my show I usually don't even have to say anything. If they see someone struggling they sing along.

A singer who won't sing unless someone sings with them. Find a regular who is willing to help. The regular usually is flatered that you ask. Just make sure to explain to them they are helping not taking over the song.

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Please don't get me wrong. I think it is an advantage to be able to sing at least a little as a host. I just don't think it is necessary for a successful show. Liken it to I don't think a qb needs to have the resume of a Joe Montana to get in the hall of fame. I've helped out a few customer that were struggling and every time I get thanked, even had one tell me that at the other show they (hosts) just sit there and let you drown.

But to tell the whole world " you can't sing? Stay out of the karaoke hosting business, you will never make it" is absurd. Think Helen Keller could sing?

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Which was my point. I never really saw a well run show IMO, with all the factors that I would consider, so I started my show the way I would want to see a show run.

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I work withkaraoke hosts that don't sing and they have some of the largest rotations around (35 - 45 People). If you are getting paid to sing, SING if your hired to run a good show and take care all the singers then do that, But don't get hired to run a good show and sing or entertain taking up someone elses turn to sing.

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CHECK YOUR ATTITUDE AT THE DOOR, STICK AROUND YOU JUST MIGHT HAVE SOME FUN

The KJs i know that can't sing have reverted to other tactics to get singers. They run unfair rotations that take care of certain people. If i was being taken care of at every karaoke show i would be there regularly every night. That's all they have and it's not their sound system.

This works for making it look like you are a good KJ. But it's a optical illusion that actually kills business. I don't know any good KJs that don't sing decent.

Some nights (mostly weekends) I am probably pretty close to full power as the clip lights on all the amps start blinking & the lights illuminating my desk start dimming with every kick drum hit on occasion. Other nights it may be a little more mellow, but the power is there for when I do need it. Also when the volume does get to the higher side, it still sounds as clean and full as it does at the lower volume because there is still some reserve so it is not NEARLY as ear fatiguing as an amp that is pushing higher volume then the kj pushes it even higher to compensate for crowd noise - now making it piercingly unbearable & distorted.


I don't get amps that only need to push minimum wattage - I get amps to match what the speakers require - so if i'm using 4 Yamaha S115V with 2 18 Yamaha SW118V subs, my amps are going to be pushing approx 1000 PER channel (@ 8 ohms) for the tops (2 per channel) and 1200 watts for the subs bridged to one amp - about 3200 watts total. So size of the venue matters but it doesn't. If I was playing a smaller club, the only difference would be I take in 2 tops & maybe 1 sub (won't do a show without one). But the amps will still be matched so still approx 1600 watts.
However for our club the venue caps at 250, we get anywhere from 40 on slower nights on the karaoke side & can be SRO+ in the entire bar on weekends. But our crowds have come to expect band like volume now. It's not the typical karaoke show that people are doing old standards & ballads all night, some of the main regs sing stuff like Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Pantera, Seether, then the country half singing all the (well semi newer) country stuff that just sounds better turned up.


It's only overkill if you are trying to push it in a smaller club that don't require it. The extra headroom for sound quality at 'regular' listening levels is still much better IMO.

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Not true, a kj does not have to sing to be a good kj, as long as all other factors of the show are met. It does help if a kj can sing, but not a requirement for a successful show. I hired a host that couldn't sing a note, but he was great with people, ran a fair rotation & knew how to operate the equipment - so much so he went & took a 6 month class for sound engineering to even understand more (a good singer doesn't necessarily know how to mix or even have an ear for sound - nor I would bet that even more than 75% of kj's out there have ever took any kind of class (other than the forums or reading the manuals to try to self teach which can be more confusing at times) to learn more about the equipment). Unfortunately I lost him due to his wifes career change that moved them out of state.

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Taking over an established show is a different matter. But starting a brand new show without being able to sing is going to be tougher. Especially when you only have 3 singers that aren't any good. I can see the people running for the door now. I have seen people leave when a KJ that can sing does. I know it works to kill a crowd.

Then you play karaoke music with the words on screen for all & walk around the crowd talking people into singing, or play the karaoke song with a multiplex disc. You do NOT have to be a singer to be a good host, it helps.

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My show is not about having "good singers". My show is about having fun. My loyal customers come back to me and follow my show from venue to venue for that reason. No pressure, just fun.
As for having to be able to sing to run good sound and a good show, HOGWASH!
The more you open your mouth on here (or type as the case may be) the more your complete lack of knowlege shows.

Celui qui parle ne sait pas.
Celui qui sait ne parle pas.

Those who speak, don't know.
Those who know, don't speak.
(old french saying)

Many things for a show help, quality of the sound equpment and size and quality of the songlist help a bit.

BUT

For both the songs and the hardware at some point the returns diminish and spending another 2 thousand dollars on a 10 thousand dollar audio system will most likely not make the difference between a good and a failed show, or even be noticed by most singers.

Same with song lists, once you have 4-5 thousand songs the additional thousands add a bit but do not make or break the show.

The only thing that does not go to diminishing returns is energy, personality and making the singers feel important to you and the show.

I have seen shows do well with great personality, and horrible sound systems and songlists, and people with much worse personality fail dispite great sound systems and huge songlists.

Sometimes going out to party after hours (meeting for breakfast or going to one of the singers house for a beer or two) can make or break a host at certain clubs. I have have been to SEVERAL after hours events/parties, I have also turned down just as many. I feel you do need to party with your crowd on occasion.

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Agree with that, Lonman. We receive invitations to a lot of our regulars' house parties, birthday parties, etc. We usually throw a big bash every year at our home and invite our regulars. Our wedding invitation list consisted of 99% karaoke people we've met over the years who have become our friends. I get a chuckle out of how many of our couple friends actually met doing karaoke. Once in a while husband ill say, "Isn't there ANYTHING else besides karaoke?" We had to miss an eagerly awaited concert last night when we picked up a gig that started the same night as the concert. "No, sometimes there isn't."

Having the only regular scheduled karaoke show in the county has put me near the top.

Have I been intimidated by you.?
Yes. I must have been.
I have just come home from a NOT local karaoke.
I picked it deliberatly because it's a place where if you're not "IN" they ignore you.
I sang my first karaoke song ever.
Don't laugh.
It was... Don't laugh...
In my best Cockney accent I sang Oomp Pah Pah from Oliver.
Storm the place. No they ignored me.
Except for one table who joined in.
The KJ didn't even know he had the song. Pocket songs.
Shows you what get when you buy a hard drive.
Any way I am going to buy that disc. Just for me.
They said there was nothing wrong with my voice.
Maybe... Just maybe...

Now, there's some guts for you. Congratulations and keep it going.

As a KJ i would never hire someone to work for me that couldn't sing. As a bar owner i wouldn't hire a KJ that couldn't sing.

As a KJ you are trying to sell the bar owner about the cash benefits of hiring you to do karaoke and you can't sing? What kind of logic is that? How is that going to be a good selling point?

That's why you suck and work for yourself. And you don't own a bar either.

Karaoke is more about the host singing since you're not aware of this. And you've done 5 shows so far?

The selling point would be to perform karaoke host duties. Do you need another tutorial?

I'm the kind of guy that would be all over that except that my Thursday show ends at 1 and I work at 5! Now I do have a string of Fridays off coming up so I can play a bit longer (omg! I hear every excuse in the book why I should keep playing after 1) so if the opportunity arises, I will jump on it.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]