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Babs
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 Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:23 pm |
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$100 for a week night is the lowest I've seen.
_________________ [shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown] ~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]
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johnreynolds
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Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:41 pm |
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In-house systems typically pay hosts $75 for 4 hours.
mobile kjs make anywhere between $125-$200 for 4 hours plus charge the customers $1 per song (robbing the tourists again, i know) but they do pay and life is good.
And they tip well if you HAMM UP their birthday party, wedding crowd, culture, or celebration of whatever sort by getting the crowd to support and congratulate them. Next thing you know it's the germans partying hard with the japanese buying drinks for the aussies, while the irish and americans are singing on the mics as the brazilians are all on the dancefloor.
The BEST part is that they ALL are in party mode.
The WORST part is it takes 3 times the amount of time helping them sign up.
In the end it's all worth it. Everyone has a good time and you never see most of them ever again. 
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angel910
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Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 11:46 pm |
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johnreynolds @ Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:41 pm wrote: In-house systems typically pay hosts $75 for 4 hours. mobile kjs make anywhere between $125-$200 for 4 hours plus charge the customers $1 per song (robbing the tourists again, i know) but they do pay and life is good. And they tip well if you HAMM UP their birthday party, wedding crowd, culture, or celebration of whatever sort by getting the crowd to support and congratulate them. Next thing you know it's the germans partying hard with the japanese buying drinks for the aussies, while the irish and americans are singing on the mics as the brazilians are all on the dancefloor. The BEST part is that they ALL are in party mode. The WORST part is it takes 3 times the amount of time helping them sign up. In the end it's all worth it. Everyone has a good time and you never see most of them ever again. Considering the high cost of living there. $200 is like getting $75 here. I'm not trying to make fun, i'm just saying you would think it would be much higher there. 
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missbipbip
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 1:18 am |
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Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:25 pm
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Location: Carolina Beach, NC
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Most bars pay at least $100 a night here, for a 4 hour show. At one of my venues, I work with the owner and make $100 a night, but my tips are usually good. Another venue is paying $150 and another $200. When I first started out, I had to work for cheaper, but you do what you have to do to make it. Now, I would never consider doing a show for that; I could barely keep a good show for that.
I get the feeling from some posts I read from other KJs that the areas they live in are too saturated with karaoke. Thus the reason for KJs to get gigs for so little pay and so many pirated shows, and I have decided that the only thing these unfortunate KJs are going to be able to do about it is to move or find a better profession with better job security. I say that in no way to be insultive. Before I moved here, I was a teacher, and believed the common misconception that everyone needed more teachers. Not the case where I now live. The area is saturated with teachers. I found a new job! Fussing and complaining about it didn't change anything, and my bet is that it won't for you either.
When you can't get a gig in your area for a decent price, it's because there are too many KJs doing it cheaper. Time to move on or drive further to work  , or you could just spin your tires and keep complaining. _________________ It's called Karaoke Therapy... 
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karaoke koyote
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:12 am |
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Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 3:38 pm
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$100 a night is the cheapest I've seen... which is what I started at. Week nights in small bars mainly. The larger, "nicer" places pay between $150 - $225. I do know some folks working for less, but they are newbies or their show sucks.
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kai2
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 12:43 pm |
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I've seen two clubs in this area do this recently. They went from $150/night to 40% of the bar receipts. One of the KJ's took home less than $60 last week.
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mckyj57
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 12:48 pm |
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kai2 @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 3:43 pm wrote: I've seen two clubs in this area do this recently. They went from $150/night to 40% of the bar receipts. One of the KJ's took home less than $60 last week.
That's completely different. If you bring in a great big crowd, you get a great big paycheck.
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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
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timberlea
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 1:31 pm |
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Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:41 pm
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Location: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
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There is something wrong with that. First of all the percentage is normally around 20%. If you were paid $50 then the bar only made a little over $100.
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stlmusician
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 1:36 pm |
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Greed kills everyone. I have to say that after reading this forum for months i see a lot of primadonnas and wannabe rockstars. Everyone is broke right now and everyone needs money. I think that a kj to be paid 250-300 a night is a crime and is no different than the unions ripping this country off for decades. Its only music and i dont care what any of you say, you dont work that hard for your money. A 100$ for 4 hours of work is not bad money. Expecting to be paid 75$ for setup and teardown.That is a joke.
As the whole world is caving in from greed stand your ground and deny change. I would love to see all of the greed in this world go away. Honest pay for honest work. I would never feel right demanding that kind of money for a few hours of work.
4 hours of kj 1 hour of setup/teardown at $100 is 20 an hour. I dont make that at my day job and i install Fire alarm systems and work my (@$%&#!) off all day for what i make.
All of the kj's in here that think they are worth some huge amount of money to hang out and twist some knobs are exactly the kind of entertainment i wouldnt be around. Its like dj's thinking they are musicians. quit being a joker and get with a new dynamic where everyone gets a fair wage and all of us have a good life not just the few or the greedy.
Musicians have to tour constantly to make money anymore because of record comp greed. Face it you all live in a world where the common man is way tired of being taken advantage of. I would take every one of your greedy shows for a 100 a night and my family would be thankful im not out risking my life and breaking my back for less than what you "rockstars" demand. Fair market value is a bloated old world term and not going to be around much longer.
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timberlea
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:05 pm |
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Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:41 pm
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Location: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Quote: 4 hours of kj 1 hour of setup/teardown at $100 is 20 an hour. I dont make that at my day job and i install Fire alarm systems and work my (@$%&#!) off all day for what i make.
Do you pay for all your equipment and alarms? Do you pay for your own vehicle, insurance and fuel? Do you pay for your own insurance? Or does your employer pay for it and incorporate the expenses in the charges to the customer. Then one needs enough to live on. Just because you charge $200/show doesn't mean you make $200/show. A good host reinvest in their shows, upgrading and maintenance of equipment, buying new music etc.
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diafel
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:59 pm |
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Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:27 am
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stlmusician @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:36 pm wrote: Greed kills everyone. I have to say that after reading this forum for months i see a lot of primadonnas and wannabe rockstars. Everyone is broke right now and everyone needs money. I think that a kj to be paid 250-300 a night is a crime and is no different than the unions ripping this country off for decades. Its only music and i dont care what any of you say, you dont work that hard for your money. A 100$ for 4 hours of work is not bad money. Expecting to be paid 75$ for setup and teardown.That is a joke.
As the whole world is caving in from greed stand your ground and deny change. I would love to see all of the greed in this world go away. Honest pay for honest work. I would never feel right demanding that kind of money for a few hours of work.
4 hours of kj 1 hour of setup/teardown at $100 is 20 an hour. I dont make that at my day job and i install Fire alarm systems and work my (@$%&#!) off all day for what i make.
All of the kj's in here that think they are worth some huge amount of money to hang out and twist some knobs are exactly the kind of entertainment i wouldnt be around. Its like dj's thinking they are musicians. quit being a joker and get with a new dynamic where everyone gets a fair wage and all of us have a good life not just the few or the greedy.
Musicians have to tour constantly to make money anymore because of record comp greed. Face it you all live in a world where the common man is way tired of being taken advantage of. I would take every one of your greedy shows for a 100 a night and my family would be thankful im not out risking my life and breaking my back for less than what you "rockstars" demand. Fair market value is a bloated old world term and not going to be around much longer.
What tools are required to install these systems? Do you have to buy the tools yourself?
I'm willing to be bet that even if you did, your tools would not cost a total of more than a couple hundred dollars at most. I'm also willing to be that most of those tools will last for many, many years to come.
You don't have to replace microphones and cables because the singers damage them by swinging and dropping them.
You also don't have to update your alarm system "library" every month at and average cost of $40 per disc.
My speakers and sound system alone, without anything else,no cables no player/ computer, etc is worth several thousand dollars. What do your screwdrivers and wire snippers cost? I'm also willing to bet that you don't have to print the manuals for each alarm system at your own cost.
It costs me on average close to $100 per book to print and put together. I need a minimum of 6 books.
Those books often need pages reprinted of even the whole book done because of drinks spilling on them.
How many manuals to you need to replace and reprint at your own cost because your customers damage them?
I go through a box or so of pencils every couple of months. That costs me money as well.
I have to print up request slips at my own cost. Gets expensive after awhile. If I was only getting $100 per show I would quickly be running in a deficit and would eventually have to shut down my show due to lack of funds to print and upkeep and replace equipment.
We also earn every dollar we make, whether you think so or not.
I figure you mus be overpaid yourself. I mean, how hard can it be to install alarms?
Any Joe with screwdriver should be able to do it. I'm sure there's no special knowledge needed to do it.
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Karen K
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:59 pm |
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You beat me to it, Timberlea! My sentiments exactly. sometimes notions that seem to make so much sense to someone don't make sense at all.
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jerry12x
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 3:11 pm |
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stlmusician @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:36 pm wrote: Its only music and i dont care what any of you say, you dont work that hard for your money. .
Naturally all I do is sit around drink beer and twiddle a few knobs.
I price my work based on how much I twiddle the knobs.
I should really charge extra for pressing the mouse button.
Most of us are really lucky because our equipment just magically appeared one day
and father christmas pops karaoke disks through our letter box.
You are right. Give me the money...
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InsaneKJ
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 3:21 pm |
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jerry12x @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:11 pm wrote: stlmusician @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:36 pm wrote: Its only music and i dont care what any of you say, you dont work that hard for your money. . Naturally all I do is sit around drink beer and twiddle a few knobs. I price my work based on how much I twiddle the knobs. I should really charge extra for pressing the mouse button. Most of us are really lucky because our equipment just magically appeared one day and father christmas pops karaoke disks through our letter box. You are right. Give me the money... In agreeance here! Not to mention the tens of thousands invested in legal karaoke content!
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tovmod
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 3:22 pm |
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stlmusician @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 1:36 pm wrote: Greed kills everyone. I have to say that after reading this forum for months i see a lot of primadonnas and wannabe rockstars. Everyone is broke right now and everyone needs money. I think that a kj to be paid 250-300 a night is a crime and is no different than the unions ripping this country off for decades. Its only music and i dont care what any of you say, you dont work that hard for your money. A 100$ for 4 hours of work is not bad money. Expecting to be paid 75$ for setup and teardown.That is a joke.
As the whole world is caving in from greed stand your ground and deny change. I would love to see all of the greed in this world go away. Honest pay for honest work. I would never feel right demanding that kind of money for a few hours of work.
4 hours of kj 1 hour of setup/teardown at $100 is 20 an hour. I dont make that at my day job and i install Fire alarm systems and work my (@$%&#!) off all day for what i make.
All of the kj's in here that think they are worth some huge amount of money to hang out and twist some knobs are exactly the kind of entertainment i wouldnt be around. Its like dj's thinking they are musicians. quit being a joker and get with a new dynamic where everyone gets a fair wage and all of us have a good life not just the few or the greedy.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Like with so many things in life it is sad that people too often can't see beyond their noses or take the time to research what they are truly unfamiliar with. And sometimes you cannot extrapolate from one experience to another such as installing alarms as an employee vs owning a KJ business.
I recently had an alarm installed, the quotes I received were all over the place. I don't know what the equipment is worth but the labor involved was un-challenging and effortless compared to when I installed WIRED alarm systems years ago. Based upon what I observed I could say from experience that the labor should have been free. But would that really make sense?
Yep, we're all greedy in the music business. And Stlmusician would probably declare shamelessly "up with the proletariat"?
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DangerousDanKaraoke
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:59 pm |
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Consider that there are really 3 components when a bar hires someone to come in to do a karaoke show:
1) KJ talent
2) Providing karaoke library and books
3) Rental and setup/teardown of sound gear
Why should a bar with their own library and sound that only needs #1 have to pay the same price to a host who provides all three?
In the Seattle area, $50-$75 is the range for host talent only. For a 4 hour show, that's $12.50-$18.75 an hour to work a few dials. Also consider most times that's NET as it's paid in cash without deductions.
Many part-timers who work for radio stations (either as board ops or on-air) don't make that kind of money ... let alone most other part-time jobs.
I totally agree for a host bringing in music and sound that anything below $150 is an insult.
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[font=Lucida Console]DangerousKaraoke.com[/font]
[font=Lucida Console]"Sing for the day, sing for the moment, sing for the time of your life!"[/font]
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mckyj57
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:10 pm |
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Location: Cocoa Beach
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stlmusician @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:36 pm wrote: Greed kills everyone. I have to say that after reading this forum for months i see a lot of primadonnas and wannabe rockstars. Everyone is broke right now and everyone needs money. I think that a kj to be paid 250-300 a night is a crime and is no different than the unions ripping this country off for decades. Its only music and i dont care what any of you say, you dont work that hard for your money. A 100$ for 4 hours of work is not bad money. It's bad enough money to expect any business to not survive. The most common mistakes a business makes is not charging enough. And that is not enough for an independent business owner. If you were paid that via paycheck, without assuming risk and owning equipment? That's a different story. I have seen a zillion computer consultants start out and charge ridiculously low sums like $35.00 per hour. I was told when I started to price myself at a minimum of $85.00 per hour. I thought they were joking, but I was assured that they were not. At the same time, others started and charged $35.00 per hour. 15 years later, I am still in business, at a much higher rate, and the people who charged $35.00 an hour are not around. Quote: Expecting to be paid 75$ for setup and teardown.That is a joke.
It is not. Competent people are going to command that type of price or better. Especially when you consider you have to start up a van/car/whatever to get the gear there.
_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
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ripman8
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:34 pm |
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stlmusician @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 3:36 pm wrote: Greed kills everyone. I have to say that after reading this forum for months i see a lot of primadonnas and wannabe rockstars. Everyone is broke right now and everyone needs money. I think that a kj to be paid 250-300 a night is a crime and is no different than the unions ripping this country off for decades. Its only music and i dont care what any of you say, you dont work that hard for your money. A 100$ for 4 hours of work is not bad money. Expecting to be paid 75$ for setup and teardown.That is a joke.
As the whole world is caving in from greed stand your ground and deny change. I would love to see all of the greed in this world go away. Honest pay for honest work. I would never feel right demanding that kind of money for a few hours of work.
4 hours of kj 1 hour of setup/teardown at $100 is 20 an hour. I dont make that at my day job and i install Fire alarm systems and work my <span style=font-size:10px><i>(@$%&#!)</i></span> off all day for what i make.
All of the kj's in here that think they are worth some huge amount of money to hang out and twist some knobs are exactly the kind of entertainment i wouldnt be around. Its like dj's thinking they are musicians. quit being a joker and get with a new dynamic where everyone gets a fair wage and all of us have a good life not just the few or the greedy.
Musicians have to tour constantly to make money anymore because of record comp greed. Face it you all live in a world where the common man is way tired of being taken advantage of. I would take every one of your greedy shows for a 100 a night and my family would be thankful im not out risking my life and breaking my back for less than what you "rockstars" demand. Fair market value is a bloated old world term and not going to be around much longer.
Just because you blow at your job and only make 20 bucks an hour is not any kj's fault. I used to make nearly 34 bucks per hour at my day job until the economy caught me. I didn't have to invest anything, upkeep anything, set up anything, tear down anything or worry about keeping people who are drinking in line.
If the KJ is making a big difference in the till, that is what they are worth. It is simple supply and demand. Go after the professional athletes.
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leopard lizard
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:42 pm |
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My boyfriend runs our show so I am not even up there turning the knobs. But I spend hours besides the actual show time making flyers, scouting out new venues, updating the books, checking several sites for the best deals on songs, writing the figures down for taxes, ordering the inflatable sheep and all that other stuff that most small busineeses have to do. As most hosts know, the actual time you are running the show is just the tip of the iceberg as far as how much time you spend running the business itself.
As to the original question--$75 pirates outnumber the legal library shows in our area. Unfortunately, they are making more than we are--although we made $100 last Sat. The one other legal company besides us has been around 6 years and they get $150. At one night a week that doesn't even pay for equpment and library updates. We are talking small bars that seat 30 to 50 in our area.
I think we are going to go for bigger fish in "the big city" as the small bars just don't even have the seating capacity to pay much for karaoke, especially with business down. Although in our area the restaurant/lounges are also down and cutting business hours. Guess we will be doing a lot of "dues paying" until things pick up.
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Lonman
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:48 pm |
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timberlea @ Mon Sep 07, 2009 3:05 pm wrote: Quote: 4 hours of kj 1 hour of setup/teardown at $100 is 20 an hour. I dont make that at my day job and i install Fire alarm systems and work my (@$%&#!) off all day for what i make. Do you pay for all your equipment and alarms? Do you pay for your own vehicle, insurance and fuel? Do you pay for your own insurance? Or does your employer pay for it and incorporate the expenses in the charges to the customer. Then one needs enough to live on. Just because you charge $200/show doesn't mean you make $200/show. A good host reinvest in their shows, upgrading and maintenance of equipment, buying new music etc. EXACTLY! Alot of the cost involved is for upgrading selection, maintenence, hosting (if any) & advertising. It doesn't necessarily go back into the kj's pockets. So $100 may be GREAT for someone with absolutely no overhead & just taking it home, when you figure in the other factors, then it is pretty pathetic pay. _________________ LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!
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