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So the owner wanted to do Saturdays too. I'm already happy with the two days a week I do. I'm on my third understudy.

1st one - Bartender, likes to be the center of attention. Was perfect, except ... of the seven shows she was to do, she didn't show for two, showed 15 minutes before show time twice, and walked out in emotional breakdowns for two others. She got through one show without incident.

2nd one - Realized he didn't have the personality for it after the first show.

3rd one - Been training him for a month. Sound is off, and last Saturday he busted the RCA jack on the primary LCD and the ATI AVI adapter on the back of my PC.

I have 1 1/2 weeks before I'm doing a friend's wedding. Can't screw it up. I've been trying to get the sound optimized since I started this guy, and every week since it's just been something else. He gets upset it I set up early for him (if I have something to do that night), and frustrated if I don't set it up (if I have something to do that night).

I have to find a way to idiot proof my system. I started this project in May expecting to have Saturdays off over the summer ... Jimeny Crickets.

Anyone else have a fill in. What was the best approach in training them. I have a PC and multiple video feeds, so there are a lot of connections (some are more sensitive than he understood, I guess).

I'm taking a week off to destress and put everything back in order.

If you are going to have others work for you, you need to IDIOT proof everything. Set up your boxes so that the majority of the connections always stay connected. Just have loose the bare minimum wires. Broken stuff gets old and expensive very fast. Not to mention making eveything else unreliable.

Constant side by side training.

Never book a job when you already have one. Friend or not. Or else cancel the other one. That kills your credibility.

I never booked over any date to make more money. Bad business practice. Just suck it up. Your reputation is worth more than $25 extra.

Thanks Angel. My goal is to idiot proof the system. I'm not double booking, I'm trying to have a life outside karaoke. I play darts, like to go dancing, and go out and do stuff too.

The first impulse is to get an outgoing MC type host. After one or two nights the sound is way out of whack. A sound tech has the personality of a log. So one ends to look for an unexperienced host with potential in both areas, This fine except it takes awhile for them to get to the point you can turn them loose on their own.

At this point they might not be able to communicate with mngmnt or visa versa so yo still have problems. People with this much abliity is usually hosting their own business. If you train somebody and hone them they move on to their own business.

That is why small businessmen put in so much time in their business An employee does not give 110% on a consistent basis which is understandable. Hopefully Lonnie and others will offer some ideas on running shows with hired hosts.

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How are you finding your workers?

It is hard to find reliable fill ins that do a good job with sound. I always had the best luck using existing customers. You get to know them ahead of time and get a feel for their work ethic. You see their presence on stage and how they interact with people. Plus it helps that they know the regulars. I'm always keeping my eyes open for new potential canidates. Good luck, I know how hard it is to find good people.

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These are all regulars. What I find about most people I try to train is they want the spotlight but don't understand it's actual work. When they realize the amount of work involved they back down.

The substitutes I use these days all have their own rigs so I don't have to do anything. It's nice because it also protects me somewhat from anything they might to because it is very obvious to my regulars that they are not a part of my business.

I did previously have opportunity to have a fill-in host use my rig. First off, I chose a guy from our band who used to work for a production company, so he at least sort of knows his way around a console and is smart enough to learn the rest. I marked each end of every cable that he'd need to plug in with the destination that it got plugged into. Additionally, I typed up very detailed step by step instructions for how to connect everything, powever everything up and how to login to and start the necessary applications on the computer. Finally, I had him come out the week before he was to host and work with me to setup the rig, fire it up and watch me run the show.

It's all about picking the right person. Pro-audio is not one of those things that just anyone can be pulled off the street to do. You need someone who can think very logically but also has enough right-brain to hear what things sound like and know in their mind what it should sound like. Go with anything less and you're asking for trouble in my opinion.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

It still amazes me how I can provide an example of hosting. Sit down a 12 yearrold and have them running the software in minutes Give them a simple run down on the desk Faders etc In an hour they are running the show like a pro and having the time of their life. Then I just sit there and drink with my friends until 5A or so.

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Running the show has never been a problem, for any of the the people I've tried. Some mic fright, sure. But if everything is setup for them, no sweat. It's the 'what happens, if this happens' aspect of it all. And most of that is in the connecting, or accidentally moving/pushing something ... the unfamilarity of the landscape.

You should have thought about your life before you committed to these bar owners.

I don't get vacations and saturday nights out. It's the price you pay to be a successful business person.

You made a committment to the bar owners to provide your service weekly. Many bar owners have flat out told me they don't want anyone but me to do their shows. They say they hired me. It's correct. And in their eyes it's right.

If you hired Black Eyed Peas to perform and U2 showed up because the BEP couldn't come so they sent U2, would you be happy?

You have a written or verbal contract that could be enforced in a court of law. You need to decide how it's gonna be. That's the price you pay.

I'm not saying you shouldn't have time off but it's not at you convienence. It's when you get time off because you have nothing scheduled.

Sending an incompetent person could cost you the job. What to you want? You can't have your cake and eat it too. Successful DEPENDABLE karaoke business or party time. Pick one.

Successful business people don't work 9-5.

When a company is doing 3 nights at the same venue knowing bar owners and hosts realize it is best to have more than one host. Hosts bring in their own crowds. Foe example a husband wife team does separate nights. One has the fri crowd and the other has the sat crowd. I usually give the owner a say in which host I hire.This can be a mutual decision if a working relationship exists and coomon goals are established.

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I never hire anyone that really WANTS to do the job because they think it's fun, or will get to sing alot or ..... these are the people who tend to not work as hard I have found. I look for people who have a great personality to begin with, how they interact with people, not just people at their own table. Then I find out if they would be interested to begin with. If they sing - bonus, but most of the people I have hired can sing most of the time, there have been a couple that couldn't sing a note, but made up for it in personality, mixing, rotation ability & crowd interaction.
If they are game, then you get them in to work with you for a couple weeks - throw them a $20 just for their time as they really won't be doing much in the beginning but watching & learning the basics.
Then have them start loading the music & doing some basic mixing while you be the host - still standing with them. You cannot 'train' an ear, but you can show them some things to listen for & what to do to correct them. Create a basic one page guide that they can refer to quickly in case of feedback or muddy/tinny singers, too much/not enough effect, etc.
Then have them run the show for a couple hours while you are in the audience. Do a little critique of your own, make some notes what you liked/didn't like then go over it with them. Do this a couple more times and then try an entire show.
The clubs do not hire me, they hire my company and if I need nights off, I have these people trained & ready for those nights. My current club is 7 nights, I work 5 of them with another host on Sat & Sun. I just took a week off last week of Aug & had 3 hosts working that week. I get most weekends off - but don't lock the hosts into do or die situations, I will fill in for them or trade nights if they need a weekend off as well. These are just some of the key points of my hiring hosts.

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I'm kind of with you on all that Lon. This was kind of rushed 'cause I was trying to salvage a summer that I'd planned for five months ago.

I have a day job, angel. I never wanted this third night. The owner and I agreed that it would happen if I trained someone. It's been over five months and three tries later.

I didn't do the show last night. We (he was there) set up, and when I found the video in kaputs I called the owner and talked with her about taking a week off. I explained this to 'understudy' and I find out today that he stayed and drank, complaining that he was out x amount of money because "I through a fit".

1) I simply told him I had a lot to do to get the show back on track, and I had to think about this wedding coming up so I was taking a week to get my 'gig head' straight.

2) I'm out three times what he's complaining about, and repair costs, and stress, and time (including what I've put in trying to get things back to par this last month)!!!

3) My reputation is solid, my fan base is loyal, my branding is locally recognized, and I will not let a schmuck, run my name through the mud. Guess he didn't realize that I know just about everybody and everybody's got my back. I'm a legend (which is part of the reason I can't put my name on shxt sound)!!!!!

I've decided to let him know he's out more that the x he complained about. It's obvious that was his motivation. I'm going to let the owner know that Saturdays won't happen anymore. Schucks!!!

One thing to consider I advertised for a host on Craigslist and got some responses from well qualified applicants. Even with a "temp"host you would have another night.

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My hosts can't run sound as well either - very basic, however the customers understand & make the appreciation known when I am there. Although they still support the other hosts as well mainly because they are very good with the crowd & still can run the show smoothly. Some even actually prefer their nights even over mine. Everybody has different tastes.
But being that he was being a jerk about losing a night when he isn't even an employee, is not the kind of host you want working for you in the first place. Hell what night is it, i'll come up and run your show for the night......

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Thanks for the offer Lon.

Not showing up for the job cost the bar owner a lot of money in an economic time when that night could make or break the bar. If the economy was better it would be different. The bar owner is not going to keep you long if you keep not showing up. What would you do if you owned the bar?

At some point your good reputation is going to suffer. You're screwing with thier money now. That makes it serious.

I had the same thing happen. I had a person that wanted to work for me. So I booked a night that he was going to do. 4 weeks later he decided he didn't want to do it anymore. I got stuck doing a night i never wanted in the first place. That's what professionals do. Like it or not. That put my reputation on the line. I don't count on anyone anymore. I do it all.

One thing you missed Lonnie and that's training them for set up and tear down. This would mainly be to teach them what goes where so if they encounter problems (ie bad mic or cable) they can logically track it down and fix the problem.

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Every time I have a fill in I keep my cell phone close and let them know they can call for any reason. It's like leaving the kids with a babysitter. I know everything will be fine. I'm just nervous because it's my baby.

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I would usually do set up/tear downs myself. Equipment failure is another thing, they can call me & I will try to walk them through steps depending on the situation.

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