Karaoke Forums

Yesterday afternoon as I enjoyed a large bucket of hot wings (not enjoying them this morning!) at the Missippi Brew, I checked my voicemail and found a "saved" (don't remember hearing it let alone saving it) from the owner of another bar in town that was interested in my services. Funny how these things worked out, I missed out on the boat job but did not contact this bar beforehand in any manner.

This bar is actually the place of my first ever (one time) gig. The bar changed owners a couple months ago and just came off of a 21 day suspension of their liquor license due to a violation (during the former owner's tenure) of the smokefree act. Place has a bit of a reputation for having shady clientele.

At my gig Thursday a guy (very intoxicated) wanted to sing a Doors song but didn't know which one and I ended up helping him use my songbook and he sang a couple of songs. During this time he told me he may want to hire me and for the same bar. I asked around yesterday and found out he is a "silent" partner with 28% share in the bar.

So,,,,,, I hung at the Brew last night to support my DJ buddy and checked out the live band they had outside as well. 45 minutes before closing I headed to the bar that was in it's first night of post suspension.

They had a DJ, the place was hopping, I was carded at the door (I quit looking under 21 a few years ago!) and they had at least 3 to 4 big guys with white security shirts on. Warm and fuzzy with this as a lot of people have been bashing this place online at our local newspaper. I was impressed.

I told one of the bartenders I was looking for the owner and gave her my card. She told me where he was but I couldn't see thru the crowd and I didn't know what he looked like. So I pulled up a chair at a small table in the middle of the bar and started watching the dancing.

Within a minute the owner approached me and asked me if I could do Wednesdays. I told him I was available this Wednesday and he said ok. This place has two levels, I did upstairs last time, bummer carrying everything up the stairs. He wants me downstairs and said my lights are necessary. Awesome!

So,, my dilemma? My stinking start time at my other job at 5 AM. I have this next Thursday and Friday off so not an issue. We have no agreement for further gigs but I'm confident he will want me weekly. I need to either find someone who can do the last half of my show, or someone to run my show, or someone to transport equipment, set up and run my show, or transport my equipment, set up, run the show, tear down and transport again.

These are all things I will need to discuss with the owner if we come to an agreement for a weekly gig. I'm hoping he will allow me to leave my set up overnight so I can tear down the next afternoon if I end up running my own shows.

I already do the 2.5 hours of sleep thing on Friday mornings, not sure if I can handle it twice in back to back days weekly!

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

Way to go Ripman!!! Sounds like you are getting a good reputation now, especially if they are looking for you! Very happy for you. I know what you mean on the back to back short (no) sleep thingie. I have the same problem quite often. It really makes for long days. Hope you can make some kind of arrangements for your equipment, that sounds like the best solution, but be very careful on leaving stuff at unfamiliar places. Anything can happen, but thats me just being paranoid, , hehe. Good luck and here's for hoping all works out well.

Thanks mrscott. I meant to say he said the lights are not necessary.

This afternoon a guy contacted me for the 2nd time to enquire about "renting" my equipment. He's a good guy and a great karaoke host. He mentioned this to me last Thursday and suggested a "rental fee" of $100.

Today, he hedged at that number when I mentioned it. But we are going to talk further, if he can get weekend gigs at this same bar and he says he can, it would be nice to earn some extra money. He's good with audio and I did mention the issue of equipment going bad or broke and he said he could fix it.

Suggestions? Contract?

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

Congrats on your new gig. Hope it goes well for you.
As far as renting equipment, I would be very careful about it, since it's obviously the same equipment you will be hosting your own shows with. I recently put together a second rig for just such a purpose, since I will not rent out my main rig to anyone. Partly because it's digital and the risk of copying is too great, but mostly because if anything went wrong with it or it was damaged in any way, I would be hooped for my regular gigs.
Having said that, a written rental contract is a MUST! I recommend listing every single piece of equipment, including each mic cord, power cable, adapter, song book, etc. , and an itemized list of every disc, if you're disc based. Make sure that the replacement value of each item is also listed beside it, since this will give the renter a clear idea of what each piece would cost, should it not be returned, or returned in unusable condition. I would also write it into the contract that should damage occur, the person renting is responsible for replacing or repairing the equipment.
Good luck to you and please let us know how it turns out.

Thanks, all helpful info. He wouldn't be using my karaoke music so that part shouldn't be an issue. This is to DJ.

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

I was renting out my stuff for a while, I quickly decided it was worth spending the cash to buy a second system to rent, so i didnt put my gear at risk. what it rented for paid for it, so really I got some free used gear.

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

That would be my suggestion, too - might as well buy another setup, let someone else pay for it, and not put your main system in jeopardy.

Does anyone have a contract that I could look at and see if it would work for me?

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

Also, when you have someone working for you, what is the going rate? 50% of the fee?

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

I pay someone 50% to run shows for me, some nights they make $75 (of $150), for Thurs and Friday added together they only make $75 (of $175).

He picks up the equipment from storage, set up, runs the show, tears down and re stores the equipment. He gets a drink an hour allowance for himself from the bar. I think $75 isn't bad as it's working out to $15 an hour.

For the other shows it's going to more like $7.50 an hour but there's more tips to compensate.

You'll never make a living running a karaoke show for me (neither will I!) but it'll still be more fun than Walmart!

- Jonn

50% here too...

ripman, have you thought about catching up with sleep in between your day job and before your show? Since you have to get up early I assume that you get off early, too right?

Just sleep ahead, that should work. Worked for me back in the day, when I still had a day job.

I pay a little more when someone fills in, or uses my second rig. I may be a little too generous, but I really don't mind. But, I would like to add a question to this topic. Do you pay the fill-ins expenses as well? Like, mileage, food??? Or do you leave that up to them?

I only take a third of the nightly take is all, whatever that my be on a given show.

Oh I think about it, sometimes I get a small nap in, maybe 45 min if I'm lucky. If I'm not sleepy, doesn't work very well.

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

Still no contracts?

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

I'm still working on mine... I'll pass it on as soon as it's finished.

Sweet!

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

Rough draft yet? This guys nippin' at my heels.

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

I just Googled "Karaoke Contract" and it came up with numerous links; try that. Some may be for DJs, some for private party, and some may not apply but I'll bet you'll find something you can adapt.

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

mines pretty simple "Do what you say you will , dont BS me, and don't mess up my gear or youll be walking funny and possibly leaking red fluids" (ok I really don't have one)
before anyone goes on there own I watch them do a show without me stepping in to be sure they know how. now that the guy who used to do shows with my gear has moved to fla I may offer to let his wife do a few shows. she was smarter with the gear than he was, and had a better personality to boot.

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

I have one now. I put it together on my own and then had a atty check and tweek it.

2nd gig went well tonight.

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