Karaoke Forums

[quote="jamkaraoke @ November 12th 2009, 11:45 am"][quote="BruceFan4Life @ Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:09 am"]My complaints are an effort to improve a show for EVERYONE. If your show is a B+ show; wouldn't you want it to be an A+ show if it were possible? I don't see how adding a CDG player to your rig hurts anyone at all, especially when you say that you already own three of them, Jam. If I complain about filler music delaying the rotation, I'm only trying to get more songs sung for everyone. If I complain about someone stealing my tracks....I think that is obvious. If people didn't complain about things that could be improved, we'd still be part of Great Britain.[/quote]
:angel: As previously stated..When I feel hooking up a cdg player will improve my overall show..I will do it. Right now its a matter of supply and demand. I have the supply but have no demand to hook one up. I never said it is WRONG for a KJ to offer a cdg player NOR did I ever say it was wrong for customers to bring their own discs. I said that singers should find a show they like and not insult shows that they don't personally enjoy. Pretty simple concept. And the good thing about living in the good ole USA is the freedom you have Bruce as a singer to go to any show you want. Why you feel the need to CHANGE the way a KJ runs their show I can't understand. Nor do I understand why you insult all KJ's who own HARD DRIVES and call them all pirtaes and thieves.

Hooking up a cdg player does not hurt anyone - I don't hook one up for the same reason I don't put out 6 microphones ( even though I have 8 ). Same reason I'm not pushing 5000 watts out of my system or running 2 18" subs. I just don't have the NEED although more power and subs would probably improve my show or at the least ..couldn't hurt it. It's a choice I make as the KJ. When the time comes ...I'll have no problem adding a cdg player / amps and subs .... But not now.

Why is this so hard to understand ??? :?: :?:

ps Bruce -- You should reread your post in the TAYLOR SWIFT topic you mispelled a few words. I guess we are not all perfect spellers ? NOW THAT IS THE FUNNIEST THING !!!!!!![/quote]

NO! The funniest thing is that you misspelled, misspelled genius.

I do misspell a word every once in a while. I never claimed to be PERFECT. You and Gemini spell like a couple of third graders on a consistant basis. Your grammar skills aren't much better.

EDIT: After checking my post in the Taylor Swift thread, I corrected two typographical errors. I don't know why it happens but I tend to type "teh" for the word "the" quite often. I think it has something to do with the way I type with only two fingers. I usually catch that one but not always. My other typo was simply being off by one key on the keyboard which also happens with a person who never learned to type properly. Any time you want to compare English Skills, Jam; I'd be more than happy to point out the NUMEROUS AMOUNT of errors that you make on a daily basis to make it perfectly clear who the idiot is. The only problem is that I'd probably get banned for doing it. Some typing errors are obviously typos based on looking at the word that has been misspelled. If someone spells the word "COUNTRY" as XOUNTRY or VOUNTRY; it's obvious to anyone with even half of a brain what happened. Do you really think that I don't know how to spell the word "THE"? ???? LOL

I wouldn't say that I'm being ignored. And, as for being chastised about trying to put this topic back on the course I intended, that was only by Dr. Fred.

But in looking at the BS/revenue ratio - as most owners do - they don't want to bring their staff down of have them devote inordinate care and feeding dealing with a nit-picking malcontent. It's not worth it even if this one customer might spend a couple of Andrew Jacksons a month there.


I've occasionally had disgruntled customers call my boss that they were skipped in the rotation (they weren't, they didn't hear their name called the first or second time) or that I was somehow rude to them (I wasn't, they were just way drunk!) and we both get a good laugh out of it. The fact is if there are scores or even hundreds of patrons to your one-night-a-week show, you can afford to blow off some of the Bitter Betties and Pi sse d-Off Petes.


Lonnie, something to note here. Your venue offers karaoke 7 nights a week. This is your full time job, the paycheck of which pays your rent. Conceivably losing a singer doesn't mean they won't be there on karaoke night, they won't be there AT ALL. Yes, if karaoke is your venue's one and only attraction then accommodating as many people as possible makes more sense. But beyond that, if your bar has a permanent installation (you're not loading in, setting up and hooking up gear each performance) then it's no big deal to keep a CD+G player hooked up on the shelf for when you need it.

Consider that most KJs do not have this luxury. Most are at a venue 1 night a week with mobile gear.

I feel the once-in-a-blue-moon person with a disc of either a song or version I don't have isn't worth the added trouble. Luckily there are many other shows out there at which this individual can give their KJ a headache.

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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]

My mobile system still had a player, it was always right in the rack already mounted & connected just to plug into the mixer (2 cord, 1 audio & 1 video) & switch box, so sorry I can't accept that answer completely as I have been mobile with the computer as well. The player weighs maybe 10 lbs., and was racked up 3 space with a shelf mount with the processors - 8 space rack total, I have a separate amp rack. Luxary of having a 7 night gig really has nothing to do with it IMO.
I unfortuantely do not have that system anymore as we were trying another business venture a couple years ago and sold it all to help finance the new project, but am putting together a new rack again for another system, and it will have a player built in again to go on the road with me.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Fine. You don't have a player to accommodate someone like me. I can accept that. But, your attitude is something else that is unacceptable. It's your chose not to have a player for that just-in-case circumstance, but you don't have to be insulting about it. Here it is, you refer to someone like me as another KJ's headache just because I choose to bring my own personal selection of songs with me. Not all KJs consider a Singer who brings their own discs to their show to be "A Headache."

The more you post about your show and how you run it, the less likely I am inclined to want to visit you. And Karen's impression of her visit to your show only reinforces that decision.

And, just for the record, I have knowingly attended shows that can't play my CDGs, and have even gone back for a repeat visit.

We carry a DVD/VCD player on those rare occasions where someone brings those discs in. It takes up no extra space and as Lonnie says plugging in a couple of wires.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

"Not all consider custies that bring discs to thier show a headache"

.............BUT APPARENTLY DAN DOES. Clearly hes SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BUSY AND OVERWHELMED,

that a simple--"Sorry Im not able to play your discs........but you SURE ARE WELCOME to try something else in my songbook".......................

IS TOO MUCH FOR HIM TO HANDLE!!

So for him the answer is "BUT ILL BE GLAD TO SEND YOU DOWN THE ROAD".

Sure makes you NOT WANT TO DROP IN AND PAY HIM A VISIT AND CHECK OUT HIS SHOW AND SAY HELLO AND SPEND SOME MONEY AND THE EVENING AT THAT BAR!!............and consequent return visits.

I wonder if his barowner is aware of his DISDAIN and CONTEMPT for such customers and the EASE with which he apparently is willing to brush them off and get rid of such paying customers??????

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

Oh and I'd reccommend Dan keep a BOTTLE OF EXTRA STRENGTH TYLENOL on hand for just such occaisions!!

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

Oh and Cueball---dont forget Karen's freind Laurie who was along with her that night when they visited Dan's show----because she apparently received the same attitude, brush-off and treatment.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

Kurt, where did I say that I out-and-out told customers with their own discs to f-off with "disdain and contempt"? I politely tell them I don't play discs and direct them toward my song lists for the popular selections, or to ask me to search my database for anything else they don't see there.

Let's be honest, the vast majority of karaoke singers sing the same 500 songs anyway. At my show they can choose from 10,000. One of the highest grossing karaoke venues in the US, Cats Meow in New Orleans, offers ONLY about 500 songs. Here's their list. Note that under their "Stage Rules" they state, "Song Choice - If the song you want to sing is not on this list, it probably sucks." Somehow it doesn't keep people from crowding the club every night until they spill out onto the street.

My primary business is actually private parties. Have one this Saturday, another the week after and many more for the holiday season for which my contracted rate is about 4-8X what the average bar show pays. Do YOU regularly do karaoke shows with 4-figure paychecks? Didn't think so. None of those clients or their guests have ever asked me whether I could play their CD+Gs.

Look, for those here who choose to think they're a "better" host by enabling the occasional karaoke geek to sing some song from their own disc, more power to you. We can agree to disagree. Sorry I'm not equipped to play your disc. If that discourages you from coming to my show, I understand. I imagine if I was barraged by bunches of people every week who had discs, I might reconsider. If I did a different show in a different type of venue, I might reconsider. But at my weekly bar venue, it is a NON-issue for the hundreds who attend weekly.

I'm done with this thread; anyone with additional questions can write me offlist.

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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]

Now WE are karaoke GEEKS in Dan's mind. LOL Another insult to go along with Gemini's perception that we are RUDE PITA's for bringing the songs that we are willing to pay for because we would like to sing them. LOL

For those Kj who cannot and will not play customer's disc, would you advertised as such.

Say something like: " singers who want to sing from their discs are NOT welcome in this venue."

I ask because there are KJ who can and will play customer's disc, who think that it is a good idea to advertised that fact.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Very good point, but I wouldn't word it like that... Just simply state in the Ad, "Unable to play Discs" or "Unable to play Personal Discs." something that's simple and to the point. I wish more KJs would state that in their ads for shows. It's nice to know before I make a trip to a place that I've never been to before... and it doesn't necessarily mean that I won't go there.

Now that, I think, is a bit over the top. No one is going to run that in an ad, nor should they IMO. It's hard enough to find out places have karaoke at all, much less that.

I don't understand the big deal. I like using my own disks. But it isn't that big a deal. And I don't like carrying a player, and don't. But I can play a disk out of my laptop drive if required. When all it takes is downloading a free program (Karafun), I don't understand the technical difficulty in providing this service.

And I believe some won't play burned disks, and I respect that too.

Aren't all sides are making too much of this? At what point do mods lock this thread?

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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.

Is it true what I read a few posts back from TTowntenor? He stated that you had posted somewhere that you have gone to other shows with your own personal discs?

I agree. It took me all of 20 minutes to google, find and install the software needed for any laptop that has a DVD drive installed.

I guess it's one of the silly "religious" issues I haven't clued into yet

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Dave's not here.

I don't agree that a KJ should advertise that they DON'T do anything. That's just business 101 and there isn't a single industry that advertises what that won't do for customers. I agree that a KJ who does should promote the fact he can play customer cdgs ..that's a positive thing to promote. As a KJ who currently does not offer to play customer cdgs -- I want every customer to come in -- Once they find out I can't play their cdg they may browse the book and find the EXACT song they were looking for or another alternative and stay and have a GREAT TIME.
Simple

Good point too.... You're right about not putting something like that in an Ad. It wouldn't be good business sense to advertise something that could be construed as negative. Nobody likes to cut off their nose to spite their face.

I have a question for you KJs that Advertise (anywhere).... When you put out an Ad that says you're hosting a Karaoke show somewhere, do you say anything about how many songs you have to offer, or whether you are operating off of a PC?

Here's another question to go with the above.... This question is ONLY FOR those KJs who can't play discs at their shows... If someone like me were to call or e-mail you (via whatever contact information you put in your ad) to ask if you could play personal discs at your show, would you answer honestly, or lie about it (in the hopes that you get another Customer to walk in the door)?

I would venture to guess that anybody who might read an ad where the KJ states 50K+ songs, they're going to know that they are operating off of a PC (but that doesn't imply anything else regarding the capability to play discs).

What's the point in advertising the number anymore, if you have thousands upon thousands of songs, then some might construde that as illegal, but it you advertise a low amount, many might not think you have jack. I have been to shows that have advertised 100K+ songs & STILL didn't have half the stuff that I sing normally. I now have about 12K individual titles listed and get the WOW you have more than so & so and his book is like 4 inches thick.
So in a short, the answer is no, except for a short blurb on my main website, I no longer advertise the number of songs, it's a pointless meaning anymore.

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We have only built up to a little over 5,000 un-duped songs so advertising our numbers would be a negative. We do post the list on our website and say that we will order on request . On flyers I have put, "Yes, we can play your personal CD&Gs." We are trying to appeal to people who are really into karaoke to get a better balance of singers.

We have people in the area who advertise 100,000 songs but some have commented that they don't have the newer songs in their books or that it seems to be the same selection everywhere they go. We had someone in last week who actually complimented our song variety which was a pleasant shock.