Karaoke Forums

I am NOT a ''beer drinker". However, I do go to beer bars once in a while for various reasons, including karaoke.

A few years back I developed a taste for "Icehouse" and would readily order it when in a beer bar. I prefer in on tap and it was usually available on tap. If I couldn't get it on tap I would order it in a bottle.

During the last few years "Icehouse" on tap began to become extinct. More and more I found myself ordering it in a bottle. Today, I have a problem finding it in a bottle.

Under such circumstances, including the fact that I am not a beer drinker I could easily stop going to these beer bars and find karaoke somewhere else.

But, I haven't avoided beer bars altogether. I go and try to make the best of the circumstances.

Why? Because I learned a long time ago that: YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT IN LIFE, BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE EVERYTHING

And while there are things that you shouldn't compromise, such as a principle, more often than not life offers acceptable and appropriate opportunities to compromise. So, when I can, I do!

And yet to some of us, going to karaoke without being able to sing our own songs is like a guy going to see Terminator and getting Juno instead. Maybe some could make the best of it and maybe some would not enjoy the evening as much.

OR--I have a thing for watching reruns of Frasier when I go to bed because I love the classical acting and the comedy helps me forget the troubles of the day. But sometimes I tune in and it has been replaced by World Wrestling Federation or whatever it is. Am I a baby if I don't make the best of it and watch? I must admit I have watched a bit of it with morbid fascination and now know the names like CM Punk and the Undertaker (whom I suspect is actually a member of Montgomery Gentry) but really--I'd just rather change the channel--oops--the other channels are an infomercial for Christie Brinkley youth forumla, a panel discussion on how to finance the county's new sewer system and Ghost Whisperer reruns--all stuff that must appeal to someone or it wouldn't be on but it isn't what floats my boat--guess I'm inflexibly gone.

I have no idea..

EDIT: I changed nothing but now the quote is in a box.

I still have NO Idea

I was busy today wondering the same thing about Bruce's quotes... cause it appears like all the proper quotes, ['s and /'s are there.

Strange.

But wow, yeah, is it ever going to be easier reading your posts if it's working now:)

EDIT: Hell, it doesn't take a lot to keep me "busy" does it? Lmao, dang


.

_________________
♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

I did it for you; I just change some setting in your profile.

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

Thank You

Nope, don't need one. If I need a key change, it is already burned on the track.

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I'm like DJ Tony (letitrip), i never have sang a song with a key change before and don't intend to, unless in the future i have some kind of vocal accident.

To ME, this is when it gets a little annoying when a disc-bringer wants the keychange, more effects, higer mic volume, mids reduced, etc...BEFORE the song starts. It gets a little hectic and annoying trying to make everything perfect before the performance.

Those people i consider "DIVA-ish", but it IS worth it if:

1. They end up singing well

2. they are happy all their changes were made and they sounded good on the system

No different then anyone else singing from your own stock that requests the same things.

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

It seems to me that more than just a few KJ's seem to resent singers who bring their own music. Gemini thinks is rude. Others think that it's a red flag that "screams out" DIVA!!!! Some others seem to draw a connection that singers with their own discs are the ones that complain the most and spend the least. I think the underlying reason is insecurity and or jealousy. Some KJ's want to be the stars of their own shows and they don't like singers that might just sing better than they do. Some other KJ's don't want one of their regulars asking to sing "that song" that the DIVA sang the previous week and have to admit that he doesn't have the song. One KJ asked me if I had a song that he wanted to sing last week or if I knew where he could purchase it. I looked all over the internet but couldn't find the song anywhere. I asked the KJ to send me the original from his CD and I removed the vocals from the track and made him his own karaoke track of the song and he sang it last night and loved it. If he was the type of KJ that wouldn't let me use my own tracks, I would have never volunteered to make him the song that he wanted. What a terrible karaoke customer I must be, huh?

Yes, having to adjust to their requests before the performance takes MORE even more focus and worrying than letting me find the right mix on my own, and i have to cut out the filler music earlier.
Sometimes because of them having utilized different players, they may not be sure if it's 1 or 2 steps down until the music starts.

Then for me remembering to reset my "default mixer-settings" back and removing any effects they may have added/removed can be challenging if i'm very busy. Somtimes i forget to remove the added extra reverb and the next singer turns around and looks at me funny..unny..unny..unny...

Most singers who request from my book very rarely ask for a key change or added effects and let ME make adjustments to them and the song as it plays.

Not complaining, it just takes 100% focus instead of the usual 75%...

Bruce, i said "diva-ish", but I STILL LOVE THEM and will happily play their discs and thank them. I meant diva-ish in the fact that most of them want/need added adjustments.

And NOT EVERY disc-bringer requests changes in the key AND effects/vocal changes. They usually trust the kj to make them sound good....I know i do when i bring a disc!!

Actually at my shows the disc-bringers are usually the ones that spend more money on FOOD than all the others.

I would happily play your discs Bruce, as i would want others to play mine when i go to their shows.

I freely admit I'm not a great singer. I can carry a tune and can sing the lyrics in proper cadence with the music, but no way am I - nor to I strive to be - an "idol" or a "diva".

As a KJ, I'm there to do my job...keep the crowd entertained, quickly facilitate singers getting on stage, singing their song, and encouraging applause - NOT to be a singer.

Come to think of it, even when I go out to other venues AS a singer I have enough confidence in the host to adjust the levels to make me sound great.

I'm not fond of singers who will bark out instructions to me from the middle of the stage. Those are what I call divas. You want to go up or down a key? More/less echo or reverb? More/less mic gain? Write it on your slip or come speak to me before you take center stage and the mic.

_________________
[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]

When I switch over to the CDG player it's a whole new world of settings. I'm not sure why this is. The player plays music much much louder, so I need to change the volume settings immediately or I'm blasting people off their chairs. Yep I definitely need to be paying attention when I play peoples discs. My fill in hates using the player because of this. She just can't get the hang of it.

_________________
[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

The ability to change keys is important to me as most of the songs that I do I adjust down one or two keys. I have never had a KJ tell me that they can't do a key adjustment, although I have had a few forget to drop the key. If that happens I just gut through the song and then gently remind afterwards that I had requested a key change. They are usually very apologetic and don't forget to change my keys on other songs that I do.

I usually make it a point to bring my own discs to every show that I go to, although I will make every attempt to use whatever the KJ has available. Most shows that I go to have gone digital so there is usually a really complete selection, although one show that I started attending regularly is still on disc (mostly Chartbusters, Legends, with a little THM, DKK and SoundChoice thrown in). Their selection is not great so I will usually use my own discs at that show.

I have only had one KJ give me real "attitude" when it came to using my personal discs or requesting key changes, and that was on a Carnival Cruise ship a couple of years ago. I guess she figured that she didn't have to be accomodating as we were only on the ship for a few nights. I guess she just wasn't used to having karaoke afficianados attending her shows.

I try and only buy songs that I can sing in the original key, but I've still had to fall back on key change at times, so it's a nice thing to have.

But, I know which songs I sing are going to require a Key-Change... regardless of whether I use my own disc or sing something from your PC, and this is something that I would have written on my song request slip beforehand. How does that make me DIVA-ish?

And, the ONLY song that I MIGHT sing that I have a special request for (before it starts) is "MOTN" on version PS 1054 - track 10... This is the BEST VERSION of that song out there, and the music was recorded to low, so I ask that the music volume be raised a little.

Diva-ish TO ME means having to do a few things MORE for a singer than start a song and adjust the music and their voices so they'll sound clear and good. Key changes on slips are easy, but asking for the change as you approach the mic, asking for added reverb but not too much, taking out the mids and making sure the mics are louder than the music...well then you're not allowing me to do my job, you're asking much more than the average singer wants or needs, and you're barking orders at me and will blame me if it's not perfect, when in fact, as a singer, you may not be all that good.

Not YOU Cue, just an example. When karaoke becomes too much of an art form and less fun, then you're on the road to diva-dom in my opinion. Sure we all want to sound good, but having to be a perfectionist at karaoke takes the FUN out of it for both host, and the audience (if they too think you take it too seriously).

Some people here will say "Big Deal, just adjust the controls, it's easy!", but when you're flowing F-L-O-W-I-N-G with the show and someone want something different, it tends to break the flow and slow you down a little, or even throw you off...that's all i'm saying. And if they end up sucking, then it gets frustrating- but you still smile and go on.....

"Some people here will say "Big Deal, just adjust the controls, it's easy!", but when you're flowing F-L-O-W-I-N-G with the show and someone want something different, it tends to break the flow and slow you down a little, or even throw you off...that's all i'm saying. And if they end up sucking, then it gets frustrating- but you still smile and go on....."

I guess I'm one of those people that think a DJ/KJ should just make the adjustments that the singers ask for and not make a big deal out of it. If you have to re-adjust after the song is over, just do that too. You guys sound like a bunch of toll booth workers that don't want any cars to get in their lane because they might actually have to do something during their shift....or better yet, you're like the toll booth collector that get pi$$ed off if the driver doesn't have the exact change for the toll. GOD FORBID!!!! You might actually have to make change of a dollar instead just being able to sit back and drop the coins in the tray.

I don't believe that a karaoke has a flow. I believe it has a rotation that can take it anywhere from Ballad Hell to Rock Star paradise. No matter what "flow" the rotation might be in; it can change with the next song. That's the nature of karaoke. You can go from AC/DC to Patsy Cline to Jethro Tull to Garth Brooks and back to Led Zepellin all in the space of one half hour. That is what I like most about going out to karaoke. I like NOT KNOWING what type of song I will hear next. I've been to places where just about every song was a Rat Pack type song. Now those places definitely have a flow going on but not enough variety to keep me interested on a regular basis because the people that hang out at these places usually sing the same songs EVERY week. They sing them well but It gets boring IMHO.

In MY opinion, the host is there to facilitate the queing up of the songs requested, and to mix the sound to make the person singing, sound as good as they can PERIOD. I have no problem keying up, or down, EVEN at the last second before the person sings. But IF someone comes in with their own disc and says "well, put my song in the key of F#, and give me a little reverb, and make sure I sound louder than the music", and gets REDICULUOS, he'd PROBABLY pi$$ me off, and I'd tell him (or her), that this is NOT a recording studio, and they have the choice to sing, or NOT to sing. If they didn't like it, I'd PROBABLY tell them to got have sex with themselves, (but not in those words). I also have to say, I've NEVER had to do that YET!!!!

Srnitynow