Karaoke Forums

As a group the karaoke hosts I've met are as personable, funny, talented and amazing as any group of people in any profession I can think of, yet the money isn't what it used to be and there are certainly more secure jobs with better benefits available, so why do you host karaoke?

I'm thinking hosting has to meet some sort of need in your life and maybe there's more than one answer. I certainly have my own answer, but I'm curious to hear yours.

I KJ because I like to see people come out of their shell and do something they normally wouldn't do.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

I second danny's response and will add that music to most of us is something more than just reciting lyrics along with a tune. I love what music does to people. They come in feeling a little down about something...sing a song...and PRESTO!

I love to sing and share that love of singing. I love to watch children take a mic and sing and beam with confidence. I love that singing is a common bond I share with so many people who have become very, very good friends over the years.

Money is down the list on the reasons why I host. If I had to give just one answer, I'd say the friendships that develop through singing, including on this site.

honestly ... I love to sing , I enjoy watching others sing and having fun.
It gets me out of the house to a bar meeting people who are out to have FUN.
And of course the MONEY $$$

I wouldn't do it without the money ..thats honesty

I'm getting tired of it...

Sure some of my regulars are cool, but ever since American Idol there's to many folks going to karaoke for all the wrong reasons. I guess some of these archtypes existed before AI, but still.

Karaoke lets me work nights, make OK money, and save $2400@mo in childcare. (Yes it really is that expensive for 2 kids in the bay area)

Other than that, I just don't really have the drive anymore. I've watched San Jose go from a small community of 5 or 6 karaoke venues to over 56. 25 of these are run by a pirating multirig op (I know they pirate because a former employee has told me as much)

Another 10 of these venues have 100k + song hard drives. 5 (including myself) I know are non pirate and the other 10 I have no clue about. So that's....

25 confirmed pirate, run by the same group
10 confirmed pirate
10 unknown
5 non-pirate

It's pretty grim.

I've been stuck in the same bar for the last 8 years of my life. My friends are all off at other bars, going to concerts. They can actually do things like LEAVE and go on vacation to Yosemite. Sometimes I feel like I'm just surrounded by the dregs of society. The alcoholics, the sluts, the tramps, the skanks, the gangbangers. All the people I was warned about in my childhood are now the people I'm supposed to draw in, and for what purpose?

From pianoman, sums it up pretty well. "they are sharing a drink they call loneliness, but is better than drinking alone"



I have kids I want to be home with at night. Maybe that's what changed me. I wish I could be there reading my daughter a bedtime story at 10pm, instead of listening to some psycho alcoholic on her 3rd dui and no self esteem ramble on about how "Nobody appreciates how good my singing is" It's not that good. Not that she'd give a (@$%&#!) about my plight, she lost custody of her son after DUI #3.

Maybe there was a time I got off on this job for the reasons some of you have posted, but things have changed ALOT in the last 8 years I've been in this business. Karaoke used to be about appriciation of how a person carries their performance, good or bad. Now either "I'm trying out for AI" or "I just want to get drunk and make some noise" or "Please look at me, fill that void in my esteem with your applause"

I'm not so sure I can feel good about it anymore.

I can sum it up in two words: CRAPPY HOSTS.

I love Karaoke and have sung for many years. I've got so sick of crappy hosts who had the personality of a rock, got drunk and turned into jerks, played favorites, had crappy rigs, or were just plain boring that I decided to do this myself. I wanted to make it so people in our area had a better option. I love music, I love singing, and I love the Karaoke experience (being with a bunch of folks having fun with it).

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Over 60 years ago in a two room school house in Colorado I sang first time in public. Cool Water and Tennessee Waltz. Since then I have sang allover the world to jukeboxes including singing Dayo to the prime minister of Greece. I have the talent to read crowds and sing their music and set souls free. No brag just one my main pleasures of life.

Karaoke is just a small part of and has been a pleasure in the later years. The friendships and bonds I have formed with other singers is eternal. Like Tony we provide a better system and a platform for serious singers and those who sing for the pure pleasure of it.

I do resent the fact that many have tried to prostitute and control the massive profits of the music industry with lobbyists, and lawsuits. There are many small bands, DJ'S and KJ'S who make an honest living providing local entertainment. This entertainment should be regulated on a local level.

These things mght be my Drive but they are also things from my soul and heart..

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Join The Karaokle Singers Social Network. Upload Your Music!!

Money

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

Feel for you mate.
I understand where you are coming from.

For me... I dont sing.
I don't do karaoke as much as put on a show.
I am moving away from par 64's to smaller things.
I use three 4 head lasers, red & green and two full colour lasers.
These all face the audience. I use smoke.
I have 4 cluster lasers that fill the room with colour.
I have 3 moon flower lights that face the audience not the floor.
A UV canon with a bubble machine that uses UV fluid.

Basicly I have a good sound system and put on a firework display.
I take the money which is not important.
I love what I do. So do others.
At the end of the day I do it for me.
Its not really about karaoke.

I agree I love my people and they keep me motivated to keep dong karaoke, but what makes me give up my holidays and every Friday and Saturday is the money. It's hard sometimes never having a weekend or holiday without working and watching everyone else have fun. I sometimes wish I had more family time, but the bills have to be paid.

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

BUT LOOK AT THE BRIGHT SIDE

I first sang karaoke about 6 years ago and I had a LOT of fun doing it, and soon it became an important part of my life that helped me get through the week and a stress filled day job. I soon realized I was not alone, and there are many people who use Karaoke as an outlet to help them get through the week, and from personal experience how important that is to them.

Unfortunately over time the bar where I began Karaoke changed, the DJ and many of the bartenders moved on, and that venue turned into a much less enjoyable location for karaoke for many minor reasons.

But karaoke had by that time become an important part of my life for enjoyment. I also met many friends by doing it. I looked around my area, and discovered that while there were many other choices to do karaoke none created the environment that I exactly wanted. Sometimes the hosts were sub par, others the equipment, bar or crowd.

I found another setting where the Karaoke was decent, and went there for a while, but there the KJ had to move to a new town for his day job. I asked to start doing a karaoke show there to continue my contact with my karaoke friends.

I set out to do the best job I could at karaoke, and I have been rewarded with a loyal following. I can say that I can almost certainly have 20+ regulars come out for every weekday show I put out.

I still do it for fun and as a personal challenge to do something well. My reward is that I am appreciated for doing it by so many people. Other than that for my weekly gigs I am unpaid. (Well free drinks but I have never had more than 2-3 a night, and often now I am down to a soft drink or two). I do get paid for some of my extra gigs, usually 1-2 a month, but not even all of them. I have some hope at this rate to pay for my rig in a couple of years.

I have the luxury of few expenses, but I have a well paid but stressful day job, one that in many ways I am not appreciated. Karaoke provides me an outlet to do something for others, and by the loyalty of my singers I know it is appreciated. I know that I would even have more singers if they did not often have to wait a couple hours to sing.

For me the reward is that I have created a comunity of singers and created many personal connections.

I think that if I looked at it as a job, I would not enjoy it as much. I enjoy making people happy when they sing karaoke.

I especially enjoy it when I hear of old friends who have moved (sometimes far) away come back for a visit in part just for the karaoke.

I don't think I would want to be a host for people I don't like personally, and I certainly don't want this to be a full time job. I can manage a weekly show plus about 2 other shows a month and maintain a regular day job no problem.