Karaoke Forums

I figure I get mainly type A singers, on any average night at least 1 in 5 singers are currently or recently in paid performing bands, most of the others are in theatre...

Many of my regulars show their disapproval of type C singers if they are too annoying.

A few of the singers get drunk sometimes, but they are there to sing. Remember a lot of the most famous pro musicians have serious drinking problems.

I don't have the absolute top of the line sound system but I a definitely have the best equipment in town for any active KJs. I try to be as serious as possible for the karaoke equipment and show, but I dont have the credentials to be a type A KJ, by your definition (not an ex musician or sound guy). I do know many of the above types, and seek advice as needed for technical matters.

I think there's far more categories of KJ's than you propose. I've seen guys with great rigs who were terrible hosts and were rude and unprofessional. I've also seen really good hosts (they were fun and very professional in demeanor) with absolutely hideous rigs.

At my shows, I get mostly your type B singers with a handful of type A regulars and a rare smattering of the the type C drunks. As far as your categories for KJ's I'd probably put myself in the Type A category although I believe I have plenty of room to improve as a host.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

I am probably a type B host myself.
As to singers I have had type A singers right down to type c.

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

Was the question, "How do you rate your fellow KJ's ," or was it an attempt to get us to answer honestly about how we would categorize ourselves and our shows? I guess you could say I have a higher quality of show, singers who are serious, who carry their own music, who love the great sound, and the selection for what they don't want to buy. I spent years on stage singing and dancing, and fronted bands, so yah, I have high expectations about the kind of sound system I would sing on, and offer that to my singers. The really great singers that come to my show actually protect me from the drunken mic-gripping non-singers because those "singers" listen for a minute or so, watch the crowd respond to the great singers, and decide to go dow n the street...amen.... I don't have to go to other shows but there are some I frequent, Lonnie's included, but I don't want to go somewhere and sing if I'm fighting a crappy system, a host who is rude or grubby or drunk, and have to tolerate drunks. Simple. We all do our shows how we want, and frequent the kind of shows that we want to -- I probably come off sounding like a snob but hey, somebody asked.

I'm probably a B host trying to get to an A, but that's a ways off. Meanwhile I have fun and my rig stills sounds pretty good from what people tell me.

As far as Auto tune goes it really doesn't work so great unless the singer can come within a half-step of where he's trying to hit. Some of them definitely can't.

Well, let's see now.....


On the Singer side of the coin, I would say that I am a Type "A." But, I don't consider myself serious. Yes, there are nights that I will be in a Broadway type mood, and sing some of my more serious stuff, and then there are nights that I am in a comical mood, and I will sing my Dirty stuff (something like "The Pussycat Song"or even "Barnacle Bill the Sailor") or some of my light stuff (like "I'm Henry, VIII" or "Ferry Across the Mersey"). The one point I will give you in your description is that I am out there strictly for the Karaoke.


On the KJ side of the coin, I would have to classify myself as a Type "B." I may love to sing, but I take myself out of the Rotation as soon as I feel I have enough people waiting to sing, that will carry the rest of the show (usually once my Rotation gets to about 7 or 8 people steady). As for the typw of people my show caters too, even in the Dive Bar that I am currently hosting, I get all types (A B and C) of singers.

Being serious about karaoke does not me you have to be SERIOUS all the time

Serious / passionate / sort of what I was going for ---you can still have fun and be FUNNY but a type A singer

You're definately an A host and I would imagine an A singer. Nothing snobbery about who you are !!! All "singer types" should frequent the shows they feel comfortable in. Snobbery only coms in to play when someone (not you) looks down on others for being who THEY are ....

NOW THATS FUNNY !!!!!

The girls dancing on the bar were unusual. They were just out for a "get together" and having a blast.

I'm type O positive.. ?

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♥ 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 think that the fact that I almost always have at least an hour wait to sing after the first 20 minutes of the show selects my singers.

Most of the type C singers crash and burn or move on while they wait, many of the type Bs move on as well. Only the type As stick around and they are there to sing and want to see the reaction of their fellow singers (who take it seriosuly too). They don't care as much about the impression their singing makes on the Non singers, so the type As attract more type As and drive away the B's and C's.

Unfortunately the type As that want to sing 3 times a night are usually out of luck. On most nights, the singers will only sing once or twice. This drives away some of the type A singers. But only those that are unwilling to share the spotlight. They can go down the street and sing 5+ times in a night to a mostly empty bar (and some do).

I am probably a type X host
with Y, Z singers.
We do things differently.

Actually don't know what an X host is.
I am like nothing I have ever seen.

I will pick up the mic. and do a Zulu Dawn.

REPENT YOU SINNERS
before it's too late.

It makes them laugh.

Shame on you topher! Is that why you got an ultimatum?

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

Not only did I notice, but I noticed who started it right off the bat, the one setting the A, B, or C's, jam

By rights then of what I've read I'm an A/B singer. I could maybe an A singer, wait for it....... Except, you put the word "Sophisticated", no chance there So I'll go with a B+

I'm involved in Karaoke & DJ because I like having a good time and entertaining a crowd.

Sure, I used to sing in bands, play guitar.. but I don't have any delusions of grandeur, or think that i'm going to be the next big star and my small town, small time karaoke biz is going to be my launching pad into international fame and fortune.

In fact, I say a good night is a night when I don't have to sing a single song!

I actually make an effort to run the serious/anal retentive singers out of the club.

They show up, sip water or a diet coke, invite a bunch of their friends out to watch them 'perform' the same 3 songs they always sing, and of course none of their friends are drinking, either.

My job in the club as a KJ host is to draw people in to the club, entertain them, and keep 'em drinking.

Example: If it's 12:30am and four drunk chicks walk into the bar and want to sing 'I will survive' or 'Gunpowder & Lead' i'll put 'em right at the top of the rotation.

Of course, everybody else is fine with this, except for the blue hair who's been in the bar since 9:30pm and already sang a gazillion songs.. he's torqued that I didn't follow a strict rotation and we might have to go another 30 minutes before he gets to blow the crowd away with his rendition of Frank Sinatras "That's Life" for the 872nd time.

I'm B & C all the way when it comes to the crowd I attract.

As to my business practices.. i'm all about premium quality sound, quality mics, and getting paid top dollar.

But the key to getting PAID top dollar is understanding your primary job is to fill the club with drinking patrons and not water sipping blue hairs.

theCheese

What a guy.

Good on you mate

I know what you are saying.
These water drinkers don't pay the bills.

In my venue they influence the masses.
I don't like it either...
Got to run with the masses.

This forum always brings out the worst in the critics. The query was, I believe, to try and categorize yourself and your shows into one or another grouping.
That's a pretty glaring assumption there ... that all the serious singers are anal retentive and don't spend money. This must be regional. The core of my shows are serious singers - serious about their singing, sounding good, and having a good time doing it. They applaud for everyone. They buy their own music. I actually HAVE some blue hairs - an old couple in their 70s who are very well mannered, sing probably 40 or 50 different songs, they get up and dance, they slip a tip into my hand, and they always buy food and non-etoh beverages.


I'm involved in Karaoke & DJ because I like having a good time and entertaining a crowd. This probably applies to a very high percentage of us. If we didn't enjoy it or have a penchant for entertainment, it would be a deadly paying hobby.

Sure, I used to sing in bands, play guitar.. but I don't have any delusions of grandeur, or think that i'm going to be the next big star and my small town, small time karaoke biz is going to be my launching pad into international fame and fortune. In fact, I say a good night is a night when I don't have to sing a single song!

Having experience in performing doesn't mean anyone has delusions of grandeur - for me, I believe my experience on stage and with mixing sound means my singers will have a better experience, and they have and they do.



I actually make an effort to run the serious/anal retentive singers out of the club.

They show up, sip water or a diet coke, invite a bunch of their friends out to watch them 'perform' the same 3 songs they always sing, and of course none of their friends are drinking, either.

I sense a contradiction there - why would you make an effort to run someone out who potentially will contribute to the bottom line at the end of the night? And how do you know who those "serious anal/retentive singers" are exactly?

My job in the club as a KJ host is to draw people in to the club, entertain them, and keep 'em drinking. Example: If it's 12:30am and four drunk chicks walk into the bar and want to sing 'I will survive' or 'Gunpowder & Lead' i'll put 'em right at the top of the rotation. Of course, everybody else is fine with this, except for the blue hair who's been in the bar since 9:30pm and already sang a gazillion songs.. he's torqued that I didn't follow a strict rotation and we might have to go another 30 minutes before he gets to blow the crowd away with his rendition of Frank Sinatras "That's Life" for the 872nd time.

So you have 15 people who've been sitting at your show all evening, maybe sung 2-3 times or more, are hanging out to sing one more time before the show is finished. These are the people who have contributed the majority of the take for the bar that night - and someone walks in who is already drunk, maybe got kicked out of the bar up the street because they can't be served any longer, they walk in, have no hope of contributing a penny to the bottom line because they are obviously too drunk to be served, and you're going to put them up and sing???

Interestingly, it is possible to be a very good singer as a host and have the audience request songs from you; it is possible to have very good singers who come to your show, who buy food and drinks, who bring people with them who've never heard them sing, and who appreciate a really great sounnd/system and great song collection. In our area, the show with the drunks and lousy singers drive non-singing patrons out of the bar. In these times, the people with the dough are the ones steering the karaoke cart. If you have a room full of really great singers who attract a non-singing crowd that is also eating/drinking, then you are reaping the maximum from the room. Four drunk chicks in my show are put in the rotation and maybe will fit in at the end with the advice that if they really want to sing, they'd better arrive earlier and spend their money where they want to sing.

AMEN!!!

I sense a contradiction there - why would you make an effort to run someone out who potentially will contribute to the bottom line at the end of the night? And how do you know who those "serious anal/retentive singers" are exactly?

The anal retentive ones are the people who bring their disk in because they don't like the version of the song I have.

It's Karaoke, people.. not Star Search. I didn't spend countless weeks of my life ripping my collection so I can handle your personal disks just because you like the way the flute sounds better on your version.

If you've been in this biz long enough, you can spot 'em as soon as they walk in the door. Coke sippers don't contribute to the bottom line, they actually cost the bar money, because they occupy space that could be filled by people who actually do buy drinks. Especially when they come in with a whole table full of people to hear them sing, and nobody is drinking.

So you have 15 people who've been sitting at your show all evening, maybe sung 2-3 times or more, are hanging out to sing one more time before the show is finished. These are the people who have contributed the majority of the take for the bar that night - and someone walks in who is already drunk, maybe got kicked out of the bar up the street because they can't be served any longer, they walk in, have no hope of contributing a penny to the bottom line because they are obviously too drunk to be served, and you're going to put them up and sing???

Not sure where you play, but if I did a show and only had 15 people contributing the 'majority of the take for the bar that night' I would be out of business.

But let's say they ARE so drunk that the bar up the street kicked them out.. doubt it. Drunk women are great for business. Ever hear of MENS NIGHT at a bar? Not so often. Men like to go where the drunk women are. That's why bars have special nights where they sell drinks to women for next to nothing. Because men will follow.

So yeah.. even if these hypothetical 4 drunk girls do nothing but sing a few songs and barf in the parking lot, they would likely contribute more to the bottom line of the bar for the evening in crowd retention than 4 people who sip diet cokes.

Besides.. bars I play at stay open till 2:30am.. so in my hypothetical scenario, the aforementioned blue hair would still have plenty of time to fire up the crowd with his rendition of whatever it was he wanted to sing.

My primary bone of contention with the blue hair in this case would be his whining that he got bumped one song for a new arrival.

And let me add, I generally bring late arrivals right up so they get at least one shot to sing, and then encourage them to come early next time.

Speaking of the 'Rotation Nazi'.. I will often shuffle the singer rotation based on song types. If I have 10 people up.. and 6 of the songs are rock, two are country, and two are oldies, i'll group them together, regardless of the order in which they were turned in.

This really makes the anal retentive Rotation Nazis mad.

In our area, the show with the drunks and lousy singers drive non-singing patrons out of the bar. In these times, the people with the dough are the ones steering the karaoke cart.

I've played from Florida to New York, from Maryland to Colorado. In my experience, the majority of people who sing awesome aren't interested in drinking at all. They just want to sing in front of an audience.

The people who DO drink just want to party and have fun, maybe get drunk and make a fool out of themselves on the microphone.

I gear my show to a target demographic.. the 22 to 34 year old.

In your own words, "In these times, the people with the dough are the ones steering the karaoke cart."

Fortunately for me, they've been steering it directly to fun town.

It's karaoke. Nobody dies. There isn't money at stake. It's singing to canned tracks in a bar.

Maybe.. just maybe.. some folks should lighten up.

But again.. these are simply my personal observations having been a KJ since I had to carry Pioneer LaserDiscs in misappropriated milk crates.

Your mileage may vary.

You say everybody else is fine with that. How do you know? Have you actually asked them?
I know were I asked, I would tell you , "No way!" I've waited just like everyone else. I've bought my drinks and patronized the bar, just like everyone else. Why on earth should 4 drunk chicks walk through the door and bump me, especially when it's obvious they've already spent their money elsewhere? I'd be livid!
I can guarantee you what my crowd on ANY given night would say were I to try this same thing and ask if they were OK with it. First, they'd say "No way!" and then they would probably not come back next week if I did it anyway. Very disrespectful to my patrons and tells them that I really don't care about them.
I am well known for a FAIR rotation and a strict "No bumping" policy. I get MORE business because of it. The other places in town are well known for showing favoritism, whether it's bumping up friends or taking bribes. Singers HATE that!


This is what happens at my show as well. I often get late comers at the end of the night who obviously have already been drinking. They want to sing NOW! If my rotation is full for the night already, I tell them so and remind them that if they come at 9:00 when I start, then they will be guaranteed to sing. IF, and only IF there's room, I'll put them in, but I also tell them that there are X number of people ahead of them and they will have to wait their turn, just like everyone else.
At the end of the night, I generally will say something like, "If you would like to sing, but you weren't able to tonight, please be sure to come back next week starting at 9:00PM. That way, you'll be guaranteed to sing!"
Just like Karen said, I try to encourage them to come to my bar FIRST (and hopefully stay for the rest of the night). I refuse to "reward" them for drinking the better part of the night somewhere else!