Karaoke Forums

In my opinion, a KJ has have three jobs: Make the bosses happy, keep the crowd entertained and let karaoke singers have fun.
I have a problem: I have been running a show for 15 years 3 nights a week in the same bar. We get all type of singers, Great, Good, Ok and bad. I love and encourage them all. No one has had a problem until this past year when my Dj's wife started coming 3 nights a week and sang 4 songs a night..not badly but horribly. Costumers began complaining, some threatened violence.."If she sings one more time, I'll throw my drink at her" (I don't want those people at the bar anyway. And I've told them so) but what about the others that have respectfully ask, begged, bribed me PLEASE END THE TORTURE and then have complained to my bosses about it. These people no longer come to karaoke because she chooses to sing horribly and I let her sing. I've been standing up for her choice to sing for a long time. Recently the bosses asked me, as a service to their non-singing audience , to stop her from singing. My bosses don't mind bad singers, they know it's part of the show but they do mind her really horrible singing and her choices of songs that emphasize her howling and, I feel quilt in saying, absolute inability. PLEASE I repeat again , it's not bad singing it's horrific singing. I had to tell my DJ and his wife she could no longer sing and now they are pissed and in telling their side of the story has caused other singers to get pissed off.
Are my bosses entitled to protect their business this way? Am I wrong to see both sides but remain loyal to my job of 15 years? Please respectfully respond to a very sad KJ...

We just had something similar in a different thread. You should have had the "bosses" tell her she couldn't sing.

Yes, they have every right to make the rules in their own house. But make them be the bad guy...not you.

If the DJ's wife is the problem and she is causing the bar to lose customers, the bar owner has the right to protect his income by informing the DJ that he cannot let his wife sing any longer. People don't go to karaoke to be tortured by someone's "horrible" singing. The bar owner's decision may hurt the DJ's wife's feelings but in the long run....the DJ's wife and her "friends" might go elsewhere on karaoke nights and the customers or the costumers may come back once they know that is once again safe for their ears to go back. The bar owner has to be willing to choose between the money spent by the people who are "fans" of the horrible singer and the money that he might lose by a large group of customers leaving because of the horrible singer. To be honest with you, I wish there were more bar owners that were willing to deny singing priveleges to the incredibly horrible tone deaf singers. It really is painful to endure them. At least when the really bad singers post songs on the internet you can choose to skip over them.

Since your bosses know, it is their duty to tell her to stop.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

It has been my experience that even the HORRIBLE singers have an option. Usually the horrible singers are trying to sing songs not within their singing capability. Even horrible singers can find a song that they can perform decently if they search for it. Let's face it, not even the professional singers' songs are ALL great. So, my suggestion is to listen to this woman's voice and think of an artist that her voice resembles, THEN find a song by that artist that she would like to sing, have her practice it, or maybe even a few songs by that artist. Since her husband is a DJ, he should know plenty of songs by plenty of artists, so HE can help her improve. I've seen, and done it personally with singers that come to my show. I (in a complimentary way) say "you know your voice sounds just like so-and-so, have you ever tried any of her songs"? You'd be amazed that with the RIGHT song, by the RIGHT artist, the transformation can actually turn her into a "decent" singer. Notice I didn't say a GREAT singer, but how many GREAT singers are at your show? Not only do you gain a singer, but you'll gain all of her friends that she brags to about how good she sounds singing at YOUR show. Also, your regulars will wonder, "wow, what the he!! happened to her, she actually sounds pretty good". Just a suggestion, but it's better than banning a singer, which I PERSONALLY would not do.

Rosario
Serenity Now Karaoke

Wow. Does the pentagon know about her.

Simple, turn her mic to a whisper. So low, even the horrible can't get through. Put in a monitor speaker, and keep that turned up.

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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.

Wow, really good advice.

If the situation is really drastic however, you might just tell her the plain simple unvarnished truth.

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Okay, who took my pants?

I have in the past 3 years tried to help her find songs she can perform at a decent level. Rapping is almost her strength. I have even sang Empire State of mind with her...yet she insists on singing songs that are way too challenging for her and frankly for many of us. I am a voice teacher and I have given her pointers. I supported her to the point where a brawls have almost started. I have turned the mic down. She makes comments about other "bad singers". The bosses have seen people leave their restaurant with comments about her and how unpleasant their meal was listening to her. BTW this is a bar/restaurant... I get your point, if not I would feel no guilt and go about my business.
I thank you all for your comments......

Bad karaoke singers think that they are entertaining
Horrible karaoke singers believe that they are the STARS.

You have a difficult situation and I have no answer to it.....

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

I want to say that she only complained about one horrible singer...not many. I don't want to over exaggerate!

They gave me the choice but I did it because I thought I might be a little softer in my approach.

I think it's great that you've gone the route to try and find songs that would work for her and to give her pointers. But exactly what does your comment above mean? Is it meaning she won't listen to your suggestions. BTW, is she really that clueless as to how bad she is? And for that matter, is the husband too?

Agree with Mickey, have the monitor set so she will be able to hear herself, but turn her down in the main mix. I have to do this on occasion.

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

AVE JOE,
The bosses gave me the choice to have them tell her or for them to tell her. I did because I thought I could approach it softer and with care!

I'm going to ask a simple question here.. But does the singer in question know she can't sing and is really annoying people? If not, start there, by telling her that the choice of songs she chooses are NOT right for her voice and it IS affecting other patrons and them wanting to leave. Be honest with her, don't sidestep the issue at all. She will actually thank you for caring enough to be honest. If she doesn't care about the other patrons and if they want to leave, then tell her this, (in your own words of course) that by her turning people away from the venue she is running the risk of having this venue stop karaoke because they can no longer afford the investment. Just be honest with her.

Yes.

I have spoken to her in the past. She says it's cathartic for her and it's ONLY KARAOKE anyway...everyone has the right to sing!!!!!! She and her husband feel that it's the choice of the "audience" to stay and listen or to leave....I have been honest. Regulars feel that the bar is being unfair and should be punished for it!

I like to keep a large hook on hand for just such an occasion.

I'd use a giant gong, but they're pretty expensive, and difficult to load in the car with all the other gear.

I have a few shows that draw that one just terrible singer that no matter what song they sing, it sounds like a person trying to gargle gravel while having a stroke.

I don't know what it is with awful singers.. not only do they suck, but then they pick suck music.

For instance.. the bar is in an upbeat mood, lots of rock, southern rock and up beat country being sung.. they turn in something like "Go Rest High On The Mountain".

I'll generally intro the singer with something sarcastic, like, "If this one doesn't get you up dancing, nothing will!" or "Watch out ladies! Here comes 'velvet fog' Vince with a toe tapper that'll have you screaming for more!"

Tough situation!

I'd do like Lon said first. Turn down her mic and only let her hear herself through the monitor. If she doesn't like it she has the choice if she wants to never come back.

I think this is a little different from the other thread in the fact the bar is losing business because of her. Not only can she not sing she is disliked. If anyone was hurting my business I'd want to get rid of them. You've tried to help her, but she refuses to listen. I'd say if turning her down doesn't work it's time for some tough love. The worst that can happen is she never comes back.

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