Karaoke Forums

My view of this issue is:

House staff can only sing if and ONLY if the rotation is short. This is mostly early in the night. This will also help encourage the paying customers to sign up. Other than that; a big NO, not even the owner!

But then I am one who do not like a kj to sing in ever rotation.

You are correct sir!

7pm, early in the evening, if there's nobody else really around. Do a sound check or two but otherwise staff should stay out of rotation.

Staff wanting to sing? Next thing you will have women wanting the vote. Outrageous.

Too funny. I know you're just kidding.

Thanks Brian.
I knew someone would get it.

I already commented a little on this message, but just out of curiosity:  

How do you discourage people from singing it if they want to and you haven't heard them sing?  (not that _I'm_ gonna try it--it's more of a guy's lyric and I don't know how I'd adapt it to a straight female POV)  

Also, I'm wondering which songs you think "anything less than great is not allowed"?  (Not trying to argue, but I thought you didn't have to have a great voice to do kararoke.) I'm guessing you mean something like Roseanne "singing" the national anthem, right?  I remember hearing that and thinking she sounded like she was drunk--I've heard drunk college students singing "Happy Birthday" in that same tone of "voice"!  

Babs,

In a wired mic set-up with a single bartender situation I agree with you 100%... however, in a different situation I believe they have the same rites as the customers to sing. No preferential treatment for number of songs at a time or where they are in the rotation EVER!!! (This includes the owner(s) of the establishment! )

In an environment where there are multiple bartenders at all times, one can leave the other to the task at hand when called. As a result, there should be no more time spent waiting for the bartender to get up than any other singer at the back of the room.

In a wireless environment, with a single bartender, the mic can be sent to the bar with a patron for the staff member to use. When they are done singing, they can send it back. This is the ONLY concession I will make as far as "Preferential Treatment".

NOW... as many have said, on busy nites or large staff establishments, this may need to change:

I have had to limit to one staff member per round for larger staff nites at an establishment (i.e. benefit / party nite), or once in the nite on a real busy nite.

I always start the night as an ice breaker, and will usually start every rotation as an indicator to the masses that we are on a new round... but even THAT gets shoved to the side on a busy night.

I feel they should get the same chance to sing as any other customer. When I was still learning the ropes, the guy I worked with always seemed to be buddy buddy with the bouncer and give him special treatment. The bouncer sang old Guns N Roses songs with this horribly growly voice and demanded the music be CRANKED. He'd want it much louder than reasonable and what's worse is other people often got bumped in rotation when this bouncer wanted to sing. Let me tell ya, as soon as I was on my own making my own rules, that stopped. I put bar staff in with everyone else and adhere to my rotation.

Why should they get the same chance? They aren't spending money keeping the place in business.