Karaoke Forums

The difference being that there will always be people at a karaoke club that will never sing and would like to dance or hear some DJ music.

At a DJ club you won't find very many people at all wondering if they can do some karaoke.

I think it has a lot to do with the reputation of the venue as well as the location. As an example -

I know that Lonnie's place has a reputation as a karaoke bar. He has been there for 20+ years and it is known for having a long running karaoke show and a great host. Lonnie's place is also off the beaten path. People don't just stumble on it out of the blue. They kind of have to be looking for it and if you are looking for Lonnie's place, you are looking for a karaoke bar.

My place is downtown. We don't even have a parking lot. Lots of foot traffic, tourists and locals just poking their head in. I have pulled in large groups of people with well timed filler music that attracts a group of folks just walking by. I am right by a window and this time of year we have them open so passerby's hear whatever is going on inside. I poke my head out and encourage folks to come in. I am also right by the door so I will step outside and chat with passerby's as singers are on stage.

My job is to get people in the club and keep them there. I am part KJ, part DJ, part carnival barker.

-Chris

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-Chris

Bands taking a 10 minute break after a 50 minute set is the norm since live music in clubs has been around - it's expected.
Go to a dj show - they play regular music only - it's expected.
Go to a karaoke/dj show - they play karaoke AND regular music - it's expected.
Go to a karaoke show - should 'expect' karaoke. If it isn't just karaoke, don't advertise it that way! Period/bottom line!

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

No it's because DJ's are hired AS DJ's - not karaoke.


And that is great. If you need to do both to keep people happy, then do both, but don't advertise it as 'karaoke' - because it isn't, advertise it karaoke/dj.

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

That is my job Lon keeping the patrons happy and spending money, if I'm not doing that then they will get someone who does, just a simple truth.

Again, GREAT! Keep your customers happy, just don't advertise karaoke because mixing it up is NOT karaoke! Plain and simple. Karaoke/DJ is clear and concise!

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

I think we all feel like "barkers" every now and then. I love dogs so this really struck me.

Given that logic, the "karaoke only" show should be advertised as "karaoke only". Being that specific about what goes on at a show should only be done if the specifics are paramount to the situation. Expectations and assumptions are relative to the person; however, if it is spelled out, then those that need to know will know. It could be just as important in the decision-making process for a person to know if it will be 100% karaoke as it would be to know if it is karaoke/DJ, et. al...

The multimedia options are more vast than they were when karaoke started, so I am sure that if it is important to be specific about what is going on, and that is a relatively big IF, then it should be specific, whatever the format...

Why is it that 'karaoke' is the taboo here? Again, how clear can it be, any other form of entertainment you go to that is advertised as such, that is what you get. Karaoke is the only one it seems that you get a mix of karaoke and whatever else. If it's advertised karaoke, do karaoke only. If you want to run dj mixed in, just simply add that to the ad.
ANother example - comedy shows - strictly comedy.
Hypnotist shows - strictly hypnotists
Magicians - strictly magicians
Karaoke - crap shoot!

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

You are ridiculous. WTH are you getting so angry about this?? Who died and made you the Karaoke Authority? Get over it. You run YOUR show YOUR way, and let other run THEIR show THEIR way!! You think just because you have been a KJ for 20 some odd years that makes you an authority?? I have been going to karaoke as long as you have been running it and I have seen all different kinds of shows. ALMOST all of them included SOME regular music. NONE that I have ever gone to have advertised Karaoke/DJ music. You getting all apoplectic over it is not going to change that. So STOP yelling at everyone, Mr. Moderator!!

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Again, what is the problem with simply adding a blurb karaoke/dj? Nothing! I don't think i'm an authority of anything, but it pisses me off when I go to a show that is advertised KARAOKE and I (and whatever group I am with) have to wait to sing because there is regular music playing. If I wanted karaoke/dj or dj I would go to a show advertised as such. Not hard to comprehend!! I have went to shows that have 15 or so singers - people already dancing having a great time and the kj takes a 10-15 minute dance intermission?? That is WTH!
Again I could care less how you run a show, not trying to change that in the least. Just advertise it that way. Simple concept! And it's not going to change because of those with your way of thinking, it doesn't have to be that hard - be the leader in your area and the first to actually advertise it that way?? And yes there are several shows that advertise it that way - at least around here.

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

I resent the generalization here. There are some divas who drink plenty (alcoholic beverages) too.

First off, I don't advertise. The owner puts a sign up. Second, i do Facebook blasts and I tell what is going on that way.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

What? People can dance to what singers are singing. The only thing close to DJ music we have are the vocal tracks on some of our discs. We have people dancing all the time.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

None of my singers do booty shakin' music. They do mostly Country *choke gag choke*. It REALLY hurts sometimes. . But there are those who was some dance music.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

The people I would classify as true divas don't drink at least from my experience. My definition of a true diva is that they don't really want to be a part of a show, they want to be the show. I had one guy who by the way drinks soda and water, tell me to send the rest of the singers home, he would do the rest of the show. I told him yeah that is what the audience needs Mr. Bill in concert. That is why we say "Oh no Mr. Bill". The only person by my statement cue that would be offended is someone that considers themselves a diva, I don't know too many singers that would admit to being one.

When I first started we did strictly karaoke. It didn't take long to fill the place and I wold give the singer talent level (for karaoke) to be a seven with some nines in the mix. The dart board area was usually filled with people standing playing or dancing because the table area was full. I would maybe do the Cupid Shuffle once a night but that was it.
We lulled with the smoking ban changes and the shows just couldn't keep people inside long enough to "listen" to singers. One person would smoke and take three with them.
The owner approached me and asked to do a mix. I told him that it would create a mini "war" between singers and dancers. Granted, I didn't want to do it so I didn't have a ton of ownership in this. My brother was much better at this than I was so I usually turned much of the shows over to him and did audience side quality control. It never failed, singers were pissed at five dance songs and people wanting dj C RAP would be bugging either my brother or I left and right. The quality singers left and the talent level per singer dropped to maybe a four at best. Which means a bunch of bad songs which means a bunch of unhappy people who wanted good music.
I know some of you make it work, but I am REALLY glad I don't have to try any longer. BTW, many of those quality singers are back with me but not at bars.

My place isn't that busy yet, karaoke-wise. I get one or two more singers each week, but still not enough to stop playing regular music. Obviously, the more singers I have the less regular music I play. Takes time to build a show from nothing. This place hasn't had karaoke in almost two years. It's reputation isn't the greatest, either. Kind of sad cause it is a comfortable place to hang out. One can only hope that I can work some magic and get this place back to where it belongs. It also doesn't help that our local police force is a bit overzealous when it comes to DUI enforcement, so many people are afraid to even drive in this town.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

We used to do a weeknight when we were straight karaoke. On slow nights, I made up games and rotation themes to make things interesting. We used to play a game called karaoke tag. Someone starts a song and another singer can "tag" them. You couldn't tag in the last minute of a song (why, I don't know but that's how I made up the game rules) the person finishing the song "wins" (nothing). Kamikaze karaoke is a great, easy to play game. With unsure singers I would let them open the book and they could pick from any song on either page. More advanced singers applied their own rules to maybe a few songs either way of a finger point. Singers picked up some new songs that became regulars for them doing that. They sang more, it was interesting, they were involved, people in the bar not singing saw them as busy and having fun, and busy\having fun is contagious. I would do rotations were all the songs had to be duets and the singers had to work it so that EVERY singer sang twice. People would interact that usually didn't and made them better friends. I bet we could devote an entire thread to making a slower night more entertaining... Anyway, that's how I got around having to play filler music when it was straight karaoke..

I ran a Karaoke/Dance Party for nearly two years in a resort area where the club was in the hotel, close to 500 rooms, along with hundreds of rental condos within a mile of the place. We catered to people on vacation, some to sing, but many more to dance, because they could drink at the bar and not worry about driving. There are a couple of other clubs nearby, smaller one with karaoke, larger one with dance floor. We started at 9 and went until 2. The biggest issue was that the later it got (more drinking) the worse the karaoke got, which was irritating to most of the customers. The staff started complaining that they were losing money because the dancing crowd would leave.

We tried mixing it up, doing 4-5 karaoke songs (almost always slow country) and then 2-3 dance songs. Dancers would still leave and singers weren't happy with that either. Our solution was, karaoke from 9-11 or 11:30, then dance party after that until 2. Karaoke singers knew that they had to be there about 8:30 to get in the lineup, dancers knew not to come until after 11.

We decided it was better to piss off 4 or 5 singers than 50 dancers, spending their money all night. That was 2 years ago, so it's been that way a little over 3 years now and my buddy, who still runs that show, says they have had record revenue in the place even with the economy.

So, you have to do what works where you are, but too much experimenting can be a dangerous thing because then nobody knows what you are.

I'm with Lonnie. How to kill a karaoke show: Call it a karaoke show, then toss in 1/2 hour music breaks, trivia, and whatever else while singers are waiting.

Want to be a DJ/KJ? Great- but let 'em know what to expect.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."