Karaoke Forums

let's say you've been working at a venue as a KJ for 6 years so far. and folks seem to be happy with you. you like it there and had no plans to leave. over time, that venue has asked you to do special nights aside from the weekly karaoke. you've done their new year's, halloween, st. patrick's, cinco de mayo, you name it, you've done it even though it wasn't your weekly karaoke night, you DJ'd or KJ'd because they asked and they like you & you like them.

so, it was only inevitable that one day, a new night manager for that venue gets hired outta nowhere who doesn't know you from jack and he is IMMEDIATELY rude to you and threatening you. this cat makes it clear that he doesn't like you even though he doesn't know you at all and is threatening to get another KJ or DJ to replace you because he says he knows folks or he'll just shut the karaoke down. again, this new manager doesn't know you at all--and all this happens ON THE FIRST DAY YOU MEET HIM. you've only known this new manager barely one day and already this rude prick has threatened you 3x even on your way to your car he manages to say something completely negative and personal to you.

question: what do you do?

should you quit right then & there because you can already see this is not gonna end well

do you call out his rudeness? try to work things out?

should you give it one more week. after all, this is only the first time you met. must be a fluke. everyone gets a 2nd chance.

i just smiled and nodded to everything rude he said to me and didn't say a word. really, i was shocked. it's my 1st night meeting him and like he said himself, "i don't know you...but..."

from the way the other managers were acting, they were afraid of him. by the way, he's an older dude and we're all younger, so....

my KJ boss said let's quit tonight. even though it's been 6 years. this is not gonna end well. but i said, let's give it one more week. i mean, tonight's our 1st night meeting him.

for those who've been at this karaoke venture 20+ years like my KJ boss, what say you? do these things work themselves out or nah?

Does the venue have separate owners? Do you know any of them. If yes, talk to that person. If no, then even if you don't know them personally they will certainly at least heard OF you. They will know how much business you have brought them, and of all the extra efot you have put in to their business.

If there is absolutely no one else you can go to, then personally I'd give it a couple of weeks, and it still didn't work out, I'd leave. After all, the success of a venue depends la great deal on the cooperation of the staff there.

just my two cents, your milage may vary

-James

Blow him off, and report the incident to the owner IMMEDIATELY. If the owner knows your work and values it he will put the manager in his place post haste. If he does not, then knowing he won't back you, politely say goodbye.

If the new manager fails, the owner will probably call you back ( at which time you raise your fee), or he won't, and you will have moved on to greener pastures.

Over the decades I have been through this often, and the above has been my experience.

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

the writing's on the wall this time, i think

i've been there 6 years. i outlasted bartenders, servers, KJs, DJs, managers, regulars...this is the first time i got formally introduced to a manager in my 6 years there, so I felt something was up. and the manager who introduced me to him was nervous. i think the 1st thing this new cat said to me was immediately negative. i can't remember what he said because he was still talking afterwards but i remember thinking "whoa! that was bold of him."

ah, i remember: he made a comment about the music i played in-between singers. he said he only recognized 1 song (due to his age.) out of the songs I played so far.

dude, i'm playing songs to the crowd, not to you, to keep them happy. you're the manager here. which KJ/DJ that you bring in here is gonna cater to you? and the night was still young at that point--i'd just started like a half hour earlier. and he should've recognized more than that. i played like 3-4 old school songs in a row ending on the song he knew....

thanks james & joe. great responses

i don't know who the owner is per se because it's a restaurant chain. i just remembered, i shouldn't ruffle feathers because my name has gotten around and other locations of this chain has had me come out to do something for their sites, too over the years. folks have recommended me. so i don't wanna have beef with this one dude and burn bridges, should he relocate elsewhere.

i'm so glad i didn't react tonight. normally, i would. i don't know what kept me. because i wasn't thinking about burning future bridges. but, man i'm so thankful now that i just nodded & smiled at this prick.

I had a similar experience several years ago, if a manager has it in his head that you aren't going to be worth it - your demise is inevitable. We eventually were dropped - they went from $3000 nights to $300 nights (this was the one club the bartender would disclose the numbers as we were friends too), they hired a pirate company (bad copied disc with garbled graphics & blown speakers) sales even went lower, when they eventually called me back - they couldn't afford my new price increase. They are now closed.

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

Same thing happened to me about six years ago. I had been at the venue for four years at that point. New bar manager comes in, and one of the first things he does is cancel my Wednesday show. I objected, obviously, but decided not to quit the Saturday nights.

After about two months, the owner told me he made a huge mistake, the new manager's policies were not panning out, and he wanted me to reinstate my Wednesday show. Of course I agreed, but with a $25.00 a night bump in pay.

Just an example of how it could possibly work out. If the manager sucks, he'll hang himself. If his policies are actually helping the bar, however, better think twice!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Unfortunately in the chain restaurant world, good things don't last.

This guy is coming in to CHANGE things. He is going to make things BETTER you see. You are just a commodity.

You need to be prepared to either suck it up...or walk. Because that's what will happen in the end. It may take 2 or 6 weeks.

I would be crystal clear and tell this person that you are a hired entertainer and if you don't like what the band is playing...find another band. But HE needs to be prepared for the consequences of such an action.

Then when you leave and they beg you to come back, be sure to jack your rate a little.

The only time I ever encountered anyone inexplicably and immediately nasty, I simply ignored the b*t(4, and figured she was so irritating she'd be out of there before she could get rid of me(live music, but same principle)...and I was right.

I think you should hang in there and tolerate the guy for at least a few weeks, while subtly testing the waters to see how others feel. Chances are, he's not Mr Popularity . Why leave when he may inspire his own grand exit soon anyway?

If you do end up leaving, or sense he intends to make you, then quit, and be sure to state exactly why you are quitting(him, no other reason,after 6 good years), while making sure anyone relevent knows to give you a call should circumstances (him) change in the future

"my KJ boss said let's quit tonight. even though it's been 6 years. this is not gonna end well. but i said, let's give it one more week."
Sounds like you work for a multi rig operator like Chris. I would think it's his call. If you owned your own rig and all then it's your call. That said, I would try to outlast the SOB and have the last laugh. Anyway the best of luck.

The place will be its own demise. Short of him being personally rude and condescending, I'd ride it out and have the boss consider looking for another venue.

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DJ Don

Ah. A chain. In that case the mgr. IS the surragate "owner". Bazza and I agree on very little, but he is correct here. Chains only last as long as they do. If the new person in charge becomes an obstacle it is time to move on.

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

Some people are just naturally rude. I know because I am one of them. I don't mean to be rude, it's just something in my manor. I would advise tolerance until you're sure that a threat or some other rudeness was not meant in jest. If the rudeness was intended, tell him to go F*** himself and leave.

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Okay, who took my pants?

thanks for your input everyone

honestly, i never thought about raising rates if i am dropped & then asked back. i'll think about that...

So how are things going at this venue now? Just curious, if there's any new development.