Steve Lynch
So so true, and like I said, I wasn't attacking you gumshoe, just posturing a bit! :)
as we all know, being a kj takes patience, a good attention span, a bubbly attitude and personality, and tact.
sometimes i wish i could hide in the dj booth again, but truthfully, karaoke pays more than club djing. I know very few if any club dj's that get paid $250.00 to $300.00 a show for spinning. Granted, we bring our equipment, we set it up, and we work our little buns off.we earn it. also, as I understand, my geographic location is more fertile as far as karaoke is concerned. we can charge more than say........ in Rhode Island.
it's a great investment, you just can't half ass it. if you're gonna' do karaoke, you have to attack it head on.. there's a million douchebags out there that will do a show for $75.00 but they usually have lesser quality equipment, smaller song selections, and they do it as a hobby mostly. you need to be able to convince a bar owner to come off of the big money, and that in itself is no small feat. There is a difference, but the guy shelling out the cash doesn't usually hear anything other than the price.
I'm not the greatest kj that ever lived, but I'll never let a bar know that...
I'm a cocky son of a beyotch, and most Karaoke guys in the area hate me. They say I'm taking the fun and the spirit out of karaoke.... ruining the "family sing along" karaoke market.... making it hard for the hobbyist kj's to make a few extra bucks....bringing more equipment than is necessary for karaoke.... not playing by the rules....... wah wah wah!
The thing is, no successful company got there by being everyone's best friend. like warren buffett says "you have to be an ethical a$$hole."
just remember the ethical part, the butthole part is easy! :)
as we all know, being a kj takes patience, a good attention span, a bubbly attitude and personality, and tact.
sometimes i wish i could hide in the dj booth again, but truthfully, karaoke pays more than club djing. I know very few if any club dj's that get paid $250.00 to $300.00 a show for spinning. Granted, we bring our equipment, we set it up, and we work our little buns off.we earn it. also, as I understand, my geographic location is more fertile as far as karaoke is concerned. we can charge more than say........ in Rhode Island.
it's a great investment, you just can't half ass it. if you're gonna' do karaoke, you have to attack it head on.. there's a million douchebags out there that will do a show for $75.00 but they usually have lesser quality equipment, smaller song selections, and they do it as a hobby mostly. you need to be able to convince a bar owner to come off of the big money, and that in itself is no small feat. There is a difference, but the guy shelling out the cash doesn't usually hear anything other than the price.
I'm not the greatest kj that ever lived, but I'll never let a bar know that...
I'm a cocky son of a beyotch, and most Karaoke guys in the area hate me. They say I'm taking the fun and the spirit out of karaoke.... ruining the "family sing along" karaoke market.... making it hard for the hobbyist kj's to make a few extra bucks....bringing more equipment than is necessary for karaoke.... not playing by the rules....... wah wah wah!
The thing is, no successful company got there by being everyone's best friend. like warren buffett says "you have to be an ethical a$$hole."
just remember the ethical part, the butthole part is easy! :)
Inviato Wed 14 Jun 06 @ 11:06 pm
phillydj
lol " ruining the "family sing along" karaoke market" in a bar? there just mad you have more to offer than they do.
Inviato Wed 14 Jun 06 @ 11:53 pm
Dj-Los
Getting back on track, I too want to see a list of sorts like S&D uses.
What's the purpose of having the text display on the video screen anyway?
I would like to put the singer name and or song title in between singers.
The list it self makes sense to be built in to the program.
I have tried custom made post it notes as the slips which does work well, unless you drop them or they get knocked down.....If they were on the screen none of that could or would happen.
Love the VDJ....... -Dj Los
What's the purpose of having the text display on the video screen anyway?
I would like to put the singer name and or song title in between singers.
The list it self makes sense to be built in to the program.
I have tried custom made post it notes as the slips which does work well, unless you drop them or they get knocked down.....If they were on the screen none of that could or would happen.
Love the VDJ....... -Dj Los
Inviato Fri 16 Jun 06 @ 9:34 pm
vantinedj
I used to use a LCD screen for my shows a few years ago to announce the rotation. I was still on CDG's then.
Inviato Fri 16 Jun 06 @ 9:54 pm
d rocks
I guess that is one of the most difficult parts to being a good KJ. I will let sing who ever puts in a slip. I say it's up to the club management to not let in none drinkers not me. Besides the regular bar I play in is so big, I could not tell you is or is not drinking. The bar or club owner likes the place full of people regardless. I will leave running the club up to them. They don't tell me how to do my show and I don't tell them how to run there bar. Good deal I think. I could work every weekend (not for free) if I wanted to. Anyways, I have a rotation and is someone comes in in the middle of the rotation, they added to the end. I just did a outdoor festival with a 4 hour show and did 52 singers and gave them a brake from some of the noise with some dance tunes every hour or so and this is how I did it. No one complained and the town estimated 4000 people Friday night. So guess it works good. I have found that having the next singer on the big screen really cuts down on the dead space between. Something else, I play clips from TV theme shows between. People will get a kick out of it.
Inviato Thu 22 Jun 06 @ 3:48 am
funkmasterfrank
I started doing karaoke about 20 years ago and I\'m still doing it full time. I\'ve seen and heard everyone\'s ideas on how to run a show, how to make a rotation work, how I should run my business, etc, over the years. I went from audio cassettes to Laser Disc, to CDG to now - mp3+G(thank god).
1) Got tired of the extra work adding singers names to the Big screens... nobody cared! It was cool in the beginning to see your name but the fad wore off quickly.
2) When I started back in the day, people had to be drunk to get up on stage, today most singers only drink water & pop. You have to focus on growing your drinking audience by letting those water/pop drinkers up in the same rotation as everyone else(most of them are good singers who went through the phase of their life where they too once drank booze to get the nerve to sing). In most karaoke venues many patrons become friends over time(drinkers & non- drinkers) and they will talk if the rotation is not kept in a fair orderly fashion(biggest complaint I get about my competition). Whether they drink or not, their main purpose is to sing. The audience(drinkers) gets bored of hearing the same old, same old so make sure you give everyone a chance to sing!
3) Rotation - Here\'s how I do it.
I start my 1st round in the order the request for was handed in by. While my 1st set is running I accept new singers and add them to the bottom as most of the time the 1st set is usually less people at the beginning of the night. During my next set(s) I keep the same rotation but I always add a new singer to about the 3rd or 4th position to change the music style a little. Audience(drinkers) enjoy the new face on stage and I get no complaints from any singers in the way I do it. Someone mentioned that their (religous) singer should be always first as they support the bar, etc. Well, in my experience customers and singers alike change venues on a regular basis(every 6 months) so who are you going to have sing if you lose both. To be clear don\'t piss off new potential singers or your (religious) ones.
The best rotation system in karaoke software is far by \"Karaoke Go Around\" but unfortunitely it is missing other features that would make it #1 for karaoke. I spoke to the company once and they said that the 6 different components that I would have needed to want to purchase this software was not on their list of things to do... TOO BAD! You can even have satelite computers/laptops for customers to choose songs and they get set up automatically in rotation. It\'s even customizable to set the rotation up the way I have been doing it for years... TOO BAD! I\'d like to switch to a paperless show one day.
A simple way to do your rotations without using note pad or a chalk board.
First I welcome singers to bring up multiple request forms. If they don\'t number them in order I get to choose what song they will sing(great when everyone else is singing ballads).
I tell my (religious) singers to put their name on the top of the back of my request form and list about 4-5 songs on it. You\'ll see why soon.
1) each time the singer is finished I put his used request form flipped over on my console(always in the same place). The next singers request forms are on the opposite side of the extra space I have on my console(you can put them anywhere) I call the next singer and do the same with his used request. By the end of my rotation I pick up the used request forms and they are still in the same order as when I started
2) I pull the same name out of the new pile face down and do each one, at the same time chucking the old form in the garbage. I\'m ready for my second set.
3) Before starting the next set I check through the new pile to see if I have new singers. I add them in 3-4 spaces in my new list. Simple
4) As for the singers that put multiple songs on one sheet I don\'t have to go looking for other song requests so I just have to flip their request back into rotation(saving me a lot of time). Most of my singers prefer to put their songs on one sheet. Yeah, sometimes the ask to change it but it doesn\'t happen too often.
I\'ve been successfull doing that way for almost 20 years. Good luck on your shows!
I went from using winamp to swift Elite to VDJ... I won\'t look back!
Using VDJ is simple to use at a show and of course you can mix video & mp3s during your breaks.
I use the left player for karaoke and the right for background music while waiting for my next singer. I only search for my next song while the other is being sung. I only use the side list to store my background songs(cool beats) and special requests like Happy birthday, etc. or a song to play in my dance break.
By the way - I have never sang throughout my whole career as a Karaoke host but I make it up by always having fun with the audience and singers making everyone pleased.
Last comment: As our karaoke libraries continue to grow and we are getting away from using numbers to locate our songs check out my link to my online karaoke book. There are 20, 000 songs in it and I am now up to 26, 000 songs. To put 20,000+ songs in a book that is legible having a seperate section for artists and a seperate section for titles it would have to be over 700 pages. The way I did it I was able to condense it to half by the way I set it up.
http://hometown.aol.com/ffunkmasterfrank/private/KaraokeCataloguenov2005.pdf
Peace out,
Funkmasterfrank
Montreal
1) Got tired of the extra work adding singers names to the Big screens... nobody cared! It was cool in the beginning to see your name but the fad wore off quickly.
2) When I started back in the day, people had to be drunk to get up on stage, today most singers only drink water & pop. You have to focus on growing your drinking audience by letting those water/pop drinkers up in the same rotation as everyone else(most of them are good singers who went through the phase of their life where they too once drank booze to get the nerve to sing). In most karaoke venues many patrons become friends over time(drinkers & non- drinkers) and they will talk if the rotation is not kept in a fair orderly fashion(biggest complaint I get about my competition). Whether they drink or not, their main purpose is to sing. The audience(drinkers) gets bored of hearing the same old, same old so make sure you give everyone a chance to sing!
3) Rotation - Here\'s how I do it.
I start my 1st round in the order the request for was handed in by. While my 1st set is running I accept new singers and add them to the bottom as most of the time the 1st set is usually less people at the beginning of the night. During my next set(s) I keep the same rotation but I always add a new singer to about the 3rd or 4th position to change the music style a little. Audience(drinkers) enjoy the new face on stage and I get no complaints from any singers in the way I do it. Someone mentioned that their (religous) singer should be always first as they support the bar, etc. Well, in my experience customers and singers alike change venues on a regular basis(every 6 months) so who are you going to have sing if you lose both. To be clear don\'t piss off new potential singers or your (religious) ones.
The best rotation system in karaoke software is far by \"Karaoke Go Around\" but unfortunitely it is missing other features that would make it #1 for karaoke. I spoke to the company once and they said that the 6 different components that I would have needed to want to purchase this software was not on their list of things to do... TOO BAD! You can even have satelite computers/laptops for customers to choose songs and they get set up automatically in rotation. It\'s even customizable to set the rotation up the way I have been doing it for years... TOO BAD! I\'d like to switch to a paperless show one day.
A simple way to do your rotations without using note pad or a chalk board.
First I welcome singers to bring up multiple request forms. If they don\'t number them in order I get to choose what song they will sing(great when everyone else is singing ballads).
I tell my (religious) singers to put their name on the top of the back of my request form and list about 4-5 songs on it. You\'ll see why soon.
1) each time the singer is finished I put his used request form flipped over on my console(always in the same place). The next singers request forms are on the opposite side of the extra space I have on my console(you can put them anywhere) I call the next singer and do the same with his used request. By the end of my rotation I pick up the used request forms and they are still in the same order as when I started
2) I pull the same name out of the new pile face down and do each one, at the same time chucking the old form in the garbage. I\'m ready for my second set.
3) Before starting the next set I check through the new pile to see if I have new singers. I add them in 3-4 spaces in my new list. Simple
4) As for the singers that put multiple songs on one sheet I don\'t have to go looking for other song requests so I just have to flip their request back into rotation(saving me a lot of time). Most of my singers prefer to put their songs on one sheet. Yeah, sometimes the ask to change it but it doesn\'t happen too often.
I\'ve been successfull doing that way for almost 20 years. Good luck on your shows!
I went from using winamp to swift Elite to VDJ... I won\'t look back!
Using VDJ is simple to use at a show and of course you can mix video & mp3s during your breaks.
I use the left player for karaoke and the right for background music while waiting for my next singer. I only search for my next song while the other is being sung. I only use the side list to store my background songs(cool beats) and special requests like Happy birthday, etc. or a song to play in my dance break.
By the way - I have never sang throughout my whole career as a Karaoke host but I make it up by always having fun with the audience and singers making everyone pleased.
Last comment: As our karaoke libraries continue to grow and we are getting away from using numbers to locate our songs check out my link to my online karaoke book. There are 20, 000 songs in it and I am now up to 26, 000 songs. To put 20,000+ songs in a book that is legible having a seperate section for artists and a seperate section for titles it would have to be over 700 pages. The way I did it I was able to condense it to half by the way I set it up.
http://hometown.aol.com/ffunkmasterfrank/private/KaraokeCataloguenov2005.pdf
Peace out,
Funkmasterfrank
Montreal
Inviato Thu 22 Jun 06 @ 7:21 pm
d rocks
Yeah I agree with you Funkmasterfrank, I don't think ayone wants to hear the kj sing. So many times they turn it into a concert of them. I have buddies that have asked me to check out their show and they make it all about them. I want it to be about the singers.
Inviato Fri 23 Jun 06 @ 3:28 am
halo_djk
Well I think if the KJ "Can" sing, let him or her join in the fun, why not, if they have something else to bring to the party for free. It doen't have to be "All about the KJ", sure your there for the singers, but sometimes no one want's to start the ball rolling, why not get up and show them how it's done.
Inviato Fri 23 Jun 06 @ 9:53 am
dconroy
The program I've found that beats Sax & Dotty hands down is Compuhost. It's got:
1) A scrolling marquee across the bottom of the karaoke screen with the singing order. You can adjust how many show up in the scroll onscreen, or show all. This allows you leeway to show the next 10 queued, and adjust lower positions but lock people in once they're onscreen. You can also hide the scroll during performances.
There is also the option for a rotation break point to allow new singers to get inserted into the lineup before 2nd performances.
2) Automatically calculates song submit time, last performance time, and next perfomance time
3) A filler tunes playlist that kicks in if you run out of karaoke songs queued up
4) Video kickers like Happy Birthday or Thumbs Up
5) Singer history so you can answer the "What was that song I sang last month" question
It's pretty nifty, worth a look at the eval at least. I've given up on VDJ for KJ, I just use it for DJ now.
1) A scrolling marquee across the bottom of the karaoke screen with the singing order. You can adjust how many show up in the scroll onscreen, or show all. This allows you leeway to show the next 10 queued, and adjust lower positions but lock people in once they're onscreen. You can also hide the scroll during performances.
There is also the option for a rotation break point to allow new singers to get inserted into the lineup before 2nd performances.
2) Automatically calculates song submit time, last performance time, and next perfomance time
3) A filler tunes playlist that kicks in if you run out of karaoke songs queued up
4) Video kickers like Happy Birthday or Thumbs Up
5) Singer history so you can answer the "What was that song I sang last month" question
It's pretty nifty, worth a look at the eval at least. I've given up on VDJ for KJ, I just use it for DJ now.
Inviato Sat 24 Jun 06 @ 6:18 pm
Steve Lynch
Halo, Let's look at it this way......
if you go to the amusement park, and stand in line for an hour to ride a new rollercoaster, wouldn't you be pissed if you had to wait longer because the guy running the ride took a ride on it every ten times he ran it?
That guy's getting paid to run the rollercoaster, not ride the ride...
I'll take a shot early in the night if I've only got 5 or 6 singers, but once I hit ten, I'm out of the list....
you're cheating your customers out of a few turns.
Not only that, for some reason KJ's like to pick 8 minute songs because they think they're showcasing themselves.... it's flat out rude for a kj to sing scenes from an italian restaurant, or aqualung, or paradise by the dashboard light.
even if only one person doesn't get to sing because you took a turn, that person is gonna' resent you. if you think people come to your show to hear you sing, you're wrong... they come to hear themselves sing, and the shortest route between their songs is fine with them.
I've done voice over, and studio vocal tracking professionally, I'm trained, have an almost 4 octave range and I can sing like a son of a bitch, however, the thing is, I'm not full of myself enough to think that someone who comes to karaoke to sing would rather hear me than get another turn.
Kj's always use the same lame excuse when they sing "someone requested this"... whatever! Tell the requesting person you're working, and you can't sing because there's too many singers. Period!
people kiss your ass because you're the KJ and they don't want to get on your bad side, but believe me, if they could push an anonymous button that ok'd or vetoed the KJ singing, it would always come back "NO"
If you want to sing, go to another show on a night off, and then you can wait for the damn kj to sing....
That's my opinion, and people seem to notice that I'm not in the rotation, and always tell me about so and so down the road who sings all night, and thank me for not being an egomaniac.
when I'm at work, I'm at work... i'm not there to sing.
if you go to the amusement park, and stand in line for an hour to ride a new rollercoaster, wouldn't you be pissed if you had to wait longer because the guy running the ride took a ride on it every ten times he ran it?
That guy's getting paid to run the rollercoaster, not ride the ride...
I'll take a shot early in the night if I've only got 5 or 6 singers, but once I hit ten, I'm out of the list....
you're cheating your customers out of a few turns.
Not only that, for some reason KJ's like to pick 8 minute songs because they think they're showcasing themselves.... it's flat out rude for a kj to sing scenes from an italian restaurant, or aqualung, or paradise by the dashboard light.
even if only one person doesn't get to sing because you took a turn, that person is gonna' resent you. if you think people come to your show to hear you sing, you're wrong... they come to hear themselves sing, and the shortest route between their songs is fine with them.
I've done voice over, and studio vocal tracking professionally, I'm trained, have an almost 4 octave range and I can sing like a son of a bitch, however, the thing is, I'm not full of myself enough to think that someone who comes to karaoke to sing would rather hear me than get another turn.
Kj's always use the same lame excuse when they sing "someone requested this"... whatever! Tell the requesting person you're working, and you can't sing because there's too many singers. Period!
people kiss your ass because you're the KJ and they don't want to get on your bad side, but believe me, if they could push an anonymous button that ok'd or vetoed the KJ singing, it would always come back "NO"
If you want to sing, go to another show on a night off, and then you can wait for the damn kj to sing....
That's my opinion, and people seem to notice that I'm not in the rotation, and always tell me about so and so down the road who sings all night, and thank me for not being an egomaniac.
when I'm at work, I'm at work... i'm not there to sing.
Inviato Sat 24 Jun 06 @ 7:56 pm
phillydj
well everywhere im at there no chance to sing anyway too many singers, beside i always look for an excuse to get out of singing - not that i can't i just rather not im getting paid to host. I rarely ever have to sing the first song "to get things started" people know what im there for and all the tv screens serve as a reminder ( i made a bitmap fopr each place im at) so if they wanna sing they'll see me
Inviato Sat 24 Jun 06 @ 8:05 pm
macheted01
Man, it sounds like you guys work at some pretty high end karaoke bars. I have only been KJ'ing a few years now and DJ'ing like 8. I have never ran karaoke at a place of this caliber. Some days were busy and some not so busy. If were busy I dont sing. Even though I am an ok singer and probably better than most of the crowd, you seem to get a better response from the crowd when there drunken friend hacks up a song. As far as a 20.00 tip, I will take it. I guess I worked in the topless bar industry too long. Anyhow, I use to use PCDJKJ and was pretty happy with it. I just recently jumped into the VDJ world and will be giving it a whirl here soon, as I have 2 KJ events coming up. It will be nice to see what 4.0 has to offer. I put off jumping into VDJ because I was waiting on the release of PCDJVJ but got tired of waiting. Well, I will give VDJ a whirl for KJ'ing and see how it goes and just wanted to say that I will take some of what you guys had to say here into consideration on my next gig.
Inviato Thu 29 Jun 06 @ 1:22 am
phillydj
well good luck to ya Vdj is a good program for karaoke im sure you'll love it
Inviato Thu 29 Jun 06 @ 1:57 am
PCGumshoe
I've enjoyed the many comments for and against the KJ singing.
Here's what I have to say:
Any KJ that is showcasing themselves is either 1) Drunk or 2) In the wrong industry, either one is bad!
To use the Roller Coaster example, if I worked at an amusement park, I guaran-damn-tee you I am going to ride the rides... why? That way I can say to the guest, "This is the best damn ride in the whole park and I know because I've been on them all..." You need to know your product.
As I pointed out, I do this because it is a hobby of mine, singing, sound, and entertaining people. I can honestly say that there are people that come to my shows just to hear me sing... I'm that good... people will ask, "Would you sing that one song you sang..." or "I want to hear a song, but nobody can sing it, will you sing it for me?"
I take requests... I sing what either the audience wants to hear or what I feel is going to shake things up.
I would consider myself a hypocrite if I didn't sing and I consider anyone out there that runs karaoke that CAN NOT sing, a hypocrite... I have spent my entire KJ career trying to show people they joy of singing... how it can lift the spirit, and make people happy... So many times I've heard people say, "I can't sing" or "I won't sing karaoke..." So many of these people that I have worked on have changed their tune.
To exclude the KJ from singing does not automatically make singers hate you. If you suck, pick 8 minute song (and a great list you pointed out Steve - songs I never sing though), or sing every chance you get, you shouldn't sing. However, that's your equipment, and your rules and only you can make them up for yourself.
I wouldn't do this job if it wasn't fun for me as well. Consider, as a DJ, don't you occassionally play songs that YOU want to hear? And maybe not get the request in?
There's no right answer on many of these "rants" in this post. I can declare that if any of you came to my show, you would leave KNOWING that I did my best, gave my best and you experienced the best possible show giving whatever I had to work with that night. Every night, every show, every singer, is different.
My biggest rant would be that there are a LOT of BAD KJs out there that I'd love to put out of business... In fact, I've walked up to several and told them as much AND DID IT! Because they sucked... because they did it as a JOB, not as something they enjoyed doing. If you don't enjoy what you do, you shouldn't do it....
Here's what I have to say:
Any KJ that is showcasing themselves is either 1) Drunk or 2) In the wrong industry, either one is bad!
To use the Roller Coaster example, if I worked at an amusement park, I guaran-damn-tee you I am going to ride the rides... why? That way I can say to the guest, "This is the best damn ride in the whole park and I know because I've been on them all..." You need to know your product.
As I pointed out, I do this because it is a hobby of mine, singing, sound, and entertaining people. I can honestly say that there are people that come to my shows just to hear me sing... I'm that good... people will ask, "Would you sing that one song you sang..." or "I want to hear a song, but nobody can sing it, will you sing it for me?"
I take requests... I sing what either the audience wants to hear or what I feel is going to shake things up.
I would consider myself a hypocrite if I didn't sing and I consider anyone out there that runs karaoke that CAN NOT sing, a hypocrite... I have spent my entire KJ career trying to show people they joy of singing... how it can lift the spirit, and make people happy... So many times I've heard people say, "I can't sing" or "I won't sing karaoke..." So many of these people that I have worked on have changed their tune.
To exclude the KJ from singing does not automatically make singers hate you. If you suck, pick 8 minute song (and a great list you pointed out Steve - songs I never sing though), or sing every chance you get, you shouldn't sing. However, that's your equipment, and your rules and only you can make them up for yourself.
I wouldn't do this job if it wasn't fun for me as well. Consider, as a DJ, don't you occassionally play songs that YOU want to hear? And maybe not get the request in?
There's no right answer on many of these "rants" in this post. I can declare that if any of you came to my show, you would leave KNOWING that I did my best, gave my best and you experienced the best possible show giving whatever I had to work with that night. Every night, every show, every singer, is different.
My biggest rant would be that there are a LOT of BAD KJs out there that I'd love to put out of business... In fact, I've walked up to several and told them as much AND DID IT! Because they sucked... because they did it as a JOB, not as something they enjoyed doing. If you don't enjoy what you do, you shouldn't do it....
Inviato Thu 29 Jun 06 @ 6:40 am
Steve Lynch
I love what I do, but it's my full time job... As long as I'm getting paid, I'm not there to sing... if you're running shows for the sheer joy of karaoke, then fine....sing all night... but if you're getting paid to run a show, as long as there's a singer waiting to sing, I don't feel the KJ belongs singing.
you just don't get it....
but then again, I spend my days on my boat drinking beer, fishing, and tanning, and doing whatever the hell I want, because my karaoke shows are my livelyhood... I'm able to do this by putting the little guys who do it for the love of singing out of business. You can love what you do, AND make it a business.
I guess we agree to disagree...
-Steve
you just don't get it....
but then again, I spend my days on my boat drinking beer, fishing, and tanning, and doing whatever the hell I want, because my karaoke shows are my livelyhood... I'm able to do this by putting the little guys who do it for the love of singing out of business. You can love what you do, AND make it a business.
I guess we agree to disagree...
-Steve
Inviato Thu 29 Jun 06 @ 7:46 am
PCGumshoe
I never said I did anything other than this... this is all that I do and I have a house, two cars, and everything I ever wanted....
I just think that you are wrong that a KJ shouldn't sing.... Your position is one that I have run up against, but have always defeated because I sing so well... people realize that I'm contributing to a SHOW, not a bunch of drunks getting up on stage making fools of themselves... if that's the type of show you want, and you don't want to put style and class into karaoke, then by all means continue.
If you take a random sample of people and ask them to describe karaoke, the response you are going to get (from the ones that have NOT been to my show - and yes I consider it a show) is something on the brink of "cheap" entertainment that most wouldn't want to participate in UNLESS they are one of the fools that get up there.
What I bring to the table is a HIGH CALIBUR quality show, where quality singers (as well as bigginning singers) can come and hone their craft. Singing lessons can cost between $50 and $100 an hour, and to find a pianist who can sight read and play music for you to practice to can equally be expensive.
I don't see my show as DRUNKEN ORGY Free-for-alls... it is a form of entertainment. And in entertainment, the MC doesn't just introduce the next singer... he/she gets up and sets the pace, picks up the pace later on, and usually winds down the show... look at any awards show like the Tony's, the Oscars, etc... the MC isn't just introducing someone... he's part of the show.
I guess it really comes down to, YOU do karaoke someplace, I put on a show... So, essentially, it is comparing apples to oranges and we don't need to disagree, we must realize we are doing something completely different than the other. I just happen to think what I do is entertainment, you see what you do as a job.
BTW: Yes, my SHOWS make money for the venues I work at... LOTS of money.
I just think that you are wrong that a KJ shouldn't sing.... Your position is one that I have run up against, but have always defeated because I sing so well... people realize that I'm contributing to a SHOW, not a bunch of drunks getting up on stage making fools of themselves... if that's the type of show you want, and you don't want to put style and class into karaoke, then by all means continue.
If you take a random sample of people and ask them to describe karaoke, the response you are going to get (from the ones that have NOT been to my show - and yes I consider it a show) is something on the brink of "cheap" entertainment that most wouldn't want to participate in UNLESS they are one of the fools that get up there.
What I bring to the table is a HIGH CALIBUR quality show, where quality singers (as well as bigginning singers) can come and hone their craft. Singing lessons can cost between $50 and $100 an hour, and to find a pianist who can sight read and play music for you to practice to can equally be expensive.
I don't see my show as DRUNKEN ORGY Free-for-alls... it is a form of entertainment. And in entertainment, the MC doesn't just introduce the next singer... he/she gets up and sets the pace, picks up the pace later on, and usually winds down the show... look at any awards show like the Tony's, the Oscars, etc... the MC isn't just introducing someone... he's part of the show.
I guess it really comes down to, YOU do karaoke someplace, I put on a show... So, essentially, it is comparing apples to oranges and we don't need to disagree, we must realize we are doing something completely different than the other. I just happen to think what I do is entertainment, you see what you do as a job.
BTW: Yes, my SHOWS make money for the venues I work at... LOTS of money.
Inviato Thu 29 Jun 06 @ 10:24 pm
macheted01
Hey, its all personal preferance. I remember seeing this KJ host named Crazy Betty or something. She was very old, gray and wrinkled. She was found by most pretty entertaining though. She would attempt whatever was thrown at her and usually managed to pull it off. I've also seen some that are pretty obnoxious and full of themselves and some that you dont even really know that they are there. As far as a customer point of view, you'll never get them all. There always gonna be an ass or two that tell you how you should do things. As far as manipulating the rotation, I think it is a must. In most cases I find that alot of people want to sing all them tear in your beer songs. A couple of them in a row and I will be out the door (If I am the customer). I look at what songs they are singing while also trying to keep close to the rotation. If busy, I wont sing unless asked to. Or, like I said if there is nothing but slow depressing songs, I will step up and throw something upbeat and do it myself. All in all though and I think everyone can agree that we are all providing a service that we like to do and getting paid.
Inviato Fri 30 Jun 06 @ 2:09 pm
Steve Lynch
Surely someone who thinks so highly of their vocal talents, and sings so well that everyone comes just to hear you has a nice mp3 of himself singing that we can all hear and see how much more talented than everyone else who graces your stage.
I know all of us would love to hear what a real singer sounds like.
post us a link....
and when you're done, go start a band! :) Rockstar!
-steve
I know all of us would love to hear what a real singer sounds like.
post us a link....
and when you're done, go start a band! :) Rockstar!
-steve
Inviato Fri 30 Jun 06 @ 4:51 pm
macheted01
Man, you guys rock. It keeps getting better and better. This thread just put a smile on my face. What was the question at the beginning of this thread. I actually like where this is going. I too would like to hear a sample. Hey, I have a guitar.
Inviato Fri 30 Jun 06 @ 10:09 pm
d rocks
I was also wondering why would you waste time doing........ oh sorry, entertaining at the local bars/pubs. It can not possibly pay as good as someone who that good that they should be headlining at stadiums or huge arenas. lol
Oh wait you are on this forum to tease us right????? :) This is a secret identity and you are really Bono from U2 right? Ah-hah figured out your little secret. ;o
While on the subject of rude, I think that it is rude to call someone a hypocrite because they don't occupy space that a paying customer has paid for. I sing, just not while someone is paying me to kj or dj an event for them. I get asked why don't you sing, my reply " you guys didn't come here to hear me sing, You came here to sing". I have no problem with getting the show started, nor do I need to sing to control the "tempo" of the show. A good KJ should be able to do that without taking up air time for 3 or 4 minutes. Face it, I don't care how good you sing, if no one really wants to sing or the bar is just dead, you or me or even Bono can't bring it to life.
p.s. I did see the CMA awards and I didn't see Jeff Foxworthy sing. Guess not all MC's need to sing to have a pretty good show huh?
Oh wait you are on this forum to tease us right????? :) This is a secret identity and you are really Bono from U2 right? Ah-hah figured out your little secret. ;o
While on the subject of rude, I think that it is rude to call someone a hypocrite because they don't occupy space that a paying customer has paid for. I sing, just not while someone is paying me to kj or dj an event for them. I get asked why don't you sing, my reply " you guys didn't come here to hear me sing, You came here to sing". I have no problem with getting the show started, nor do I need to sing to control the "tempo" of the show. A good KJ should be able to do that without taking up air time for 3 or 4 minutes. Face it, I don't care how good you sing, if no one really wants to sing or the bar is just dead, you or me or even Bono can't bring it to life.
p.s. I did see the CMA awards and I didn't see Jeff Foxworthy sing. Guess not all MC's need to sing to have a pretty good show huh?
Inviato Sun 02 Jul 06 @ 4:38 am
