I started my company to hang out with friends that shared a mutual interest- singing. Some of you know I started out playing the guitar at Pizza places back in the 70's. I first tried Karaoke at a place called the Blue Note and then rediscovered the passion attending a friend's Karaoke show at the LongBranch Steakhouse back in the late 90's. Since starting, my company's definition of success has a
lways involved making lots of new friends, hanging with old friends, and providing the best sound out there so I could listen to and sing with as many friends as possible each week. I was not looking for another job, or trying to get rich. I just wanted one place to be with, and sing with, my friends. I knew that if I treated Karaoke like a job, then those old and new friends would become my work rather than my passion, and it would show. Before starting out, I talked with people I liked to sing with and we discussed what we liked and disliked about Karaoke. In order of importance, the things my friends said, were:
1). A fair rotation (everyone playing by the same rules). Almost everyone judged fairness by saying that they recognized when they were skipped because they knew who they followed. I made a decision that I would keep singers in the exact same order, putting new singers in at the end of the rotation; which may really be next, or many singers away. I have had a few people who just arrived, complain to the venue asking that I be required put new singers in within a very short time of arriving (you know... to keep them in the venue... that's what they always say). To them I say: someone will think they were skipped; others sat here supporting the bar and have waited longer than you to get back up; and besides, I have seen people who knew where they got to sing instantly that head to the next venue as soon as they have sung. That is not what keeps the people who have been supporting the venue happy. We want to you to be a regular, so once in, if you're still here but don't give me a song for the next rotation, I pick one for you, to keep you here (You can always change it when you come up).
2).Singers as second class citizens. Some bars that did Karaoke lost singers by making singers wait beyond the advertised start time, sometimes by an extra hour or more, while one person finished watching the game. And some venues regularly cancelled shows leaving people at a loss when planning where to hang out (most go where they know the can participate in Karaoke). And even worse were those KJ's who themselves didn't bother coming in on time to be set up and ready at the advertised start time. Everyone said that if they can depend on me being ready, they will come. In response, I have never taken a show where the bar would not agree to have the show as scheduled and start on time. And have NEVER been or started late (frankly it's how Karaoke helps their business) and I usually start out early with near peak rotations (sometimes in the 20's). They also didn't like venues and/or providers who started even regularly scheduled Karaoke shows too late; especially on work nights!
3). Almost every singer who knew sound, discussed REVERB. They didn't want echo or a digital setting, they wanted their normal shower voice. To address this I selected the same mixer (Behringer 1622FX Pro) as a mentor who knew sound. That system has incredible electronic reverb. It allows me to run at the lower volumes that we'll discuss later. I have had KJ's from other companies come in and talk to my friends, telling them that I am really just implying that they can't sing when I give them reverb. When they tell me that, I play a sound track and let them sing with varying amounts of reverb and ask them to tell me how they want to sound. Care to guess what they choose every time? Then I encourage them to try to get the other KJ who told them that, to do the same. You don't have to be an expert to know that reverb done right, is like electronically rolling someone into the shower; and we all like our shower voice. But you do have to be an expert to know how to deliver the actual sound the singers want. Reverb fills the venue at lower volumes. It is what you hear on American Idol and on the music you purchase. They indicated that if they're spending the money to go out to sing, they wanted to sound like they were in the recording studio; not their living room. I often hear things like: I just like the way I sound here; the acoustics are just better here; or, I like the audience reaction when I sing here. It's really just a careful merging of a great singer and quality sound system. Reverb is not a one size fits all adjustment - Different venues and singers require different reverb levels to produce the good shower sound, or the sound the singer is after. All four of my microphones have individual reverb levels and I certainly have the skill to provide about any sound that each singer would like. I also have 99 unique digital settings, like reverse echo, which does sound cool on the right song. Many companies utilize digital settings instead to supply echo instead of reverb, and then don't use it correctly, often using a single factory setting and/or allowing it to modify both the singers voice and the background track.
4). One biggie we discussed was volume (and this is where my company begins to stand out with a listening audience as well as singers). People wanted to be able to sit somewhere in the venue and carry on a normal conversation during the show. They didn't understand why you could go to a nice restaurant to hear a paid singer and carry on a reasonable conversation, but at most Karaoke shows the music was up so loud that it hurt. The answer is we've always done it that way; and this usually realy does relate to reverb. When I started many industry people were not aware of electronics available to provide reverb. The industry practice was to crank up the volume and rip reverb from the walls. Even bad KJ's could sometimes hear the sound they were looking for, but didn't possess the skill or right equipment to produce it at lower volumes. And even for those who have the right equipment, it's often like a herd of buffaloes following each other over a cliff; they simply play loud because that is what all the other KJ's do. Reverb makes a room sound full and alive, regardless of the volume it's delivered at. Your deafness later in life is really a matter of choice - unfortunately it's the KJ's choice.
5). They discussed KJ's who made themselves (and occasionally their closest friends) sound better by cranking up the volume for the added reverb to highlight THEIR performance; but they didn't seem to care about anyone else. They specifically wanted a KJ who didn't set a mixer setting that was supposed to be sufficient for everyone else, walking away after a song was cued up to go visit or smoke. They felt doing that to someone essentially treated them as less favored; as if they held the mic at the same distance, sang at the same volume, and liked the same settings. They had waited their turn like everyone else and wanted someone managing their recording studio; someone who would make them sound incredible without asking - like their income or return on investment really depended on it. More than that they hated the "I am the professional and know what this song should sound like" ego when they were questioned. They wanted someone with the skills and lack of ego to make changes so they could sound like THEY wanted.
6). The VAST majority karaoke singers DID NOT want regular music played during a Karaoke show, especially when it was busy. My rotations sometimes push two hours. Singers should never have to wait for even one regular song when it's that busy. There are KJ's out there thinking, he's crazy, they love the music I pick. To them I say don't take my word for it, ask your singers. Or better for me, watch as they leave your show to come to mine. It's just another one of those "we've always done it that way" things. Early on, the few venues that offered Karaoke correctly thought that dropping in a few regular songs each rotation would keep the few Karaoke singers in the bar longer. In those days singers were not offered a lot of choice if they wanted to sing. Today there are lots of Karaoke singers so they may have already waited for quite a while to sing. There are also a lot of venues doing Karaoke now. If I don't take care of my singers, someone else will. The way I see it the occasional slow day helps to make up for those long wait days. Also singers felt that dance or DJ music should be viewed as an opportunity for another show - for another crowd. Okay so I have dance music at my shows; it's karaoke dance music. If someone wants to dance, they have someone turn it in to sing!
7). They wanted a sufficient selection of music. There is a difference of opinion in the industry regarding what "sufficient" entails. To me, sufficient doesn't mean one of everything, in-fact if you have crowds that hate certain types of music, it can hurt you. Sufficient does mean enough selection that customers can find different songs that they like. When you think about it, even on a six plus hour night, you can only get in about 80 songs. On one end of the spectrum was a venue that advertised Karaoke noting that they owned their own equipment and had a huge selection of songs (they owned 74, not disks, songs). I currently own around 9000 songs. Many others advertise and do own greater numbers, but quite often own many versions of the same song. Some operate legitimately and some do not. I put sheets in the front of my books for my customers to write song requests on and I order from those sheets. This allows me to keep my costs down and fit the music to the needs of my current venue, which actually increases my draw at that venue by keeping some music out that may not be a good fit. The downside for me is that when I do change a regular venue, I might have had to music-up for the next location. Most manufacturers will do custom disk orders; disks which contain only the songs someone is after. The cost per song is a little higher, but "customs" allow us to get requested music while saving us from ordering multiple pre-made disks. Some songs are only available on pre-made disks which means I have to order them, and while they allow me to pay a slightly lower price per song, they often result in me obtaining some additional copies of songs I already own. Open Mike Music's song book, showing disk and track number, used for creating the song submission slips, can be searched and is a free download in the Android market!
8). They wanted the opportunity to sing a song that someone else had sung, especially if they didn't know that someone had sung it before they even came in. They thought that the goal of "same song" rules should be to keep someone from trying to show someone else up who had just sung the song - not keep someone from singing a song they really wanted to do. A song can be sung more than once at my show - just not in the same rotation (I once even allowed one in the same rotation - the two singers sang different versions and were about 25 singers apart).
9). They wanted to be able to turn in their own song, and not be skipped, just because another singer, asked them to come up and sing with them. They felt each singer should get to pick one song per rotation - that's why it was called a rotation. They felt it shouldn't matter how many people sang with them during their own turn, even if those others had already sung. It makes business sense when you think about it; if someone wants to sing more they bring more friends that like to sing with others, and everyone should be happy. At the same time, people felt nobody should get to turn in a second song for someone else who had sung in the rotation in lieu of singing them self, and two people should not each be able to sing individual songs, plus a duet in the same rotation. The only people that didn't feel those represented extra turns in the rotation, were the people who got to sing again. My rules simply allow each singer to submit one song per rotation.
10). They wanted to be able to walk around the bar to sing to someone if they chose to do so. There is always at least one remote microphone available, with new batteries at the start of the show. These were their values; they seemed right, and became mine. Now let's return to the KJ's that always seemed to crank-up the volume and re-adjust the settings when they sang. Once you start listening for this, you'll hear this at most shows. My company is well known for exceptional background harmonies and group songs. Someone elses song: Whether someone can sing background or haromony is always up to the listed singer. I am primarily a background/harmony singer, but having singers present that can provide exceptional background/harmony is something my company is noted for; it's one of the things that help us stand out! Being asked to sing with someone makes the asked person feel good and gives them more opportunity to ply their craft. Those that ask others are also often asked to assist themselves - reciprocating is a fair way to make friends and sing a little extra. When it is slower I will sometimes sing at the end of a rotation. This show IS NOT about me and my rules make it very clear that you don't even have to ask; if I am singing my own song, you MAY come up and sing too. Since I want you to know you have access to the exact same settings, I simply hand you the mic I am using and get another until all the microphones are handed out. If I notice someone singing along out in the audience, and nobody comes up, I go out and hand them the mic and come back for another until they are all out. In their correct role a KJ is paid to get people involved and provide a Karaoke service - NOT be a nightclub act. Many, if not most of my competitors, hire KJ's based upon their singing ability rather than their interaction with the audience - that's a problem. I have also seen KJ's who were so into "their" singing that they used audio clips of themselves singing Karaoke between singers (maybe they're hoping to be discovered). The practice of having people assist often resulted in all four of my microphones being handed out and became popular enough that it transformed into one thing that truly sets my shows apart from almost eveyone else: GROUP HARMONY SONGS. A couple times a night we announce a group song, pull a random group of people together (on a first come first serve basis), and rip into a song. Specifically, we use, one, or on slower nights two, upbeat songs that are appropriate for the venue that will allow good opportunity for mixing voices at the end of a rotation. This allows customers to develop friendships and duet partners; and sing a little extra. Face it, singers like hanging out with friends they share something in common with because it helps to pass the time. The use of four microphones, group songs, and the harmony dimension are fairly unique to my shows. Think you want to be a KJ? If so I have some advice for you. First, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! To be successful you need a good ear for sound, be somewhat organized, have good technical mixing skills, must live fairness, and must really like people and make friends easily. If you're there to show off your singing you WILL constantly lose shows, which is bad for the industry. Once you get by that, the next big question should always be, "how am I going to draw and maintain a following here?" Again, if your answer is that they will come to hear you, consider joining a cover band instead. Second, learn to listen to the sound, and watch the expression on the singers face; you can often see it when you get it right. To do that you have to really master whatever equipment you are using (and find something that can produce good reverb at a lower volume). Third, equipment is not terribly expensive; the music is. So begin by purchasing a sufficient amount of the right music. It's probably best to start with what you know you and your friends like, then go back and purchase enough of the basics that you have something for everyone. Just a note - the really cool songs that you thought you were buying for you to try out, will quickly become a standard for another singer. If that happens, get over it! If it really bothers you, then you probably want to look to do something besides KJ'ing. As a choice I continue to run original disks; frankly it's a higher quality sound than a converted digital file and easier on me if ASCAP or BMI comes in. Many Karaoke regulars prefer to sing off their own disks, and some will only sing off their own disks. I bought a new computer to switch over, thinking I would just carry one additional player but elected not to make that switch. I would have to pay the royalties again to convert to have appropriate originals. Our biggest issue should be with companies that DO NOTHING to fill a venue. I am a small provider of a very quality product, and frankly, I fill a venue. Companies that measure success by the number of venues they run in concurrently, constantly jumping from one venue to the next when nobody comes, only hurt our industry. In Civil Rights we have a saying, "if you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting", meaning why expect different results, doing the same thing. Good large providers may have a decent following, but if they try to draw the same group of people to too many venues, they split the crowd to the point that none of the shows are successful. Quite often those companies claim to be the biggest; baddest thing to hit the Karaoke planet in recent years; but go in very high priced, bad mouth competitors (which upsets that competitors loyal following and ultimately make themselves look bad) and two weeks later they're cut for non-performance. The venue paid substantially more than they made to a service provider who did nothing to market the service they were providing. Worse they sometimes tried to sell the venue on the idea that their crowd had to be built over time, sometimes rightly, but often merely as a ploy to milk the venue for as long as they could before being cut. Some do contests to try to draw people and to make it appear busier, but do them in a way that would not build a following at the venue. While sometimes it does take time, more often customers are not showing up related to the items already listed above. Then, when a Karaoke provider that really could help the venue comes in, the bar says that they already had what they were told was the best in the market, and say they know Karaoke just won't work there. You really can't fix stupid when it comes to those karaoke service providers, and unfortunately, they usually believe their own hype; that if they can't produce, nobody can. They blame the venues marketing or even customers, and jump from place-to-place poisoning the industry over a broad area. So how does their small competitor adjust? Be prepared to demonstrate what you do right so potential venues can make an informed choice. Facebook gives us a place to keep a runnning record of shows complete with pictures and comments from the people who attended. When working where I know I have to build a following, and/or know the bars have been burned previously, I have always chosen to start at a reduced rate and walk my price up over a period of several weeks. That way the venue views the industry as being concerned about their bottom line and they are not forced to absorb all the early risk (plus it makes me work harder to do things right, rather than just showing up for a paycheck). Finally, it seems like a duh, but never blast a venue, let alone your own venue, in social media. Just going to say it - We need to boycott bad karaoke, so those KJ's go away quickly; and support good karaoke when we can. That distinction needs to be KJ to KJ, not company to company. If other bars have the opportunity to see good Karaoke working at the bar down the street, they may be willing to try again. We all like different things; that's why even the really bad providers have some following, even if it's nothing more than getting to sing a lot because nobody else showed up. My own instant turn-offs include: unfair rotations; late starts; one or more full regular music songs played during or between rotations (when there are a decent amount of singers); non-customer oriented KJ's who took care of themselves and maybe a few friends; KJ's that talk bad about singers or others; no reverb; and, over-the-top loudness. Again bad KJ's hurt our industry and need to drop off the planet. So how do you build the following: If you are a nice person, know how to supply good sound, have a reasonable song selection, and run a fair customer oriented show, and don't play too loud; there really are only a few things related to the Karaoke that may lead a person to leave early during the night:
Sometimes you get so BUSY that customers don't think they'll get to sing again. Being that busy can be good for a venue in the short term but may lead to a much slower night next show. Depending upon the KJ's interaction, the length of the show, and ability to keep things moving, the "too big of crowd" line is generally crossed by those CONSISTENTLY running peak rotations exceeding the low 20's. Usually if you run a show that people want to attend, you see it get cyclical when it gets too big; alternating upper twentys or thirties and then low teens. Simply stated, groups of singers decide to try someplace else due to long rotations. At that point you probably need to consider adding an additional night, lengthening the show, add sing-a-longs & encourage group songs and duets, so patrons get to sing a little more. Most customers expect to get to select three or four songs per show minimum, and will question why they are not singing more if the KJ also has time to drop in regular music. As KJ's we ought to be aiming for the largest sustainable Karaoke audience we can draw. Both you and the venue should care about ALL the patrons who buy product to support your show, not just the singers. Non-singers do not get cyclical due to big rotations. Being too LOUD is nearly always bad for the venue's bottom line because it will cause people, especially the non-singers, to leave. Look to the non-singers for that indication. Singers like a listening audience; people that do not add to the rotation (wait time). If all you have is singers, it's not the same. If you start right at the end of the dinner crowd and many leave as you "CRANK-UP", the problem is likely yours. Don't use the excuse that they simply weren't there for Karaoke; they usually stay at my shows for at least a while. I monitor my volumes very closely, and often also use a trusted signal person in the audience. You WILL NEVER make everyone happy volume-wise, but if too many non-singers are leaving, you have a problem. By all means ask your singers if it's too loud; if they say it is, you really have a problem. If you're one of those people who really can't tell, try this: After you get a singer dialed in, walk toward the back. People that don't like as much volume learn to move further back. Ask one of them, in a fairly normal voice, how the sound is. If they can respond back to you in a fairly normal voice, you're probably good. Some may argue that doing as I suggest is simply not loud enough, and in my view, they belong to the horde, but that response may be driven by people who talk loud and interfere with singers. This is where some work may come for you as the KJ (my peak rotation and unique singer figures would indicate that I am right); when running at lower volumes you sometimes have to remind the audience to quiet down in respect to the singers who have patiently waited for their turn to sing. Nobody wants to wait two hours, just to have someone yell to a friend across the bar, when they finally got to sing. Same with mis-cues, it's about the singer who has waited and not time management - simply restart the song. I run singers hotter in relation to the background music than many other KJ's because nobody, good singer or bad, likes being buried behind the background music - While it is not about you, it is about them! I break industry tradition by not putting in any FILLER MUSIC between singers. This practice does make for the occasional "dead air" comment from people who haven't frequented my shows previously, but it gives the audience a short breather between singers to talk and actually helps minimize the noise level while people are singing. It helps in another way too; in counting slips nightly I discovered that keeping out filler music resulted in me getting in an additional 6 or more Karaoke songs a night. I can't tell you why that is, whether the singers could hear their names better when called or something else, but given the additional half hour per show they got to sing, my best guess is that when I cued up what I intended to be short segment of filler music, the next singer decided there was not as much hurry to get up to the microphone. I have been to shows where they actually play over a half a song between each singer. At that rate a KJ could get in an additional 15 minutes of Karaoke songs per hour. RULES vary from KJ to KJ, and uncertainty can result in complaints as fast as anything. Make sure that your rules are known to everyone (rotations, submissions, same song, helping others, duets, adult oriented music, etc); and don't deviate from them! Mine are posted on the front page of each song book, listed here, and are on my web page. That information allows both the singers and venues who contact me, to know what to expect up-front. I am huge on running family friendly shows. I have never taken a venue where they wouldn't allow KIDS to sing at least for a portion of time. Many of those kids to my first shows are grown now, but still frequent my shows. The old adage simply doesn't fly; their parents do buy stuff, including food and alcohol, often bring others to listen to their kids, and have sometimes invested in voice lessons for their kids (equates to repeat business if you run a good show). Check local laws. While bars do make their own rules too, where I operate the State and local laws allow children to be in a bar or private club, at anytime with a legal guardian. I tend to pull a diverse, but somewhat older crowd, and sometimes families. It is especially prevalent with this group that truly OFFENSIVE SONGS will cause people to leave (yes - even when no kids are around). I allow people bring their own CD+G's to my show and sometimes don't know what they contain, or what they selected. I have mute buttons and video off switches if they become necessary. Being super-busy and volume issues may cost you customers for a show or two; I learned the hard way that my first giant problem happened when I allowed a nasty song in front of the wrong crowd. It will cost you customers, possibly forever (and may result in serious complaints to the venue or local authorities). Make sure you know the venue's expectation up front, and they know your music and risks. Many venues choose to place a time restriction, like when they require kids to be gone, before those types of songs can be played. Remember that regardless of what you like, it is not about you and you don't know the personal values of the venue's customers. I have been in venues where people sitting near me got up and left saying they would never come back, leaving the KJ totally unaware that they had been offended. And in some cities, illicit language in a public venue violates the law and can result in both the venue and the KJ being fined. Another huge problem in bars is SERIOUS DRUNKS. They usually talk loud, interrupt singers, spend quite a bit of time up at your mixer asking things like when they're up next or telling you how well they sing this song, and sometimes get in arguments or fights. They often use offensive language and project an overwhelming sense of entitlement, which usually requires a tactful discussion with the venue that is serving them. They require a firm hand and close monitoring around your equipment to prevent damage to the equipment, them self, and others. The most common problem associated with drunks is loudness - verbally interfering with customers and singers. One bad regular drunk can, and usually will, run out many singers and other quality customers. A good question for the venue may be, do you prefer one heavly drinking customer or many moderate drinkers coming each week? You're going to want to look for a new venue if they choose the single customer - it's no real loss, they won't be in business long. I have had some customers who's SONG CHOICE was not a good fit for a particular venue. Now I am not talking an occasional silly song, religious song, show tune, or even an operatic song; most people will tollerate those. Just going to say it - Never walk off when a person sings becasue you don't like them or their selection and never say I hate this song (it's in your book). Believe it or not the biggest song selection problem comes from individuals or groups that show up and turn in mutiple bad fit songs like metal songs at a country venue, or yes, slow country songs at a rock venue; and sometimes do it for the simple shock value to the crowd. I like music in general, but admit I have seen more people leave a venue when someone did heavy metal songs, than for any other reason. At one venue I frequented as a singer, which really had a big following, I saw one customer kill a show off in less than 2 months. The regular customer actually was a really good singer, but began to come in and SCREAM metal lyrics into the microphone on each of his turns during the night. And it didn't help that the KJ at the venue already ran at high volumes and liked metal. For a couple shows the singers would just go out to the patio when he sang (that should have been a hint to the KJ and the singer), but the non-singers usually left at his first song. By the third week even the regular singers got to where they would start tabbing out when they saw him come in. Again, it's not about what you like and you have to take into account what the people that frequent the venue like. You're working to maintain a regular following and you've got to watch your singing and non-singing audience and use that to guide the show. And you have to MAKE THIS CALL BY OBSERVATION, not by initiating a discussion with others (like telling others that you don't like a certain song or type of music). If they sense you don't personally like something, they may agree just to fit in. Singers are often a part of bigger groups that hang out together and if you offend one you may have also eliminated that customers friends who supported the friend, that they felt YOU insulted. You can always remove songs from the book at that venue if bad song selection becomes a problem, and any conversation with the singer, is yours to have. Getting up on my Civil Rights Soap Box for a few minutes: Regarding people with obvious physical or mental DISABILITIES, who may look different and may not sing well due to their disability; Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, requires that the disabled have equal access to any programs, goods, services or activities offered at a place of public accommodation. By definition a place of public accommodation is any place that provides programs, goods, services or activities to the public, like serving food, drink, or yes, providing karaoke at a restaraunt or bar. I have been put in a bad position by a venue regarding this one myself. In that instance the venue decided that they could deny service to "anyone", "because it was posted". The problem is they chose to only deny service to a mentally handicapped person, so they wouldn't have to deal with drunks who made fun of him, under the guise that he was running off customers (when our rotation numbers clearly indicated otherwise). Honestly the owners family routinely sang as bad as he did. But this occurred in direct relation to a drunk customer that they kicked out at my insistance the week before; a customer who loudly made fun of his mental handicap each time he sang. I walked away from that long term venue to save us BOTH from being sued. Many of my regulars heard our entire exchange and heard them tell me that I was not to let him sing. I reminded them that I ran my shows and when I refused that direction I was told that I was at least to no longer to let him sing alone. I explained that I could not do that because of my posted rules - this person had many times stated that he DID NOT want help, and I could not treat him alone differently. I had already explained to the bar that his family had successfully sued another venue for merely cutting his mic volume. They indicated that their lawyer said they could refuse service. I told them if there attorney had really said that, they had to have left off a few key details; like the fact that he was disabled. The owner said that regardless, it was their decision. They went on to say that because I insisted on running everything related to the Karaoke, that the bar expected not to be involved in refusing him service - telling me that I needed to refuse him service, if I intended to retain my show! Umm sorry... No! I reminded the owner that I did Civil Rights for a living; that this singer was clearly protected; and, that I would not do as they directed because it was illegal. I reiterated that I did Civil Rights for a living, so we likely had an increased liability because we were knowingly violating the law. I also told them that anyone could file suit against us on his behalf under Title III of the ADA and that hais family had done that on his behalf previously, saying if that was to remain their policy that this show would be my last. The owner had not anticipated that I would oppose their direction. In all honesty I was angry, this was afterall them runnign the show by proxy and some of my income was being temporarily impacted. I told them that we WOULD talk later; but if he came in that night he WOULD sing unless consistent with our agreement they chose to pay me out, in which case I would pack up and leave (and we would talk now). They wanted my following, a good many of whom were already in the bar so they chose to go forward with the show for that night. He did show up and those regulars who overheard our discussion cheered loudly for him each time he sang. Their actions led that owner, who I suspect began to realize how badly they had screwed up, to walk out of their own bar that night. On a side note, I don't know of anyone, including me, who necessarily liked this singer. He had a tendency to be overly demanding, but it was the right and legal thing to do. He was not present when the discussion occurred, nor to my knowledge did anyone ever say anything to him about the events, but everyone (except the venue) seemed to realize what was appropriate. When the bar closed that night I told the manager (that came in to replace the owner) that I WOULD see this cusomer from time-to-time at other venues and ask him if he continued to come to this bar. I told them that if I ever heard they had denied him service, that I would file the lawsuit with DOJ myself. I relayed that there were many witnesses to the entire exchange, and if they forced me to go that route, I would also file a retaliatory discharge claim based upon them attempting to force me to break ther law to retain my job. In reality I suffered no negative impact. My customers followed me and continue to be my customers to this day. You can see their picutures on my web pages and here on Facebook. Justice also prevailed - the venue has cycled through one Karaoke provider after another as they continue to try to rebuild what they had until that night. SPECIAL FAVORS during a regular show are always a problem - JUST SAY NO! Three things: the bar should be paying for results; real friends don't ask for priviledges; and kids understand fairness. I have had some people try to use friendships to bump rotations. You can't have done Karaoke for more than a few weeks (if you were drawing a crowd), without someone coming up and saying, "look, I have to leave in a few minutes, can you push me up to get me (or my kid) in one more time" - or - "will a tip help?" I have seen shows where the KJ allowed it, only to see the same customer stay to sing additional songs (and actually some that expected to retain their normal spot in the rotation too). Worse yet, I tried to help a new KJ working for a "company I liked" build a show. I often took or met some of my regulars at the bar which was close to my house, so I could sit and sing with them.... The company had a few different KJ's at the venue but switched to one acting much less professional - clearly there only for them self. That KJ's happened to have a KJ coworker/friend who bounced into the bar for a few minutes that night who was immediately put in to sing a "requested song" followed immediately by a duet with the KJ, while my friends and others who had sat there since before the show started, had not yet sung. Saying it was "requested" didn't fix it - In that instance the two I had taken to the bar stormed out vowing never to return, and didn't talk to me for a few weeks following that, because I had promoted the show. It didn't help that the KJ had not come in on time and had started the show about 20 minutes late. In the end, everyone respects fairness... Stick by your rules no matter who is invovled. Don't let cutomers touch your song request slips if you use them to keep track of your rotation. If the3y come up to look at them ask them what you can help them with - if involves changing the order of their own slips consider making the change. You would be surprised at how often someone will actually readjust another singers slips or come up and see a later song in the rotation, and decide they want to do it first instead. The venue is your contract employer, NOT YOUR CUSTOMER! I remind the venue that they are free to cut me at any time, just by paying me out for the night, but that while the show is in progress, I run all the action related to the karaoke show, and they will need to refer any questions concerning the show back to me. We all will have times when someone will complain to the venue, telling them that you treated them unfairly (generally because they didn't know your rules and you did something that they felt was wrong - which is usually something just different than what some other KJ did at their show). Again if the venue gives you the courtesy of referring them back to you, the opportunity exists for you to reaffirm own rules and maybe get them a drink or something to regain their trust. Honestly where I get this the most is with regard to rotations. On occasion, a new singer comes in right at the end of the rotation, where they appear to be dropped in instantly to sing. The trouble is that they may have gotten to sing right after a different singer who came in 15 singers earlier (but in the same rotation). Since new singers are placed at the end of my rotations, that could happen and be consistent with my rules. Often those that complain are the same ones that will come up and say they were skipped if you dropped someone in mid-rotation, and are the same ones that are happy to jump right in and sing when they happen to be the one with the great timing. The ability to retain the venue is going to involve being fair and maintaining a loyal following; which in turn makes the venue money and keeps you employed. That means fairly enforcing your rules and this is the one place you have to hold the line at being the expert at what you do. I have had venues ask me to change my rules, or give one or more customers or their family members, extra turns in a rotation, or ask me to drop in a singer who needs to leave; saying I was afterall running in their bar. If it were a private show being held at the venue, like a birthday party where only certain customers were paying, that could be okay. But at an open show, your customers will remember that you were unfair or that some got to sing early or extra. You need to run your show in a way that will maintain your business and reputation. If you were to leave or lose the venue and go somplace else, the impact of those decisions will be forever tied to your company's reputation - not the bars. And the venue will hold you responsible for the lack of following, even if you let them run your show by proxy. I have the venue read my rules up-front and tell them I do not deviate from them, and not to ask. I tell them that deviation from those rules is where complaints to the bar will come from, and tell them I would expect them to be upset with me if I was ever not fair, but while there, I run everything as it relates to the Karaoke. CONTESTS - No! Enough said! They may create an occasional big night BUT they seldom result in additional regulars, and ALMOST ALWAYS create hard feelings whether you or someone else chooses one of your customers over another. They often pull in what we in the industry refer to as "the water drinkers". Water drinkers are there for the contest money, seldom come back, and try to capitalize on the fact that they are not drinking to try to defeat those who are (who by the way are the ones actually paying the bills that the venue and you should be trying to court). And if they're successful the problems are multiplied. Most often contests are money/popularity driven by audience participation (number of people brought in by a participant) on the contest night, and the people who do the damage are nearly always people you never see again. When there are judges they sometimes use scoring criteria that favors certain customers rather than talent (which almost everyone will recognize, singers and listeners alike, and word will get around). Finally, even if you brought in neutral judges who tried to be absolutely fair, their own taste in music may not be the same as the participants or the venues regular customers. None of that is fair or smart when trying to use a contest to increase business at a specific venue over the long haul. And trying to get the same customers to run from venue to venue to qualify likely decreases rather than increase the venues business for the duration of the contest. I have seen unfair KJ's who made people think they had an off night, where in fact they rolled in reverb or volume for a friend that they had asked to come, and rolled it off for a better singer that they did not want showing-up that friend. That said, if you're already a contest runner, by all means keep doing them. You're helping my personal business by creating disenfranchised people at your shows. Yes, I know that many of them were your regulars, but you don't seem to understand that many never thought they were Idol material and didn't like to see their rotations screwed up; and unfortunately you never asked whether they just came to sing. That said, I guess I need to shut up and say thank you about now, and lie and say contests are a great idea! NEVER promote a show you have someplace else at another venue (seems like a "duh", but I've seen it done - most often in relation to contests). You may have to have the tough talk with a venue if you are losing customers due to their WAIT AND SERVICE PROBLEMS. I would recomend that you tell the venue what you heard or saw as soon as it happened, but not how to fix the problem. To Close: You need to be the KJ that simply loves being with and discovering your friends talents; and learn to take pride in providing a quality show. Is Open Mike Music successful by the measures that count? I have a long-term customer base that continues to grow; I stay at venues long-term; stay full for more hours; and I maintain larger regular rotations and listening audiences than most KJ's (you can see my rotations listed on our wall). If you go back through 6 years of pictures on my web pages and on Facebook you'll see most of the same friends. I am likely the only local company able to offer a substantial price break when my peak rotation for a weekly show is fewer than 18 singers a very huge price break when my largest rotation is 12 or fewer. If you share my values and want to get started yourself, but don't know how to provide good sound, feel free to come hang-out with me by the mixer (try not to disturb the singers). I'll be happy to show you how to do what I do, and explain what you're listening for. I know good sound and know how to deliver it, and don't mind showing you how to get it too. If anything you will hear the difference everywhere and in doing so will be more likely to frequent my shows. After we practice, don't be afraid to reach over when you are singing and make whatever adjustment you would like to the mixer during your song (leave the overall volume alone though). Please don't make the assumption that you can do that everywhere; some KJ's will view you trying to touch their equipment as an insult, or worse, tell you that you'll ruin their equipment (I hate those egos). Now if after this explanation you think your measure of success needs to be how many different venues you pull checks from, how much you draw in a check, or worse, impressing others with your singing; stay a singer. It must be about the "customers" and more important, if you're not making an honest effort fill whatever venue you take on, you ARE NOT successful by the ONLY measure that counts in our industry. There are already enough service providers like that out there, allowing venues to conclude that Karaoke is dying out, or that it simply won't work at their location. Don't blame their advertising (or lack there-of), the customers, the economy, the appearance of the venue, or their location. If you are good enough and do this stuff right, people will come. In providing the service, it becomes your obligation. Talk with singers yourself and remember that we're not in a competition - let's work together to develop more singing friends for all of us! That's it! Success, still measured by the number of friends who endure the crowds of like thinking people to hang out with me each week. Yes, I run big rotations - but I promise a good time, and besides, you'll be hanging out with friends. The rules showing in the front of my book discuss what I explained here and keep us all on the same page. Thanks for taking an interest - I'll see you at the show!
