Karaoke Forums

Looks like we're in pretty much agreement with each other. WOWWW!!!!!

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Sounds Great! Entertainment
Bartlett, Illinois

I vote for agreement.

Just sayin'

Jerry

Brian's post seemed to be the most thoughtful to me. I tip my hat to him. His show is probably good. If you're a KJ and not the owner of the club, you should be concerned about the quality of your show and not what the audience is drinking. That's the waitress or bartender's job.

If you demand tips first before the sound mix is fixed right and your show sucks, then the water drinking is merited. If your show is good because you're democratic with the sound mix and don't discriminate against music, songs or people, then those water glasses will be filled with booze and beverages.

It's a chicken or egg issue, really. What makes a good karaoke show? Is it the tab patrons pay for drinks---or a good sound mix fair to all singers---good or bad---that draws a crowd into the venue in the first place?

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So you can sing. But can you write a song? That is the difference between karaoke...and the big time!

I have never been much of a drinker! (Of alcohol OR soda!) So bottled water is my preference! But I have always tipped well! I would agree that what people drink or spend is for the bartender or waitress to address ... not the KJ. He or she should just concentrate on the show! I think what both Rodney and Matt said is great! The KJ can always make some kind of announcement regarding drink and food specials and tipping the hard working waitresses and bartenders! But never discriminate!

Us water drinkers need to get out and sing too! :roll:

In a situation where i was getting paid for the karaoke from bar profits, i dont think i would be overly happy about the people sitting there drinking water. At least coke is better than nothing.

But we are lucky in Australia because we get paid by the club a fee for the night regardless of what they make over the bar. i suppose they pick up the extra with pokies, dinner, keno and that type of thing. I get quite a few regualrs who drink coke and water and they come to all my shows, i really enjoy them coming to my show, even if they dont drink. It is amazing how much better you can be treated by people who arent off there faces on grog. I wont skip any singer, except for the drunk who is loud swearing and just does not care about my equipment.

So what do I do with the water drinkers, welcome they to my show and hope they have a good time. How do you know if the man sitting in the back drinking water doesnt own a club or pub, and maybe looking for karaoke, maybe he wants to hire you for his next function.

michelle

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LUV & KISSES SHELL

timberlea wrote:

It is up to the venue as to what their policy is, whether to give awat water or sell bottled water. It is their place not yours. There may be varioous reasons why people drink water. They could be alcoholics, diabetics, other medical problems, or they may be the designated driver so the other drunks can get home safely. Now if you want to discuss it with management fine, but I would NEVER tell someone they couldn't sing other than for obvious drunkeness or rudeness.

Giving up a BIG hell yeah to this arguement!

As a recently diagnosed Diabetic, there was a time when I was on my medicine (Glybucyrol or something similar), where I couldn't have ANY liquor!! Pure doctor's orders. The medicine was to strengthen my liver, and if liquor was in my bloodstream, the results would have been disasterous!

BUT, I bought three diet cokes, and ate a meal at the venue I went to that night!! You STILL support the place! If you can't drink, you better be doing SOMETHING else! Play the lottery, tip the staff, etc.

I also agree with the 'bottled water" comment above as well...

Matt

Actually, it is the KJ's job to make certain that the audience is not overindulging in booze, either! At least according to most liquor licenses, if you notice a massive abusor, and don't say something to someone, and they leave the establishment and hurt someone else due to their drunkeness, the establishment and YOU can be fined very heavily, and even lose their liquor license. As a KJ, your equipment can be confiscated by the Liquor Controlling agency along with all the bar's inventory while an investigation has begun. It could be MONTHS before you get your stuff back! You're show has NOTHING to do with alcohol or food consumption!! Please explain your rationale about THAT comment Cultist.

Matt

Matt. You answer my every single post to disagree or fan a potential flame war. I'm not gonna belabor the point. If you got some grudge, take it somewhere else. I don't have the time.

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So you can sing. But can you write a song? That is the difference between karaoke...and the big time!

KCultist,
I'm going to have to agree with Matt on this one, first of all why would you be demanding tips? Secondly, because someone doesn't tip you as well as another person, does that mean you don't have to adjust their mix as best as you can? I don't demand tips, nor expect them, the establishment pays me to run a good quality show, I do however get plenty of them. I usually ask the person who tipped if there are any other songs they would like to see in my list, and will do my best to get it for them. I'm rather shocked to see you (in another post) asking about the best shows that don't play favorites, and give good consistent mixes, yet in this post you mention if someone didn't tip you ahead of time, you wouldn't feel obligated to give them a good mix? Or maybe I misread your intent when you posted:



If this is not what you meant, I apologize, but maybe you could clarify what you do mean by this? I think that's all Matt was trying to say.


To add on to the thread:
I think that there will be people who, no matter what you do, and how well you run your show, will be drinking nothing but water. The bar I work at actually at one point, stopped giving water away, and only sold bottled water. They ended up losing money. And within a month went back to 'free' water. I find that people going out to karaoke, usually don't come alone, especially the 'water drinkers', and when you start discriminating against those few 'water drinkers', whether it's by charging for water, or not letting them sing, you lose more than just one patron. You also have people who come to drink and have fun, who aren't singing. I think if you put on a good show, and draw a good balanced crowd, there isn't even a concern whether or not you have a few 'water-drinkers.'

Flip

Your job as a KJ is putting on the best show you can period. If you don't, it's time to look for another career. Anything else just makes the professionals look bad. If someone wants to make a CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, thats okay, but to be always negative to stir it up, is just plain immature.

Wrong. I don't disagree with EVERY single post, only the ones where I disagree with.

Disagreement is my right. I disagree with other people. Ask Timber! But I also AGREE with many people too.

Stop looking for motives that just aren't there. The only reason I've disagreed with you is I felt you were wrong ON THAT SPECIFIC post!

Your definition of "flamewar" or whatever is truly hysterical. You can't take any form of criticism, and instead of replying to the point of what I had to say, you reply to the fact that I disagreed with you, and look for behavior that just isn't there.

Take it somewhere else? Don't EVER tell me what to do! In case you haven't seen one basic fact, I was here a while before you were. You're the "newbie". You came in with an attitude and your signature that speaks your stupidity. Sounds like you've faced this situation before. Other people that disagree with you and you cry "Flame war!"

But you're right on one thing: I'll say nothing else to you. I've spoken my mind, You've spoken yours. You're immature in your replies, and showing your true nature. I don't have the time either. I'll let everyone else see it or not based on their own intelligence.

What a waste of my time and yours.[/b]

I look at things differently from a lot of KJ's. I am not there to "make money for the venue owner". I am there to do what they hired me for, to put on the best karaoke show I possibly can. They don't tell me how to run my rotation and I don't tell them how to run their business. If I put on a good show, they will make money and if I don't, they will lose money and get rid of me. Every person in the bar is my customer in one way or another, be it singing or listening and I will not play favorites.

Should we keep track of who spends the most money and run our rotations accordingly? Next up, we have the guy drinking the imported beer, sorry Mr. Budweiser, you just got bumped.

Folks...
After reading these posts... This weekend I pulled my Tip Container... PERMINANTLY I personally feel Karaoke is not about tips or how much you get paid for it anymore which is what I see here as the sticking point of discussion..I'd rather see the bar staff get the tips than myself. They work harder than I do. And I feel that to follow that up I have decided that any comps that we do decide to do this year..I will donate 10% back to the club for staff tips... after expenses. There needs not to be a competition with bar staff for tips in a club. That way nobody expects favortism and gets the best mix everytime..

kcultist hit it on the head.

Sing Safe!
Brian D.

If so, boy I was truly impressed by your presence there, and if it is the same gal I met at the fest that year, I still want to come and see your shows, if not you too have a beautiful presnece about yourself....
Respectfully
Rodney

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Karaoke is supposed to be fun, if it isn't, then it's NOT KARAOKE.......

Jimmy, I have NO problems with anyone, unless I'm accused of something I'm just not doing.

I dont understand the crap of telling anyone they have to agree with you.

I have been posting here before matt started and have never had any problem with him or his comments.

maybe the truth hurts and is a little close to home.

And if you dont like my comments i dont give a flying f---

michelle

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LUV & KISSES SHELL

Matt, what do you mean we disagree. I disagree with that.

Okay, here's just a thought I wanted to interject into this lively debate..But first let me say, I agree with both sides of the argument (pretty weak answer I know)...

There is a regular where I sing karaoke who doesn't drink during the evening (water, booze sodas..or anything). He does get up and sing although he is not gifted with a voice. From some vantage points he fits all of the criteria complained about here. But he doesn't drink because he is retired and donates all his time to a kids club so he doesn't have any money. He is the most pleasant, upbeat and friendly guy you will ever meet and makes everyone happy to go back again and again to the club because you know he will be there. He dances with all of the ladies who nobody else will dance with and it doesn't matter if they are young, old, thin, fat or what..He can't sing, but he dances better than anyone I have ever seen before in my life. Because he's dancing with the women, the ladies enjoy themselves so they stick around and drink.

So I guess what I am saying is, be sure to include the value and support of the patron above and beyond the drinks they buy.