Karaoke Forums

'That's Life, that's what people say' Frank Sinatra!
Howard Hughes syndrome or what? I'm sorry but if you don't like drinking environments then go work somewhere else and, furthurmore, We (the brits) signed up for the reduction in fossil fuel use!
Smog? LA? Two go hand in hand in my opinion!
You like to breathe in a bar?
I like to breathe in the street!

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Imagine!

BJC,
Does that mean if I want a strawberry daquari.. the strawberries are the food?


Stay Safe...

Brian D.

My God second class citizens for smoking and drinking what a holier than thou attitude.
I met my wife singing karaoke in OH MY GOD a Bar!
We are both very decent caring folk.
I have won karoke contests in OH MY GOD A BAR!
I resent that you think a person is second class citizen because they smoke a cigarette or have a few drinks.
Tell ya what, the next time your in the emergency room ask the guy or gal working on ya if they have a few drinks and smoke cigs If they say yes refuse treatment. After all, why would you want a second class citizen saving your life.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....and sometimes the beholder is definitely blind as a bat!

I look at it this way.......I smoke and drink, but lets pretend I dont for a minute. Why would I become a KJ if I didnt want to be around smokers and drinkers? Sometimes in my free time I like to hang out at a classy upscale place. Ill admit....I never ever hang out in "hole in the wall bars". However, If I decide to become a KJ, then I better get used to playing in "hole in the wall bars"......especially if I want to make any money at it. On one hand,I would love to have a whole lot of upscale accounts....but on the other hand, sometimes upscale means uptight. Whats that saying?....All the fun people reside in Hell.......

I DON'T play HOLE-IN-THE-WALL bars. I don't have to. People follow me and know my reputation for playing the nicest of places. Many a club have come to me as I market to patrons who are well behaved but fun crowds. I love all ages and types but my target market is an older crowd in the clubs I play (30 and up). I edit for the F word, not allowed on my mics.

I have nothing against thise who do work this type place. But don't put all KJ's in one lump category as all do NOT play dives or hole-in-the-wall establishments. It takes all kinds to make a village. Do fly by night auto repair shops give all car repair shops a bad name? Yes, and no, the same is true of the karaoke industry.

Yes, but remember what it was like when you started- before you had the loyal following. When starting new, like I'm doing now, you are almost at the mercy of whatever bar will take you. Hell, recently at my one regular gig I've had to even get behind the bar to teach them how to make a Long Island Iced Tea! (It is a diner that has a small lounge)

I would love to play bigger venues, but until you're proven, it is very difficult. I have the selection, sound, and personality (along with bieng humble ) to hang with anyone in this area.

It just annoys me to hear some of the problems with bars when that is probably the venues that you all STARTED in too.

Thank you for listening to my tirade....we now return you to your regularly scheduled posts........

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

My problem is actually somewhat related to this. If another thread would be better for me to dive into, please let me know which one. (New here).
I'm not a KJ just your average run-of-the-mill frequently-off-pitch singer.

My wrinkle? I have asthma, and absolutely no tolerance for smoke.
Now, given that I'm not living in New York, L.A. or even Boston whence I hale (hail? sp?) Does anyone know of *anywhere* in the St Pete/Clearwater area where there is Karaoke and *no smoking*? (ice cream parlors appealing to 12 year olds that only have the latest in Britney Spears CD-Gs don't count)
Thanks for any direction you can give. (I live in the "townless" area just south of Largo)

Any place in Florida that serves food cannot allow smoking indoors at any time. The only exceptions to the rule are private clubs (VFW, etc..). Search for karaoke tampa bay and there are several sites that list karaoke shows and you can call and see if they serve food or not.

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Bush Boys Karaoke
Full Contact Karaoke Crew of Tampa Bay

I found www.floridakaraoke.com as a great site that breaks shows down by county and night. I hope this helps!

And if you ever come to the Ft. Lauderdale area on a Sunday or Tuesday night, visit me at the LJ Diner- no smoking!

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

One pub over here tried to import the American theme of no-smoking bars and failed miserably!
We, as a nation, are not as litigatious as you seem to have become and we just accept it!
If you can't, for whatever reason, go to a pub then don't!
I'm a vegetarian and I still go to restaurants that serve meat!
Let everyone have their chance and stop being so selfish!
Streaming seems a good idea!

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Imagine!

HEAR HEAR!!!

CAN I GET AN AMEN BROTHERS AND SISTAS!
IF I WANT TO SMOKE THAT IS MY CHOICE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT THEN LEAVE!
MANY AREAS THAT HAVE ADOPTED THIS NO SMOKING POLICY CRAP ARE SUFFERING GREATLY FOR IT!
I AM SICK OF PEOPLE TRYING TO CRAM THEIR IDIOLOGY DOWN MY THROAT.
I WON'T GO TO A RESTAURANT THAT WON'T LET ME SMOKE.
I WONT GO TO A VENUE THAT WON'T LET ME EITHER.
LET'S FACE IT THE SMOKERS AND DRINKERS MADE MOST GIGS
POSSIBLE LETS NOT FORGET OUR ROOTS SHALL WE.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....and sometimes the beholder is definitely blind as a bat!

Well folks I guess my friends and I are bottom feaders....personally I prefer the seader venues....less pretense.....I've sang in both and if you like carpet, expensive drinks (yes ... I drink my share of After Shock), and egotistical premadonnas, then upscale is really for you.

Meat markets also get a bad wrap......no pun intended....anyway I met my wife of seven years in smoke filled, neon lit bar. For 7 years prior to that I was a regular in this den of inquity. My kind of place, you know where the ladies look like they put those jeans on when they were 13 and grew into them! Maybe the only real talents I have, singing and womenizing were best suited for this lower stratis of life, but God did I have fun...and still do!

They say it's easy to be a big fish in a small pond. They also say the grils like the guys in the band. To hell with the band. Karaoke gave the ability to capitalize on my talents and not share with 4 other guys.

When Cheri, my wife, and I got to gether we were both very popular in the Diamond Lunch.....Think that they served the best all you can eat fish on Friday qualified them as a dinner club, Kahuna?... Anyway it was great, we became a small town version of Luke and Laura! (General Hospital reference another sign of low-life-ities)....we even had our Glamour Shots on the wall...Heee Heee Heee.....We got mobbed after and between songs....And as you can figure by now I love being Mobbed!.....

We carried our own discs...cause we could practice...and still do....they don't usually skip and well I look for songs that never recieved a lot of air time but kick A**.....

I may never make it to the big time, but I was and still am BIG TIME in Tittusville...Did I mention the drinks are cheap?

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[glow=blue]Tequila & A Song
KKid[/glow]

Excuse me, I am no second class citizen I go to bars to sing I dont drink or smoke but I go to bars to sing and I cause no trouble ask for no fights win the prize and go home happy.

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the prize taker

I think my favorite place is the PUMPHOUSE
It's my kind of place
ya know I don't think I have been there one time without somebody buying me at least one drink
They treat good singers like royalty there
I am very glad you introduced me to that place.
And if there are some folks that don't like "that sort of place"
I could care less
I would much rather smoke my cigs and drink triple shots of mezcalon ice than hang out with uptight mic up their a55 morons holy than thou idiots with silver spoons in their mouths that think they are better than other folks.
And have a drink on me folks

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....and sometimes the beholder is definitely blind as a bat!

I just assisted another KJ and His Karaoke company in a Casting Call for the up coming Kim Basinger Movie "Elvis Has Just Left The Building" which was held here in Albuquerque, NM where the Casting Company was looking for 270 Elvis Impersonators and was auditioning them "Karaoke Style" Needless to say the auditions fell short by 80 but there will even be a part fot the karaoke host which i'm very happy to say was offered to very good friend who was the KJ that night i hope he does well .. GOOD LUCK KJ KAMMO!!!.. and I'm being cast as an "ELVI" extra in this Flick...
ATTENTION: karaoke fans.. believe it or not.. sleazy bars or not.. the movies are portraying the image .. watch for the movie. I hope they do us well..
Filming begins in October 2003 all location shooting will be done in Santa, Fe, & Albuquerque, New Mexico.

oing to have to disagree. There are professional karaoke singers.
These are the singers that stay in key and don't need the screen.
They kick @ss and bring down the house.
There are many karaoke singers out there who are "professional" that have never been discovered.
Either Money Or Time interferes. I believe KKid is one of those untold "professionals".
I hope to buy one of his cd's one day because even tho he is a bit older I still think He can make it. I also hope that one day he will own one of my cd's. Kkid and I and his wife Cheri have pissed off many a "KJ" inadvertantly because of our professionalism. One KJ accused us of being "Paid Professionals" because we didn't look at the screen and did so well. They made us sign a statement 6 separate times that we were never paid to sing!
It got so bad that the KJ would cut out our music so it couldn't be heard or turn our mics off while we sang. Very "Unprofessional" if you ask me.
So...to all those "professional" karaoke singers out there KEEP SINGING!
Your big break could be around the corner.
Brian congats on the movie thing and I look forward to seeing it in theaters.

TBK

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....and sometimes the beholder is definitely blind as a bat!

Kahuna..
The Defination of a TRUE "Professional" karaoke singer is one who goes from competition to competition and ACTUALLY Can Earn A SOLID Taxable Living ON SINGING KARAOKE!!! CAN YOU SHOW ME to ANYONE IN THIS WORLD who can turn $50,000.00 per year After travel expenses JUST Singing karaoke? I would really love to meet that vocalist..

NOW... All BS aside KJ's are karaoke professionals in thier own right besides that because they may sing a few songs a night depending on how they run thier show formats. most sing pretty well but there some awesome vocalists that attend some of the shows i go to here in New Mexico. and there also alot of just plain " Fun Singers" in Nashville that
the professional Signed artists sound really bad. then of course you have the hopefuls.. they do actually sound great and the usual story.. too many singers and not enough spots in the labels for them.

I still think a KJ is out of bounds judging someone a professional unless they know for a FACT that #1. they are in a Union for artists or musicians.. ( AFTRA - AFM ) or #2 that have realesed a CD on an label
no matter if it's independant, major independant, or major. in a large market. because anyone can go out and record a cd these days.. the recording systems only cost less than $7,000.00 and who needs to go to a big studio when it could be done at home!

Karaoke is for fun.. it's vocal play time.. when a KJ starts bringing an attitude and making issues about professional singers being in the venue
This pompus crap is ruining the fun not only for the singers .. but the future of the KJ too.. Remember people in the bars talk too...

I missed out on a contest last year becuase I didnt hear about it til the finals. The prize was 5000 dollars and an audition for starsearch.
If one is a really good singer and willing to travel. It wouldn't be that hard to do just 10 of those contests in a year. I would like to try my hand at it someday. Who knows.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....and sometimes the beholder is definitely blind as a bat!

Well Cheri and I don't make $50,000 a year singing......we barely make that combined with our day jobs....Am I a professional karaoke singer?.....depends on your definition I suppose.....I prefer seriouse karaoke singer....Cheri has made $450.00 since may in local contests....it pays for disc and drinks....The Pump House!...Yes Kahuna it's the sh*t!....Good crowd....cheap drinks....long cord (always a plus)....neon...pool table....and those Honky Tonk Angels.....THat's where I go when I want my ego stroked....And I'm anxious to see that movie....well gotta go practice.....

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[glow=blue]Tequila & A Song
KKid[/glow]

KKid,
in my book you qualify as a great competition singer. but NOT as a Professional. But if you do want to ever enter meke it into the recording industry some day which I really Don't Recommend like I'm doing. Please make sure you have a cool 1/2 million for promotions money waiting... because Labels just don't "float" artists anymore, or have a very understanding set of backers.. because it'll go very fast!