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This is my shortened edited version, my original was much longer. But beware, this one is still quite long:
Where do I begin:
First of all while this may apply to the KJs in your local area, this does not apply to everyone here.
I have been in the karaoke business going on 10 years now. While I do not claim to be the best, I do get many compliments, and thank yous.
Like you said in your post: You know just enough to be dangerous.
What amazes me is that you are a new board member here, and the first thing you post is how we are all running our business wrong. With this mentality and stereotyping, you will not last long in this business. If you think all KJ's are the same think again. If you think all singers are the same, think again.
1. Faster is Better:
EVERY KJ WILL FAIL TO MEET SOMEONE'S EXPECTATIONS ON THROUGHPUT! ALWAYS! No matter what you do and how fast you run the show, there will ALWAYS be someone who feels he/she did not get to sing enough. It happens.
2. Don't Drink:
Good point. Don't drink so much that it impairs your show. Excessive drinking clouds your judgement, slows your reflexes and impairs your speech. All of which you need to run a good show.
3. Run the equipment:
Good point, you will never see me allow anyone use my equipment. I paid for it I will run it. Perhaps the KJ you are refering to is employed by someone who paid for the equipment , and he couldn't care less about how the show goes, or the equipment.
4. You are not the entertainment:
Karaoke (and KJ'ing) IS about entertainment. And despite what you think you are the entertainment. And I'm not talking about singing here.
5. Don't skimp on songs:
Agree. Have a large variety of songs, but not so large, that the quality suffers because of it. I could easily have double the amount of songs in my library, if I had gone with cheaper quality. But I, like many other good KJs do their homework. I try out songs before I get the discs. I listen to the different versions of a song and get the best version, sometimes I get 4 or 5 discs for songs I could find on 1 of those discs, why? QUALITY. More is not always better.
6. Earn your money:
Does this require a response?
7. Remember every night blah blah blah...
Why on earth, if you want to get into the business, would you want to bring prices down and dilute the market? Makes no sense to me. First of all I don't do this to make a profit, I do this because I enjoy it. When I stop enjoying it, I will sell you all my equipment. I guarantee you will not be able to undercut the good KJs and stay in business. (Unless you live in an area where there are no good quality KJs which may be the case judgeing from your post.) It is the KJs that undercut and cannot provide the services that owners stay away from.
As for competition....Bring it.
8. Write down sugestions and consider them:
I do not know, nor claim to know everything there is to know about karaoke. I am not, nor do I claim to be the best. I do consider suggestions, as do most of the good KJs. More often than not, if it gets sugested, I have tried it and explain to them why it wouldn't/doesn't work. I bring up points that they haven't thought of, and more often than not they agree.
For the most part what you say is true, however, KJ'ing is not as easy as it seems, do not stereotype everyone, and most of all, while you can try to please everyone, you will not. Oh and unless you have seen everyone of us at a show, do not assume you can do a better job. Good luck in your endeavor.
Flip
P.S. On a side note, what were these other business you started? Are they still around, do you still own them? I believe Karaoke to be a very personal job, take the personality out of it and you take the fun out of it.
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