[Monolithent]

I love the rotation conversations.

I have never moved anyone up in a rotation unless another singer left or was unavailable (potty, getting a drink at the bar, having a smoke, etc)

If the person before them left it is an easy fix, their spot in the rotation is gone and everyone moves up.

I run music between each singer so there is no dead air and I keep track of both how much time is left on the song being played and usually where my next singer is located. I make sure they have at least 1.5 minutes to make their way to the mic. If I end a previous singer I know I have about 3 to 4 minutes to visually locate my next singer. If I see them, then I can keep tabs on them until it is time to call them. If I don't then I know I need to go look for them and that I have about 1 to two minutes to spend on this. It doesn't happen often as most of my singers know to watch the screen to see when they are up. If they are unavailable temporarily then I just move to the next singer and try again later.

If I have duets or groups, I don't allow silly names or junk like that I only take real names or nicknames that I know are the person. I don't allow people to put in songs for someone other than themselves (especially if it is a new singer). If one person in a group requests for the group the rest of the group must confirm (usually by just a simple wave or something) that they will be singing. I do this to keep from wasting the time of the people who actually came to sing and have fun doing it.

A duet/group counts against every name in the group. If there is a person (or persons) in the group who has yet to sing in the rotation then the group must wait until after the individual and, in turn, the next rotation.

My rotation is very simple. I don't use slips, for starters. Every person that wants to sing can come to me with a book, number, or title. I take their information and they are in and if your name isn't on my list before the song starts then you ain't singin this song (we've all been annoyed by the guy or girl that wants to sing with everybody just so they can be the center of attention all night). Having singers come to me and not taking requests for other people prevents people using different names to get to sing more than once in a rotation (it's happened to all of us at least once). The name of the singer is on a screen that faces the audience so everyone knows the order and who's singing with who. When you come to sing bring your next choice with you and it will be input immediately after you are done singing. Anyone not already in the rotation who makes a request while you are singing will be input immediately and will be in front of the current singer. I don't base my rotation on when you got to the bar, I base it on when you came to me and requested a song.

I used to use the slips and the corkboard and add people at weird times but it just became such a headache trying to keep track of people and order and who sang with who that I got tired of it. This works beautifully, I am using the tools that Hoster make available to me and I cannot think of a more fair way to operate.

Do people get upset, of course they do. People who come to my shows understand very quickly that there are others that have been waiting to sing longer than they have. If it gets close to the end of the night I warn people that they might not get to sing but I always promise to try, especially when it is worth it to either the show or the establishment.

We have all had the "I sing in blah blah blah band" or "I'm really good" or "I have to leave soon". The first two are usually from people who spent their night in another bar and have come to you later in the night or haven't been there long and won't be sticking around to spend money after they sing anyway so I usually say I'm sorry and I won't have enough time or there are others who have been waiting, go have a drink while I try to push things a bit. The "I have to leave" is usually from someone you weren't fond of having there anyway because of any number of reasons. I tell everyone I'll try.......how hard I try is up to my discretion. If you didn't get to sing then you should have arrived sooner.

I'm sorry I'm kinda new here and I'm venting because I had a bad night. Bottom line here is if Bill Gates offered me a Million dollars to sing next....he would sing next and I would make it up to the bar by by picking up the tab for everyone for the night. If not, well, Billy boy you make a nice operating system but the bar is over there while you wait your turn like everyone else.

Jon

Monolith Entertainment