[marklwood]

Originally Posted by muzicman144

I also see a trend of the clubs buying their own systems, (which is cheaper than a pay as you sing jukebox) and either getting a host or doing it themselves, like Mark. A couple of clubs in my area let some of their karaoke singers host for no pay using the house system, and don't seem to have a problem doing it. But, as i said, the professional host who knows how to work a crowd will always find a place to work. This trend is really putting the "pretenders" out of work.
muzicman

I too am forced on occasion to let a regular singer stand in for me. They do it without pay, but you get what you pay for. Even though most of the people don't complain too much about the occasional emergency, I am concerned about the people who may only be there for the first time. Without knowing that it is just an emergency use of an available warm body to run the karaoke, it may be their last time here and I would never know it. On the few times I have used someone like that, I am bar tending. I make it a point to get on the mike a couple of times to "thank" this person for getting me out of a tight spot. It makes them feel good about filling in, and lets the customers know that this is only a temporary situation. I couldn't see the economics of using this as a permanent solution. While it would cut the overhead, consistency would suffer. Even if you think you are the greatest entertainer, if you aren't consistent with your singers, your numbers will suffer. Try just changing the color of your pencils and listen to the complaining

Politics aside, this will turn around eventually. You just have to ride it out. Learn to tighten the belt when you need to. There will always be a place for live entertainment. We just have to figure out how to maximize the profit potential in our own areas. I look back on my years as an entertainer and think of all the work I had to put in between shows. Learning new songs, repairing equipment, driving to the next gig, and finding a decent place to stay etc, etc. I'll take this any day of the week.