I do four or five different venues each week, but the show format is generally the same... I arrive at least an hour before show time, to set up and test equipment for gremlins...
By then, there are a few singers chomping at the bit to get their songs in the playlist before someone else bumps them and gets the same song first ( I have an unwritten Karaoke Law : no repeats ), with a catalog of 13000 songs, I hate it when two or three people try the same song...even though I sometimes cringe when I know that the winner is not necessarily the best singer of that particular song
So generally there is a shortlist to begin the show with. ( "Come early and sing a bunch" ) I sing a song to adjust the mics and the mix... then it's always somewhat different...depending on who walks in... every show is unique, and that is what separates Dj's and Kj's from live bands... unless a band has been together for a long time... their setlist is redundant, and after you have seen them a couple of times, it becomes boring, unless they are true entertainers, and can hold and make the audience want to come back to hear the same songs, week to week...
Most of my venues are small ( 25 to 50 seats ) and can't make room for a proper stage... so I pass the mics from singer to singer at their table or chair, or ??? while leaving Hoster on automatic with a 10 second pause between singers, so I haven't needed background filler music, after the show starts... if someone is missing when it is their turn ( smoking, bathroom, bar... ) I humorously castigate them, or skip to the next singer after a short pause ( first time I place them next, the second time, they wait for the next rotation! ), no excuse with the upcoming singer(s) listed, and me wishing to keep the show running smoothly, and maintaining the best rotation, so I get as many songs in as possible.
I can adapt to any crowd, and usually have to during the night... most of my crowds are diverse, in ages and repertoire, so it keeps me hoppin' to keep up with all the requests from oldies, 80's, country, spanish, etc. I don't keep playlists, start fresh every night, only saving my regular's songlists with all venues mixed in together... like some, I have problems remembering names some times when I haven't seen them in a while ( I've been Kj'ng for about 20 yrs now) by using the singer database, I now can help trigger the brain cells to remember their name! (Oldtimers Disease
) Kinda like a bartender that can't remember names, but will have your usual drink ready for you when you sit down...then through conversation, jogs the memory and your name is recollected... or was it the creditcard that they are holding for your tab???
So keep the show entertaining, keep it moving, and a fair rotation, and you can compete with anyone! Kill'em with kindness, make them sound the best you can, and they will keep coming back... then hint to them to try a couple of different songs...
