Cursing On The Microphone

[madjim- with the Lord]

Most of my singers are in their early twenties and sing songs that have curse words in them. I have to allow this in the clubs, I have no choice. I use their sound systems. I do not allow cursing in between songs or in front of children, NO EXCEPTIONS.

This issue came up tonight at a private party. They blessed the meal and had children there. It got dark and I couldn't see. A group of young guys got on the mike and started cursing. I asked them not to do it again and one guy appologized. Next thing I know they're changing the words to the song they're singing USING A CURSE WORD. I told them not to do it again and they did. I stoped the show and made it very clear that I do not allow cursing on my system.

How do you handle people that want to curse on the microphones?


Jim

[marklwood]

I allow cursing at the bar. In fact my closing song is get the F*** outta here. My state doesn't allow anyone under 21 in the bars, so I don't have problem with it. However, when I do private parties, if children are there I don't allow it. I even have a set of books with the questionable songs removed. I only do maybe 1 or 2 of these a year.

[Lonman]

Our bar does not allow in over the mic so I have to abide by that. There are reasons that go back about 12 years ago but not going to really go into it here. I have since edited my books to pull all songs with blatent cursing in them so there are no issues with them - I do not get a big outcry because these songs are not listed. Not a big deal since that system is there 7 nights a week since 92. If someone slips on the mic and says something inappropriate, it usually only takes one warning and they don't do it again, if they proceed to push it further, their mic gets shut off & are escorted off the stage.
Yes it's a bar, but many do not care to hear some drunken idiot scream/sing obscenities over the mic.

Private parties I would actually use the same approach & use my edited books. If someone asked for a particular song (not listed for content) it would be able to be done only if the circumstances & crowd allowed for it.

[swany]

If I'm playing a VFW, Legion or any other family club, it won't happen twice.
I have no control over the person with the mic the first time, I do for the second.
At my bar gigs, I ask them not to, if the song has cursing in it, I will know when it is allowed as it is my music. Most places appreciate, my style. I work a bar on Saturday, another KJ works it on Thur and Fri. The folks wanting cleaner, and mellow come on Saturday. No bar is ever totall free of it.

I try my best to control it for the place and time.

[wackyquack]

The only bar gig I do (been there every Saturday night for 5 years) does not allow it. The first time is forgiven, but after that, weather the same night or another night and the bar will not allow me to let them sing. My other gigs are at Veterans organizations and they don't allow it either.

[capnvic]

Originally Posted by swany

If I'm playing a VFW, Legion or any other family club, it won't happen twice.
I have no control over the person with the mic the first time, I do for the second.
At my bar gigs, I ask them not to, if the song has cursing in it, I will know when it is allowed as it is my music. Most places appreciate, my style. I work a bar on Saturday, another KJ works it on Thur and Fri. The folks wanting cleaner, and mellow come on Saturday. No bar is ever totall free of it.

I try my best to control it for the place and time.

I try to limit it to some songs, now some of the songs that have explicit lyrics have been pulled off my songlist. Most of the private service organizations(American Legion, VFW etc.)have policies that prohibit
profanity, and the one lounge that I have is a family restaurant first, lounge second, which means no bad words.

If someone gets out of hand, it is easy enough to press the mute button on the mixer, and let that person know that one chance is all you get, otherwise you are done for the evening period!

Plus I go over the ground rules at least a few times during the night. So noone can say I didn't warn you.

[TheMusicGeek]

I’m not the profanity police. I have nearly 42,000 songs and, unfortunately I don’t know the lyrics to all of them. If I am working a club then it’s an over 21 crowd anyway. If the management wants a customer to stop then they can tell them that. If a private party has an issue with what their guests are singing then I politely inform them that there is no rating system on the karaoke disks. I then offer them the microphone to inform THEIR guests of any rules they may have.

[goonie227]

Early evening no Cursing later depends who is there
my regs. like Who the f**k is Alice and I like to close with Take Your Drunken A** Home. But only with permision.

Dick

[bryant]

Originally Posted by goonie227

I like to close with Take Your Drunken A** Home. But only with permision.

Dick

Dick,
Who sings that and where is it available. I can't seem to locate it anywhere, what manufacturer is it?

[TheMusicGeek]

Originally Posted by bryant

Dick,
Who sings that and where is it available. I can't seem to locate it anywhere, what manufacturer is it?

Not Dick, but the song I think he is talking about was by Big Al Carson. Written on the fly one night when a drunk wasen't willing to leave the bar.

I don't know of it ever being released in Karaoke though.

[bobcox- with the Lord]

If the words are in the song OK.
but, if it is not in song, i will warn them one time and than cut them off and they are done for the night.
and never if there are kids there.
the bar has their rules and i have mine.

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by bobcox

If the words are in the song OK.
but, if it is not in song, i will warn them one time and than cut them off and they are done for the night.
and never if there are kids there.
the bar has their rules and i have mine.

We are on the same page here!

Jim

[capnvic]

I would like to give my singers the benefit of the doubt. I have never had any incidents with my regulars. Trouble generally comes from outside. in that case then I have been given authority by the establishments I work at to send those back outside. Thank god I haven't had to throw someone out.

Having fun is one thing, but at everyone's expense, well thats another thing...

[dan matney]

I work all the time in a bar, but it is a good bar, the songs I have problems with are the pussy cat song and the rodeo song, and guess who always wants to sing it the bar tender, she wants to sing it first I have watched as several people will leave everytime she does it, I talked to her she got mad at me but the bottom line is money for the bar, if you can make them money yours will follow, I will allow some of this, late night when there are just kids there but never do I allow them to just pick up the mic and start there stuff, I have told the bar that they have the right to bar people from the bar, but I always tell them I maintain the right to bar anyone from singing, if they dont respect the crowd or my equipment, they are done.
kowboys

[KaraokeDj38030]

Originally Posted by dan matney

I work all the time in a bar, but it is a good bar, the songs I have problems with are the pussy cat song and the rodeo song,
kowboys

Ok I can understand The Rodeo song being a problem with the F word Being the main word in the song however how is the pussy cat song a problem there is no cussing in this song It is about a Cat. Suggestive yes but only to those who have a dirty mind and no concept of the words in the song so all they hear is the semi dirtiness of the song.
One of my most reqested songs by our promising Redneck Customers and Yes being in The Heart of Tennessee I have rednecks. I love my Rednecks don't get me wrong if a song has a cruse word in it I don't mind however during Privite parties I do Not allow any of these songs and have had children ask can I do this song And when they are denyed!!!!they have asked why I tell them would your mother or father let you say these words normally and would you do it in front of them. They normally say no and choose a different song.

[dan matney]

I dont have kids in the bars that I play at, but their are some pretty good people there, and they are personally offended with this song, maybe they are pinky up people but they bring a lot of money into the bar. I cater to the bar what ever makes them money so if a song is offenive to these people and they tell me if we do this song we will leave guess what, I aint gonna play this song. Everything has money as a bottom line, and me too, not money for me but the bar. If it is going to cause the bar Im in to loose some bucks I get away from it. Im always very opologetic witht he people who want to sing the songs but money is money. bottom line.
Dan

[KaraokeDj38030]

Dan,
I meant no disrespect towards you and I am sorry if you took it as such I was just in shock that people would find that as an offensive song, My apologies. In some venues I understand that it would be tasteless for somebody to sing it, but in other curcimstance I Don't see anything wrong with trying to get a laugh out of the crowd with something off the wall Like the pussycat song. But like I said before I live in Redneckville and they find farting funny if you know what I mean and I have played at places where I wouldn't dare let this or many other songs be played(Country Clubs, VFW'S, Moose Logdes, Eagle's Clubs)

Most of the bars around here would find hip hop offensive if I played it during a break where others would welcome it. In Closing yes it all depends on your venue if you allow certian songs or not.

Bottom line on that is If the bar doesn't make any money because of your chioce of music then you make no money. I have no problem keeping a full venue and the customers coming back for more. It is the customer that makes us not us that make the customer.

[dan matney]

Im so sorry for sounding like you offend me little girl, you did not offend me at all I was just trying to explain how and when I allowed this stuff to go on, to tell you the truth I was not upset for people playing this song at all, but one week I was asked not to allow someone to do this song, I thought about it and the person put it in and I let her sing it and watched as about a dozen or more people left it made me think about it for a week and I decided that it is not worth making one person happy to sing anything they wanted while, making the other people unhappy and the bar loose money. Im trying to correct and rate songs in my book now, what a big job that is I rate them as I get them now but going back is big big work. Then only excption to this is fi you want to come and sing for me, I would let you do what ever you wanted....L

Dan

[muzicman144]

I'm just completely blown away by this discussion. I'm not a prude by no means, been doing this for amost forty years. I have never allowed any off color language, jokes, songs of any kind. Just don't do it. I have never heard anyone question this or complain. What's the problem. Some people just have the urge to put it "in your face". Who really cares if you don't allow someone to "have a little fun", that doesn't care what someone else thinks. I know i'll hear some flack over this, but, think about it, does allowing this make the night anymore special, or contribute to a better night of entertainment !!!!!
I think not.....
muzicman