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[Rickyokie]

I have to agree with danny. I have always used and love the slip method. For me it is the only way to go.

It is easier for me to use slips so I can keep the rotation clean and regularly toss out singers that leave the club without having to black out a list.
I also never use bumper music, I do and expect my employees to have at least 2-3 CDG's out and ready to go when the song ends, you should have already double checked the Number and the Title of the song against the CDG you pulled out...so there is No dead air! if it is wrong fix it, don't skip them or call them up to fix it, unless you just can't figure it out!
You should have already pushed eject at the song end Before you do anything else and as you are congratulating the previous singer, the next CDG is going into the player, you call up the next singer as it is queing up and starting ..if need be, you can always pause it to wait for the singer, I USAULLY don't as I use it to get them off their Butts! Push play, Tops this should take 15 seconds, unless you have to wait for the next singer, ...then put the CDG you just used away, and pull out the next one.

My rotation works like this: My shows all start at 9:30. Song
books are out at 9:15 and not before, so I am not harrased while setting up the equipment.
I will usually have 6-10 slips turned in by the time I actually start the show. I will mark the first one with a BIG 1 and go from there.
I put New singers at the END of the line untill 11pm. AFTER 11pm all new singers are introduced into the line from wherever we are in line at 11pm, and every other song after that, (NEW singer...Old singer)untill you reach the first new singer you put in at 11. By then most have sung 1 time if not twice anyways.

By this time the rotation is about 45 minutes to an hour or more, depending on the night. I always tell the NEW singers that get there after 11, that it will be an Hour before they get to sing again!
So now I have 2 1/2 hrs left. I will play like this with 20-30 singers untill 1am...Then at 1am I put ALL the BOOKS away and put the slips away. I keep out My Business cards and Broshures AND THAT IS IT ..NO MORE REQUESTS!! This gives me a chance to take care of the people that have spent the better part of the night with ME, and Bar hoppers that show up at 1am or later DO NOT GET TO SIGN UP AT ALL...EVER!

I did this because of the fact that I did at one time always let new people sing no matter what time it was, untill 1:30 But even some of my regulars would take advantage of it and barhop, then show up at 1 or 1:30 and expect me to let them sing!
It made me crazy!! SO, I took drastic measures and devised this way of operating my rotations. I have been doing this now for 8 years and I have not had to many people complain, unless they were already drunk, ...well I didn't want them to spit all over my Mic anyways, so it didn't matter if they got too upset.

One thing you have to understand though, is that MY shows deal with 70% of my clientele being College crowd, NOT middle age or older $6.50 a drink sippers, these are $5.00 pitcher Drown night types. This works for me because of the people I deal with.

It take concentration and a little planning but once you do it it comes as second nature and you have to pay attention to your audience as to who is who. This is a really BIG part of the show. People love it when they walk up to hand you a slip and you address them by name BEFORE they give you their slip.
"He remembered me! I must have made a good impression"

I don't bump people up in line ever ...LOL even post it as such on my website if you care to look. OR take Bribes to do it. I turned down 50 bucks just last Friday!

Rickyokie