Do you move people ?

[CerealKiller]

I try to never do this but it does happen.

What do you do when someone misses their song?

I try to get them back in as soon as possible, because we have three rooms and karaoke is only in one plus sometimes they are in the bathroom.

[Lonman]

Do you move people ?

Only if they are in the way

If someone is in the bathroom/outside i'll skip them until they are back.

[goonie227]

Originally Posted by CerealKiller

I try to never do this but it does happen.

What do you do when someone misses their song?

I try to get them back in as soon as possible, because we have three rooms and karaoke is only in one plus sometimes they are in the bathroom.

Down Yes If they had to take a potty or smoke break but never up for no reason.

[horseshoe]

Sure it happend last night. The next singer had just danced some of that garbage that women always request so they can trip all over each other.

She could hardly get her breath, so I told her to just rest until I got the next singer to sing. I got an out of breath "thank you", and it worked out great.

I do it for my regulars a lot. Many times they are trying to get a drink in a crowded bar, or have to go to the little room, etc.

I have never had a real complaint about it. I don't want those folks taking my cordless mikes into the rest room with them. I'm usually the next person to use it, if they do. LOL

[bryant]

Basically, I think we all move people. It is really a question of what brings in ppl for the bar.

Plain and Simple.

[billyo]

i do that all the time, if they are not on the stage after calling them 3 x i will skipped and put them at the bottom of the list..but i usually go around while i have someone on the stage and i usually go the person next on the list and tell them they wil be up soon, or i usually announced who's up next and who's in the hole..that way if they get put in at the bottom of the list they know the reason why..

[swany]

Lot of it depends on the crowd, but I do it often and when people complain I explain myself. Early in the night I'll have maybe 4 - 6 singers and the crowd comes in around 11, some of my regular crowd I'll call up out of line and work them in. By 11 the earlies have sang quite a few songs and they understand working it some of their friends, unless there is a large crowd that don't sing. I then take my 4-6 singers for a round play 5 dj request songs then do another round. When the Karaoke crowd gets in around 11 then I only take one or two request songs depending on how good the singers are and if they are chasing out the listeners. I do get a few disgruntled people once in a while when I do this, but so far not many. At 61 I could always say I lost track but I won't lie to my people.

[bryant]

That makes good sense swany, that's sort of what I end up doing most of the time.

Last night, however, the bar owner pulled me aside and said "See that guy over there, he's really terrible, last night he sang too often, any way you can work around him a bit, do, please, he's awful?

[swany]

Originally Posted by bryant

That makes good sense swany, that's sort of what I end up doing most of the time.

Last night, however, the bar owner pulled me aside and said "See that guy over there, he's really terrible, last night he sang too often, any way you can work around him a bit, do, please, he's awful?

I have taken a couple like that, that are terrible the way they sing though they could be good singers if they would quit trying to be an opera singer hitting high notes. Set them up in my garage on an off day, let them sing their favorite tunes and recorded them. Then had them sing their favorite tunes my way and they seen the light. I do wish I had time to do this with them all but alas. Real easy way bury the "awful" singer is to put them in rotation between two of your better singers and follow that up with the best singer you have. Though this means scrambling the order, and mayhaps some disgruntled comments, it seems to work entertainment wise. We have a bar that has few people in early in the night, and the earlies have three singers that you know sound like hades, but are regulars and good people. I try to mix them up with the better singers and don't let them sing one after another. Often I'll mix them with DJ music to break it up, I've seen people leave that would have otherwise stayed if I let the karaoke singers sing one after another. When the ask why I take DJ breaks in between the answer is easy, "I have 4 singers including me and 30 people in here that came to eat and they request songs so I play them, take a break and we'll get back to karaoke soon." "Besides the bar hired me to do both KJ & DJ sorry" Lot of easy work arounds you have to do what works best for you.

[bryant]

Good advice again swane. That's what I try to do most of the time actually. Works well.

[CerealKiller]

Bad singers spend money too. I'm sure we all wish everyone who sang was great. I Got my current job becasue the last KJ didn't run a fair rotation. I wondered if kj's were still doing what you just said? People who Want to sing sooner are always like " But I'm Really good "
As if I ran a rotation based on talent. Its supposed to be about fun.
Not about who is good and who is bad.

Don't take this seriously Please but, Where do you work? Cause I wouldn't mind taking your job when all those bad singers complain about your unfair rotation.

I understand we all do things diffrently and you said thats how your boss wants it so I truelly am just kidding but, That makes it so much harder for all of us who run fair rotations and i needed to vent a little

[bryant]

Yeah, I know. However, that terrible singer I was speaking about had spent very little money the night before. He attends all my other shows (was 5 others a week) because he feels I have the fairest and most user friendly rotation in Maine.

I didn't bump him OUT of the lineup, was just a little cautious about early in the evening when the rotation was only 3 or 4. As I was asked to do.

Like Swany said, there are so many work arounds that what we see working best usually does.

I even spoke to the guy afterwards to explain and apologize that I couldn't seem to get him more singing.

He said in earnest "No problem at all, I had so much fun here; and later in the evening there were so many good singers, and you broke it all up nicely with a bunch of dance tunes and videos. And yes, he came back the next night, he still returns.

[bryant]

[quote=CerealKiller;65196]
Cause I wouldn't mind taking your job when all those bad singers complain about your unfair rotation.


I didn't say anything about "ALL Those Bad" singers, i was referring to ONE that would actually come early to sing more while ppl were having Dinner in a class A restaurant, he was a yeller, not a singer. And the owner brought it to my attention.
I agree as well, it's all about fun (that works 100% when you own the place and don't own it for money), but when someone else owns a place (for money) "It's all about fun" works 99% of the time.

[Lonman]

Originally Posted by CerealKiller

People who Want to sing sooner are always like " But I'm Really good "

LOL, how often have you heard this & when they actually get up & sing you're thinking "Have another drink"!

[bryant]

Or, "Everyone's been requesting that I do this pne instead, can I do it before they all leave"?

[CerealKiller]

I am so glad you guys didn't take what i said the wrong way. and I know sometimes we have to do what the owner says. I'm really lucky cause my boss doesn't come in during the time I Work. Thanks for letting me vent

[hwheeler43]

My biggest problem is with duets. I count it as both peoples turns in the rotation. Lots of times people want to sing with the most popular singers and the popular singers want to do singles. I just explain to the ones that want to do the duets that that singer has a single in and would they like to do a single in this rotation. Like others have said if someone is not present when I call them, I will skip them and try them again after the next singer. I don't have many complaints anymore now that I implemented the both turns for a duet rule. We used to let it count as a single persons turn in the rotation and people do notice when someone comes up more that they do. It can be interesting when you are juggling 20 to 30 singers.

[CerealKiller]

I Still make a duet count as one of the two peoples song But When I call them Up I Let people know who's turn it is. Sometimes I Have to Explain Why some Has Sang twice, But most People Understand. Occasionaly two People Will sing Toghether All The Time Then I usally Just give them one, Espically if its not a duet they just like top have backup. This is one point where I use my best descretion.

[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

[swany]

I get a quite a few regulars that sing duets, I just list them all as individuals and call them up knowing they will call on their friend to assist. I was asked about it by a few at different places, and they stated no one else lets people do that. I told them if you want 5 friends to come up that have songs in also it is your turn do it the way you want to, they can call their friends also. Makes no difference to me, how many singers at once as long as the rotation has single names in it. I won't let a person sing two songs in a row with backup in any rotation. Say Jim and Deb are singing a duet, but Jim has a single also and Deb has a single also. If Jim wants her in his song so be it, that was his turn that rotation Deb's turn comes up later but not right after if she wants Jim to sing with her so be it. Their choice but still they only get one turn per rotation as individuals. I have tried all ways and this seems to work the best for me.