Karaoke Forums

that is what makes this so great, you can get a tidbit from this person, and one from this person, and another from that person....
wow...that sounds dirtier than i meant it.

It will only sound dirty if you use the alternative form of tidbit - the word titbit (a pleasing bit of something).

http://grammarist.com/spelling/tidbit-titbit/

And, in the words of George Carlin (from his "Class Clown" album), "It's ok if it happens to your finger. Yes, you can Prick your Finger, but don't Finger ..."

There's an easy way to weed out the unprofessional from the real entertainers:

Put a KJ in a bar with nothing more than the 10 disc set of KJ Tools and 50 songs not more than 4 years old, add a mediocre sound system and sit back and watch.

There are only a handful on this board that could make this work successfully.

You can't "train it into them" because either they have the skills or they don't.

You can't "train it into them" because either they have the skills or they don't.

I disagree with that. There are classes like Toastmasters and even standup comedy classes that one can take to hone one's hosting skills. Not to mention a host of DJ workshops at DJ conventions that work on MC skills. Also, equipment operation can be learned fairly easily, as well as rotation management. All very trainable skill sets.

This is what I do:

1) Be there early and start on time
2) Be organized with song books and song slips available when customers first show up
3) Dress appropriately and act professional
4) Mingle with guests before and during show and make a connection
5) Remember their names
6) Keep the show moving and encourage them to be prepared to sing
7) Pay very close attention to each singer, especially in the first 15 seconds
8.) Be willing to help a struggling singer get on key or in synch
9) Make all announcements clear and brief
10) Learn to read your singers and know how to interact with them on stage
11) Provide the singer with an exceptional singing environment on stage
12) Make sure that you can hear clearly what the singer is singing (not muddy)
13) Get email addresses or some sort of contact info to keep in touch with them
14) Take photos and personally send them to new guests
15) Always be willing to listen to a guest's criticism
16) Personally thank everyone for coming to your show
17) Learn to identify trouble makers and act quickly to squelch them
18) Have fun and look like you are having fun
19) Encourage the audience to get involved when appropriate
20) Offer a free drink to change a slow song to a fast dance song
21) Don't sing in every rotation unless needed
22) Speak clearly and loudly when calling singers up
23) Singers must have their song turned in before stepping foot on stage
24) Allow song changes anytime before stepping foot on stage, but not after
25) Be willing to do a "restart" when needed
26) Be fair and consistent with all aspects of your show

Notice I said nothing about equipment or music because they are givens

A professional is someone who earns the bulk of their living by whatever they do, be it karaoke host, doctor, lawyer, carpenter, artist, etc.

I disagree with that. There are classes like Toastmasters and even standup comedy classes that one can take to hone one's hosting skills. Not to mention a host of DJ workshops at DJ conventions that work on MC skills. Also, equipment operation can be learned fairly easily, as well as rotation management. All very trainable skill sets.

I disagree with that. There are classes like Toastmasters and even standup comedy classes that one can take to hone one's hosting skills. Not to mention a host of DJ workshops at DJ conventions that work on MC skills. Also, equipment operation can be learned fairly easily, as well as rotation management. All very trainable skill sets.

When it comes to "Professional" now we're talkin' my specialty.

1) Havin a good SC library of songs in all genres is a must. Just because you're in a country bar, doesn't mean someone may want to sing a rock n roll song.

50 songs not more than 4 years old , wouldn't work for my crowd, they're old geezers like me and like old country, and southern rock . I could see my Marty Robbins singer trying to sing a pop hit, or a luke bryan song.

Preface - When I booked this gig back in October, I didn't have a day job AND I had a host who was booked to cover this gig.
Fast forward to tonight - the night of the gig - and I have been in a new day job for a month (that I have to get up for in 5 hours) and the host that was supposed to cover this gig, couldn't. Also, the Seattle Seahawks weren't scheduled to play tonight until last week. Traffic sucked <span style=font-size:10px><i>(@$%&#!)</i></span>.

What makes a karaoke host a "professional".....

Show up about 15 mins later than I wanted to be there, only to find out the venue has no parking or even a loading zone (near South Lake Union in Seattle. Right next to what we call "The Mercer Mess")
Double park, haul gear inside and stack it next to elevator
Ask 20 something year old waiter to keep an eye on things while I move my truck two blocks away and hoof it back
Move gear from 1st floor to second floor. (yea elevator!)
Setup PA system and sound check mics
Go to set up laptops......no where to be found.
I know I brought them in but I run back to my truck to make sure. (run is a stretch...)
Walk briskly back to the venue....pissed off....but brainstorming.
Notify venue manager and ask them to track down the waiter who was supposed to have watched my gear.
Make post to local karaoke FB forum asking for help and call friendly competitor.
No response from FB and friendly competitor is too far away to assist in time.
Locate event coordinator for the company I am doing event for and casually ask if they have a laptop I can borrow.
They do, but it doesn't have a power supply.....BUT! It's fully charged!
Fiddle at rig a little while trying to spot the venue manager or the waiter.
Event Coordinator returns with laptop.
Go to download Karma (find out new version is available) download latest version.
Install Karma BUT get prompted for Visual C++ 2012 Run Time which is a pretty clear sign that it will need additional Windows Updates
Launch Karma.....crash.
Singer approaches.....Can I put a song in yet?
Of course!....whip out paper pad and pen.....write it down with a smile and send her on her way.
Remove Karma, download previous version, install, launch, crash!
Singer approaches.....How do I sign up?.....grab Pad, write down info, smile, send them on their way.
Remove Karma, download version prior to that, install, crash!
"Do you have 'Last Christmas' by Wham?"
Of course I do! (I don't have <span style=font-size:10px><i>(@$%&#!)</i></span>!)...grab pad, write down info, smile, send them on their way, wipe sweat off brow.
Remove Karma.....freaking out just a little.....decide to go all the way back to version 2009.11.9....the old XML storage based version AND the version I started with when I decided to start doing karaoke.
Download 6 year old version of Karma, install, launch....no crash!
It's now 5 mins after scheduled start, but the CEO is still doing CRAZY announcements (I mean he is running all over the place, screaming, so I am having to adjust levels and compression all while freaking out that I still don't have any karaoke music.
By this time I have 8 people on my list that have come up during all this insanity.
Start adding them to list and hit the 3 person Trial limit on Karma.

sidenote.....earlier this year, I made a decision to never buy another Karaosoft product every again after Bob berated me in email for a question I asked. The only exception to this is songbookslive.com because it is a subscription.

So I decide to just run my rotation off the notepad.
Start buying and downloading tracks that have been signed up for through Karaoke Version
CEO rambles crazily and goes over his time by 45 minutes.

I was only 5 minutes late, but honestly, the CEO rambling gave me time to compose myself, be pissed off and calm down about the laptops, talk to the venue manager about the laptops, find out they have NO video cameras, be pissed off again, then say F it because I am still going to run a show.

CEO wraps up, and I kick things off.

Over the course of the next two hours, I am buying on the fly, working my <span style=font-size:10px><i>(@$%&#!)</i></span> off, but still having a great time. I also buy 23 tracks that I already have multiple versions of and don't need for any system. I picked them all up from Karaoke Version. They had every track but one that was requested. I don't recall the name of the track and I packed my notepad with all my gear.

Remember how I said the borrowed laptop had no power cord but a full charge?
My definition of a full charge is that it says at least 99% when you hover over the battery icon.

65% was reality.

During the CEO ramble, I also flipped to power saving and shut down a bunch of stuff to prolong battery life.
We ran it until it died with ~30 seconds left on Piano Man....the scheduled last song of the night anyway.
I faded in the filler music (forgot to mention I used my phone for both filler music and as a WiFi hotspot for downloading on the fly)
apologized for the technical difficulty, wished everyone a good night, and started playing upbeat dance music.

The event coordinator approached and told me I did a fantastic job, everyone had a great time, and.......
Hey! Is that the waiter that was supposed to watch my gear that got stolen?!!!!??!?!?!
I excuse myself, stomp over, he sees me coming, and.....

"Dude! Your laptops are in the office! My girlfriend called bitching me out about................(too busy sustaining a smile while fuming inside to hear much of anything else)................blah blah blah....so I put your laptops in the office 'cuz you were gone for so long (I had to park 2 F'ing blocks away!!!!!!!).
<still smiling but wanting to punch him in the throat> "No Worries! We made it work, you mind grabbing them real quick?"
Head back to rig to break down.
Event coordinator approaches again (I forgot about her).
I offer to discount the event because of the late start and the laptop issue (decide not to trouble her with my discovery the laptops had been located)
She flat out refuses stating again the wonderful time they all had.
I insist, she refuses, I again insist, she again refuses. I give in....
Pull out my PayPal card swiper (awesome device btw), plug into phone, and take her credit card info.
She then asks me to accept a tip, which I flat out refused to accept.
We go back and forth a little, before she gives in.
We chat a little, then I get back to breaking down.
The waiter comes back with the laptops. I still want to punch him in the throat.....but I smile and thank him anyway.
Casual chatter with people from the venue as I break down, still pissed off about the laptops, but getting over it because.....I have my laptops!

I get everything to the elevator area, slowly walk to my car two blocks away, drive it over to the venue, double park again, get it loaded up.

As I am making my final sweep, the event coordinator approaches with the CEO in tow.

CEO - "I hear you are refusing to accept a tip?"
ME - "Yes sir. There were techn......"
CEO - "Not acceptable. Here. <puts a $100 bill in my hand> Don't argue with me. We had a great time. You deserve it"
Shakes my hand.

We small talk a little and then I am finally out.
35 min drive home.
Hear on the radio that the Seahawks won.
It ended up being a pretty damn good night.

------------------------------------------------

The list of songs I bought on the fly are below. They were requested and performed in reverse order of posting.

Piano Man Billy Joel
I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor
Use Me Bill Withers
I Believe In A Thing Called Love The Darkness
Ain't No Mountain High Enough Michael McDonald
Tighten Up The Black Keys
Ride On AC/DC
Some Days You Gotta Dance Dixie Chicks
Higher Creed
I Want It That Way Backstreet Boys
Don't Stop Believing (Small Town Girl) Journey
Paradise City Guns N' Roses
Paradise By The Dashboard Light Meat Loaf in duet with Ellen Foley
How To Save A Life The Fray
Sunday Morning Coming Down Johnny Cash
Unchained Melody The Righteous Brothers
Space Oddity David Bowie
La Bamba Ritchie Valens
All I Want For Christmas Is You Mariah Carey
Bad Romance Lady Gaga
Stay (I Missed You) Lisa Loeb And Nine Stories
Take Me Home, Country Roads John Denver
Last Christmas Wham!

Impressive recovery. I would have had a cow when my laptop's disappeared.

I always scout out a new venue before I play, but I'm just a single rigger.

Hehe I actually had a nightmare about the whole event overnight. I don't recommend to anyone to attempt running a corporate holiday event with no laptop (or disc player) and no karaoke music.

I normally do scout out, and the original host did. But when they were unable to cover, I had no way of checking it out before hand. To be fair, I have been to the location a few times over the past few years, but it is under new ownership, different name, and there has been a lot of construction and roadwork in the area since I was last there.

I knew parking would be a <span style=font-size:10px><i>(@$%&#!)</i></span>, but I didn't know it would be non-existent. And no loading zone? How do they accept deliveries? The place is huge so I know they have semi's that deliver for them.

Just be thankful it wasn't in Florida in July. I'm not sure anyone could have made it through what you did plus heat and humidity. Great job Chris!!