Can someone please yell me why there are still KJs (not Karaoke Hosts) that actually sit in a chair and say "next". I see them, they last about 2 weeks, and they're gone ( with the exception of shore resort KJs who just replace last week's renters with this week's). They still don't get it? One venue has been thru 5 in 5 weeks, but still won't hire a real host.....
Next....Next....Next....
- Thread starter JoeChartreuse
- Start date
Probably because they aren't willing to pay for a real host... they want cheap.... and they get it. But, they will never really get it.
"You mean you want to get paid for your personality, too? Geez, I don't think we have enough in the till for that!"
What's that saying: "You get what you pay for?" And, yet, lots of bar owners and managers still think they can hire a 21-year-old who'll work for beer and really host a karaoke show.
I suppose they're the same ones who hire whomever off the street to bartend and wonder why they lose business. "What, you want your drink faster than 15 minutes after you walked in?" (When you have ten people in the whole bar.)
What's that saying: "You get what you pay for?" And, yet, lots of bar owners and managers still think they can hire a 21-year-old who'll work for beer and really host a karaoke show.
I suppose they're the same ones who hire whomever off the street to bartend and wonder why they lose business. "What, you want your drink faster than 15 minutes after you walked in?" (When you have ten people in the whole bar.)
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Soup Nazi baby!Joe, you mean there are guys/gals that actually do this? jees!!!!!
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The real kicker is when the venue decides that "karaoke doesn't work here".
Can't even tell you how many times I have heard that.
When in reality it is that great saying, You get what you pay for.
Can't even tell you how many times I have heard that.
When in reality it is that great saying, You get what you pay for.
That's true many don't realize that a good show is more than calling the next singer or for that matter announcing things like:
Johns up
Nicky is on deck
and Tom you’re in the hole....
You have to interact with your singers and you can't do that sitting behind your equipment... you need to be up and out in the audience. If you are PC based this is easier to do. With automated rotations and singer loading being done by the singers the karaoke host is free to make rounds around the bar getting to know their singers and non-singers... building the repoire needed to build a following that in turn brings more business. It is a fallacy to think you have to be behind your equipment to look as though you are working.... the bar owners will see the interaction with their customers and know you are working them and ultimately keeping them in their establishment longer.... the KJ that just stands behind his system lazily announcing the singers stands less of a chance of building that much needed repoire.
....and THAT'S the thing that get's me. It's not losing out to another host, it's losing a possible venue because of the impression left by the crappy KJ. The reason they think "it won't work here" is because they NEVER HAD it (really) there...
Everyone's a comedian....
There are exceptions of course, and I know you are one of them. However, 1) Your customer base (Asian) enjoy their karaoke in a style different from most non-Asian shows, and 2) judging by the strength of personality that you project into your posts and your love of your work, I'm certain you do not spend your nights mouthing a monotonous "next".....I'm figuring You Da Bomb O Da Booth...I mean, ya know, for a computer guy.....
Okay, so who came in on my show and watched me without saying "aloha"?
I do say the on deck and in the hole sometimes.... but I do mouth off more than most host I have seen.... but I don't get out into the crowd as much as I should,,, not being computer based, that is, not being a KJ who is just waiting for the crash! LOL
I do say the on deck and in the hole sometimes.... but I do mouth off more than most host I have seen.... but I don't get out into the crowd as much as I should,,, not being computer based, that is, not being a KJ who is just waiting for the crash! LOL
Everyone's a comedian....
Oh mo contrair, Gaijin's have invaded my club since 1995 and our first purchase of DKK. Owners are still Japanese, and we still have Japanese nights (tues-weds) but most of our sales come from drunken college co-eds letting frat boys take jello shots out of their naval.
KJ's "Are" the show, its to bad that they are only hosting like robots instead of entertainers. It would be nice for the club owners to try to encourage the shows also, it makes them more revenue as well as the KJ making more money by being an entertaining host as well. Lets hope the hosts that are entertaining are getting paid the best possible salary to encourage others to work hard too.
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I really disagree with that notion... Singers are the show, KJ's are just there to facilitate the show.
What exactly do you mean....
When I go to a karaoke bar the last thing I want to see is the KJ singing in every round or singing duets with other singers whether requested to or not... this should be avoided. The KJ is there to facilitate the singers that have come out to spend money in the bar. Any KJ that is singing more than say once or twice in an evening is taking up valuable singing time from the paying patrons.
Doing stand-up routines between singers whether imprompto or not is also a waste of time... you can announce singer rotations as songs are ending and begining why waste time by stoping a song to do your "routine". People are there to entertain themselves with their singing abilities or lack thereof.
Back to topic...
For some KJ's it is hard to not hide behind their equipment barking next... some lack the skill to operate their equipment properly or are maybe afraid of being seen who knows for sure.
Software such as AutOKdj goes a long way to giving the Karaoke host a way to get away from his equipment and into the crowd. With intelligent rotation handling and singer kiosk capabilities almost quite literally the host can just press play and keep handing the mic to the next singer... and with special displays the singers know when they will be up without all the announcements of who's next, who's on deck or who's in the hole. Does this baton style of karaoke work for every host in every situation.... maybe not. But, it has been proven to work.
Heh I didn't want to get into all that with him JW , but since we've segwayed the topic a bit..
What we've been preaching about baton technique for the last couple years is true. We don't have to plug our soft evertime we mention it, basically it can be done with most softwares. If you're disk based, maybe you can do it with the help of an assistant, I dunno.
Everyone in this thread should try baton technique for a few nights, and report back your crowd response. I'm a believer that it works in all situations.
, but since we've segwayed the topic a bit..What we've been preaching about baton technique for the last couple years is true. We don't have to plug our soft evertime we mention it, basically it can be done with most softwares. If you're disk based, maybe you can do it with the help of an assistant, I dunno.
Everyone in this thread should try baton technique for a few nights, and report back your crowd response. I'm a believer that it works in all situations.
I think I understood (maybe?) what Mikey V was trying to say.
Yes, the singers are definitely the show, but a good KJ adds to the show the same way a dull or plain bad KJ kills it. It's all in their skill to "facilitate" the singers, flow, rotation and adjust to any crowd. In that respect, they are "the show" the same way a bad director can kill a good script.
Yes, the singers are definitely the show, but a good KJ adds to the show the same way a dull or plain bad KJ kills it. It's all in their skill to "facilitate" the singers, flow, rotation and adjust to any crowd. In that respect, they are "the show" the same way a bad director can kill a good script.
I agree with Layleigh,,,, and I hope that is what Mikey meant.... I don't sing, but I feel that me being me, mouthing off, interacting with people, being fun am a large part of the "show"
If a KJ is just bringing people up, then yeah, why not have the bar buy a automated system and lose the cost of a KJ?
It's great that the KJ is working the crowd during songs, but some personality needs to be shown to make it special.
You can have a computer show drink specials, pitch the open mic on Mondays, or give the best basrtender on Maui a plug, but when it comes from the KJ, to me that is also part of the "feel" of the place, part of the fun of being there....
Or I could just need another Run & Coke....
If a KJ is just bringing people up, then yeah, why not have the bar buy a automated system and lose the cost of a KJ?
It's great that the KJ is working the crowd during songs, but some personality needs to be shown to make it special.
You can have a computer show drink specials, pitch the open mic on Mondays, or give the best basrtender on Maui a plug, but when it comes from the KJ, to me that is also part of the "feel" of the place, part of the fun of being there....
Or I could just need another Run & Coke....