Should I even consider going back to a show that I used to do

[DanG2006]

I am lucky to be able to adapt to whatever demographic that I am put into but would rather deal with a venue that while it will allow Classic Rock wants a clean show. Personally I hate hip-hop due to the language in it. The foulest words I tolerate is when it's maybe a single time in the song that is basically the d word. If I can get through a show that has no f word or n word, I would be as happy as a pig in the mud.

[The Lone Ranger]

These were top 40 pop and rock songs. If I remember correctly the song that set the guy off was a Kiss song. I play what the people ask for. If all I had were "golden oldies" the only places I could play would be American Legions and VFWs. Plus I'd be bored out of my mind. And BTW, I am a baby boomer.

There was an ancient Chinese general Sun Tsu who once said "know yourself and know your enemy and in 100 battles you will never be defeated". Why some generals are never beaten is because they refuse to do battle when they know they can't win. They wait for the right moment and when the odds are in their favor. It's all a matter of picking the right venue for you. What is called for in some venues is the Golden Oldies approach. It all depends on what your target market is. If I were hiring the act for the post I wouldn't have chosen you since you are not the right fit for that type of job. BTW not all baby boomer's are as hip or enlightened as you are, that doesn't mean what you are doing is wrong, it just means it wasn't the right gig for your type of show. Every host is different and what works for one venue doesn't work for another. What will fill up one venue will empty another. If it turned out that a venue wasn't right for me I let the owner know and we parted friends.

[The Lone Ranger]

I am lucky to be able to adapt to whatever demographic that I am put into but would rather deal with a venue that while it will allow Classic Rock wants a clean show. Personally I hate hip-hop due to the language in it. The foulest words I tolerate is when it's maybe a single time in the song that is basically the d word. If I can get through a show that has no f word or n word, I would be as happy as a pig in the mud.

Good man Danny the exceptional host can take a lemon venue and make lemonade out of it. Sometimes it takes more work but the feeling you did something no one else could do is a reward in itself. My favorite type of a situation was a venue where karaoke had never worked before, and to see if I could figure out why, and see if I could make it work, sort of like making a garden out of a desert. I had a very good track record the only time I couldn't make it happen is when the venue itself worked against it's own best interests.

[wiseguy]

I am lucky to be able to adapt to whatever demographic that I am put into but would rather deal with a venue that while it will allow Classic Rock wants a clean show. Personally I hate hip-hop due to the language in it. The foulest words I tolerate is when it's maybe a single time in the song that is basically the d word. If I can get through a show that has no f word or n word, I would be as happy as a pig in the mud.

Without going to the extreme end of the vulgarity scale, such as rap songs with explicit lyrics, how would you adapt to someone telling you that you could not play songs by let's say Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Led Zepplin, or Poison even though they are the type of songs getting the most requests, simply because someone in charge only wants to hear the oldies from their generation? This is not some far fetched scenario but actually quite common at some venues.

[wiseguy]

BTW not all baby boomer's are as hip or enlightened as you are, that doesn't mean what you are doing is wrong, it just means it wasn't the right gig for your type of show. Every host is different and what works for one venue doesn't work for another. What will fill up one venue will empty another. If it turned out that a venue wasn't right for me I let the owner know and we parted friends.

I don't consider myself to be especially "hip or enlightened" but rather open to the musical preferences of others. I would never deny someone the right to sing the type of song they like regardless of how I feel about it. I've been a bar owner so I've approached entertainment from both sides. These club leaders, and the American Legion is really no different than a private club, who like to control everything to their personal preferences are nothing but selfish jerks. It's not that the venue was not right for me because the crowd was large and having a great time.

[The Lone Ranger]

Without going to the extreme end of the vulgarity scale, such as rap songs with explicit lyrics, how would you adapt to someone telling you that you could not play songs by let's say Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Led Zepplin, or Poison even though they are the type of songs getting the most requests, simply because someone in charge only wants to hear the oldies from their generation? This is not some far fetched scenario but actually quite common at some venues.

Depends all on the venue wiseguy. Having worked VFW's, American Legions, Elks, Moose, and Eagles I can tell you that artists you have listed aren't requested. It is more Elvis, Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elton John, Cat Stevens, Doors, Rolling Stones, Neil Diamond, Garth Brooks, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, classic 50's, 60's, 70's and some 80's.

[The Lone Ranger]

I don't consider myself to be especially "hip or enlightened" but rather open to the musical preferences of others. I would never deny someone the right to sing the type of song they like regardless of how I feel about it. I've been a bar owner so I've approached entertainment from both sides. These club leaders, and the American Legion is really no different than a private club, who like to control everything to their personal preferences are nothing but selfish jerks. It's not that the venue was not right for me because the crowd was large and having a great time.

Don't get me wrong wiseguy there are plenty of politics that go on in private clubs, everyone is trying to push one agenda or another, with little regard to really trying to make the enterprise successful. A skilled host that works in such an environment has to be able to pick up on subtle hints and know how to navigate around potential problems and diffuse them before they become issues. While there are selfish jerks everywhere knowing how to out smart them is the key to success in some venues.

[wiseguy]

Without going to the extreme end of the vulgarity scale, such as rap songs with explicit lyrics, how would you adapt to someone telling you that you could not play songs by let's say Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Led Zepplin, or Poison even though they are the type of songs getting the most requests, simply because someone in charge only wants to hear the oldies from their generation? This is not some far fetched scenario but actually quite common at some venues.

Depends all on the venue wiseguy. Having worked VFW's, American Legions, Elks, Moose, and Eagles I can tell you that artists you have listed aren't requested. It is more Elvis, Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elton John, Cat Stevens, Doors, Rolling Stones, Neil Diamond, Garth Brooks, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, classic 50's, 60's, 70's and some 80's.

Actually, those I mentioned are some of the very artists that were being requested at the Legion when that incident occurred. When I get called to do these places it's because they are having some type of event where not only the members but friends and family of the members are invited. Usually, at least half the crowd is under 30 years old and the younger people tend to turn in more song requests.

[wiseguy]

Don't get me wrong wiseguy there are plenty of politics that go on in private clubs, everyone is trying to push one agenda or another, with little regard to really trying to make the enterprise successful. A skilled host that works in such an environment has to be able to pick up on subtle hints and know how to navigate around potential problems and diffuse them before they become issues. While there are selfish jerks everywhere knowing how to out smart them is the key to success in some venues.

With thousands of shows at virtually any type of venue you can imagine under my belt I consider myself a skilled karaoke host. There's nothing subtle about some fool who has to have his way regardless of what his entire crowd is enjoying. When you say something like "you will like working at the Legion post better than any bar" you should qualify this by adding "if you're willing to cow down to those who place their own preferences over what the crowd wants".

I do my karaoke shows for the crowd. My job is to read that crowd and do what it takes to make sure they are enjoying themselves. I take NO direction from bar owners or managers that would conflict with that. The key to success is not tiptoeing around some egocentric morons. It is putting the crowd first at all times.

[The Lone Ranger]

Actually, those I mentioned are some of the very artists that were being requested at the Legion when that incident occurred. When I get called to do these places it's because they are having some type of event where not only the members but friends and family of the members are invited. Usually, at least half the crowd is under 30 years old and the younger people tend to turn in more song requests.

My crowds were usually older with hardly any people under 30 years old. Then again every area of the country is different, one of the reasons I settled in Hemet Ca is because of a very large retirement community that was willing to accept the type of show I did. My point is given the location it was and is perfect for a Golden Oldies type show.

[The Lone Ranger]

With thousands of shows at virtually any type of venue you can imagine under my belt I consider myself a skilled karaoke host. There's nothing subtle about some fool who has to have his way regardless of what his entire crowd is enjoying. When you say something like "you will like working at the Legion post better than any bar" you should qualify this by adding "if you're willing to cow down to those who place their own preferences over what the crowd wants".

I do my karaoke shows for the crowd. My job is to read that crowd and do what it takes to make sure they are enjoying themselves. I take NO direction from bar owners or managers that would conflict with that. The key to success is not tiptoeing around some egocentric morons. It is putting the crowd first at all times.

With 20 years of hosting experience behind me and thousands of shows I consider myself also skilled. The difference is I specialized and shaped my show to fit a target market, baby boomers. I didn't feel I had to kow tow, since me and the crowd I was hired to play for were on the same page. There was no need to push the envelope or cause a confrontation. I always saw my job as working with the venue owners and the staff to create the type of karaoke show that they hired me to do. They knew what kinda of a show I did and that is why most of my work was referral and I really didn't have to canvass for jobs. When my business was going full tilt I was working six days a week. Even today I get calls to come back to work but I enjoy being retired.

[wiseguy]

With 20 years of hosting experience behind me and thousands of shows I consider myself also skilled. The difference is I specialized and shaped my show to fit a target market, baby boomers. I didn't feel I had to kow tow, since me and the crowd I was hired to play for were on the same page. There was no need to push the envelope or cause a confrontation. I always saw my job as working with the venue owners and the staff to create the type of karaoke show that they hired me to do. They knew what kinda of a show I did and that is why most of my work was referral and I really didn't have to canvass for jobs. When my business was going full tilt I was working six days a week. Even today I get calls to come back to work but I enjoy being retired.

We simply have a different view of a karaoke entertainment business. I've played at a state fair, county fairs, and street fairs. I've hosted large karaoke contests and performed for audiences of thousands of people. None of this would have been possible if I limited myself to any certain genre or niche. Anyone who hires me is made to understand that I play for the crowd, not the management. Unfortunately, there are times when the person who hires you is not the only person in charge of the venue.

Now you may be exactly the type of karaoke host that a private club manager wants. But I can assure you that if you would have shown up at the American Legion I've been referring to with only oldies you would have made the management happy while watching the crowd walk out the door. I know that Dan is a classic rock guy. I think you are off base to suggest that he "will like working at the Legion post better than any bar" unless he's lucky enough to find one that will let him play his type of music.

There is one good thing about American Legion, VFWs, etc.. They have really cheap drinks.

[The Lone Ranger]

Thankfully we could both succeed even if our ways of supplying the hosting service is different. That is why there are different hosts that match with certain venues better than others. It always works best when the fit is good just like shoes or a suit of clothes. Not that far off base it seems like Dan can adept easily to situations, sometimes that is the key to survival.

[DanG2006]

I now have one night under my belt. Went ok. Seemed to be a Southern Rock crowd because every Southern Rock song that I played was met with all right. I played about 5 DJ songs at the end of the show.

[The Lone Ranger]

I now have one night under my belt. Went ok. Seemed to be a Southern Rock crowd because every Southern Rock song that I played was met with all right. I played about 5 DJ songs at the end of the show.

I would take ok for first night out, after all you are getting use to them and they are adjusting to you. Is it an older or a younger crowd? DJ at the end, does that mean the singers went home early, what time did you pack it up? Also how full was the bar?