In 2001-2002 I began singing karaoke. The hosts that ran that show took me under their wing, and taught me how to run a karaoke show. I had previous experience with live band sound, so the transition was more-or-less painless.
Since then, I have sung in a number of bars and clubs hosting a karaoke show. I enjoy singing, but running the karaoke show was always more fun for me.
The bar where I began with karaoke is the same bar I have been coming to ever since. I have seen a number of "hosts" come and go, and all of them had the same bad habits. All of them were "singers-become-kjs", and all of them brought all of their biases from the way shows had been handled by other hosts. While their complaints are not new, they all reflect the attitude that kjs are, for the most part, neglecting them, putting others up more than they are put up, etc.
Their bad habits and attitudes, along with their lack of concern for the equipment, has resulted in this bar's karaoke system becoming trashed. Add to this the fact that the current kj spends more time between singers than the singers do singing.
The owner of the bar has asked me to help him determine what is needed to rebuild his karaoke system. I have looked online, and found that the stores involved seem to be more interested in making a quick sale than they are in helping someone build a proper system for their location.
Finding this forum allows me to seek the help I need in making sure I know what is needed, without having to worry about a sales-driven attitude.
I have been reading some of the threads, and I am very happy to see that the "rules" of running a rotation are still intact. I have had many argue with me about the way a show should be run, and whether or not to allow people to "tip you" to get bumped up the list. It's good to see that the consensus of those in this forum is a resounding "NO!". I hate that practice. It plays favorites, and makes some singers feel like they are unimportant.
I will be asking questions concerning hardware and software in the next few days. Any and all help will be appreciated.
Wayne
new to this forum, returning to karaoke
