Drunken Karaoke?

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Saturday Dec 06, 2003

Hi RonnyD ! Hey, buddy, I'd be GLAD to be just background music. That would mean that people would talk and laugh and sort of golf-clap every once in awhile... and I could be quiet and unassuming, and mellow, for once. Nope, no such luck.
Karaoke seems to have conditioned people to EXPECT to be the show, or a major part of it. Of course I know they ARE a part of it, as the consumers of the entertainment, but now they need to BE the entertainment. I am now there not to entertain them , but to support them as entertainers, and that's something I do only for real entertainers, real musicians.
Oh, and I would encourage them to sing into my crotch-mounted karaoke mic, but even I have limits! ------>JMS

Colton · Post by **Colton** » Saturday Dec 06, 2003

encourage them to sing into my crotch-mounted karaoke mic

hahaha... that just made my day

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Tuesday Dec 09, 2003

I would like to thank the Hurricanes for the sign idea. Although I didn't make a sign, the words made for a very humorous announcement last Friday at the Hitching Post.

There I was with my HEADSET mic, on the count-in to my next song, when behold (and I DO quote): "THE KARAOKE QUEEN" interrupted me to find out if I could play HER SONG so she could sing. I stepped on the footswitch to stop my song and explained that since I am not a female impersonator, I never programmed "Me and Bobby McGee" into my show. The fact that there was no microphone didn't phase her. "C'mon, everybody knows THAT song".......at that point...I remembered THE SIGN and announced....

"ATTENTION EVERYBODY, THE KARAOKE CHAMPIONSHIPS WERE LAST NIGHT, SO SIT DOWN, SHUT UP AND LISTEN"

Not only did this work like a charm, but it got some applause and laughs from the rest of the crowd who were not in any mood for karaoke.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Tuesday Dec 09, 2003

Cool! I chickened out and didn't put up the sign, but I will next time. Don't you just love how people won't take no for an answer? I say, " I'm sorry, I don't know that one." They say, "Oh, everybody knows that one!" I'm a 190 pound, hairy, sweaty man, and this girl gets jacked because I don't know any Dixie Chicks songs? Puh-leeze!
I mean I know a lot of the old stand-by's, and while nobody really enjoys playing "Margaritaville" for the jillionth time, I won't hesitate to play it, or any song I actually know, or even can gag my way through. I'm perfectly aware that I'm there to play what they want to hear, but let's be realistic. I'd be willing to bet the Dixie Chicks don't play any of MY songs, either. I also don't play any gangsta rap, techno, opera or disco, because they don't adapt well to acoustic guitar.
All rants aside, I played the same club again this past weekend, this time with a more realistic attitude, and had a much better time of it. Sure there were the obligatory "vocalists," but this time I expected it, and resigned myself to it, and just sort of dealt with it. The headset mic deal was iffy at first... I'm used to "working" the mic for vocal dynamics and coughing,etc. Once I found the right spot for the element, it worked okay for a cheapie. (Nady HM-1 hardwired dynamic,$90.00) The crowd was a bit mellower, too. The clubowner had a bit of a discussion with Nasty Sue, and she agreed not to hassle the entertainment, and she ran out of beer money before I started anyway, so she left. I had a reasonably good time, and got paid to do so. Thanks to everyone for the advice!--->JMS

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Tuesday Dec 09, 2003

Here's an idea, if you are capable of playing sound clips through a sampling keyboard, computer, or whatever. Load up on some Simon Cowell clips and unleash them on the karaoke fools!

Nothing puts them in their place like the good ol'

YouAreTrulyTheWorstSingerWhoHasEverLived.wav,

or the dreaded

ThisMayBeYourDreamButItIsTrulyANightmareForTheRestOfUs.wav

Those aren't links, by the way. You tried to click on them, didn't you? Ha! At any rate, if you have the karaoke fools, at least it means you have an audience. More often than not, we hear Craven breaking out the infamous "crickets.wav" sound.

April · Post by **April** » Wednesday Dec 10, 2003

I owe a huge apology to my friends in the band 513 and the music scene in general for perpetuating the whole karaoke-with-the-band thing.
My boy and I went to support our friends friday night during the lovely snow storm. being that we are all musicians and have jammed together lots of times the two of us sat in for a bunch of songs. at one point I jokingly made the comment in my mic that it was "karaoke night with 513". at the end of the night the bar owner comes up and tells the band that she has a great idea and it's all because of me. She wants to have a real "karaoke with 513" night and they are so lucky because she knows somebody with the lyrics to like 5000 songs they could do. she can even get the little screen to see the words on and everything! wooohooo!
SORRY ANGELO! may I rot in hell for this one.

facingwest · Post by **facingwest** » Thursday Dec 11, 2003

We've never had too many problems with people coming up and jamming with us acoustically. We played at Bailey's Circle one night and a REALLY drunk lady wanted to sing a song with us. We figured what the hell and let her. First off, she didn't know any of the words to any of the songs and when she did, she was soo off key that the people were starting to have really strange looks on their faces. I decided to help her out and sing with her. I never realized how hard it is to stay IN key whenever someone is so bad out of key. As soon as we were finished with the song, I told the crowd to give her a round of applause and it was supposed to be her que to go sit down. Well, she didn't and persisted on being the third band member of the night. We started our next song and she bumped the microphone stand, which hit me in the mouth (one of my pet peves in playing). By the end of the song she was STILL standing there and I decided to have a little conversation with her right in front of everyone. I didn't get ignorant with her, but should've. In any situation where you're in front of people, you need to try and keep your cool. What I ended up telling her is that I gave her the opportunity to sing a few songs with us and now we have to get back to our show. We basically refused to play another song until she sit down. Throughout the entire time she was up with us, her friend kept coming over trying to pull her away, which really made her mad. I'm glad she finally sit down and we went back with what we were doing. The only thing I can say about this is try and find a way once a person is on to get them to sit down without being rude.

With Retro, it's another story. heh The guys in the band know how I feel about my equipment getting damaged because of drunk assholes. I don't go and play out to take the money I make and replace/fix equipment. None of us do. I've had an $800 Roland synth fry because of beer. My Roland Midibuddy, cry baby, and tuner have been through complete hell from people stepping on them to beer being spilled on them. I had to replace a Midibuddy because of it. I've also had my guitars knocked over several times. That one took the cake for me. Currently, I've tried to think of and take every precaution, so equipment doesn't get damaged again. Instead of having individual guitar stands, I'm using one that holds 5. The way I figure, if something happens to one of them while on the stand, they're getting thugged. heh To stop the flow of people having fun isn't a good thing, so keep your gear away from them and protect it. Wireless headsets stopped people from trying to come up and sing with the band. We only have 1 mic stand set up for my talkbox and the drummer's vocal mic. Usually, people don't bother any drummer's mic because it's not easy accessable. The good thing about the talkbox is it's only used for one song and turned off the rest of the night.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Thursday Dec 11, 2003

I sure hear you about the gear damage.

One time I was playing in Duncansville. We had just set up and were sitting at a table. There were chairs stacked up behind my area. One of the patrons decides to go get some and precedes to start pulling them up over a Precision I had sitting on a stand. We offered to help him but he said he didn't need it. As soon as he said that, he clips my bass and knocks it over into the cabinet. He doesn't apologize or anything. He just runs back to his table. I run up to find that the back of my neck has been chipped. It wasn't major damage but still, you wish people would respect your gear a lot more. When you pull into a parking lot, you just don't fling your door open as far as it will go, not caring if you hit the car next to you. I think that analogy applies to gear also.

esa · Post by **esa** » Sunday Dec 14, 2003

Here's another thought...

If you know some of the regular drunken Karaokiers are going to be at your local haunt, try to catch them sober the next time you will be there. Show up to your gig early and hope you spot them. "But Esa, why would I want to do that," you might ask? Because you had the opportunity to RECORD their performance from their last drunken songfest during your show. *Muah ha ha* If nothing else, it makes great blackmail and you might just scare them off. Being realistic, it won't keep 'em away forever...but the rest of your month might be a little quieter.

Oh, it's so sweeeet to be deliciously evil sometimes...

facingwest · Post by **facingwest** » Monday Dec 15, 2003

It looks like I spoke too soon. Saturday night, we had another encounter with a drunk wanting to sing with us. Thank God the owner kept his eye on the guy and wouldn't let him come back up with us. The point that pissed me off is whenever he bumped the mic stand and of course it hit me right in the mouth. While this guy was trying to sing with me, another guy was playing harmonica in Kenny's mic. That part wasn't too bad, but whenever we're trying to do our vocal harmonies and can't do them, it stinks. Oh well, it comes with the trade. However, we had a great time and everyone was happy.