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First Private Show

How would you handle these situations?
Sabrina59
Posts: 468
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:05 pm
Location: Arkansas

First Private Show

Post by Sabrina59 »

Hi Guys!! It's been quite.

Anyway ... I have my first private show scheduled. Any tips or pointers that you think I should know?

Thanks!!


Sabrina the Cat
Bigdog
Posts: 2937
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:15 am

Post by Bigdog »

I learned real fast that an "Only karaoke" show won't work for parties of any kind.

Plan on having regular cds with dance music from different eras. You will have to play DJ and keep them dancing during the dance sets. That means with music that has a good dance beat.

You will also have to play some slow dance sets. Maybe even country line dance songs.

Then plan on all the people that want to sing being mad while you play dance sets to keep them happy. Then plan on the dancers being mad while you play karaoke songs for the people that want to sing.

That is the main reason I stopped doing all parties and weddings.

Too much bytching from both camps. The singers never get to sing enough and the dancers don't get to dance enough.

Charge at least $100 an hour, no less. If I were to do another party it would be at $200 an hour. At that price I could handle "some" bytching.

Good Luck.
DanG2006
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Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 8:37 pm
Location: USA

Post by DanG2006 »

I got my first karaoke/DJ party coming up but am not worried because my bar shows were 70% karaoke and 30% DJ. May have to reverse that for this party though.
Bigdog
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Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:15 am

Post by Bigdog »

It's not what you want...it's what they demand.
Sabrina59
Posts: 468
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:05 pm
Location: Arkansas

Post by Sabrina59 »

I have more information now; hubby booked this party.

Apparently it is a private birthday party for a young adult at a private residence. She said they want all karaoke, no DJing.
Sabrina the Cat
Bigdog
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Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:15 am

Post by Bigdog »

That will work.

The parties I was referring to are class reunions & Christmas parties. Don't forget not everyone likes karaoke. They actually HATE it. So now they show up at the party they helped pay for and the first thing they find is something they hate as the entertainment.

They want to kill the organizers and the KJ. They are the ones that want you to play dance music all night to spare them from listening to their drunk classmates and coworkers butchering songs.

It's a no win situation. I only did one where they totally went nuts and loved it. They paid me to play over 2 hours. The rest were disasters. I wanted to kill myself by the end of the night.
mwadeson
Posts: 106
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:50 pm

Post by mwadeson »

i will do a private parties but i have a form that whoever is paying me fills out. A list of genres artists songs that they want songs and stuff they don't want ext. that way i have a good set of guidelines going in.
Bigdog
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Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:15 am

Post by Bigdog »

It still comes down to the majority of the crowd. The organizers can tell you anything they want. When the paying crowd gets there it all changes.

You can see the same reaction before every bar karaoke show. The karaoke haters hit the door 5 minutes before show time.

Now when you have people showing up to "party" that paid some money for entertainment, they flip out.
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wiseguy
Site Admin
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Location: WV

Post by wiseguy »

Now when you have people showing up to "party" that paid some money for entertainment, they flip out.
Any fool that paid for entertainment without knowing what it was going to be has no right to complain.

Whether a bar, or private party, the person who hires me can opt for karaoke only, DJ only, or a mixture of both. They are going to get whatever they choose and I don't give a damn about anyone who doesn't like it.

You will NEVER please everyone and there's no sense in worrying about it. Just do what you're paid to do and send any complainers to the person who booked you.
mwadeson
Posts: 106
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:50 pm

Post by mwadeson »

i agree wiseguy i use that all the time talk to them they hired me and gave me these guidelines.
Bigdog
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Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:15 am

Post by Bigdog »

When you pay to go to a class reunion you usually assume they are having a DJ. Unless they get a band.

We get lumped into the DJ slot all the time. I never consider myself a DJ. But people always say here comes the DJ. Or hey Mr DJ. Karaoke man once in a while.

Parties aren't worth my time anymore. Bar nights offer a steady weekly income. Everyone knows up front what a karaoke night is. The haters leave before the show starts and that takes care of them.
mwadeson
Posts: 106
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:50 pm

Post by mwadeson »

that is great bigdog if you can keep busy in a bar but around here the bars are not steady and there is way to many kj's here so private make up the difference.
Acclaim
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:07 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Post by Acclaim »

Hello All,

get prepared for un-organized chaos at the private party.

it's not like a bar where they KNOW how to do karaoke.

You may be able to get the PP (Privates Partiers) to write down the songs and slips but you'll get a ton of people just coming up and singing with their friends and generally having a good time.

It's a little harder to keep the PP organzied but they have a good time singing for sure!

Jason
Jason Christopher
Free Teleseminar Reveals “How To Earn An Executives Income Hosting Karaoke…Without Having To Work An Executives 70-Hour A Week Schedule” go to www.makemoneywithkaraoke.com now
spotlightjr
Posts: 100
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:36 pm
Location: southwest Florida

Post by spotlightjr »

I love private parties. I actually prefer them to bar gigs. To me, it's much easier to please people at a private party than at the clubs. For one, there's no manager telling you to turn the music down or up. You dont have to worry about how many people are there or whose spending money, etc.

If they want to hear music... no problem. If they want to sing... no problem.
The money is better and the people are usually friendlier.
Bigdog
Posts: 2937
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:15 am

Post by Bigdog »

I have 2 nightmare private party stories.

#1. Arrived at this guys house. It's on a big hill. I have to park on the street. There is no way to use my dolly to get to the house. Luckily I had my girlfriend along. We had to carry 600 pounds of equipment up at least 20 steps to get to the house. Then we had to carry the equipment through the house and take it down the cellar steps. Each trip was at least 100 feet long. Maybe more. At the end of the night we repeated the process. Totally exhausted at the end of that night. It was not worth it.

#2 Arrived at the Kiddies Christmas party and you guessed it. We had to carry 800 pounds of equipment up 2 stories (not house levels, commercial build levels.) After 5 hours we carried it all back down and then we had to go set up a bar job. Again it was not worth it to me. I would have gladly stayed home.

Very few private parties are easy to set up. 99% involve steps. Or you have to park in front of the house and they want you to set up around back. I DON'T MIND WORKING BUY "WORKING" COMES IN 2 FORMS, EASY AND HARD. I only want to do easy jobs from now on. No private parties for this kid anymore.

I've had parties at my house that were a pain in the neck. I don't like carrying hundreds of pounds of bulky equipment up and down steps. PERIOD. I don't and I won't ever again. For any amount of money. Usually the back pain I suffer from after that isn't worth any amount of money.
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