Gonna stick to private parties from now on. Only two weeks into the gig and I'm out. Didn't even give me the courtesy of saying it to my face. Wasn't even the bar owner who called me.
New Show and am I Pumped!!!!
Well got a call today after going by to pick up my equipment and pay and they've decided to give another Dj a try. My guess is he undercut me and is running an illegal rig. Bar owners. Gonna stick to private parties from now on. Only two weeks into the gig and I'm out. Didn't even give me the courtesy of saying it to my face. Wasn't even the bar owner who called me.
Gonna stick to private parties from now on. Only two weeks into the gig and I'm out. Didn't even give me the courtesy of saying it to my face. Wasn't even the bar owner who called me.Bar owners are jerks that don't know how to make all the money they could be making. 
It's not a surprise they did that.
2 weeks isn't enough time to see how good or bad a karaoke night is working. What really bugs me is...like the guy I replaced..they waited 3-4 months too long to get rid of him. He has totally killed the crowd. So why do they wait too long to get rid of a business killing jerk and don't give the next guy long enough to see if they work?
Maybe he intended to hire the other KJ all along, but he was busy those 2 weeks you worked.
Maybe the other KJ did undercut your price. It still reflects back to the stupid bar owner. If this is the kind of bar owner that would do that, you don't want to work for him anyway.
Maybe the bar owner was conducting KJ try-outs and he's moving on to the next. Still too short of a time period to make an intelligent decision one way or another.
This comes back to the ....should KJs get a set committment time from the bar owner to give things a fair chance of working? Like a 4-6 week committment...
Most of the bar owners I have worked for that hired someone cheaper than me had a failed karaoke night. Cream always rises to the top.
Move on....it sucks and makes you feel
and 
. I always figured they are going to get what they deserve... 
It's not a surprise they did that.
2 weeks isn't enough time to see how good or bad a karaoke night is working. What really bugs me is...like the guy I replaced..they waited 3-4 months too long to get rid of him. He has totally killed the crowd. So why do they wait too long to get rid of a business killing jerk and don't give the next guy long enough to see if they work?
Maybe he intended to hire the other KJ all along, but he was busy those 2 weeks you worked.
Maybe the other KJ did undercut your price. It still reflects back to the stupid bar owner. If this is the kind of bar owner that would do that, you don't want to work for him anyway.
Maybe the bar owner was conducting KJ try-outs and he's moving on to the next. Still too short of a time period to make an intelligent decision one way or another.
This comes back to the ....should KJs get a set committment time from the bar owner to give things a fair chance of working? Like a 4-6 week committment...
Most of the bar owners I have worked for that hired someone cheaper than me had a failed karaoke night. Cream always rises to the top.
Move on....it sucks and makes you feel
and . I always figured they are going to get what they deserve... 
I'm going through essentially the same thing this weekend, Dan. I've recently started hosting for a local company that's done karaoke for 13 years, and I've done two Saturday night shows at a new venue which they started the last weekend of June. They decided NOT to do a show on the 4th
They were told the cost right up front, and that they were getting a discounted rate the first six weeks.
They were told the price would NOT be prorated for any reason other than equipment failure or the host not being on time. If the venue decided to arbitrarily stop the show early, full payment was expected.
The first show, the "entertainment manager" comes up to me an hour before the time scheduled to stop, "Hey, I need you to wrap up in the next ten minutes." ?????? "You're stopping early?" "Yeah, business is slow."
She then proceeds to hand me a check for $50 less than the discounted price. I point out the error . . . "But you're stopping early!" I pointed out that nothing was broken down, and I was ready willing and able to continue on. "But business is slow!" I told her I couldn't accept a check for the wrong amount unless it was cleared through the owner of the company and he gave me the OK. Then I gave her his phone number. He called me a few minutes later and told me accept the check, and it would be resolved by the next show.
Then they called and decided to cancel the 4th of July show. I explained that they needed to be consistent to build the crowd. and canceling last week's show would mean they were going to be starting all over at week one.
This week . . . the "entertainment manager" leaves at 8pm, left a pre-written check for $50 less than it should have been and instructions for the assistant manager to stop me an hour early. Basically the company owner and I agreed that "once was a misunderstanding we could let slide," but our policies were explained to her again after the first show. There was no way she had to predict how busy the night would have been as early as she left. It was obvious she was simply trying to avoid paying the full amount. She's been told to pay up or we don't come back. I don't expect to be going back.
They were told the cost right up front, and that they were getting a discounted rate the first six weeks.
They were told the price would NOT be prorated for any reason other than equipment failure or the host not being on time. If the venue decided to arbitrarily stop the show early, full payment was expected.
The first show, the "entertainment manager" comes up to me an hour before the time scheduled to stop, "Hey, I need you to wrap up in the next ten minutes." ?????? "You're stopping early?" "Yeah, business is slow."
She then proceeds to hand me a check for $50 less than the discounted price. I point out the error . . . "But you're stopping early!" I pointed out that nothing was broken down, and I was ready willing and able to continue on. "But business is slow!" I told her I couldn't accept a check for the wrong amount unless it was cleared through the owner of the company and he gave me the OK. Then I gave her his phone number. He called me a few minutes later and told me accept the check, and it would be resolved by the next show.
Then they called and decided to cancel the 4th of July show. I explained that they needed to be consistent to build the crowd. and canceling last week's show would mean they were going to be starting all over at week one.
This week . . . the "entertainment manager" leaves at 8pm, left a pre-written check for $50 less than it should have been and instructions for the assistant manager to stop me an hour early. Basically the company owner and I agreed that "once was a misunderstanding we could let slide," but our policies were explained to her again after the first show. There was no way she had to predict how busy the night would have been as early as she left. It was obvious she was simply trying to avoid paying the full amount. She's been told to pay up or we don't come back. I don't expect to be going back.
Last week, I went to Philadelphia, but it was closed.
Lack of consistancy on the bar owners part is what's causing the problem.
I don't know why they think because I walk in the door there will immeadiately be a full bar. Give it at least one night... 
Sounds like this is what they were expecting. "Instant Success" just add karaoke this week and retire in Florida next week. 
Gee the sun is bright. The sun is...not the bar owner. You won't win that argument. Bar owner is always right. Even though they are the idiots.
Tell them this....It takes time and you are not giving it the needed time. Hit & Miss doesn't work. CONSISTANTCY does. With today's economy nothing is instant and it probably will take longer than normal.
I'd ask them if they were really serious about building a successful $1000 a week night or just playing around.
If you are serious then let's get serious. If you're playing games..I'm outta here. :driving:
I don't know why they think because I walk in the door there will immeadiately be a full bar. Give it at least one night...
Sounds like this is what they were expecting. "Instant Success" just add karaoke this week and retire in Florida next week.
Gee the sun is bright. The sun is...not the bar owner. You won't win that argument. Bar owner is always right. Even though they are the idiots. Tell them this....It takes time and you are not giving it the needed time. Hit & Miss doesn't work. CONSISTANTCY does. With today's economy nothing is instant and it probably will take longer than normal.
I'd ask them if they were really serious about building a successful $1000 a week night or just playing around.
If you are serious then let's get serious. If you're playing games..I'm outta here. :driving:
Still sounds funny to me. They were trying you out.
Years ago I was more money than everyone else.
We had 135 steady every Tuesday night. People came from 25 miles in every direction. The bar owner was still out looking for someone as good as me, but cheaper. He couldn't do it. But he was still looking.
I think most bar owners are always "looking." Could be just to have a back up in case something happens to the real KJ.
Years ago I was more money than everyone else.
We had 135 steady every Tuesday night. People came from 25 miles in every direction. The bar owner was still out looking for someone as good as me, but cheaper. He couldn't do it. But he was still looking.
I think most bar owners are always "looking." Could be just to have a back up in case something happens to the real KJ.
I couldn't agree with this more. I'm sure most of us have dealt with club owners that were similar to this. I had one who didn't try to short me money but would cancel gigs the day before because of things like Football games, local festivals, etc. I kept the gig for a while because the money was good but reminded him that his goal was to be as big as one of the other local karaoke shows and that not having a regular night that people can expect to go in and sing was going to hurt that goal. Ultimately, I got fed up with the last minute cancellations and quit the gig.Bigdog wrote:Lack of consistancy on the bar owners part is what's causing the problem.
I don't know why they think because I walk in the door there will immeadiately be a full bar. Give it at least one night...
Sounds like this is what they were expecting. "Instant Success" just add karaoke this week and retire in Florida next week.
Tell them this....It takes time and you are not giving it the needed time. Hit & Miss doesn't work. CONSISTANTCY does. With today's economy nothing is instant and it probably will take longer than normal.
I'd ask them if they were really serious about building a successful $1000 a week night or just playing around.
I'm much more fortunate right now to have a gig at a bar where the owner and bar manager both "get it". We're trying to build a Tuesday night crowd from literally nothing. They had me start a couple months ago and wanted me on Tuesday nights because they couldn't get people in the bar on Tuesdays. So it's been a very slow starting gig. It's out of my normal area and without anyone in the bar in the first place, it's tough to get regulars coming back. I have good shows and bad. Last night had plenty of singers, two weeks ago had two all night. But they're very patient. They've never tried to short me on pay, they've treated me well, have done some marketing and promotion work to try to build up a crowd and are trying to work wtih me to improve the situation. I couldn't be luckier, now I just hope we can be successful because these guys deserve it.
This is the exact thing I'm doing with my 2 new nights. Both bars are now doing 2 nights a week. But my tuesday is really taking it's time. I have been taking a cut in pay for 3 months. It's in my best interest to have this guy survive business wise. The bar is brand new in a new building. I want to work in places like this.
I can find a thousand dives to work in.
I can find a thousand dives to work in.
