Is it OK to promote your other shows at your shows? Some clubs forbid it. Many KJs do not, I most certainly do.
Here's how I "get away with it", semi-tactfully. First, I announce what's happening at the club I am at, the band that's playing the next night. Then I say something like "but if you need more karaoke, catch me at..." No more than twice a night I will mention all my gigs ending with "of course every such-n-such night right here at..." so my spiel ends with the name of the club I am. Side note: Always mention the bartender by name! I can't believe how many hack-ass KJs still generically say "Don't forget to tip your bartender!" It means nothing and sounds forced. I always do something along the lines of a "Hey Tom's Lounge, say hi to your bartender April. Hi April!" then the crowd says "Hi April." etc....Then I add something like "Take care of April as she takes care of you with $5 white russians, $2 PBR.." or whatever the specials are.
See what happened there? Instead of ordering my crowd to tip, implying my crowd is cheap/forgetful (while seemingly forgeting the bartender's name myself) I put the bartender in the show for a minute, getting her name said THREE times while also spieling out the drink specials. Maybe then she won't tattle on me to the clubowner about how I mentionedmy shows at his rival bars LOL
I always have a flyer in the front of my songbooks. PAGE ONE! Singers ofcourse will fly right past front-of-book ads and info, and pick their songs. But later on, when they are settled, they are likely to see the schedule. Sometimes, when I'm not in serious cut-costs/recycle mode, I list my gigs, website and booking info on the bottom line of virgin pre-printed songslips ~ club/day; club/day; club/day ~ you don't need addresses let them go to your site or jump on their smartphones for that.
All the above ideas help somewhat but pale next to the best way of promoting your other shows at your shows...off stage with your big fat mouth. There are two ways of doing this ~ by yourself or through proxy. Tell your singers while mingling about your other shows face-to-face. A business card or literature at the same time really helps. Then, enlist your best regs to help you out. Something like "hey joe, I didnt tell cindy about the show yet, can you go over to her table and let her know? I got to get back to the board..."
UNITED WE ROCK! };=D
PROMOTING YOUR SHOWS AT YOUR OTHER SHOWS
PROMOTING YOUR SHOWS AT YOUR OTHER SHOWS
Visit my page on FB....Karaoke Karolina. Check out my store/studio/art gallery AXXTACY GUITARS & GEAR M-F 2PM-7PM, 5285 Main, Shallotte, NC. 910-795-9083
I would never publicly announce the name of another establishment while performing a show. That is disrespectful to the person who hired you. No matter how tactfully you word it what you are saying is "don't come to this bar on that night come to the bar I will be at". You can't justify this.
On your other point, being personable is job one. I refer to everyone, customers and employees alike, by their first name. If I don't know it I'll find out what it is before they have to tell me. While performing a show everybody is my best friend.
On your other point, being personable is job one. I refer to everyone, customers and employees alike, by their first name. If I don't know it I'll find out what it is before they have to tell me. While performing a show everybody is my best friend.
We know crowds can be cheap. Just look at the water drinkers. Now some of them might leave a decent tip..
Assuming the crowds are cheap isn't a good idea. I understand what you are saying but ... a $100 tip will not put one single penny towards my nightly pay. Will not show up on the owners cash register tape and looks like I am not doing my job. So big deal....
Also a waitress that gets a nice tip will be more inclined to give away free drinks as I witnessed last night. Again this did nothing for the pay cut I ended up taking because of an earlier hockey game.
I never announce my other gigs publically.
But I do tell everyone in private when I hand them my calender each month. Every new singer gets one and I make sure they know exactly how to get to each bar.
I also have a scrolling electronic message board on the front of my mixer box which has the name of every job running past every 5 minutes.
I do have some announcement tricks that I use every night ...
partaining to the bartenders and places I play.
Assuming the crowds are cheap isn't a good idea. I understand what you are saying but ... a $100 tip will not put one single penny towards my nightly pay. Will not show up on the owners cash register tape and looks like I am not doing my job. So big deal....
Also a waitress that gets a nice tip will be more inclined to give away free drinks as I witnessed last night. Again this did nothing for the pay cut I ended up taking because of an earlier hockey game.
I never announce my other gigs publically.
But I do tell everyone in private when I hand them my calender each month. Every new singer gets one and I make sure they know exactly how to get to each bar.
I also have a scrolling electronic message board on the front of my mixer box which has the name of every job running past every 5 minutes.
I do have some announcement tricks that I use every night ...
partaining to the bartenders and places I play.
@Wiseguy...I hear you on that and ofcourse how/if/when a KJ announces his other shows depends on the mgt at each bar. Personally, my clubowners know I am announcing all my shows at all my shows, so its a promotional parity for everyone. Also, my bars don't have karaoke on the nights I am not there, so they rightly don't see it as direct competition since they dont expect a karaoke crowd on a non karaoke night anyway. I dont announce the rival bars drink specials or details. And, again, I recommend balance by announcing the-bar-I'm-at's happenings on other nights too.
@bigdog...Posting your other shows on the TV screen could be seen even more negatively by mgt.
than the occasional verbiage, as there is that visual competition-in-your-face aspect. I don't think my owners would mind, but I could see how some owners might.
In any case I think we'd all agree that good advice for noobs is Announce your bartender by NAME. She's a human being, dammit, and her enthusiasm or lack thereof can make or break your show! In fact, I just might expand on "your bartender your ally" in a future thread .....};=D
@bigdog...Posting your other shows on the TV screen could be seen even more negatively by mgt.
than the occasional verbiage, as there is that visual competition-in-your-face aspect. I don't think my owners would mind, but I could see how some owners might.
In any case I think we'd all agree that good advice for noobs is Announce your bartender by NAME. She's a human being, dammit, and her enthusiasm or lack thereof can make or break your show! In fact, I just might expand on "your bartender your ally" in a future thread .....};=D
Visit my page on FB....Karaoke Karolina. Check out my store/studio/art gallery AXXTACY GUITARS & GEAR M-F 2PM-7PM, 5285 Main, Shallotte, NC. 910-795-9083
A good bartender can bring in a crowd as much as good entertainment. If the bartender treats the customers right it will make their visit to the bar much more enjoyable. A bad bartender can drive away customers forever.
I always promote tipping the bartenders/waiters/waitresses and for the same reasons Bigdog doesn't because those are the things that bring back customers. It will all pay off in the end.
I always promote tipping the bartenders/waiters/waitresses and for the same reasons Bigdog doesn't because those are the things that bring back customers. It will all pay off in the end.
First of all...I do make sure to tell everyone to tip the bartender. They are working for tips. I understand that.
I not for them giving away the store for tips. Which doesn't show up on the register that could lead the bar owner to think I'm not worth being there.
I'm not for them over serving visabily drunk people to get tips.
I don't use the TV to promote bars. I have a small electronic message sign that is on the front of my mixer box. It has all the places I play on it every 5 minutes. I had bar owners get mad about openly promoting other places I play.
If they bytch about my sign...I tell them their name is on it in all the other bars I play. No bar owner has ever said anything about my sign...good or bad....That's wierd....
Bar owner could see open promotion as taking business away from them and actually it is....but we all have to make a living.
I have a bar owner now that is mad at me...I quit his bar because of the smoking thing...I told him I wouldn't play in the neighborhood on Saturdays...
3 years later I got a job down the street on a Friday....he's mad about me breaking my promise....
As far as the quality of the bartenders I have quit jobs because of bad bartenders and bad managers and stupid owners...they end up making you look bad...I don't play with my reputation.
I not for them giving away the store for tips. Which doesn't show up on the register that could lead the bar owner to think I'm not worth being there.
I'm not for them over serving visabily drunk people to get tips.
I don't use the TV to promote bars. I have a small electronic message sign that is on the front of my mixer box. It has all the places I play on it every 5 minutes. I had bar owners get mad about openly promoting other places I play.
If they bytch about my sign...I tell them their name is on it in all the other bars I play. No bar owner has ever said anything about my sign...good or bad....That's wierd....
Bar owner could see open promotion as taking business away from them and actually it is....but we all have to make a living.
I have a bar owner now that is mad at me...I quit his bar because of the smoking thing...I told him I wouldn't play in the neighborhood on Saturdays...
3 years later I got a job down the street on a Friday....he's mad about me breaking my promise....
As far as the quality of the bartenders I have quit jobs because of bad bartenders and bad managers and stupid owners...they end up making you look bad...I don't play with my reputation.
