Have you ever been told by a bar owner that he was having karaoke try-outs?
Basically he is going to bring in different KJs to try-out for the job. Each will play a couple weeks to see how big their crowd is.
Do you/will you do try-outs?
Would you tell them take me now or I'm not coming back?
I have mixed feelings about this subject.
On one hand, it's their bar and they basically have the say about who gets hired and fired.
On the other, I work for a living. Not on job promises. I'll hire you in 6 weeks or whenever. Playing around with try-outs isn't in my best interest unless I get the job. While the try-out is in progress, you could have been hired at other places that really want you. Missed opportunities won't fill my wallet.
What if while it's the next guys turn and you're twiddling your thumbs another job comes up and you decide to take it. Then you get a call from the try-out guy and he wants you because you were the best? And he might pay you more money. Do you give them the old..."You had your chance?"
Karaoke Try-Outs
Wow. That would put a person in a predicament. I guess I would look at it along the lines of an interview. Just because I have interviewed with a company, and felt it went well, doesn't mean I'll stop looking for work.
If I find a job in the meantime, and you call me for work, you better be offering me more money, be much closer to home, or some other perk to make me quit the job I just accepted and go with your offer.
I think I'd go with the "You snooze, you lose" line. You missed your opportunity to hire the best ... now deal with it. Of course, I would word it much more professionally.
You don't want to burn any bridges.
If I find a job in the meantime, and you call me for work, you better be offering me more money, be much closer to home, or some other perk to make me quit the job I just accepted and go with your offer.
I think I'd go with the "You snooze, you lose" line. You missed your opportunity to hire the best ... now deal with it. Of course, I would word it much more professionally.
You don't want to burn any bridges.Sabrina the Cat
Is this a "work for free" for a couple of weeks deal, or is he going to pay you a "modest" fee untill/if you get the job?
If the work for free option then he/she is simply trying to get some Karaoke on the cheap, as given there are lots of KJ's around, some will take up the try out and probably never hear from the Bar owner again.
The guys a con-artist, IMHO.
Sandy
If the work for free option then he/she is simply trying to get some Karaoke on the cheap, as given there are lots of KJ's around, some will take up the try out and probably never hear from the Bar owner again.
The guys a con-artist, IMHO.
Sandy
A for pay gig, but they tell you it's a try-out.
So you work your a$$ off to build a crowd and then after your try-out they bring in another KJ to try-out with your crowd.
We all know that there will be or should be a bigger crowd every week. So the new try-out KJ is going to be at an advantage because of your initial work.
Now how do you feel about it?
So you work your a$$ off to build a crowd and then after your try-out they bring in another KJ to try-out with your crowd.
We all know that there will be or should be a bigger crowd every week. So the new try-out KJ is going to be at an advantage because of your initial work.
Now how do you feel about it?
Whether it's stated or not, every "single night" hiring is a try-out in the mind of a bar owner. If they really like you they'll try to get you on a regular basis. If not, they'll try someone else. For them to actually say to you that "this is a try-out" would be stupid.
To me the bar is the one having the try-out. If I like the place I might consider doing it regularly.
To me the bar is the one having the try-out. If I like the place I might consider doing it regularly.
I always choose the bars I work at pretty carefully.
I now have a big list of neighborhoods and towns I don't care to work in.
When the average income level isn't very high, beware.
I won't play kiddy bars either. The 21ers scare me. I pretty much know what I'm getting into if I agree to do a job. That means I examine the bars reputation. The average age and income of the patrons. Drug usage, pool tables. Bike nights. Owners reputation and frame of mind regarding A$$holes and troublemakers.
The try-out didn't happen to me. I heard it happened to the KJ that replaced me when I quit one of my smoking bars. The owner told him he was on a try-out. He flat out said I don't do try-outs. You want me or you don't.
Technically the bar owner can fire you any night. I lost a job once because the owner quit having all forms of entertainment. He said he was too cheap and didn't want to pay for it anymore.
I have lost jobs that gave no indication of anything going on. They just came out of left field and said That's it.
They stopped having karaoke. Or switched nights. Didn't want to pay. Switched KJs.
I gave up trying to figure out what goes on in bar owners brains. 
I now have a big list of neighborhoods and towns I don't care to work in.
When the average income level isn't very high, beware.
I won't play kiddy bars either. The 21ers scare me. I pretty much know what I'm getting into if I agree to do a job. That means I examine the bars reputation. The average age and income of the patrons. Drug usage, pool tables. Bike nights. Owners reputation and frame of mind regarding A$$holes and troublemakers.
The try-out didn't happen to me. I heard it happened to the KJ that replaced me when I quit one of my smoking bars. The owner told him he was on a try-out. He flat out said I don't do try-outs. You want me or you don't.
Technically the bar owner can fire you any night. I lost a job once because the owner quit having all forms of entertainment. He said he was too cheap and didn't want to pay for it anymore.
I have lost jobs that gave no indication of anything going on. They just came out of left field and said That's it.
They stopped having karaoke. Or switched nights. Didn't want to pay. Switched KJs.
I gave up trying to figure out what goes on in bar owners brains.
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KnoxvilleKaraoke
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Thu May 07, 2009 10:22 pm
There are a few places here that have done try outs. I haven't participated in one yet. The main gig I have now the bar owner called me because of word of mouth from his patrons. (I had done a gig in another bar nearby). If I did go tryout and was told they would let me know I would not count on it and if offered somewhere else I would take it. If the tryout bar called back I would tell them I had already booked another place.
I am like you bigdog I am picky of where I do my shows. I left a previous bar because the owners started letting people hang out and do things that I did not want to be a part of. These people had come from another bar that had been shut down after a shooting. My regulars told me they weren't comfortable there anymore and I didn't blame them. I always go check out a bar a few nights before I commit to a show. I have done shows around a college campus as well. I don't really care for the 21-25 crowd.
I am like you bigdog I am picky of where I do my shows. I left a previous bar because the owners started letting people hang out and do things that I did not want to be a part of. These people had come from another bar that had been shut down after a shooting. My regulars told me they weren't comfortable there anymore and I didn't blame them. I always go check out a bar a few nights before I commit to a show. I have done shows around a college campus as well. I don't really care for the 21-25 crowd.
"If we were good we would be in Nashville."
"Let's Have some fun!"
"Let's Have some fun!"
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cowboydarryl
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:27 pm
- Location: Hartford wisconsin
The try out ploy sounds lame
Almost every bar owner I work for has caught my show at a differant bar and asked for a business card so they know what they are getting before I walk in the door, or I have been refered to them by one of the regular singers at their bar. That said I have offered a bar that never has done karaoke before and is unsure 1 free show to see how it works in their bar. If they have never caught one of my shows I am more than happy to have them contact the owners of the bars I am working at now, for references.
Almost every bar owner I work for has caught my show at a differant bar and asked for a business card so they know what they are getting before I walk in the door, or I have been refered to them by one of the regular singers at their bar. That said I have offered a bar that never has done karaoke before and is unsure 1 free show to see how it works in their bar. If they have never caught one of my shows I am more than happy to have them contact the owners of the bars I am working at now, for references.
I have always had the confidence to do free jobs. But I tell bar owners straight up that one night, whether the place is packed or totally dead is not an indication for the karaoke night to be judged. It takes several weeks to make a fair determination of how it's going.
I would rather do 4 weeks at a reduced rate.
I still get some money for my time and the bar owner thinks I'm a great guy. Psychology aspect of it.
4 weeks is a better idea. They can see the crowd getting bigger each week. Working for a reduced rate let's them know I'm a fair individual and that I am dedicated to the success of the night and to their making money.
Plus they really are getting a bargin. I'm not cheap...
They will shortly find out that I am worth the money.
I would rather do 4 weeks at a reduced rate.
I still get some money for my time and the bar owner thinks I'm a great guy. Psychology aspect of it.
4 weeks is a better idea. They can see the crowd getting bigger each week. Working for a reduced rate let's them know I'm a fair individual and that I am dedicated to the success of the night and to their making money.
Plus they really are getting a bargin. I'm not cheap...
They will shortly find out that I am worth the money.
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spotlightjr
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:36 pm
- Location: southwest Florida
I flat out refuse to do "free" gigs anymore unless it's charity, no matter the circumstance. I am established now and if my marketing, references, and resume wont get me the job I certainly am not giving away my time for free. We work for peanuts as it is in this business and I personally feel it doesn't send the kind of message I want doing free stuff. Charity, non-profit, fund raisers are all viable "free gig" candidtates... that's where it ends!!!
Years ago when the Holiday Inn had a nice reputation...I did a free night for the manager. He wanted to see how different my show was from the yahoo they had. I wanted the job bad so I offered him a deal he couldn't refuse. He literally had nothing to lose because I worked for free and he didn't have to pay the yahoo. So he probably put the money in his pocket.
I got the job before half of the night was over. And I got paid $25 more a night to do the job steady. So it was well worth the free night. But this was before I had a lot of steady work. And I also knew that I could easily take that guys job from him. But I had to make the manager want to give me a chance. He had heard about me from a singer that came to another show I was doing.
The manager wanted to have good quality entertainment. A bars reputation is based on the quality of everything they do. Good food. Good service. Good entertainment. Good prices. Good atmosphere. Good neighborhood. Good cliental.
I would do a free night if I really had to, but I don't have to anymore.
If they think you are worse you just played a free night for nothing.
But beware...A tricky bar owner could use it as a ploy just to get free entertainment and not actually want to hire anyone. It's going to be a judgement call on your part.
That's why I would rather at least come home with some money for the time I spent. But free nights can definately work if you are better than the other KJ. Key word would be BETTER.
Offering a free night might make them think you have little or no worth.
But how much do you like to get something for nothing? FREE is everyones favorite word.
The Holiday Inn manager saw my potential for increasing business. And I did. They later added another night. Good for me and him. I worked that job for many years until they remodeled and made the bar area 15 X 30.
The grand opening killed the entire crowd.
The free night was worth over $50,000. 
I got the job before half of the night was over. And I got paid $25 more a night to do the job steady. So it was well worth the free night. But this was before I had a lot of steady work. And I also knew that I could easily take that guys job from him. But I had to make the manager want to give me a chance. He had heard about me from a singer that came to another show I was doing.
The manager wanted to have good quality entertainment. A bars reputation is based on the quality of everything they do. Good food. Good service. Good entertainment. Good prices. Good atmosphere. Good neighborhood. Good cliental.
I would do a free night if I really had to, but I don't have to anymore.
If they think you are worse you just played a free night for nothing.
But beware...A tricky bar owner could use it as a ploy just to get free entertainment and not actually want to hire anyone. It's going to be a judgement call on your part.
That's why I would rather at least come home with some money for the time I spent. But free nights can definately work if you are better than the other KJ. Key word would be BETTER.
Offering a free night might make them think you have little or no worth.
But how much do you like to get something for nothing? FREE is everyones favorite word.
The Holiday Inn manager saw my potential for increasing business. And I did. They later added another night. Good for me and him. I worked that job for many years until they remodeled and made the bar area 15 X 30.
The grand opening killed the entire crowd. The free night was worth over $50,000.
