DISCORD AND RHYME KARAOKE
Karaoke Info
Discord and Rhyme Karaoke Show Policies
THIS PAGE FEATURES GREAT INFO FOR THE KARAOKE SHOWS
AND SOME HELPFUL HINTS TO HAVE YOU "SOUND" BETTER.
SEARCH OUR SONGBOOK ONLINE OR ON YOUR SMARTPHONE.
Our songbook is available to search on this website (enter DARKaraoke), if you would like to pick your songs
at home before the show, or using your wireless device at the show.
There is a sign on the TV with a QR code on it at our shows. All the info you need to search from your phones is on that.
Sign-up sheets are usually located on tables or on the bar in the karaoke area.
Pencils are usually in the same area. If you cannot find them, ask your KJ Host and they will be happy to get them for you.
Pick a song and fill out the sign-up slip and hand it to the KJ Host and you will be placed in the singer “rotation”.
Please make sure to hand in a slip for your first song, your KJ Host will need to have your name written down.
THANK YOU!
TURN IN ONE SIGN-UP SLIP AT A TIME.
When you hand in your sign-up slip for the first time, try to have two or three songs on it.
Please do not turn in more than one slip at a time, and please avoid filling out multiple slips
Check the box on the front of the slip if you have more than one song to hand in and add the others to the back of the slip.
If you are a “regular customer” and I know that you are there to sing, I will add you to the list as soon as I see you,
and keep you in the rotation until you either leave or tell me you no longer wish to sing.
This is the reason you see some people sing without turning in slips.
IF YOU ARE AFFORDED THIS COURTESY, please return the favor by, minimally,
knowing what song you are going to sing BEFORE coming to the stage…
the stage is not the place to be thinking about what song you want to sing!!
Nothing frustrates singers that are waiting, and the KJ Host, as much as someone who has waited an hour
or more to sing and has given no thought to their song until their name is called…bringing the show to a halt.
HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WAIT/WHEN AM I UP?
THE HARDEST PART OF SINGING KARAOKE IS WAITING YOUR TURN!!
Singers are placed into a rotation that ensures, in a perfect world, nobody waits any longer than anyone else to sing.
The number of singers in the rotation determines the length of your wait.
If there are not many singers, you will probably get to sing often, without a long wait.
The more singers there are, the longer you wait and the less you will be able to sing.
A good rule of thumb is 4 minutes per singer.
Your KJ Host is a professional who is quite adept at managing a fair rotation.
There are militaristic, concrete ways to run a rotation that are “fair” on paper,
but in reality, with a large crowd, are not conducive to fairness or good business.
I ask that you trust my judgment, based on years of experience, and an assessment of the crowd I am working with at the time.
I keep everything in the computer for the rotation and if you have a question about the rotation,
I am more than happy to explain it to you. Asking to be bumped ahead will not work
because it is not fair to the singers who have been waiting for their turn.
I will NEVER intentionally allow anyone to sing out of order without good reason,
and occasionally there IS a good reason. Bribes are not a good reason!
I will not play favorites or accept bribes to advance anyone in the rotation,
so please do not insult me by asking. Keeping it fair for everyone keeps it fair for you as well!!
Please do not ask to be advanced because you have to leave.
My show is geared to cater to those who stay and patronize the venues.
While I appreciate your patronage while you are there, I cannot show preference
to those who are leaving OVER those who are choosing to stay.
Years of experience has also taught me that those who ask to sing sooner
because they are leaving, generally never leave.
HOW ARE DUETS HANDLED?
Unfortunately, duets are not available to sing at the shows.
This is due to the mic cleaning process between singers.
Duets count as the turn of ONE person. For example; if John and Mary are at the show, John gets a turn, and Mary gets a turn.
If John and Mary want to sing together, it either has to count as John’s turn, or Mary’s turn.
If John and Mary want to sing duets every time, they are allowed
(as long as they are alternating who is the “lead” singer on each duet).
Some hosts do not agree with this policy, and it DOES get confusing to singers who think they are
seeing people getting 2 turns, but it is the fairest way to handle it, UNLESS it is an abused policy.
Abuse of the policy would be if a dominant singer signs up for duets and LEADS the song each time,
in an effort to increase stage time. This will NOT be tolerated, and when an
abuser is identified, the host will handle the situation.
I will not penalize a singer in the rotation for being asked to join another for a duet. THAT is fair.
WHAT CAN I DO TO BE MORE COURTEOUS AND ENHANCE
THE KARAOKE EXPERIENCE MORE FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS?
1. CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!! Show support by applauding every performance. Booing is NOT acceptable.
2. Do not come up to “help” a singer or sing with a singer unless you are implicitly asked by the singer to do so.
Some people have a hard time keeping in key if someone is singing with them.
This also means, do not sing with your full voice near the singer,
if the KJ Host can hear you “accompanying” them, so can the singer.
3. Don’t stand in front of or near the singer or KJ Host and talk louder than the singer!
If you are speaking with someone and the singer is too loud, go farther from the singer.
It is distracting to sing well with a lot of external noises interfering.
Be courteous to the singer! If you approach the stage to address the KJ Host while a singer is singing,
do not walk or stand in front of the TV, or talk loudly to the KJ Host. Courtesy is the rule.
4. Wait your turn. Everyone else has to, and it is not courteous to expect to be placed before someone else.
Tipping the DJ, although appreciated, will not ensure you will be bumped up in line.
5. ARE YOU SICK?
If you are deathly ill, stay home and get better, you will not be singing.
I clean the mics between singers EACH time during the show,
but if you contaminate the mics while sick,
you are passing on your germs to the all of the singers and possibly the KJ Host.
ARE THERE ANY SAFETY ISSUES I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?
Why yes, I’m glad you asked. The equipment used to produce your sound is high voltage and high priced.
Please help me protect you and my equipment by observing the following:
1. NO DRINKS ARE TO COME WITH YOU TO THE STAGE AREA,
and definitely do not bring them to the KJ Host area.
You do not need to hold your beer/drink while you sing.
One spilled drink, or a few misplaced drops of liquid can put me out of business for days and cause an electrocution hazard.
This is why I ask; when you come to the stage, do not place drinks on/near the equipment or near wires.
If you must bring them to the stage area, keep them away from all equipment. This includes the microphones.
2. When using the wireless mics, do not juggle or toss the mic!!!
Discord and Rhyme Karaoke will not be held liable for damages arising from the activities
of the singer’s misuse or abuse of the equipment, and similarly singers who willfully damage
the mics may be held liable for their replacement...Do not drop the mics or slam them to the floor!
They are not toys and although you see this done in concerts and on TV all the time, my mics will not survive this.
WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE MYSELF SOUND BETTER ONCE IT IS MY TURN?
While you sing, the host will be controlling your sound to make you sound as good as possible,
but there are things you can do to help:
1. Use as much voice as possible-don’t whisper! If your voice is too quiet it is very difficult to
get the level higher than the music without feedback. Listen to yourself from the speakers...
if you cannot hear yourself –sing louder! If you are so loud that you sound like you are singing
thru waxed paper (over modulated), back the mic away from your mouth a tad!
If I see the "clipping" light when you are singing, I will be turning you down anyway,
so preserve your voice if you find yourself straining!
2. Unless you are an extremely loud singer, keep the microphone as close to your mouth as you can without marrying it!
The microphone should never touch your mouth.
You don’t want to be sucking and slobbering all over it, but about a thumbs
width from your mouth is adequate, unless you know you are loud.
And during that BIG moment in the song that you use your full voice…
pull the mic back a bit to allow your voice to not be overpowering while it’s too close to the mic.
3. Sing into the top of the mic, not the side. When the host is controlling your sound and
determines you are not loud enough, he will turn up your mic or make it “hotter”.
Don’t keep pulling the mic farther from your mouth.
You must be within 2-3” from my mics or no one will hear you, including yourself.
If you have the mic at your hips, don’t ask why you couldn’t hear yourself!
4. Don’t "cup" the mic (wrapping your hand around the top of the mic “rapper” style).
NEVER COVER OR BLOCK THE SILVER HEAD OF THE MIC!
All this accomplishes is “warming” your sound to make you sound like you are singing from inside a well or over a CB Radio.
It makes YOU and my equipment sound bad! If I am present, I can adjust the sound,
but you won’t be as happy with the result as you would by just using good technique.
5. Never take a “hot” mic in front of the speakers or the vocal monitor.
Do not aim the mic to the floor, or cover the element (silver part).
This will cause howling feedback through the speakers.
6. Avoid dropping the mics!! Don’t bang the mics or use them for drumsticks!
DO NOT TOSS THE WIRELESS IN THE AIR LIKE A BATON!
Believe it or not, people do! Also, you do not have to “tap” the mic to see if it’s on, just talk into it.
Say “hello” to the room or just say “check”.
Mics have fragile components that break on impact, rendering a microphone useless.
To replace one of my wireless microphones will cost you $175.
7. HOW TO USE THE MIC STAND WITH WIRELESS MIC: DO NOT TRY TO SLIDE THE MIC INTO THE CLIP.
The clip is designed NOT to slide. Snap the mic in the clip to install to the clip, and pull the mic out by lifting it out of the clip.
The fat center part of the mic should be in the clip NOT the skinny end of the mic.
This will result in the mic falling off the stand if the stand is moved…
be sure to snap the CENTER of the mic (where the power switch is located) into the clip,
especially if you are moving the stand during your performance!!
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT TIME AT OUR SHOW!
