Can I Sing Through Your Dj Pa?

[pete72 0]

its the words that always send a chill down my back,"can my daughter(or similiar) sing on your mic?

 

my simple answer is always NO.

 

I then explain that my mic is a dj mic and only picks up spoken word and then i make something up about my sound system being geared up for djing rather than karoke.

 

Why do i do this, let me explain. its not because i am a miserable sod, its because with experience it leads to a rash of karaoke fever that spreads accross the room like fire. before you know it dad wants to sing my way at the end of the night followed by 10 other blokes who are doing the song they sang on the stag night.

 

We now have mob rule and kaoss.

 

please, is it me or do other djs do the same?

[Kent Discos 0]

i try not to let people sing.... it's just easier for me then because i can get out on time and as you said it leads to alot of people wanting a go as you said! - most of them can't even sing! - ear bleeders

[Dukesy 0]

I try and be flexible where I can, in relation to helping out other entertainers, and bands attending the same function etc. I also won't refuse somebody, such as a Bridesmaid or Brides Sister etc the use of the mic if they want to sing a special song for the Bride on her Wedding day.

 

But when it come to random guests, just wanting to sing drunkenly down the mic and its not a Karaoke then I would normally refuse them, but try and make it as non confrontational a refusal as possible. A good, one is just to use a bit of flattery, and tell them that I don't have reverb / digital effects on this 'DJ System' and so it wouldn't do their vocal talents justice or show them to the best of their ability if they were to try and sing into it.

 

Or just tell them that the equipment isn't insured for the public to use, other than for the occasional announcement.

 

But I try to be help where I can, and it all comes down to the current environment and their reasons. After all that 'mithering' guest might potentially be your next client, or be on some social committee somewhere that would get you a lot of future work. They may also turn out to be pretty good, and have spent weeks practicing their song to sing to the bride on her Wedding day. You really don't want to be the one to turn the day into a tear-fest

 

It comes down to our own discretion. <___base_url___>/uploads/emoticons/default_biggrin.png

 

[wizard 0]

I try and be flexible where I can, in relation to helping out other entertainers, and bands attending the same function etc. I also won't refuse somebody, such as a Bridesmaid or Brides Sister etc the use of the mic if they want to sing a special song for the Bride on her Wedding day.

 

But when it come to random guests, just wanting to sing drunkenly down the mic and its not a Karaoke then I would normally refuse them, but try and make it as non confrontational a refusal as possible. A good, one is just to use a bit of flattery, and tell them that I don't have reverb / digital effects on this 'DJ System' and so it wouldn't do their vocal talents justice or show them to the best of their ability if they were to try and sing into it.

 

Or just tell them that the equipment isn't insured for the public to use, other than for the occasional announcement.

 

But I try to be help where I can, and it all comes down to the current environment and their reasons. After all that 'mithering' guest might potentially be your next client, or be on some social committee somewhere that would get you a lot of future work. They may also turn out to be pretty good, and have spent weeks practicing their song to sing to the bride on her Wedding day. You really don't want to be the one to turn the day into a tear-fest

 

It comes down to our own discretion. <___base_url___>/uploads/emoticons/default_biggrin.png

 

 

Ditto ( to save me typing a load of words )

 

 

[Robster 0]

 

, its because with experience it leads to a rash of karaoke fever that spreads accross the room like fire. before you know it dad wants to sing my way at the end of the night followed by 10 other blokes who are doing the song they sang on the stag night.

 

 

so when you did the consultation you asked if they wanted karaoke and the client said no? or do you not offer karaoke? if not it seems there is a demand for it and hence a extra earning revenue stream.

 

I offer karaoke if they say no i dont take my karaoke gear when someone asks i said i offered karaoke as a service but the client said no so sorry no i can't.

 

karaoke is an extra dd on service that in my case must be paid for , if someone turned up to my booth at a gig and asked if i could uplight that wall i would say the same thing , it was offered but declined if they had asked earlier it could have been arranged at an extra cost.

 

I am very happy to offer and specialise in karaoke and i love gigs that are karaoke gigs but i wont give it away for free

 

[deejaymitch 0]

A problem I get quite often is customers who know me from doing karaoke nights in one venue, turn up at another venue where I now work offering just a disco (no karaoke) and they pester me constantly to let them sing. Even after I explain that it isn't a karaoke night, they repeatedly come up and ask for "just one song" or "just for me". When I explain I don't have my karaoke gear with me they protest that they know the words and will sing over the original track. But I never give in becasue, as stated earlier, if you let one sing, then you have to let everyone. It's not worth the hassle.

[Robster 0]

deejaymitch is right at residencies where people know you and that you do karaoke elsewhere it can be frustrating but at private functions to me its a service the client purchases or doesn't.

 

I you dont offer karaoke its maybe something worth looking into pete72

 

i had a lad last night ask if he could beat box through my mic (i was doing karaoke) so i just put him in a rotation spot ..he was very good indeed but this was the wrong venue for his talent and it went down like a lead balloon , but i thought he was damn good turns out he used to do this professionally touring with a group. made him happy took two mins and he also sang later on.

 

as a karaoke host i like people coming up and asking for music tracks asking for songs having ten lad singing enjoying themselves is infectious and the room can feel the atmosphere, i would normally like to see 10 lads enjoying themselves than stood at the bar heckling put some madness on or the jam etc i enjoy the feeling of dealing and coming out top of those spinning plates situations..getting to talk directly with people and interact really helps my shows , a bit of banter as they ask for stuff (not over the mic) can be fun and make everyone relax for most gigs i do i dont need to be formal and stand there mixing songs from a playlist an just accepting the odd request.

 

for example at a disco only residency i did i had one guy kept pestering me for him to sing ..now i know this guy and he knows we have a laugh but i said wait a second then i walked out in front of my stand and looked at the overhead bar and said to him over the wireless mic ," sorry joe i cant see it " with a puzzled look on my face he said all cocky "you cant see what?" I said" the X factor auditions sign so no you cant bloody sing" everyone in the pub knows joe and me... he laughed we all laughed and he bought me a drink chuckling calling me a cheeky bugger , reading a crowd and individuals is a tricky one but this worked in this instance. I am sure other pub dj's have similar ways that they have dealt with these situations.

 

Joe comes to my other nights and sings but he never asks when i am doing just disco any more lol

 

at functions you cant do that sort of thing

[Tommo55 0]

I get it alot, as a vocalist they seem to think that as your singing then I can sing too!

 

I have found a perfect (almost ) way of dealing with it, I use a desk mounted microphone stand and a lead that is only half a meter long so if anyone was to grab the mic it simply would'nt reach and I tell them sorry I have cleared away the mic I used for singing and will be using the desk one for the rest of the night.

 

Works a treat when I'm only doing the disco too

 

 

 

[Norfolk DJ 0]

 

I allow it as a one-off mainly at weddings with the volumne turned down

[DJMickeyk 0]

Never really an issue for me funnily enough, people do sometimes come up to me hammered drunk looking to sing at functions and I will refuse point blank as I know it won't end well, as said above if the client who booked me, or somebody related to them wants to sing with the blessing of the person paying the fee then no problem, otherwise absolutely not! Job is difficult enough as it is LOL. I do offer Karaoke, and like Rob if it hasn't been specifically booked then I won't bring my Mic's and screens, so I wouldn't be able to do it anyway, and no drunken elton john wannabe is getting my expensive sennheiser DJ mic to spit all over it, or worse yet drop it! I do carry a budget mic and will swap it out if a member of the wedding party want to sing acapella through my pa though.

.

Edited November 14, 2010 by DJMickeyk

[Thats entertainment 0]

I must say i have used the excuse of "Sorry mate, we dont have a singing license"

 

mmmm.....maybe thats a another new license we will have to buy then! :funjokeandlaugh:

[Raymilkybarkid 0]

Where would you like me to set it up so you can have a good old sing song :funjokeandlaugh:

 

But on a serious note I do let people use my PA but only if by prior notice. I do however make a charge for this if it is a professional group / artist.

 

Never on the night by guests who say they are as great as the best singers in the world usually they are not.

[Welsh Audio Man 21 0]

I have the same principle as Tommo55, short cable.

 

When a radio is used for speeches, I usually hide that and tell the X factor wannabes that it was the cabled mic used for speeches. They are usually too drunk to think of the practicalities of it.

 

Alternatively I let them but mute it and say the battery must have gone dead.... depends what mood im in

[gadget 0]

Use a cabled mic most of the time and my reply is "Sorry I don't do karaoke". Its about 3mtrs or so I think.

 

I've used the new Shure radio mic about 2-3 times since I bought it ! But had had feedback issues with it initially - However I've now found the -10dB internal switch on the mic body - so should also mean it won't distort when I speak into it next time .. (Shure PG24UK/PG58 btw)

 

Cheers,

 

David

Edited November 16, 2010 by gadget

[mjmac 0]

made the school boy error last friday... some wannabe grime rapper had a little go... low and behold 10 more wannabe grimeies came outta the woodwork!

 

at which point open mic session became a very closed mic session!

 

Wont do it again!