Karaoke Etiquette

6 Personality Types at a Karaoke Bar

A karaoke bar is almost like a science experiment. You have a bunch of people who would otherwise never hang out in the same place at the same time. Under these circumstances, you would think there would be chaos. But somehow, everything just works. In fact, it’s the people that really make karaoke enjoyable. There are unwritten rules that shape how people behave, and music has a way of bringing people together.

It doesn’t matter where you come from or how old you are, everyone is in a karaoke bar for the same reason. So rather than having conflict, you have one of the most unique collections of personality types in the world. Let’s take a look at a few of the most common ones who you are likely to find in a karaoke bar. Read more »

Getting Over the Fear of Karaoke

Many people consider karaoke to be a cheesy activity that you do when you want a laugh with your friends. But this unique hobby is certainly not for everyone, and there are some people who are absolutely terrified to get up on stage. There are similarities between the fear of singing karaoke and public speaking because they are similar in many ways. They require you to be the center of attention for a moment in time, and that can leave a person feeling extremely vulnerable. It can also inspire a lot of stress and anxiety even from people who have willingly signed up to sing a song. And just like public speaking, quite often the anticipation is worse than the actual performance itself.

Interestingly, despite the fear associated with karaoke there are still plenty of people who are willing to do it. Maybe it’s due to an innate drive that forces someone to try something new. Or perhaps it’s just always been a dream to sing a favorite song and get to be a celebrity, even if it’s only for five minutes. So if you have ever wanted to try karaoke for yourself, there are some things that can make it a lot easier, and many of them echo the sentiments of getting over the fear of public speaking as outlined in the rest of this website. Read more »

The Most Embarrassing Karaoke Stories

As a contributor to this site I consider myself something of a karaoke expert. I use to work in a karaoke bar and that’s actually how I’ve made my way through university. I also worked in an electronics store, and I was in charge of the stereo equipment. That means I had to become deeply familiar with a variety of karaoke equipment and supplies. I’m also a big fan when it comes to karaoke singing and I have a bunch of friends who share in my passion. As a result, I have basically seen it all when it comes to singing karaoke. You probably already know that karaoke lends itself to some embarrassing situations – you might have even seen a few of them in person yourself. Here are some of my favourite embarrassing karaoke stories that I’ve witnessed through the years. Read more »

How to Become a Karaoke DJ

If you have ever been to a karaoke bar or singing room, then you should have also seen a karaoke DJ. Karaoke DJs are probably the most important person in the room because it’s their job to keep the music flowing. While their job might look like fun, and it usually is, it takes a good amount of organization and multitasking ability to do the job to the fullest. Some karaoke DJs are so good that they actually become a main attraction that people come specifically to see. If you are interested in learning more about karaoke DJs, or maybe becoming one yourself here are some tidbits and hints to get you started.

1. Depending on what type of karaoke room you have, KDJs will have different duties. Some karaoke rooms are actually more like showrooms than bars, and in these places it’s not uncommon to actually have a host for the evening. Being a host/ karaoke DJ is probably the ultimate position because you get to be the star of the show while also keeping track of things behind the scenes. In order to be a host you need to have singing ability because you will start off each night with a song of your own. You’ll also need to be able to pull out a great song immediately if there are too many bad singers in a row. You have to keep the mood of the night going, so it helps to be friendly, hospitable, and talented. Read more »

I Used to Work in a Karaoke Bar

I used to work in a karaoke bar. I know that’s not a sentence that most people get to say. It’s not really a sentence that many people WANT to say either, but I think of it as unique. I can say for certain that working in a karaoke bar was a special job that was filled with interesting experiences. Some of these experiences were bad, others were horrible, but all of them were memorable. To this day I’m glad that I worked at this karaoke bar as it got me through college and it’s where I met my first girlfriend. I also came to hate many songs as they were ruined by people with not signing ability, but we’ll get back to that later.

The karaoke bar I worked at was more of a restaurant than a bar. They served a full menu and the music and singing didn’t start until 9pm in the evening. There was a dance floor in the middle of the restaurant, and the main stage was right in front of it. It was a pretty elaborate setup as the elevated stage was highlighted by spotlights, and the singers were accentuated with lights and lasers. They would even throw on the smoke machine for special occasions, especially during Christmas which was always a bit odd. The karaoke machine that powered the whole show was state of the art, and there were big screen TVs that showed the lyrics to everyone in the audience. As soon as people entered the restaurant they were given food menus along with a song book from which they selected which songs they wanted to sing. Each song had a corresponding number which the customers wrote down on a piece of paper which was then handed over to the waiters, who would then give them to the karaoke DJ. Needless to say if you were rude then there was a good chance your request sheet would get lost on its way up to the DJ. Read more »

Getting Over Stage Fright

Getting up on stage is not an easy thing, nor is it for everyone. If you ultimately aren’t able to ever feel comfortable on stage, don’t knock yourself for it. It’s actually not a natural state to be the centre of attention and in fact people who are able to sing on a stage comfortably are in the minority. So you aren’t a freak if you can’t get up on stage; weirdly enough, the people who can do it without feeling fear are – at least that’s one way to look at it. But even if you are overwhelmed with anxiety at the thought of getting up and singing in front of strangers, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. Here are some handy tips to help you to get over stage fright so that you can get over that initial hump.

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