Karaoke Tips on Etiquette - Controversial

      Although as you read on the previous page, there are several karaoke tips on etiquette that are widely accepted and unquestioned, there are several that are considered by both host and singer alike, to be somewhat controversial.
     These karaoke etiquette tips seem to vary from club to club and from host to host.   Therefore, when visiting a new karaoke venue you may which to clarify how your host handles these controversial karaoke tips on etiquette in their club if you feel they may be an issue for you .
      Your regular karaoke venue host may have a completely different take on the following karaoke tips of etiquette, so best to make sure before you make yourself unpopular.

  • How many song request slips to hand in at one time.  Some hosts like you to hand in only one slip at a time bringing the next slip up as you sing.  Most hosts go in a rotational order of song submission.  Much like a first come first serve basis basically (although there are occasions when you may get another slipped into the mix for one reason or another).  If you do not have a slip to hand in as your song is removed from the line when  you are called up, everyone gets shifted forward and you will lose your place in the lineup.  Because of this many hosts suggest that you bring up at least two  or even more to start and then as you come up each time submit another.  Some hosts even accept a whole list from a singer which is many more songs than they may actually get in during the night.  Bottom line is that you do not want to lose your place in the lineup of singers.
  • Signature songs  Often a singer will have a signature song that they sing.  This might be because they love that song, they feel they do a very good job of it, the crowd loves it and always request it of the singer, etc.  If a singer has a signature song it is considered by some to be 'off limits', at least to other regulars.  The, "Hey that is MY song" attitude sometimes is strongly felt.  Unless you have copy rights to the song you do not own the song.  I have had several 'signature' songs that have been 'adopted' by other regulars who then tend to let me know that THEY are singing it tonight, implying that I should not.  Some singers unfortunately take advantage of this and put their whole song list for the evening in (as stated above) thus submitting many of the other's favorite songs before they can get them in.  Some feel this is fair play while others do not.  Many hosts will not accept  more than a certain number of request slips at a time (following one set of karaoke tips on etiquette) while some hosts will allow several singers to sing the same song during the evening and spread them out (therefore following another set of karaoke etiquette tips).  Still other hosts will tell you that someone already has a certain song in when you request that song and ask you to choose another.  When I go in I will ask around to see if a certain song or songs have been sung yet.
  • Asking the host to start a song over for you  Some people, for whatever reason, will miss the beginning of their song and will ask the host to start the song over again for them.  I have even seen some sing the first few verses and decide that it is in the wrong key and ask to have it started over.  Rule of thumb should be as follows:  If it is YOUR error (you have asked for the song in the wrong key, it took you too long to make your way up to the stage area because you were chatting or whatever, etc) don't ask for a restart.  If it is equipment or host error, (the video or sound goes out on you, you asked for a key change and the host forgot to set it, they put in the wrong song, etc)  you have every right to ask for a restart.  Now having said this, every host plays by different rules on these karaoke tips of etiquette so you may have to end up singing in the wrong key regardless.
       

     Regardless of how your karaoke host chooses to handle these karaoke tips of etiquette, I guess you are the one that will ultimately decide if their choices are ones you can live (and sing) by.  In many of the larger cities there are many karaoke venues and you have your choice of both karaoke hosts and set of karaoke tips of etiquette that you may wish to follow.  However in smaller towns you may have to agree to disagree with the choices that are imposed.
     Just remember why you are there and no matter what the karaoke tip of etiquette flavor of the day is, the container is still labeled FUN.