Today's What I Love Most About Karaoke and Boiling Point are easy to agree with and I just felt like commenting on them.
It's nice to be able to get up there on that stage in front of everybody, knees all a-tremble with voice close behind it that first time (and probably several times thereafter)! Then there's that feeling when you get that applause for getting up and doing what many don't have the nerve to do themselves or sometimes even because you actually managed to impress! Nothing beats that on a night out. Sure there are the people you could do without on occasion but how is that different from any other social interaction? Some people are likeable, most aren't. Life ain't peachy much as you'd like it to be, so you grin (or scowl) and bear it letting the fun of the event take precedence or you make a co-incidental trip to the bathroom, bar or smoking area - or you complain a lot and quickly become that whiny person no-one wants to hang around for long (your choice).
Whilst I don't think it worthy of getting one's blood boiling, the newbie suffering the cold shoulder from the locals gets a rough deal but if you manage to impress them, it's not long before you gain acceptance. Funny when human social initiations follow those of the rest of the animal kingdom, isn't it? My advice is to keep your cool if you are actually gifted and know it or just to be friendly if you are not blessed with the greatest talent in the world and hope that vibe is enough to gain acceptance. It helps if you have well behaved friends in tow. We loners tend to have 'social outcast' written all over us for some reason. LOL. Don't go with the whole 'avoid eye contact' business though cos that only affirms your unworthiness of acceptance. Just don't swing the pendulum to the other extreme and initiate impromptu staring contests either. LOL. Social calibration is key. Relax as much as you can with the adrenaline coursing through you in the new surrounds.
Finally, to REALLY give no excuse to the locals to hate you, make sure you pay respect to the audience with your song choice. If everyone's doing ballads or olden style country, don't blitz them with your latest Linkin Park rendition and expect to be welcomed with open arms for your next number. If everyone's doing up tempo boppy numbers and the ladies are out in force on the dance floor, don't then kill the mood with some obscure slow number that rivals a funeral dirge for manic depressive darkness.
If there's variety and the audience is appreciative, excellent, have at it when you choose your song. Just don't be a joykill. After all, they're there to have fun too, y'know?
If even after doing all the right things, the folk don't like you, go back one more time and if they have not been replaced with more accepting folk, better to find a new venue. That's my experience anyway.
Thank goodness for cache on a computer cos I just had the power blow for reasons unknown, mid-post and was dreading having to retype all this. Heheheh.
Submitted by Johnny B on 01-08-2007

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