There has been unanimous agreement in the past to not poo poo people's posts for grammar etc. Leave mix master mike alone. I understood what was meant and Believer if you think that rests your case about attendees of Chatswood, then explain how it is you find my posts comprehensible?

And what's this about a dull old world if everyone was the same?!? NONSENSE! Anyone who thinks that is just thinking they would have to conform to someone else's ideal personality but what if everyone else had to conform to YOUR ideal? Hmmm? We gravitate to people who are more similar to us than those who are different from us. So if everyone in the world was the same as YOU, I'm sure you'd think it was a grand old place to be. I certainly do. LOL

Was just chatting with my girlfriend over the phone about karaoke shows. I've introduced her to a few and she was telling me the ones that she likes. Funnily enough, CHATSWOOD got the big seal of approval as did Mic Rophone's Brewhouse gig and FJ's St Marys show. Another venue to which we've been was not so well liked. In the process of this discussion, I discovered that elusive factor that makes or breaks a show. It is the personality of the hosts: -
Running a karaoke show is a business, yes but it is also an art form. How a show shapes up depends on the way the host expresses themselves. Their preferences for example. Some hosts try to keep an all up tempo song list. Some hosts prefer variety. Some restrict genres available to choose from. Some hosts look at things from the audience's perspective, others, the venue owners / proprietors and some just look at it from their own perspective. Then there's the way they mix their sound and the equipment they use and the listening to the quality of sound or ignoring it entirely. Then you have the little additions to the show like lights and whiz bang bells and whistles like smoke and bubble machines and prize giveaways or competitions, etc. Finally, you have the style of the host. All of this stuff reflects their demeanour.
Garry & Di and Fossie & Joan's friendly personalities is reflected in their creation of a comforting atmosphere, Mic Rophone's high energy style makes for an atmosphere of enthusiasm. The gig which has been iffy for my girlfriend used to be run by 2 guys and back then, they ran a show I felt was almost on a par with Chatswood but now that it's down to just one - and a serious one at that - the show's energy levels have dropped considerably in my opinion and these were the words being said to me by my non-singing girlfriend. She had picked up on the lacklustre atmosphere which I now realise is due to the lacklustre or shall we say, serious personality of the now solo host. It is also why a venue run by the same karaoke company but by different hosts on occasion, can be great one evening and woeful the next. It's the personality of the KJs of the night.
I feel that this ethereal attribute of karaoke shows is something that should be made tangible simply through realising its existence. If you are going to be a karaoke host, it pays to be a fun person to begin with or at least, a caring person.
If we extend this idea of personality shaping or at least being reflected in a show, we could probably see that the unifying reason for people to attend karaoke is not just 'for fun' or 'to entertain' or to 'let off steam' but rather, to reflect the artistic side of oneself. Why else would people who know full well they can't sing grace a stage in front of an audience with the intent to murder a song that they themselves happen to love? Why else does the hoon get up and deliberately sabotage everyone else's night? Well, yes, I think it is the same reason why the singer who knows they can sing gets up with the intent to entertain: It is to express themselves and be seen as that person, however briefly, in the limelight for one and all to observe before returning to 'real life.'
I could be wrong but that's just my opinion of what unites us all as karaoke singers.
Karaoke's non-singing audience members have their own reasons for attending, naturally and I can't guess anything more than to be entertained whether by enjoying performances or by loathing them enough to find them funny. Just for the record, I prefer the personalities of the former variety.
Submitted by Johnny Burrows on 16-02-2008

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