Let me start by stating our original question related to what constituted advertising on the forums, but some how we were skillfully lead to this debate again with which we ourselves were over is still amazing to us!!

However what has annoyed us the most is how easily every one points the finger at us and boldly states that we are at fault without even bothering to understand the process we went through with the whole saga, but instead accuse us of incompetence and lack of talent/ability. We have actually had a good business plan laid out which is being updated constantly, as we are well ahead of schedule as to where we expected to be in this industry.

So for the benefit of those finger pointers I shall again touch on the loss of venue saga as we believe the story which some have seems to be different to the situation we lived so here is the breakdown of events from our perspective.

Step 1. Phone call from an operator to see if we could run his comp for him at the venue. After a couple of days debate & discussion we decided to do so, as it would give us 15 weeks of steady income, plus build enhance our image in another suburb.(2 weeks before starting)

Step 2. Phone call from operator saying that he is not going to be running the comp now, but you are still doing the karaoke up there just turn up you will be right.!! (5 days before starting)

Step 3. Not happy with that situation we decide to contact venue ourselves to confirm details.

Step 4. Told by venue Manager that yes we are to turn up. He will be there as well to sit down and discuss where to go with karaoke as they are unsure as to what entertainment they want to go with.

Step 5. Turned up at venue, ran gig to about 130 people by closing still about 80-90 people left. However, to our disappointment the venue manager did not show to sit and discuss the future of karaoke!! Duty manager liked our show would put in a good word for us??? So we gave them the benefit of the doubt...

Step 6. Called venue to talk to venue manager, told that he would not be in till later that week…weren’t happy with that reply so duty manager said he would call him to see what’s going on.

Step 7. Received return call from duty manager, not venue manager, told that they are still unsure as to their intentions with entertainment so just keep coming as a temp situation till we decide where to go with it all. Told Venue Manager is rostered on the gig night talk then.

Step 8. Not happy with that situation but still went up to run gig, turned up 2 hours early to our disappointment NO venue manager present only duty manger. Ran gig with about 150 to 160 patrons in attendance by closing time still 90 to 100 people in venue…Approached duty manager to arrange meeting with Venue manager told he would get him to call us..

Step 9, Woke Sunday morning to the news on someone else’s website that they start at the venue next Saturday.

Step 10, Rang venue, duty manager who was unaware of any changes would call venue manager and then get back to us. Rang back confirming that yes we were being replaced to his surprise!!

Step 11. Called venue to arrange meeting with venue manager told he was not on duty today call back later

Step 12. Called venue up later (that day), to ask if they have karaoke on there, was told yes we do by, surprise, surprise, the Venue manager.

Step 13. Hopped in car & drove up to venue phoning venue on route to say we would be in the area and would like the courtesy to discuss our vision of karaoke for his venue with which he agreed

Step 14. After talking with us personally his words were, 'I apologize for my handling of this situation, if I had sat down with you guys from the start we probably wouldn’t be in this situation, but unfortunately we have promised the other operator a trial period in which to prove themselves”

Now, we are neither naive nor complacent with anything in my life and we do not believe that the loss of this venue was our fault; we made every effort to secure the venue but were already out flanked by our competitors before we even knew it.

I attach blame to the other operator because it is their M.O. to attain other gigs from competitors who have publicly criticised them or who they just blatantly don’t like
I know this because it has happened to other operators before & after us i.e..

One operator passed some constructive criticism about their sound, they took offense then turned to someone there, whom we know and said I’ll fix the b*****d, I’ll take his gigs from him. 3 or 4 weeks later the gigs changed hands.

Then to us not long after we criticized their ethics/ behavior, they tried to take our venue/s were targeted they only succeeded with the 1. It did get back to us from another friend what was said about us also which is not worth mentioning as stick & stones…..

Then recently we heard from those friends that this operator made an attempt at a popular Sunday venue, which had received a positive review on this website with a fantastic host whom we ourselves have not long had the pleasure of meeting them. This happening only 1 or 2 weeks after the head to head race to be in the top ten between this venue and one of the other operators. Coincidence, maybe, but you wouldn’t need to be a Sherlock Holmes to connect the dots!!

Now some of you will say, well alls fair in business, but we have the right to say NO we disagree there have to be some ethics in it all or is this industry to become an industry of lies and deceit just to get by. For us at karma we choose to be ethical in our business dealings with openness and forthrightness..

Sorry for the long read, but we won’t stand for being accused for something in our eyes we are not guilty of. We learnt that, like Rovics we will not be a third wheel again for another operator, our gigs will be ones where we sit down with the managers first then perform..

Regards Kay & Dave (Karma Karaoke)

Submitted by Karma Karaoke Kay on 24-08-2006

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