Disco with Karaoke..how do you run it?

[Tony Scott]

I occasionally include Karaoke with Disco if asked but I'm never sure what's the best way to plan the night....mix it up a bit or have a specific time for each bit of the night. What do you you find works best?

Thanks in advance....

[DJWilson]

When I roadie for another DJ he opens the karoake all night and leaves one or two songs at the end for a slowie dance.

[djdave01]

i tend to mix it throughout the night, but always have the last karaoke song 45 ins before the end, so i can get everyone up dancing.

have had the odd night though where the majority want to sing all the time, makes it an easy night for me

[ppentertainments]

Generally I open up with disco, try and get people up dancing and some requests in. When half a dozen or so requests are in start a bit of karaoke, then alternate disco / karaoke depending on the requests. I also call last karaoke requests about half an hour before finish and try to finish on some upbeat disco.

It is a bit stop / start, but better than stopping for 1 singer every now and then.

Am now 'winding down' the karaoke so maybe not the best advice

[Ryu]

I thought about this one last week, when I had a Disco/Karaoke. I took the route of setting an amout of time aside for Karaoke. I was concious of losing momentum whilst DJing. It, obviously, depends on your crowd. The two (yes I know, not extensive) I've done have been a bit hit and miss, in that, the Karaoke-ers have been slow to come forward, but once one person sings, there is usually a few that follow. I've also found that there is one person or a small group of friends who are up for it and the rest aren't, which means that you either dedicate a large amount of time to a small section of the crowd (thus risking losing interest from the rest) or lose momentum by continuously having to build the crowd every time someone sings. And setting aside time means you could end not having time to get everyone in...and you may get less Karaoke requests if people feel pressured to come up at a certain time.

So to summarise. I don't know which is best Just had an afternoon kip, hence the rambling somewhat incoherent post!

Professionally speaking, Ask the client, and stick with it one way or the other. The DJ in me would rather play to the crowd so my personal sway goes towards a set karaoke period leaving me good time, before and after to DJ.

[Danno13]

I've only done this about 3-4 times, but every time I've just gone with the flow really and it's worked out nicely with small sets of each. If karaoke requests are flagging, or you find it's just the same people singing, then go with a bit of dancing. I don't think you can really go into it with any pre-defined plan, same as any normal disco only booking.

[Jays karaoke]

Keep the karaoke going all night, if they have paid for it then why only open it at set times. The best way is to include the karaoke to the disco, just make sure that everyone is aware that it is there and treat it like any other night and if someone wants to sing...let them.
The good thing about running a karaoke alongside a disco is that most of the tracks are set chosen for you, it's just that someone will be singing some of the tracks instead of you just playing them.

What i tend to do is when the backing track gets down to about 45 seconds ish, call the singer up and as the backing track is fading out bring the karaoke track in, then just line your next backing track up to play straight after the singer has finished. But whatever you do...keep the music going and don't have any dead spots, it kills the atmosphere.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Keep the karaoke going all night, if they have paid for it then why only open it at set times. The best way is to include the karaoke to the disco, just make sure that everyone is aware that it is there and treat it like any other night and if someone wants to sing...let them.

Ensuring absolutely no continuity on the dance floor whatsoever and lots of moaning people who want to dance and not listen to some halfwit murdering a Robbie Williams song...

[Excalibur]

Ensuring absolutely no continuity on the dance floor whatsoever and lots of moaning people who want to dance and not listen to some halfwit murdering a Robbie Williams song...

Whatever format/schedule you apply, you'll alienate someone. You can't win.
I've not got a magic formula to put forward, so don't ask me for one. I don't think you can specify times beforehand, as each gig is different.

[flatliners]

i would just go with the flow because when you put the karaoke you will get someone come up and say can you put some normal music on and vice versa