Karaoke Guy pulling a scam

mboogiemanusa · #1 02-27-2011, 08:18 PM

Sorry for the rant but getting this out of my system before I go punch this idiot. My band had a gig at a local club on Friday night which is only a mile from my house. Since it was going to be raining all night and I have Friday's off from the day job, I moved my gear over there in between thunder storms around 2pm. This lounge has a Karaoke DJ booked Thursdays and Sunday nights and live cover bands Friday and Saturday nights. I noticed that the Karaoke guy has left his gear stacked on one side of the stage right in the way of where my bass gear and our 2nd guitar player need to put our rigs. Not only is it in our way but his speakers are still in their stands 6' high with his gear stacked on top of the speakers creating an 8' high safety hazard. I could see that he was trying to make it a pain in the ass for the bands to move his gear so he would not have to load in and out again for Sunday night. Probably hoping the bands would just suck it up and set up in front of his stuff. We are a 5 piece band and need every foot of space available on a small club stage. I contacted the entertainment director who agrees with me that his stuff needs to go. The entertainment director contacts him and gets permission for me to move his gear out of the way while I set up and he reluctantly agrees to pick it up around 5pm. I carefully slide his gear a few feet towards the middle of the stage so it does not topple over and is out of my way then set up my gear. I go kick it at my house until 7pm and when I return he has already picked up his stuff and gone. The gig went really well despite the bad weather and all was right with world until I received a call today from the entertainment director. The Karaoke guy is now claiming his system no longer works and that I was the last guy to touch it. He wants either me or the club to compensate him. We are talking about really low end home unit type gear like a Karaoke boom box that someone may have in their garage or basement. I think the whole deal may be a set up or scam. Anybody else ever run into this "your the last guy to touch my gear" scam when moving someone else's gear out of the way?

JMac4strngr · #2 02-27-2011, 08:46 PM

Something smells fishy to me. It sounds like the Doctor Karaoke/DJ mixmaster, may be trying to find somebody to buy him some new or better gear.

I would get in touch with Mr. DJ and ask for written repair estimates from a legit tech on what he claims is broken. If possible talk with the tech to verify that it may or may not have been something that You would've done moving it that might have caused the damage. If it turns out to be something you might've done(in which I doubt it is), I would offer to pay for the repair and nothing more.
It also sounds like He isn't fond of live bands, IMO. He probably has this goofy Idea that You guys are hurting His business.
In the mean time keep a cool head, and don't burn any bridges by getting fussy around the Entertainment director Guy. Wouldn't wanna risk loosing a gig, or getting a bad rep, over a squabble with some goofy "Band in a Box'er"

walker rosewood · #3 02-27-2011, 08:49 PM

I call shenanigans. You can't break audio gear if it was turned off/unplugged and all you did was move it. If it is broken ask him to bring it into the club set it up and prove it. If the guy is desperate enough to bust his own gear to attempt getting his foot out of his mouth then you might have some trouble on your hands. Or maybe he busted it before and is looking for a scapegoat.

If you care about staying good with the club owner you should do what you can to appease him. But the liability is entirely on the karaoke guy for leaving his gear in a bar, and he shouldn't get compensated for anything, not even repairs if it really is busted.

Stuff like this irritates me bad. It's like the sue happy idiots suing when they spill hot coffee on themselves.

John D@508 · #4 02-27-2011, 08:52 PM

Wasnt the Karaoke guy the last to touch it?

lowfreq33 · #5 02-27-2011, 08:59 PM

I've been sort of on the other side of the situation. Had a 2 week run at a casino in Vegas last year, our first time there. We did Tuesday through Sunday, Monday we were off and a beatles tribe was playing. I moved my rig offstage and it was covered with a black sheet. Tuesday we show for soundcheck and my rig is set up on stage. Nice of the soundman to try to help me out, but the input on my preamp isn't working now (I run a preamp/ power amp rig). So my stuff was working the last time I saw it, now it's not, and the only person (to my knowledge) to touch it in that time was the soundman.

What I think happened is the beatles tribute saw my gear and decided to try it out, the soundman didn't stop them, and they broke it. Then he avoided the subject and hoped I wouldn't make a fuss.

And I didn't. I couldn't prove anything without requesting the security tapes from the casino, making a huge stink, and pretty much guaranteeing we'd never play there again. The money was very very good. I was able to use the line in on the pre instead of the instrument in, so I just ate it.

But in your situation, no way would that DJ get a dime out of me. Karaoke DJs are the scum of the earth. It's his fault he didn't break his gear down and get it out of the way of the band that he knew would need that space. If he really cared about his gear he would have taken steps to ensure it's safety. Not your fault you had to break his crappy gear down because it was left in your way. Screw 'em.

PhatBasstard · #6 02-27-2011, 09:04 PM

This is an easy one.
1. No! You, Mr. Karaoke, were the last to move/touch it. Maybe you did something to it.
2. You gave "permission" for someone else to have to move your stuff rather then coming down and doing it yourself.
3. Next time get your crap off the stage when you know it will be used by someone else prior to your next engagement.

I deal with this stuff at numorous clubs.
He has no leg to stand on and the director of the club should tell him so.

**nutdog** · #7 02-27-2011, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowfreq33

But in your situation, no way would that DJ get a dime out of me. Karaoke DJs are the scum of the earth. It's his fault he didn't break his gear down and get it out of the way of the band that he knew would need that space. If he really cared about his gear he would have taken steps to ensure it's safety. Not your fault you had to break his crappy gear down because it was left in your way. Screw 'em.

I concur.

Steve · #8 02-28-2011, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhatBasstard

This is an easy one.
1. No! You, Mr. Karaoke, were the last to move/touch it. Maybe you did something to it.
2. You gave "permission" for someone else to have to move your stuff rather then coming down and doing it yourself.
3. Next time get your crap off the stage when you know it will be used by someone else prior to your next engagement.

I deal with this stuff at numorous clubs.
He has no leg to stand on and the director of the club should tell him so.

This^

pnut166 · #9 02-28-2011, 12:34 AM

He stacked it 8 ft high for a reason. To claim someone dropped something. Period.

fullrangebass · #10 02-28-2011, 05:28 AM

Whenever I sense trouble, I take pictures/videos with my cell phone (but I don't reveal them until things get serious). Only then the other side has NOTHING in hand, and you can prove your point

I sense scam

StuartV · #11 02-28-2011, 08:28 AM

1) If DJ didn't hook it up and test his gear before he left the club with it, then he moved it from club to home - and thus, HE was the last person to touch it before he found that it was broken. Much more likely he broke it then, than anybody broke it while moving it across the stage.

2) If he didn't break it, then somebody else who messed with it between when he left it at the club and when he picked it up must have broken it. Just because you're the only person that he KNOWS touched it, does not at all mean that you are actually the only person that touched it.

fenderhutz · #12 02-28-2011, 08:33 AM

Rule #1. Never leave your gear behind.
Rule #2. See rule #1.

FuzzBoxVoodoo · #13 02-28-2011, 08:49 AM

Was his crap gear plugged in when you got there?
Could it be possible that it was damaged from a power surge due to the thunder and lightning?

JohnMCA72 · #14 02-28-2011, 10:35 AM

+1 to pro repair estimates.

If it was broken, it was already broken before you got there. Let's see him prove otherwise.

MonkeyBass · #15 02-28-2011, 10:40 AM

He has nothing on you. Ignore it.

**Mulebagger** · #16 02-28-2011, 11:01 AM

I'd pay him with Monopoly money since Karaoke is fake music

Who leaves their gear behind anyway? I don't even leave a tuner behind. Besides he took it and probably did the damage.

I think the owner should tell him to go scratch.

eSmith · #17 02-28-2011, 11:22 AM

UM, I learned as a child not to leave my toys in the driveway or they could get stolen, lost or broken and any of those results would be MY fault. As I got older and the toys more expensive, I learned to take even better care.

This is a scammer, you own nothing, the club owes nothing and with luck, he'll lose his thursday and sunday nights over this.

Keep cool, smile and be pleasant to the club and maybe you can pick up two extra gigs a week!

-eSmith.

tdub0199 · #18 02-28-2011, 11:33 AM

I would tell this DJ guy to KMA and leave it at that.....

C.Linton · #19 02-28-2011, 11:43 AM

He would have to prove YOU broke it. If the gear was sitting there any amount of time (whether or not it was moved) before you got there, anyone with any kind of access to the club could have done something to damage it. He hasn't got a case. Tell him so, and if he doesn't like it, tell him to take you to civil court. He'd lose.

deepBassie · #20 02-28-2011, 12:22 PM

Just another Karaoke punk. It kills me that these folks are allowed to put their gear on stage let alone "entertain" people with their derived drivel. Rotten rat-bastard...he's got nothing on you.