Sing-a-long

Warning: This post is not for those who don't like hearing their favourite songs murdered.

One of the activities I dragged Piers to while he was visiting was a night of dirty dirty singing.

Everyone loves a bit of karaoke. Well, not everyone - shy people and those with sensitive hearing may be put off by it, but hey who counts people like that in the general populus anyway. I, on the other hand, have a fondness for it that often borders on the obsessive. I tend to run out of vocal ability near the end of a karaoke session, thanks to singing songs that are at least mildly yelled, drinking too much and joining in on everyone else's songs too. I also bang on the table (or the tamborine, if we have one), harmonise and adlib like it's nobody's business, and occasionally dance on the couches.

I do love the booth system in Japanese karaoke. Places like K-Bar in Wellyville or anywhere where it's a stage in front of all the clientele (meaning you have to wait like 40 mins to sing in front of dozens of people) is no fun - acting like lunatics in the comfort of your own personal room with mates, is. The optimum karaoke-going group size is 4-6. Any less and it feels a bit empty (though sometimes that's good too), any more and you have to wait forever til its your turn again.

Karaoke is also one of the best ways to kill 2 hours early in the morning if you're waiting for the first train/bus/plane to get home. You can always just sleep on the couches, and its cheaper than a hotel (about 6 bucks/hour if you have 5-6 people).

Songs that I think are particularly fantastic to sing at karaoke include:
Remedy (I Won't Worry) - Jason Mraz
Barbie Girl - Aqua
Word Up - Cameo
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (but of course)
By The Way & Other Side - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Helicopter - Bloc Party
miss you - m-flo (Japanese pop-rap)
Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
Your Song - Elton John
El Scorcho - weezer
Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry


Songs that are far harder to sing that you may first assume:
Under Pressure - Queen
Living La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go - Wham! (the last two because of the taxing repetitive chorus)
Where is the Love - Black Eyed Peas (have to practise that rap beforehand...)



Songs that are not really karaoke material:
Around the World - Daft Punk
Hey Jude - The Beatles
American Pie - Madonna
Anything by Nickelback (for taste reasons)