I first experienced the magic of karaoke in a dodgy Irish pub in Berlin called the Oscar Wilde in the summer of 1995. The pub was next to the legendary arts centre Tacheles, where my friends and I had gone on our first night in the city to drink cheap beer, eat curry wurst and gaze in wonder at the coolest city on earth. And yet somehow, we ended up in the Oscar Wilde, where I finally fulfilled a secret dream: to sing a big cheesy song on a karaoke machine.
These days, you can do karaoke in the privacy of your own home or in little rooms at cool Japanese restaurants. But in 1995, even our college bar didn't offer such delights (happily, a few years later, there was a karaoke night in the Buttery at which my sister and her best friend did a memorable version of 'I Know Him So Well' by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson).
So despite the fact that my 19 year old self was a terrible indie-music snob, I was secretly delighted to leap on stage and sing 'Always On My Mind' followed by, of course, 'I will Survive.' Surrounded by eccentric Germans, Irish builders and my fellow German-student Irish pals, I gave it my all. And I enjoyed every second of it.
Because even though over the years I've been in several bands and released a couple of albums, there's something incredibly fun about doing karaoke. Unlike an actual gig, no one expects you to be particularly good, so there's no pressure. And if the selection of songs is half way decent, you get to belt out a cheesy classic as all your mates sing along. It's the most fun ever. Which is why when I got married back in 2008, there was only one option for the hen night: karaoke in Ukiyo on Exchecquer Street, where I belted out what has now become my trademark karaoke song: 'Bootylicious' by Destiny's Child. I even do the "let's cut a rug while I scat some jazz" bit.
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So even though he isn't a natural rocker (or mover) I could understand why Prince William couldn't resist joining Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift on stage at a charity event a few days ago to roar along to the chorus of 'Livin' on a Prayer'. I mean, who wouldn't have joined in? In fact, if I'd been at that room (unlikely) I'd have had to be physically stopped from leaping up on the stage and joining in. Because as anyone who's ever done karaoke knows, nothing gets the crowd going like 'Livin' On a Prayer'. Not even me doing 'Bootylicious'.
So what about you? Have you enjoyed the delights of karaoke? What are your favourite karaoke numbers? And admit it, would you have joined Jon Bon on stage?
