More to karaoke wizardry than knowing lyrics,
We seek out expert advice to improve your amateur singing
2016 is the year of the monkey, the 40th anniversary of the CN Tower and the year you finally master karaoke.
You have a year until the next office Christmas party. What does it take to be a karaoke star? This year’s world champion, Elsaida Alerta, and local karaoke night hosts Stephen “Steve-O” Chadderton, Jason Rolland and Shawn Meunier offer some advice. Know your song The little yellow ball has got your back when it comes to the lyrics, but you should still know the words well enough to follow along and remember the melody and rhythm.
“I can’t count the number of times a person will come up and sing and it’s like they’ve never heard half the song,” says Rolland, the karaoke host at Toby’s Famous Eatery on College St.
And when it comes to rap, you should know the lyrics like the back of your hand.
“With rap, if you miss one word, you’re screwed. You’re forced to play catch-up through the rest of the song.” Don’t fear the interlude When you’re onstage, a 30-second instrumental break can feel like an eternity. Play it cool.
“Dance a little bit, tell jokes,” Rolland says. “If it’s very long, you can go take a pee and come back.”
Think carefully before choosing a song with a long break. “My Sharona” by the Knack might seem a good pick, until you’re onstage swaying silently for two long minutes. Imagine the crowd in their undies It’s not Madison Square Garden.
“Nobody goes to karaoke to judge others and say they’re a bad singer,” Alerta says. “They go to have fun and express themselves.”
If you need to loosen up, she suggests singing your first song with friends. (Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” anyone?)
There’s always someone who freezes up when they get onstage, says Chadderton, whose weekly circuit includes the Monarch Tavern, Mayday Malone’s and the Cadillac Lounge.
“The best thing is to follow the old advice and picture everybody in their underwear.” Respect the mike One of the biggest pet peeves of karaoke hosts is when singers palm the mike, Chadderton says.
“They wrap their hand around it like idiot rappers do on TV and the unfortunate reality is, when you do that, you turn the mike into a soup can. Nobody can understand you.”
Alerta, the karaoke star, says you should back away from the mike before you really belt out a verse.
And no mike drops, she added. “The hosts don’t like that.” Work the stage Get on up and channel your inner James Brown.
The best karaoke singers aren’t always those who have the best pipes, Chadderton says. Sometimes it’s just those who shake it best.
“When you get up there it’s all about the sizzle, not the steak,” he says.
No need to hold back. “Be kind of dramatic,” Alerta says. “Say you’re singing alone: get on your knees and belt it out.” Spread the love Karaoke isn’t about judging others or hogging the spotlight, says Meunier, the host at Hurricane’s, Spirits and Two Bite Saloon.
Even if someone ruins your favourite Beatles song, let them have their moment.
“It sounds hokey, but encouraging that kindness is what karaoke’s about,” Meunier says. “Hopefully, a little bit of that kindness will spill out of the bar and into the real world.”