Singing along to popular tunes

It’s never a bad time to get up on stage and start singing — that’s what seems to be the philosophy of the ‘Karaoke In Style’ nights being held at the Hard Rock Cafe every Wednesday.

Close to 30 enthusiastic singers — some trained, some amateurs — performed at the venue recently, crooning yesteryear hits by ‘Black Sabbath’ and ‘AC/DC’ and songs of the new wave of artistes like Jason Mraz and Lorde.

The event was hosted by Sheridan Brass, who has been conducting karaoke nights in the City across different locations. Speaking about the one at the Hard Rock Cafe, he said, “We start at 8 pm while others places start karaoke at around 9.30 pm. So the first 45 minutes or so are a little low on energy. But once the crowd starts picking up and some rock ‘n’ roll numbers are sung, it becomes a memorable night for the performers and audience alike. We started this very recently and it can only get better and better from here.” At the latest edition, Sheridan sang ‘Chicken Fried’ by Zac Brown Band, ‘Heaven’ by ‘Los Lonely Boys’ and ‘Show Them To Me’ by 
Rodney Carrington.

   “I always open the karaoke night and for me, it’s always a good time up there. I love the variety of songs that are performed and while there are a few regulars, there are new faces every week, which is a good sign. The karaoke is an extension of what the venue offers,” he added. Most of the songs performed were the staple karaoke hits — ‘Yellow’ by ‘Coldplay’, ‘I’m Yours’ by Jason Mraz, ‘This Love’ by ‘Maroon 5’, Shakira’s ‘Underneath Your Clothes’ etc — which made it slightly monotonous.

But it was refreshing to see people attempting songs like ‘Little Lion Man’ by ‘Mumford And Sons’ and ‘Royals’ by Lorde. Sourya, who sang the latter, felt that people should take a chance and sing alternative songs at such karaokes. “It was good fun and I didn’t expect this kind of an atmosphere here. Sheridan is a really good host and has a seamless way of hosting karaoke. But the crowd coming in is still very corporate. Once the event is more established, a younger crowd will be coming in and singing fresher stuff,” she said.