OK ... what is it about Aussies and Karaoke?

We are hosting a Karaoke Party on Saturday night - free flowing sake and Sapporo beer, platters of nori rolls, nigiri zushi and hosomaki nori rolls, as well as assorted hot j-nibbles....

and yet we are getting a majority of our invitee's turning us down for one reason - karaoke. They are terrified of ending up in front of the microphone!

So far the only people coming are our j-friends and the Aussies who are Japan regulars!

I said to Papabear ... for goodness sake they don't have to sing...they can just laugh at those of us that do...but apparently the fear is that great they wont even risk it. Routinely we have 100 odd guests for parties, so it really is a shock that we are struggling to get 30 for this one!!!

So...do YOU Karaoke?

Ok, I'm so not an Aussie, however here's my 3 cents anyway...

Karaoke in J Land is easy. You get totally toasted and make an idiot of yourself. That's ok, cos there's only 8 of you in a sound insulated broom closet. The outside world has no clue.

But in front of a 100 odd people, most of who you only know vaguely, combined with the fear that you could become the next big antihero, that's scary!

Some of the people I know here take karaoke way too seriously and it is a real drag having to go and be forced to sing Elvis.

call it a beer and food orgy, then get the karaoke out after they've had a skinful.

Should have done that thursday - but I had no idea my friends were so concerned about thier 'image'! Ridic-er-us!

show them this:

You been to my place then Thursday?

I like a good karaoke sesh after a bellyful. Good for a laugh. The girls take it way too seriously. And they don't even get drunk.

No me Thurs...I do my best work on the microphone after enough drinks to make me at least giggly. What IS Karaoke without alcohol? Just a bunch of idol wannabe's ... now add copious quantities of alcohol ... and you have a hysterically funny rollicking good time! Karaoke is no place for seriousness! (says me and my 58 disc collection)

you need some of these: Karaoke Revolution

Thursday's right. Don't write the k-word on the invite, but whip out the gear at 1am and you'll need security guards around the mic.

I've got a funny/disturbing Korea karaoke moment permanently etched on my brain - a non-English speaking 60 year-old Mamma smiling, clapping and swaying along while a dodgy Aussie dude blazed out his rendition of a thoughtfully-chosen 'Rape Me' by Nirvana.

I don't like karaoke.
Just can't get into it, it's not my idea of fun.

I'm with Bag on this! I'd rather remember what I did than have to try to forget. Yep, BOF, me!

I like the drinking and the awful singing that induces one to vomit.

I never do it back home, standing up in front of a bar full of complete and semi strangers and making a tit outta myself is not fun. My family are big singers, at New Year when I was young my Granny used to have an old school Scottish family New Years party and EVERYONE sung....except for me. I refused and still do. BUT over here, like someone has mentioned before, its in a small room and I don't mind it so much.

I would probably avoid the party as well MB, not because I hate that other people like to Karaoke, but because EVERYONE is always on you back to sing. So abstaining is a real problem.

Should have done it sneakily as has been mentioned then even the whiners (like me) would probably be drunk enough to give it a shot

You coward. Mull of Kintyre would drive EVERYONE to suicide. So do that one next time OK?

I stay well away from that sort of thing! I don't even sing in the shower, that's how bad my voice is! Never one to force others to endure torture, me!

BTW, agree with thursday about Mull. Sung by drunks, it is enough to drive even the most balanced person over the edge!

I sing in the shower. In fact I was quite embarrassed when I heard at an enkai that someone knows someone who knows the someone living in the place below me and that I am well known for my singing in the shower.

KAROK,
I hosted a bunch of malaysian military cadets on tour last year and they LOVE their karaoke... Asians and karaoke, they take it too seriously.

They made me/beg, pretty much, for me to sing an australian song. I obviously chose Khe Sahn and Down under. I love karaoke, however, noone else likes me singing :/.

Alex

and yeah they called karaoke, ka-rock