ELLEUK.COM’s guide to their Five Best Karaoke Experiences in London
…with ROCKAOKE at #1
Whether you monopolise the microphone or you’re a closet crooner, we’ve tracked down five of the best karaoke nights in London.
1) Rockaoke
This is karaoke taken to the next level and the perfect option for a private party with a difference. Channel your inner exhibitionist and sing with a live band behind you. The hi-tech stage lighting, professional musicians and slick set up really give you an authentic taster of the real rock star experience.
London’s famous Scala play host to THREE of the UK’s greatest festival and nightlife phenomena & best live Karaoke events – ROCKAOKE, Hip-Hop Karaoke and SoulBrew Karaoke – who are joining forces for what can only be described as ULTIMATE KARAOKE!
All three events are a huge smash in their own right and between them have performed at all major festivals, worked with hundreds of brands, hosted huge events and have been featured as part of many TV and Radio programs and within the pages of many national publications.
In an unprecedented event Rockaoke, Hip-Hop Karaoke and SoulBrew Karaoke will combine on stage for the first time, ready for members of the crowd to perform anything from Bon Jovi to Kanye West to Diana Ross – all to a packed out Scala.
To get your tickets follow the below link! Be quick for those early bird tickets.
Strap on your air guitar, select your favourite anthem….Rockaoke is here on the last Fri of every Month. Fresh from a string of amazing performances with us, The Star welcomes back Rockaoke for their monthly residency.
Excited about the MTV EMA awards hitting our Nation’s capital? Worried you might not get a ticket? Reckon you could do a better job than Gaga or the Chili Peppers anyway?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above then have WE got a treat for you……
Strap on your air guitar, select your favourite anthem…..THE One and Only Rockaoke are coming back to Belfast!
A professional rock band consisting of session musicians who have played alongside the likes of Jarvis Cocker and Def Leppard, Rockaoke has revolutionalized the world of karaoke! Choosing to work without a lead vocalist they instead invite members of the audience on stage to perform a set of classic rock covers with a sprinkling of disco and cheese thrown in for good measure.
Rockaoke first hit the road in 2003 and have since performed with a staggering 30,000 + individual lead singers. They made national headlines in 2006 when Kaiser Chief, Ricky Wilson jumped on stage with them to sing his very own “I Predict a Riot.” The band are well known on the international music festival circuit having played everywhere from Bestival to V, Latitude to Leeds. They have also toured the UK as house band for the BBC Radio 1 Chris Moyles Breakfast Show (featuring an array of celebrity guest vocalists including Justin Lee Collins, James Corden, Alexandra Burke and Patrick Kielty)
The 12th November marks Rockaoke’s fourth show at Belfast’s Empire Music Hall, having sold out three times before and performed there with some of their favourite singers of all time. Describing the Empire as one of their top places to play Rockaoke can’t wait to return to our shores to take to the stage with old friends and new.
Referred to as “Karaoke’s much cooler, older brother,” the second best thing to do in London by THE TIMES and “the best night out in Belfast in ages” by GO Belfast magazine, with Rockaoke satisfaction is ALWAYS guaranteed. With a firm fan base in Belfast this gig is sure to be another memorable and supersonic occasion. So…whether you are looking for your five glorious minutes of fame or just want to lend your support to those brave enough to take to the stage, make sure you join us for the return of Rockaoke,
It was a night for all of our guests to show off their hidden skills on stage at our Diary Party. For party band Rockaoke gave our VIP guests the chance to become a rock star for the night by grabbing the mic.
Hollyoaks star Andy Moss had everyone up and dancing with his version of Kings of Leon hit Sex On Fire, while Capital FM DJ Nigel “Wingman” Clucas kicked off proceedings with a swaggering duet of Oasis hit Rock ‘n’ Roll star alongside the inimitable DJ Dave Foran.
Among others showing off their impressive vocals were ex-Emmerdale and Candy Cabs star Danielle Henry, celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barn and yes, even The Diary may have been persuaded up on stage at one point, for a duet of It’s Raining Men alongside Hollyoaks star Nicole Barber-Lane.
Earlier in the night Coronation Street star Bruno Langley showcased his talent for singing, performing a host of swing classics as well as his versions of modern hits with his Wonderland Band.
Music runs in the family for Bruno – as his stunning siblings also performed at the bash, with a breathtaking set from The Langley Sisters of ’40s classics dressed in their elegant floor-length pistachio gowns.
Meanwhile Bruno’s Corrie co-tar Graeme Hawley was a real hit at the party – performing a DJ set of top dancefloor-filling tunes. Graeme took a break from all the dramatic shenanigans of his murderous Corrie character John Stape to head to our bash to show off his skills as a DJ that have seen him play at venues across Manchester.
FRINGE PROGRAMME LINE UP & EVENING VENUE CURATORS ANNOUNCED
In very different fashion from the coinciding Royalist festivities, Gaymers Camden Crawl, scheduled to take place Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May 2011, will celebrate its 10th birthday edition since its inception in 1995 on the May Bank Holiday Weekend.
Swift on the heels of selling out its early bird weekend tickets, the Crawl is pleased to reveal the first stage of its line up announcements for 2011. Over the past four years, the festival’s daytime fringe programme of cutting edge arts and music has continued to flourish on a par with its legendary rock & roll evening extravaganza. During the daylight hours the main thoroughfares of Camden will literally burst at the seams with a vast array of comedic talent, visual art and crafts exhibitions, spoken word and performance theatre, interactive events & games and, of course, live music.
Sprawling across more than twenty venues, the Crawl daytime schedule of events kicks off from midday on both days of the weekend and runs until 6:00 pm when the evening live music scramble begins. Upon arrival at the festival each ticket holder will be presented with an all-access wristband, programme guide, timetable and free download album to help plot his/her day’s adventure. ‘Crawlers’ will be granted unlimited access to all official daytime and evening venues and parties capacity permitting.
The 2011 confirmed daytime fringe line up includes the UKs 2 coolest karaoke shows:
HIP HOP KARAOKE (Saturday @ The Ice Wharf)
Putting a fresh twist on the ancient art of karaoke, the legendary Hip-Hop Karaoke lets you get on the mic and act out your rap fantasies to the fullest. With over 150 songs to choose from the set-up includes everything that an authentic hip-hop live show does,. DJ Rob Pursey and comperes Marc Choice and Bobby Champagne Jnr.. Lose yourself!
The ultimate rockstar experience that is Rockaoke first hit the road in 2003 and have since performed with an estimated 24,000 individual lead singers. Rockaoke has slowly been taking over the world residencies in some of London’s most prestigious clubs to high profile appearances at festivals and of course the 2010 Crawl aftershow party.
Recently, ROCKAOKE had the great honour of performing at Alan Shearer’s 40th birthday bash. Superstar guests included Alan Hansen, Iain Dowie and Ant & Dec, and our own guitar hero Dan Richardson got a mention in the paper!
Dan was no doubt thrilled to perform alongside the England footballing legend at this exclusive gig, but there was only one problem – he’s a Sunderland AFC fan! Dan spoke to the Sunderland Echo about his reservations when it came to stepping into Newcastle territory, saying that it was “hard to swallow at first”. Thankfully, he was soon put at ease when he saw that Steve Bruce had been invited too.
Shearer’s birthday own goal
For this special occasion, we were joined onstage by BBC Radio 1 producer Matt Fincham, who filled in on keyboards. Matt had worked with us before when we were on tour with Chris Molyes Live in 2009.
Alan had no idea that our guitarist was a lifelong Sunderland fan, but he nevertheless joined us onstage to belt out a rendition of Sex On Fire by Kings Of Leon. We gave him a big intro and he absolutely smashed it!
You can see more pics from this incredible gig by visiting our celeb/high-profile events page. You can also see the full article from the Sunderland Echo here.
