Karaoke nights for Delhiites

Have you ever dreamt of flashing lights, the mike set up centre stage and a large crowd waiting just for you to croon out your favourite melodies? Ah, the life of a rockstar! But since not all can live the life of a rockstar, Delhi’s Gen-X seem to have found a way around with karaoke nights.
And with Delhiites going gaga over these sing along song nights, pubs and restaurants across the city are also hosting these nights more frequently now.
But what is it about karaoke that attracts the youth? “Karaoke is pure fun. Serenading a room full of strangers is a completely different experience and its all the more fun when you are in a group,” says twenty-three-old Karan Lal.
“When we started with the concept of karaoke nights, there were hardly any places in the city which offered the same, but now the trend seems to be really catching on, I can easily name ten places hosting karaoke nights now,” said Shadab Mubin, director of Bennigans bar in Greater Kailash which now hosts karaoke nights on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
But why the shift from dancing to singing for so many party hoppers, “The environment is very lively at these nights. Also after a while, normal DJ nights tend to get boring, and you want to do something different,” explains twenty-year-old Prayaas Jain, a college student.
Thursdays are the days to put your vocal cords to the best use in Turquoise Cottage, which has recently started karaoke nights after realising their popularity among the city’s youth. “A lot of people were asking about karaoke so we decided to dedicate Thursdays to it,” said Ranjay Singh, manager at Turquoise Cottage. Other popular joints for many youngsters are, Harry’s Bar in Ansal Plaza which hosts karaoke nights, four days in a week and One Café Bar in Saket, which offers fusion music on Wednesdays and English only, on Fridays.
The karaoke fever is however, not just restricted to pubs and restaurants. Many youngsters in Delhi are hosting karaoke parties as well, setting up X-boxes or laptops and singing away to glory. “Karaoke is a fun way to involve everyone and like any other game it is a good time pass and entertaining,” says Divya Verma who hosted a karaoke party for her birthday which lasted till the wee hours in the morning as her friends didn’t want to leave the mike.
With Madonna being threatened with a £5,000 fine after her central London staff hosted a karaoke