Karaoke night is hip hop hit | Club night

by Walter Urgarkovic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hip Hop Karaoke, Thursdays nights at The Social, 5 Little Portland Street W1W 7JD

★★★

The art of karaoke originated in Japan in the 1980s and has provided us with a guaranteed good night out ever since, with a chance to showcase our vocal abilities in front of a drunken crowd.

For most, it takes a few shots and a little bit of alcohol mixing to gather up the courage to go on stage, which most of the time leads to uncontrollable embarrassment, instant regret, coupled with a strange satisfaction and sense of enjoyment.

There is no better way to acceptably make a fool of yourself than loudly singing the cheesiest of power ballads.

However, Thursday nights at The Social, situated by Oxford Circus, really make for an alternative and euphoric experience. Opening its doors at 7pm and shutting at an acceptable 1am gives customers plenty of time to get their drinks in preparation for the main event.

It is a karaoke night with a twist. Do not expect Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra, Queen, or any other predictable renditions from the attendees. Instead the selection focuses on an array of artists and songs, with a choice boasting rap royalty like Notorious B.I.G, Jay-Z and P-Diddy.

It is the perfect opportunity to  turn your swag on and live out your wildest rap fantasies in front of a friendly and euphoric audience paying a measly £3 entry free (if you do not RSVP it’s £5).

The crowd is exciting, constantly laughing, dancing, and singing along to the brave ‘singers’ that take to the stage. The place really felt at times like a scene from Eminem’s 8 Mile, with people banging on the metal walls as if it was Stomp: The Musical literally making the room shake. There is no karaoke machine; instead an iPhone with a lyrics app is handed to the singers in turn.

Upstairs provides a relaxed atmosphere, which is not nearly as busy as downstairs where the karaoke takes place.

That area becomes super crowded, hot and very loud, particularly once the singing gets started making it sometimes hard to enjoy the acts up on stage and leaving no room to dance or to talk to your mates.

You will also find yourself waiting a while to get served at the bar, where drink prices vary with bottled beers costing £3.50 and pints at £3.90. A good portion of your night will be wasted chasing down bar staff to get served.

The best thing about the night is the crowd of different people it brings in. You’ll see a variety of types on stage, from the flat caps and baggy jeans, to the businessmen, to the hipster types.

This event is entirely recommended to anyone seeking an alternative and affordable night out, especially if you’re looking to unleash your inner rapper onto the world.