Sammo...
Actually.... I've kind of changed my opinion regarding agreeing with your opinion of free entertainment dictating who attends karaoke.
SOCIAL class may well be defined by money in pocket but the kind of class I was referring to was more in keeping with the term 'a class act.' There are plenty of poor folk with lots of class and plenty of rich folk with none imho. (I hope you are reading this too, Barri Tone).
I understand you were referring to Victoria since you are not familiar with Qld and NSW and ironically, I am yet to venture to Victoria but can vouch for parts of NSW (Sydney & Newcastle), and Qld (Surfers Paradise, the Gold Coast and Mackay) when I say there is karaoke SOMEWHERE around that's easily reached. At least, that was the case between 2001 and 2004 in each of those places and is still the case in Sydney to the best of my knowledge. I cannot check the gig list right now as I've not been a subscriber since October since I am no longer the junkie for new venues that I once was, nor have I submitted any articles besides my long diatribes on the forums. If friends ask me for karaoke gig info, I refer them to this site to find out for themselves by subscribing.
I don't think it's the fact that karaoke is free that dictates what type of people attend. I think it's more to do with karaoke having the reputation it does. I still am none the wiser as to how that came about in the first place. Even when I was a newbie to the scene, I'd never heard of it save for the bouncing ball on television courtesy of variety and children's shows that displayed the lyrics as the song bopped merrily along. In my early karaoke experience, I certainly didn't see strange types frequenting the shows as the norm. Most folk kept to themselves but occasionally, one group would be very open, friendly and welcoming and they'd be the ones to build up the clientele through word of mouth, inviting people to either accompany them or just encourage them to return of their own accord or by just producing that feelgood atmosphere so even newbie loners as I was, felt comfortable to be there for an evening of song and felt it would be nice to return.
But I digress...
Just try asking anyone who doesn't already do so, if they are interested in attending karaoke that week and I am sure the majority of reactions will fall along the same lines. Disdain, trepidation and sometimes both. Regardless of their class (or level of classiness) they will most of them express to you (though the words may differ) the exact same sentiment that you should, 'F*** off!' and take your karaoke ideas with you. They may continue to stare and goggle at you for a while before making another suggestion or before you initially try to win them over to your cause and if you fail to do so, you'll probably fold and suggest something else yourself just as bewildered as I am about who it was that decided to give karaoke a bad name before the idea actually caught on in the public eye. These shows that mock karaoke singers I think were made to cater to audiences already of the opinion karaoke deserved to be mocked.
A magician friend of mine said that he watches the Aust Idol rejected auditions to openly laugh at the people who turn up. He feels quite okay with that since he knows he cannot sing himself and feels that many of the people who turn up should be just as aware of their own lack of singing talent as he is of his own. I believe there is a big market for that kind of mentality which inspired these Karaoke Dokey shows and others of their ilk or silly scenes lampooning karaoke in movies. They didn't start the idea, the idea was just being catered to. So, WHO out there was to blame, I wonder! Curse them or just move on if you don't believe in curses. lol

Submitted by Johnny B on 25-01-2007

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