Newtown Hotel karaoke

With just two venues running karaoke on a Monday, and having spent many a happy evening at the General Gordon, it was time I dressed down and headed out to the alternative...

Famous, or infamous, for being one of the gayest suburbs of Sydney, the Newtown Hotel does not disappoint, being smack in the centre and as gay as they come.

Parking is easy along the main street on a Monday, and although kickoff is touted as 9pm, royalty is famous for lateness - and, accordingly, I arrived closer to 10. I believe I did miss the first singer.

And so it was that the next singer trotted up onto the incredibly high stage, a generous triangular area able to be viewed from almost everywhere in the pub. It's one of those older city hotels, but has had its five or six rooms knocked into one, boasting a huge central bar around which were seated many of its patrons. Although it must sometimes be crammed with a couple of hundred sweating bodies, that night it was sensibly populated with a mere 50 or so, and all, as I should mention to those who have never ventured into a gay bar, or who have never realised they were in one, were very well behaved. As in many of this type of bar, the service was exceptionally courteous and friendly, with several doors available should anyone feel the need for a speedy exit.Â

The boy on stage had chosen a song both suitably romantic and modern, and commenced his song wearing a somewhat shy demeanor, his look something between that of Brad Pitt and Jason Donovan but young enough to be the love-child of both. His attempt to appear modest was quickly dispelled by his highly polished arm and body movements, and the necessity for his 'this is my first time' constant gaze at the monitor was called into question by his rendition of the last half of the song without one glance back at the screen. The audience applauded long and enthusiastically, and I got the impression he wasn't going to go home alone.

Next up was a girl clad in clothes several sizes too small, and which didn't meet in the middle by a long way, but where there was something sparkly for interest's sake; after a gentle start she sang well, and received the same kind of admiration as the previous singer, but from the ladies in the audience. However, the quality was short lived as a more sunburned gentleman brought a theatrical bent to the proceedings, along with much hip-swinging and suggestive posturing, and I took the opportunity to wander amongst the various connected rooms to check . . .(full story on where2sing.com)

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