Karaoke in Dublin

What could be better than spending your night out in Dublin by grabbing a group of friends and coercing them into singing with you along to Oasis’ or ABBA’s hits in one of the numerous pubs and karaoke bars. Often, your bravery will be rewarded with a free cocktail, shot or, if you dare to take part in one of the competitions, with bare cash. Currently, The Woolshed is running a Karaoke competition in which the winner will have the opportunity to record his or her own studio album. Do not worry if you don’t hit every single note – the crowd, after having had a couple of pints, will be lenient on you, or not notice at all. As long as you’re having fun, everyone will be happy.

Good places to go for Karaoke in Dublin are

The Workman’s – Their list of songs is not very long compared to other Karaoke places and consists of mostly old but well – loved songs, however, the atmosphere is great and the fact that everyone knows the songs means that you will have crowds of people roaring along with you.

The Woolshed holds a Karaoke night every Thursday from 9.30 pm; Club Nassau every Friday from 9 pm. There are also some places like for example Ukiyo Bar where you can book a Karaoke room for you and your friends if you are too afraid of singing in front of strangers or if you prefer a more intimate atmosphere.

We all know, what Karaoke is – The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “a form of entertainment, originally from Japan, in which recordings of the music but not the words of popular songs are played, so that people can sing the words themselves.” – but when exactly was it invented?

The Japanese word Karaoke is a blend of the two words “kara”, which means empty, and “oke”, which is short for orchestra.

Legend has it that it all started in a snack bar in Kobe city, Japan in the 70s when a guitarist could not perform for a gig in the bar because of illness or other reasons. The barman then prepared tapes of accompaniment music to not have to cancel the gig. The vocalist seemingly enjoyed singing along to them and this is how Karaoke was born.

Some claim that it started even before that with an American TV show in the 1960s which showed a karaoke – like series.

The first Karaoke machine is said to have been created by Japanese drummer Daisuke Inoue in Kobe. It was popular in hotels and bars but in the beginning, it was merely a gimmick which aimed at entertaining the guests while they are enjoying drinks and was not the main attraction. It wasn’t until 20 years after the invention of this popular past – time that Karaoke began to spread throughout the world.

Karaoke became the main attraction with the invention of the Karaoke box, which allowed people to sing in a cosy and private atmosphere. In these private rooms, people could also order food and drinks. The Karaoke Boxes were what made people aware of Karaoke and pushed it into the centre of society and entertainment.