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Posted on 4 Apr 2016
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Hello,
I’m coming to Cornerstone on Friday 29 April to perform The Water Show and I always like to encourage some gentle audience participation based around the karaoke version of the Edwin Starr classic song 'War!'
On that note I thought you might like to hear about how I first got into karaoke, and the best way to sing the best song in the world.
I had never been a big fan of karaoke until recently when something happened to me on a night out. What happened was I had my first ever enjoyable karaoke experience.
I don’t know what made it click… yes I do - I found my karaoke song. I didn’t realise it was a ‘thing’ to find your karaoke song but it feels pretty real to me at the moment and it certainly got my reality alarm dinging that night.
I had been going through the playlist and I found Bryan Adams’ Everything I do, I do it for you.
That song is one of the most emotive for me. I absolutely loved the film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves when it came out and I still do. For me the Bryan Adams song is kept in the same part of my brain as Love is All Around by Wet Wet Wet.
I think where I had been going wrong with karaoke was I was going for a song that I could shout and jump up and down to, but this song is different. It can really change the moooooood of the booooooth. Big. Time.
If someone asked me: “Rob, how would you recommend singing ‘Everything I do I do it for you’ at karaoke?” I would say: “Look you’ve got to find your own way into it, but all I would say is (whispering) “start gently”.
I would then go through the song line by line.
Here are my thoughts on how best to sing a karaoke version of Everything I do, I do it for you by Bryan Adams.
Put the microphone right up close to your mouth, not in your mouth, but nearly. Almost whispering yeah? Get people’s attention.
As you say/sing the above line, make a V for victory sign with your fingers and bring your fingers up to your eyes, touch your bottom eyelids with each finger and look at each member of the group in the eyes. Practise now if you want.
Move towards a member of the group and put the V of your fingers underneath their eyes. Do this gently though, it is important that there is no poking.
Take their hand and put it on your cheek, they may be nervous at first but stick with it.
Put their hand flat on their chest and shut your eyes.
Take them by the shoulders and shake them.
At the cue of “you” point to somebody else in the room. At the cue of “me”, point to yourself.
Wave your finger. You know. I can tell you are getting a feel for this now. I am and I hadn’t even planned on writing this in this blog.
Get someone in a headlock and shout right into their ear.
Wrestle them to the ground.
Look up from the ground at the rest of the group and nod. Just nod. Keep nodding. Hold it, hold it.
Stand up and do the arms out looking around Cantona Man Utd Vs Sunderland December 21, 1996 celebration.
You are on your own for the rest, but just get really loud and cry!
It would be great to see you on the 29th for The Water Show if you fancy it.
All the best,
Rob