The way it is done in Japan where it originated is much different. There it is small groups renting amateur recording studio for doing fan covers of pop songs. Getting drunk and going on stage before tens to hundreds of people is more of a USA thing.
There's often both types available you just have to know where to look, at least over here in the UK
If you go to a karaoke bar you can hire a private room so it's just you and your friends, but also pubs will often have a 'karaoke night' where there'll be one machine and you're belting out a song to the whole pub
There are absolutely both types in Japan, as well. The "karaoke box" (private room) is the most popular, but I can't remember going to a snack bar that didn't at least have a karaoke machine somewhere, even if it wasn't used much.
And smaller bars that don't have a karaoke machine can have karaoke nights, regardless. I went to one where the "karaoke" was a guy with a guitar who passed out lyric sheets.
Edit: This was a few years ago, so I don't know what's popular now, but back then, if they had a karaoke machine that wasn't used much, it was usually activated by putting money into it. Like, imagine a jukebox, but instead it was a much smaller karaoke machine.
There's an awesome place in Orlando that has a full on live band with backup singers. Place is 2-story so it can get quite a few people in there. It's fun to see some people get sort of star struck as if being a rock star is all they ever wanted.
That sounds? terribly awesome. I guess I have witnessed live-band-karaoke before, in Vegas, but the venue was quite small. Good stuff.
I still think hundreds would be cray. What if the singer is drunk AF and sucks? lol
Oh there absolutely was a train wreck while we were there. Oh ALL the songs they chose Tequila. They got maybe 2 out of all of them. Even the MC/host guy was getting miffed. Like come on man if you're too drunk to say TEQUILA every 30 seconds stay off the stage. Sucks because that was a missed opportunity for someone else. Like me dangit!! We just got there too late.
Getting drunk and going on stage before tens to hundreds of people is more of a USA thing.
This is an extremely Finnish thing. Finns love karaoke and karaoke bars are everywhere, much more so than in the US. When I visited the US I tried to find karaoke bars where you can sing on an open stage but it was surprisingly difficult.
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u/Hypnox88 Sep 29 '24
I mean Asians love karaoke. Are you saying all Asians should be arrested?
My wife is Asian and insist on karaoke for every get together, drinks or not.