…find a good karaoke spot in Lagos?
So this one time, my darling E, for some reason, got a bug in her head about wanting to entertain both friends and
strangers with her…voice, and insisted on us going out for a good
ole-fashioned karaoke session (never mind that the last time I went
karaoke-ing was in junior high at some random chicken place in Satellite
town I went with my dad. Picture a pimply fourteen-year old crooning
corny Backstreet Boys lyrics in a tortured Evita voice…yeah).
Anyway, I
bravely acquiesced to her request and we set out for Café Royale. I’d been there multiple times (Rate Naija post on that coming up) but never
knew they had karaoke Friday nights. I was especially curious to see how
it’d pan out given that the Café Royale crowd didn’t seem to be the
“let-loose” type needed for a guaranteed rocking karaoke session.
Sure
enough, it did turn out not to be your typical karaoke crowd. In fact,
I’d wager that more than half of the people there weren’t there for
karaoke per se but more for a meal. So, you know, people weren’t
exactly rushing for the microphone. They chose instead to dig into their
calorie-ridden meals while being mildly entertained by a Middle
Easterner dude with a firm, rotund potbelly who had no problem at all
hogging the mic. I was
quite fascinated watching him serenade himself (and the rest of us, of
course) with random, unending songs in French and Arabic. He wasn’t even
perturbed by the lack of interest from everyone, oh no. He was too in
tune with his warbling voice to notice the rest of us karaoke-less
mortals.
Well,
after Mr. Potbelly had sung a million and one songs, including a duet
with his cute but greasy friend, E finally worked up the nerve to ask
for the song catalog. Only then did our pot-bellied friend finally
step away from the limelight long enough to distribute the catalogs to
our table and other less interested tables as well. The song catalog was quite outdated, to put it mildly but E finally managed to
settle on Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” She gave
quite an interesting performance which I thought I recorded so I could
share on here but unfortunately in a blonde moment, I didn’t press the
record button (no comments, please).
E’s half
performance (she gave up mid-song) gave another lady the
courage to step up and ask for Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me.”
Now, this was good for her and errything but unfortunately her
proceeding to butcher the melody, tune and pitch of that lovely song was
more than we could take in the name of karaoke so we hurriedly asked
for the bill and schlepped off to our second karaoke session at Club
Towers (a relic from high-school club partying days I didn’t know still
existed).
We arrived
at Club Towers in the midst of a hair-raising performance by a lady who
I’m sure could have sworn she was Beyonce. I wasn’t quite sure who she
was performing for because the joint was next to empty but she
proceeded to hog the mic for quite a bit while we browsed through the
more up-to-date Club Towers’ catalog. When E finally picked her songs,
we found out we had to order from the bar in order to get a turn on the
mic but at this point, I’d quickly come to the realization that karaoke
isn’t as fun when it’s just the two of you and a near empty space, so I
convinced E to let us head out with a promise to be back with a larger
group and stomachs full of alcohol (because alcohol makes everything
that much more fun).
I wonder which other places in Lagos offer karaoke. Swe Bar does, I believe, but I have taken quite the dislike to that place.
But anyway, here is the verdict:
CAFÉ ROYALE, Karaoke Friday Nights (between 7pm & 11:30pm)
267A, Etim Iyang Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos.
+234-1-2714155
267A, Etim Iyang Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos.
+234-1-2714155
1. Um…Location? Restaurant food & drinks? Free (with caveat of ordering something, of course)?
2. …. …. …. *crickets* I’ll be honest. There’s not much of a good side aside from the fact that it’s attached to the restaurant. Maybe I should have added “good attempt at diversity by including foreign songs” but um……..ya. >_>
Cons:
1. Very, very, very, very outdated song catalog. Almost embarrassing.
2. The set-up of the restaurant isn’t quite conducive for raucous karaoke sessions and when I say set-up, I mean, the physical layout and the not-so-encouraging crowd
CLUB TOWERS, Karaoke Friday Nights
18, Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
+234-1-461367, +234-802-761-4727
18, Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
+234-1-461367, +234-802-761-4727
1. The song catalog is quite decent! I’m definitely going to go back here with a larger group and rock out with my cock……oh, never mind
2. Good setting (or maybe I’m biased because the room is mostly dark meaning I won’t be identified if by chance my voice cracks a window or two #shiftyeyes)
Cons:
1. Man, this club is located in quite the seedy area. The heauxs are out by 7pm flashing boobies and things, and I kept looking over my shoulder to and from the car with my eyes darting left and right. Even once inside, I kept getting the drug/mafia den vibe. Don’t be surprised to run into some seedy patrons too.
Club Towers wins this round with a 3.8/5 as compared to a meager 1.9/5 for Café Royal.
L.
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