Songster or substandard - Gladstone's karaoke welcomes them all
Superstar contest starts on Jan. 17
Good or bad vocals, love or hate the songs - it all plays a part in making karaoke at the Melody Bar all that it is. That is, with the exception of Queen's song Bohemian Rhapsody, if you ask Peter Styles.
"I don't think I have ever seen someone take Bohemian Rhapsody seriously," Styles said smiling and shaking his head in aversion. "But then again I don't want people to take the show too seriously."
Styles has been hosting karaoke at the Gladstone Hotel's Melody Bar on Queen West for the past seven years. The popular show is every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night and it tends to bring out a hodgepodge of singers and a few famous faces from time to time.
Styles recalls one night he read the slip for the next singer - Tyler singing One Week. Up to the small stage nestled in the corner of the Melody Bar walked Tyler Stewart from the Juno-winning band the Barenaked Ladies.
Among his other fond memories is seeing Jennifer Valentyne from Breakfast Television, pregnant and singing Patsy Cline's Crazy or Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling singing Islands in the Stream akin to Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.
But, no famous face can top someone walking in off the street and knocking-the-socks-off the audience with a stellar set of vocals, Styles said.
"I love hearing Marvin Gaye by someone who can do it," he said.
Styles has been a player on Toronto's west-end musical scene for more than 20 years and about 13 years ago he started hosting karaoke at various clubs.
"A number of people I knew in bands started doing karaoke and they were saying, 'This is the way to go.'," Styles said.
So he gave it a try and since then he has become known in the world of karaoke enthusiasts as a great host. Styles said that his show is about the audience and the singers, and that is what makes it good.
He has studied broadcasting and he uses the skills he learned about timing and audience manipulation in his show. With the wave of his giant glittery applause sign, he'll keep the crowd going. Styles said it's important to involve to audience and put singers at ease.
On occasion Styles will sing a few songs himself, anything from Rat Packer, Dean Martin to rap artist Eminem. That's one of the things he loves most about karaoke, the availability and the versatility of it.
"I'm 52 and I can sing anything from one end of the spectrum to the other," he said. "And anyone who walks in off the street can do that."
He has seen karaoke become somewhat of a sport during the years and the Melody Bar's Karaoke Superstar competition is this sport's Super Bowl.
The Fourth Annual Karaoke Superstar competition begins this Thursday, Jan. 17. Styles co-hosts this popular event with comedian Stephen Eyes.
It's the luck of the draw, in terms of who gets to participate in the contest.
From 9 to 10 p.m., on each of the three consecutive qualifying Thursdays, names of people wishing to participate are taken. Fifteen names are randomly drawn. The competitive performances are interspersed throughout the regular singers. New this year, each participant will be given a DVD recording of their performance.
The top three are chosen based on audience response, gaged by the Gladstone's applause-o-meter. Those three and a fourth, wildcard singer, chosen by Styles, qualifies to sing on the final night.
"I pick a singer that really impressed me but maybe didn't have as many friends there." Styles explained.
At the final sing off, on Feb. 7, the winner is chosen by the applause-o-meter. A cash prize of $1,000 for first place, $350 for second and $250 for third are sponsored by Molson Canadian.
