Those with good memories may recall that – perhaps inevitably for a man of such low taste – karaoke is one of the great joys of my life.

During the grim months of the lockdown, I cannot tell you how often I wished I could be in a dark room, with mates, emoting tunelessly over songs that had done nothing at all to provoke such indignities being visited upon them. Indeed, there were times when I seriously wondered whether the virus might have put an end to such pleasures entirely.

Happily, most of the capital’s major karaoke venues appear to have weathered the pandemic intact, as does the collective will of friends to continue our assault on dignity, restraint and tune. We’ve been back on the horse (so to speak) a couple of times post-vaccination; it’s been a lot like riding a bike – wobbly, uncertain and with bodies frequently thrown from the handlebars. Forgive me, I may have lost the run of that simile.

The important point is this: next Friday we will be venturing back out for another evening of full-throated karaoke magic. As ever, the goal is to avoid pallidly making our way through the familiar material, » Continue Reading.