Lucky Voice

Do you feel lucky punk?

With a microphone in one hand, a glitter ball sparkling above your head and your song playing in your ears making your heart beat to the sound of the music... yes, I'd say I'm one lucky gal.

All I ask for in life is a decent selection of karaoke songs, enough space to fit all my mates into, our own space to belt out a few tunes and a little creativity with that one delight that is... the cocktail.

Share your songs over sherbet flavoured tastiness, popping candy tingling your taste buds and a shot glass filled with candy floss. Only in Brighton can they prepare you so well for that song you really shouldn't sing!

I'm feeling very lucky indeed.

I ventured down from London for the quipe-arranged party evening and, after a rushed, gruelling, hot journey, the event at Lucky Voice in Brighton totally suprised me! I was greeted with lovely Thai nibbles and a pleasant voice singing away in the lounge. The selection of 2 for 1 cocktails was, well, nothing short of amazing. Stawberries covered in popping candy, shot glasses of candy floss and various hippy liquers such as rose petal and elderflower = YUM. The place just looked totally cool, in a comfy way.
The karaoke rooms were coll and spacious and clean, with disco balls and adjustable lighting. The karaoke machines were standard lucky voice ones and simple to use. The selection of songs was vast and up to date even surprising me with songs I thought no one had even heard but me :)
The staff were accomodating and friendly and the MC's got everyone going comfortably. everyone wanted to sing in the end, even those who were too shy. The free cocktail offered after your first performance helped!

I'd definitely go back to Lucky Voice even without the offer of free drinks and platters - I'd happily pay full price for the drinks and I defintely would recommend it to all you Brightonites.

Wow I went to the launch of Qype in Brighton at Lucky Voice last night ! It was such a fun night ! I've just started a new job and have to get up early I was having so much fun that my friends had to push me out the door quit literally. The decor was very stylish in every booth a box of tricks so you can have more fun and dress up ! I've never done karaoke but I did it with a little help from a friend thank you sined I wanted to sing but a bit shy ! Now the cocktails wow amazing and the barman described them to a tee flavour ,look now thats how to sell Ice to Eskimos If I do say myself ! scummy If you go get candy floss you literally get a shot of candy floss with it ! They had acts just for last night Louis May was amazing ! go Louis !!! Go to lucky Voice even If you just want a cocktail during the week there apparently buy one get another free Yumm !

QYPE DOES BRIGHTON

Any hardy souls in Brighton, who hadn’t sung themselves hoarse during England’s noble victory over (ahem) Slovenia, were given the chance to do just that at Lucky Voice last night. Qype launched its brand on the Sussex seaside with a multi-pronged attack.

In the live lounge, set up conveniently near the bar, a raft of local talent provided musical entertainment. Singer-songwriter Gemma Williams performed a heartfelt semi-acoustic set including a rousing Jamie T cover. Mike Wilton turned in a bluesy performance demonstrating an expert handling of the Gibson SG. A particular highlight was one of my all-time favourite songs, ‘Thirteen’ by Alex Chilton (‘Please tell your dad get off my back/Tell him what we said ‘bout ‘Paint it Black’/Rock and Roll is here to stay). A very rock and roll moment occurred in the form of an avocado-shaped maraca hurled in the direction nose of drummer Box, who along with Louis forms half of local combo Spoken Spires. Bloodied but unbowed, Box played on. Keith Moon would have been proud.

Upstairs, karaoke king Steve channelled Michel Jackson, James Brown, Robbie Williams and a host of lesser gods while cocktail-fuelled wannabees joined him at the mic for the ineluctable ‘Don’t You Want Me’ and, somewhat more surprising, a vigorous version of Sid Vicious’s ‘My Way’ performed by Sussex Healers. It was a bit startling to hear these usually sedate and charming ladies declare ‘I’m no effin’ ceeee’ but that’s the effect of a Kamikaze Blue, I guess.

Delicious Thai canapés were provided by Lemongrass.

Today Brighton, tomorrow... well, like Fabio Capello, let’s take things one game at a time.

I must belatedly add my congratulations to Zoe for her sterling work in getting the Brighton Gurus and guests into fine vocal shape for the performance of ‘Don’t You Want Me Baby?’

This was no mean feat – if I am a rock vocalist then Phil Oakley got his hair cut at Mr Toppers.

Many years ago I used to work for a trade magazine that served the licensed trade. Every now and then I would answer the phone to a voluble Yorkshire man who would announce himself thus: “Hello! It’s Mr Karaoke here. I invented it you know. I sold it to the Japanese!” He would then demand to know why I wouldn’t print this scoop on the front page. Lucky Voice is as removed from the world of Mr Karaoke as a Long Island Iced Tea is from a glass of Babycham and a packet of pork scratchings.

Like the cocktails served at the bar, a night at Lucky Voice is irresistible – you are unlikely to stop at just the one...

I am a big fan of karaoke. It rocks. When SingStar was invented it made me very happy because people were more willing to sing, an activity I try to encourage in those around me. However, some would not like to take the leap from singing among friends at home to singing in a bar in front of lots of (drunken) strangers who may heckle. Enter Lucky Voice.

It provides a luxurious surrounding for you and your friends to sing to your hearts content at the top of your lungs. And no one will hear you outside the room. It's a genius idea. I wish I had thought of it. Then again, I'm just glad that SOMEONE thought of it!

There are normally drinks deals available and on certain nights there are discounts available, for example on Wednesday nights Brighton residents get 50% off room hire. It's not just Fatboy Slim concerts that provide a benefit for having a Brighton postcode! The room prices at first may seem a little steep, depending on the size of the room, but then factor in that you are dividing the price between 6-15 of you and suddenly it's a lot more manageable. There are also other fabulous little touches like the box of wigs and inflatable instruments, the magic button that lets you run a drinks tab so you don't have to miss your friend's masterful singing and the decor of the place is just plain cool.

When I went there I was with friends and we decided to stick to 80's classics. I rocked Pat Benatar. Others tackled A-Ha, Madonna, Phil Collins, Bonnie Tyler and there was of course a group number of Don't Stop Believin. However, the catalogue of songs is fantastic. Oldies and goodies to current chart hits, and the system is very easy to work. It's like a jukebox with a touchscreen search engine. Magic. So many songs to cram into your booked time. Then again, you can always go back and take on that high pitched number another time. Or after a couple of cocktails.

This karaoke bar offers exactly what it says on the tin!

Obviously you need to be i the mood for a good old sing song and if you are you can belt out many a classic in private rooms (so the embarresment can be quarentined!)

With waiter service for your drinks the bill can often run a bit high as you get taken away in the moment, but thats a good thing right?

With a wide selection of drinks you can really enjoy a different night out!!

I am not a karaoke person,the only reason I occasionally visit this place is the bar downstairs - is great.
Nice lounge music, good cocktails, cosy and modern interior, perfect for pre-party drinks.
If you are not fond of smelly pubs like my self, I would definitely recommend it.

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there then does it make a sound?

And likewise if you are singing badly in a private booth then is it possible to make a tit of yourself?

Both these deep and philosophical questions can be answered later.... on with the review....

At lucky voice you can lock yourself into a padded room with 10 friends and 2 microphones, only connected to the outside world via the umbilical link of a button marked "Thirsty". When you press the button then almost instantly a waitress appears bearing cocktails.

This is David Lynch does karaoke.

We had a vocal coach for an hour before letting rip on the mic. She managed to persuade me that I could sing and installed a sense of confidence into my vocal performance. It was unfortunate that reality let me down a little bit. But it was fortunate that we were in a sound proof room.

Most importantly - for the likes of me - there is a categorised list of songs in a folder provided in the room. One of the pages is entitled "songs for non-singers". Perfect...

Whatever your preconceptions are about karaoke - whether it evokes bad memories of drunken family reunions or rowdy New Year’s Eve parties where you pop a quid in a pot then belt out ‘I Will Survive’ at the top of your voice and embarrass yourself - think again. Lucky Voice is karaoke with serious CLASS.

On the debut Qype Does Brighton event, ten of us lucky Qypers made our way there armed with severe lack of confidence in our vocal ability. Well, some of us more than others.

We were greeted by vocal coach Zoe (not a usual fixture of Lucky Voice, but we felt we needed a little help to get us started) and then embarked on a series of vocal exercises including breathing, singing yawns and bizarrely acted renditions of Happy Birthday. Then, full of confidence (helped by a delicious mojito-style cocktail) we were ready for our first challenge: Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me Baby.’ I have to say... we TOTALLY nailed it (no honestly, you seriously missed out).

Our karaokeing took place in a large, dimly-lit, padded pod (sounds a bit scary, but it was actually rather cosy). They’ve got the obligatory folder-bound song list to flick through for inspiration, as well as a touch-screen browser which links up to a flat screen television. You can even queue up a playlist in advance, pause and rewind tracks. Much better than relying on a pub DJ!

My personal highlight of the evening was policeman Steve’s Michael Jackson impersonation and genuinely fantastic rendition of ‘Man in the Mirror’ (complete with ‘huh!’ and ‘hoo!’ noises) and new Qyper Chloe’s frighteningly accurate Lady Gaga impression.

Price-wise, a room as large as the one we were in will set you back over £50 an hour, but divided by over 10 people it doesn’t work out too expensive. Where you have to watch yourself is that every karaoke pod gets a food and drinks tab that you settle up at the end. I’d imagine if you’re having that much fun it’s very hard to keep an eye on your spending, particularly when all you have to do to get a drink is press a button that says thirsty. Brilliant, but lethal.

I’d definitely go here again, as it’s a fantastically original idea for a birthday party, team-building work do or hen night. I’m warming up my vocal chords for next time already...

I love this place, you are shown to your room by staff and given an overview of how to work the system. There is a lage box of props to help you look even more silly when attempting 80's classics. There is a little book filled with ideas as well as an extensive computer system with all their songs. The soft drinks are nice and cheap, the only problem is when your drink starts to have a percentage. The price does jump up a bit. But if you've been drinking before or plan to go drinking after, not drinking much if any alcohol in here wont be a problem.

All in all a fantastic venue.

A great night out with friends, private booths for you and your mates, good selection of songs, wireless mikes which means no tangled wires when dancing, great fun. Reasonable price for booth hire but this doesn't get the full five stars because the drinks are a little on the expensive side (do some drinking before hand and it's fine though).

If you love to sing but not in front of a bunch of strangers, then this is the place for you. You'll have an exclusive night and belt out all those Britney Spears tunes you secretly love so much. You can adjust the lighting in the room and have an easy to use computer with tons of songs on it.

It is on the expensive side, however. This doesn't matter too much with booking the room because you can split it between you and your friends. But be careful with the drinks, they are much more than you would usually pay in the pub. So don't forget it adds up.

And if you manage to save those pennies on their cocktails and bottles of beer, then you can make a whole night of fun because of where it's situated. It's right next door to Jamie Oliver's restaurant and the funky Black Lion pub. So you could go for dinner before and then a boogie at the pub afterwards.

We had a wicked, wicked night at Lucky Voice last night on a team social.

We were shown straight through to our booth, the drinks order was taken and we immediately cracked on with the karaoke.

Fantastic fun, united towards the screen, microphones in hand, belting out the classics (and a few off the beaten track).

In particular it was cool how people 'that normally hate karaoke' loved it, for the fact that you're not standing up in front of a crowd, but are basically all on the same side, joining in.

When we wanted to stay for an extra hour beyond our original booking of two hours we were lucky that the space was there, and it was nice that this was easy and hassle free.

The only niggle was that the cocktails took a while to arrive each time we ordered, but making 12 mojitos and a couple of Long Island Ice Teas each round probably does take a while.

I reckon a large part of how much fun you have will be who you go with and what kinda moods they're in, but on a good night with the right people this can be a brilliant. It was for us last night.