Alcohol, Nudity and Robbie Williams: Philadelphia Grand Jury's 10 Weirdest Karaoke Moments

Nothing brings people together like karaoke, something Philadelphia Grand Jury know better than most. It’s for that very reason they have decided that instead of just playing shows on their next tour, what if they turned some of the country’s most intimate venues into their own karaoke booths?

Offering fans the chance to get onstage with the band and sing their favourite Philly Jays tunes (as well as some karaoke classics), the So You Think You Can Philly Jays tour promises to let you get up close and personal with the band and really build some memories. Or obliterate them as is the more common practice at karaoke.

Once we heard they were doing this though, we knew we had to do something special to celebrate/shine a light on this genius idea. Being a media outlet in 2016 though, the best we could really do was a themed listicle.

So with that in mind we asked singer songwriter of the band Simon Berkfinger to tell us about some of the band’s more interesting experiences in the booth in Alcohol, Nudity and Robbie Williams: Philadelphia Grand Jury’s 10 Weirdest Karaoke Moments…

1.United States Of Whatever

So it was this guy’s birthday and my friend was all like, “let’s do karaoke” so we did and I had to choose a song so I chose Liam Lynch’s United States of Whatever and then this girl was like “eww” but I did it and then it tore the roof off.

2. Berlin Monster Ronson’s Karaoke 2012

I did an onstage strip tease of Love Is In The Air to my fiancée and our 50 closest strangers. She had to fight two other women for my underwear. Do not drink the Bloody Mary there or this may happen to you.

3. Small Ballroom Newcastle 2013

I sang Love Is In The Air to some drag queens and a bunch of tradesmen.

4. Monster Robson’s Berlin 2014

I busted into a private booth and sang Love Is In The Air to a lovely couple who hugged me afterwards.

5. House Party in a share house in Darlinghurst 2009

Somebody had that game, I think it was called “Sing Star” and they were like “hey singer, sing a song” and I thought to myself “I got this” then I got beaten by some tone deaf, way out of pitch drunken maniac. It was rigged like Eurovision.

6. Suck My Kiss

My friend Craig Schuftan is a radio dude and has a very proper, very deep and polite way of speaking, so of course when I first heard him do Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Suck My Kiss the dynamic of our friendship changed forever.

7. Wuthering Heights

Watching all of our female friends dance around like weird seagulls every time Wuthering Heights comes on, which is every time we do karaoke.

https://youtu.be/BW3gKKiTvjs

8. Wild Wedding, Berlin 2011

Watching about 100 pissed 18 year old Germans sing every word of every Robbie Williams song in a weird dank illegal basement warehouse club thing. Who would have known Robbie was to the Germans what Wonderwall is to everyone else?

9. Somewhere in Chinatown, NYC somewhere around 2011

A beautiful stranger busted into our booth and put on Prince’s Kiss. I didn’t know until that moment, that I could sing every part perfectly. It was a fantastic duet and the chemistry between us was tangible. I felt so alive. The song finished, she left and I never saw her again.