A karaoke Christmas party can be the best night of the year for your team, or it can be two hours of people staring at their drinks while someone from accounts sings Bohemian Rhapsody on their own. The difference usually comes down to a few decisions you make weeks before the day.
Rilda and I run karaoke for work parties, club wind-ups and family Christmases across Brisbane's north and Moreton Bay, so here's what actually makes them work.
Book early, because December fills up fast
December is the busiest month of the year for anyone who does entertainment. Most work parties land on the same two or three Fridays, and the good hosts and function rooms go first.
If you're organising it, lock in the date as soon as the boss signs off. Even if the details aren't sorted yet, you can hold the date and work the rest out later.
Pick the right length
The question I get asked most is how long to book for. Here's a rough guide:
- 3 hours suits a long lunch that runs into the afternoon, or a smaller team of up to about 30 people.
- 4 hours is the proper Christmas party. Enough time for a slow start, a big middle and the last songs everyone remembers.
- 5 hours is for the crew that never wants to go home.
A song takes three or four minutes, so you'll get through roughly 15 songs an hour. If you've got 40 people and half of them want a go, three hours gets tight.
Sort out the venue
Karaoke works almost anywhere: the office, a function room at the pub, the club or someone's backyard. A few things to check before you book:
- Power. We only need one power point, but it helps if it's near where the singers will stand.
- Space. You want a bit of open floor in front of the screen. That's where the dancing starts.
- Noise. If you're at a pub or club, ask what their volume rules are. A good host will set the sound to suit the room.
- The screen. A big TV on the wall is handy. If there isn't one, the host should bring their own.
If you've already booked a function room, just let your karaoke host know the venue and the times. Pubs and function rooms are used to having us in.
Get the songs sorted before the day
The fastest way to kill the mood is ten minutes of people scrolling through a song list trying to decide. Send the team a link to the song list a week or two before, so they turn up with something in mind.
Our system lets people scan a QR code on the night, pick their song from close to 90,000 and see where they are in the queue. But having a few songs ready still gets things moving faster. Here's our list of the best Christmas karaoke songs if you want a starting point.
Get the first few songs going
Every karaoke party has the same problem at the start. Nobody wants to go first.
A few things that work:
- Get the boss up early. If the person in charge is willing to make a goose of themselves, everyone else relaxes.
- Start with a group song. Something like Sweet Caroline, Livin' on a Prayer or I Want It That Way gets a whole table up together, and nobody feels like they're on the spot.
- Let the host warm it up. Rilda and I usually sing the first song or two ourselves so the room hears that it doesn't have to be perfect.
- Have a duet draw. Pull two names out of a hat and give them a duet. It's usually a disaster, and everyone loves it.
Keep it inclusive
Not everyone at a work party wants to sing, and that's fine. Plenty of people are happy to cheer, dance or sing along from their table. A good host keeps the queue moving so nobody's sitting through long gaps, and makes sure the same three people aren't hogging the mic all night.
It's also worth having a quiet word with whoever's organising about any songs that might be a bit much for a work crowd. Most hosts can filter out explicit songs if you ask.
Think about the timing of the night
If there's food, speeches or a Secret Santa, slot the karaoke around them. The easiest running order:
- Arrive, drinks, background music.
- Food and speeches.
- Karaoke, once people have eaten and settled in.
Starting the singing straight after the speeches works well, because everyone's already in the room and paying attention.
What it costs
Our Christmas parties are $375 for the first three hours, then $100 for each extra hour, up to five hours. That covers both of us hosting, the sound system, wireless mics, the screen with the lyrics, and setting up and packing down. No GST. You can see the details on our Christmas party page.
The short version
Book early, pick the right length, send out the song list, and get a group song going first. Do those four things and you've done most of the work.
If you'd like us to run yours, give me a call on 0424 418 643 or check our dates online. December goes quickly, so the sooner the better.