early last week - the week before pay day, an email landed in my inbox that i simply could not ignore; from the mastermind behind those fab nights out at musical bingo, dj jonny unknown, inviting me to their new club night simply called gospeloke. well, having been to musical bingo a number of times and having seen the singology choir in action, i knew what was in store. if musical bingo is unlike any bingo you've ever encountered, then there was nothing stopping gospeloke being the craziest karaoke night i'll ever know.
with the launch night only costing a measly pound on the door, i did my very best to round up a few of my favourites and head on down to concrete in shoreditch to find out for myself, just how a gospel choir were going to transform something as straightforward as karaoke... and of course, we drank a shit ton at the shoreditch first, just in case things didn't go to plan.
well, you know what, things didn't go to plan. well, not my plan anyway. because despite assuring everyone (and possibly the wrong people, i.e. the hosts) that there was going to be no way i would be singing on any kind of stage with any kind of gospel choir at any kind of karaoke event, that's exactly what happened. and not even late in the night. no, right off the bat. to a crowd chanting my name. when annalies' name got called up to sing first, i was excited! she's a great singer! she would do a great job!...
but then, she told them that i had to sing with her. which was - again, not the plan. i tell you what though, after the wine and cocktails and shots we'd had even before the night started, i was on some sort of magical high that meant i had no shits to give anyone, and so... yeah. i got up and sang. together we sang "shackles" by mary mary - which, by the way, has so many choruses in it, that i definitely don't remember being there.
but that choir though. oh my god. we were so not worthy to be singing lead while they were doing back up. they were incredible - individually and together, belted out tune after tune, their collective voices probably heard across the river. if you've ever seen sister act, you will have an idea of what we were privy to that night. and, when they did "joyful joyful" from the soundtrack, not a single person was still seated. they had the whole crowd on their feet, singing along, clapping along, full of good vibes.
i honestly don't know where jonny gets all these incredibly wacky club night ideas from, but someone needs to milk his brain. if only there were more nights out like this, where everyone present has the same incredible experience, a lot of fun and there's no tacky shorts or heels in the line outside, then my nights out would certainly expand tenfold.
so kids, tell me what you think of the idea of gospeloke?
are you a convert, or am i preaching to the choir.
(sorry for the tacky puns)
