Welcome to Gaia! ::

I've participated in the Karaoke! contest for the last couple of years... though I've never place in the top 3 did manage to squeeze out 4th place last year and 5th place the year before.

I totally suggest that everyone who wants to, participate in the contest and if not just chill in the room during those long, sugar filled nights~
As for singing, if you're in the contest, it might be a good idea to choose songs that actually aren't in English. And make sure you KNOW your song really well if you are in there to compete and not to just have fun.
Also, make sure you don't compete to sing songs that are banned! I can't seem to find the list but general songs: Fly me to the Moon, Eyes on Me, most Naruto Songs, things like that.

For the second year I sang:
Xenosaga the Animation - In this Serenity
Cowboy Bebop - Ask DNA.

Totally fubared up Ask DNA. X_x;

Normally they post the list, or at least mention it. Otherwise, if you went to WonderCon, it is probably the same list. I say the Naruto songs because I am pretty sure they were on the 'to be banned' list. But I am not all too sure. @_@

It isn't that there is anything wrong with Naruto, it's just that in many cases songs become SO popular, you end up hearing 5 people perform the same one in the course of like.. an hour.
So after hearing 5 people sing it horribly out of tune, off beat or mumbling through most of it (and it's the full version which is about 5 minutes long), and this then going on for 4 days straight, songs tend to get place onto the 'prefer it if you didn't sing this song', and if people ignore the list it will go to the 'don't sing these songs' list.

So sometimes, over popularity can kill the chance to really sing the song. I know that my first year I sang Utada Hikaru's version of Fly Me to the Moon for competition, and on the practice run prior to it, people booed and hissed at me when I went on to practice. And even though I sang it well enough to get into the second round during the competition, the host even made sure not to announce what the song title was just in case.
And then the next year it was placed on the 'banned' list.. eh heh. sweatdrop

I'm not sure to tell the truth. X_x The two anime I don't let near me with a ten foot pole is Naruto and Bleach (I prefer the manga). You would probably have to just see.

As for karaoke versions, they will dumb back the vocals if you don't have a karaoke version. But I guess I'm a little confused now? You're jumping between these songs to just sing or go into the contest with?

If it's for the contest, you have to pre-decide 2 songs, and the most last minute you can change them is when you check in before the competition starts.. which means if two people are performing the Saiyuki song, you'll be the 3rd one to do it.. as far as I understand - but it rarely happens that people perform the same song at the competition *nods*

Hm.. yes, tiebreaker. X_X never considered that.

And in the past few years, no, they don't provide a list. A lot of people comment on the boards about what song they may be singing though, so you can always get a decent idea that way.

Yay!
I'm still debating what my second song should be, if I participate this year.
The first one is

Witch Hunter Robin - HalfPain

but the second will either be the 1st Outlaw Star Ending, or Macross Plus - Voices. Still deciding. :/
The person who won last year was really good though. I think she also got into the top something-or-other at AX Idol. . . ?

oh man, that sounds like so much fun. D:


hell if i'm entering the contest, though. XD