What kind of travel destination do you prefer? I personally like nature – mountains, beaches, walking trails, and those kinds of things. But it doesn’t mean l don’t go to the other attractions.
Kono Coin Karaoke. Yes, I’m about to tell you about where you can sing your heart out without paying too much. I like singing so much. Not that my voice is worth to listen to. It’s more to the stress released effect it’s got on me. Singing me favourite songs out loud makes me forget about my headaches for a while.
If you happen to be in Melbourne, maybe you can try. It’s in the CBD. There are two closest stations: Southern Cross Station and Flagstaff Station. The exact address is 601 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne, Victoria 3000. When I went there the first time, I entered a wrong building. My Google Maps was open but it stopped, so I thought that was it. I was quite sure because a lot of people were lining up. It was like a hotel lobby with a concierge in the middle of the room. My mistake was that I didn’t ask anyone, not even the receptionist. I just walked in and got in the line with confidence.
The one who was unsure was Aldi, my husband. He thought something was off because we couldn’t see anything behind the walls. He then went outside to check the building next to it with me still in the line. A minute later he came back and dragged me out. We laughed so hard for queuing for nothing. We didn’t even know what all those people were lining up for. Probably the elevator? Kono Coin Karaoke was in fact next to that apartment/hotel-like building.
There’s no line at all for the karaoke. It’s a 2-floor building with a lot of small karaoke rooms and most of the rooms were empty. I went to the reception who didn’t greet me. I thought maybe she didn’t see or she was busy doing something. I asked her, can we get a room? She answered, yes, sure. I waited for several seconds but she didn’t say anything else.
Then I asked again, do I pay here or how? She asked me back, is this the first time you come here? I said yes. She eventually walked me and Aldi to a room and explained things like how to pay, how to start singing, how to choose songs, etc. When I understood, she left. So, here’s the confusing part for a new starter. But I’ll save your time.
First, when you come, just go straight to one of the rooms. You can choose freely. There are rooms for 2 people only and there are rooms for maximum 4 people. I don’t know how it is on the second floor because I didn’t go there. But I reckon it’ll be the same.
Second, take out your notes to pay. It’s like a vending machine. Once you put the money in, you can start singing. You can only use $2 coins and $5, $10, $20 notes. Here’s the pricelist:
Third, choose the songs. It’s hard to figure out how to use the remote control at first. It’s all in Korean! I bet they imported everything from Korea. There’s a guide paper in English, though. You can follow the instructions. Or if you’re not sure, simply try to decipher it first, before putting your money into the machine. Once you know how to use it, you can add the money.
In my opinion, the guide doesn’t help much. It only translates the main buttons. I wonder why they made it like that. They opened a business in Australia but they don’t use English. Or they made it only for their own people? What a mystery. But if you’re used to it, it’ll be easier to use the remote. Searching for songs is another level. They don’t have a lot of options. Most of the songs they offer are classics. If you like K-Pop, it’s a different story. They have heaps! But I’m not a fan, so I just looked for Western songs and Indonesian songs. The funny thing is that I didn’t even know most of the Indonesian songs that were on the list. They’re all oldies.
Tips: if you want to try singing in Kono Coin Karaoke, I suggest you to make a list of the songs you want to sing beforehand. So by the time you’re there, you can easily search for the songs and put them in the queue. But chill out. There’s no time limit. Because technically, you pay per song, not per hour. So you can stay as long as you want.
Since it’s a coin karaoke, there’s no bar where you can order snacks or drinks. But there’s a vending machine with some drinks in it. All for $3. Even though there are some downsides of this place, but it’s the best place for karaoke in Melbourne. Not that I’ve ever tried to go to the other places. I’ve only tried to search for it on the internet. They’re all pricey. If I go in a group of, let’s say, 4-10 people, maybe it’ll be cheaper because I can share the bill. But I have no friends in Melbourne. I only have Aldi, my husband and my best friend. So it’s the best option.
