Em C.
Yelp
Whoa, boy.
By day, Horseshoe Bar could be mistken for being one of those bars you kick back in - with its wide bar in the shape of a horseshoe (funnily enough) it's busy enough but you have no problems getting served. It's chilled out, low key and, dare I say it, more like a tavern than a talent contest. All is quiet on the western front.
By night, on the other hand, it's mental. If you go up the stairs, it's like a different bar entirely, to the point where it seems pretty cut off from the bustle of the first floor. So while older gents with a few stories to tell are sipping on whisky on the ground floor, Glasgow's answer to karaoke X Factor is going down upstairs.
You have never seen anything like it. Who knew people took karaoke so seriously? Horseshoe boasts of showcasing local singing talent, including that dude from Stars in your Eyes who appeared from the smoke as Freddy Mercury....15 years ago. Yes, they still talk about it fervently, and are very proud of the fact he often frequented here! (He was actually pretty guid).
You're not sure if the crowd - a rather large, bustling, diverse crowd I might add - will love you or lunge at you violently if you turn out to be a good singer. And in here, I must admit I'm frightened to be bad. Maybe it's my Spidey senses tingling, or maybe it's a sense of pride since the talent who sing in here are pretty professional.
So they have every right to take it seriously, since most of the performers in here (they really are stage standard) are brilliant. It makes it so much more than a cheesy karaoke night, although despite the acclaim these singers hold they are still considerate and you'll likely have a good night. The karaoke presenter is fun and friendly, full of banter between songs and even sings some himself! It truly trumps all other karaoke nights in the city. So considering it's free, it's definitely something I'd recommend trying once since you'll have a ball - and maybe even spot the next Britain's Got Talent finalist!