As Saba Salman reports in today's SocietyGuardian supplement, the Lucky Voice karaoke bar chain is offering registered charity workers, doctors, nurses, firefighters, social care staff and other key workers two hours' free use of a karaoke room every Monday evening in any of its London venues.
Now, aside from concerns that this offer could cause an epidemic within the key worker community of weekly, blistering Tuesday morning hangovers (for when has karaoke – like doner kebabs – ever seemed like a good idea when sober?), we applaud Lucky Voice for its neat little idea of "getting the capital's unsung heroes singing".
In fact, why should this idea stop at karaoke? Why not offer every key worker free – or at least subsidised – tickets (within reason, of course) to the theatre, cinema, gigs, sporting events etc? It could even take the form of something similar to an NUS card. Those companies willing to participate would, after all, surely benefit from the good publicity of such welcome benevolence. And it wouldn't hurt key worker recruitment, either.
But for now, anyway, it's all about the music. So, if you work for "the greater good" as Lucky Voice lovingly calls our public servants, will you be taking advantage? And if you don't, do you think it's a good idea?
Oh, and what would be your public sector-themed karaoke tunes be? Below is Saba Salman's personal top 10 – can you better them?
1 Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
2 Doctor Doctor - Thompson Twins
3 Teacher I Need You - Elton John
4 Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
5 Dr Beat - Miami Sound Machine
6 Night Nurse - Gregory Isaacs
7 Holding out for a Hero - Bonnie Tyler
8 Geraldine - Glasvegas
9 Psycho Therapy - The Ramones
10 Dr Feelgood - Mötley Crüe
