Martha Lane Fox – the internet entrepreneur who founded lastminute.com with Brent Hoberman in 2000 – is behind plans to develop a chain of upmarket karaoke clubs, the first of which opened in London on 28 June, 2005.
Lucky Voice Private Karaoke is the creation of advertising executives Jonny Shaw and Julian Douglas, who were first inspired by Shaw’s experience of Japanese-style karaoke when he worked in Tokyo in 1997.
The Soho Lucky Voice club – which has been funded by Lane Fox and managed by her former business colleague Nick Thistleton – features nine private rooms which can each accomodate between four and 10 people.
The rooms are equipped with touchscreen technology for browsing and choosing from the 4,000-strong song library, wireless microphones and percussion. The club also has a fully licensed bar and serves drinks and food with a Japanese twist.
The team hopes to open more Lucky Voice clubs in London and other cities, such as Manchester, over the next few years.
Fox’s latest project comes just over a year after a car accident in Morocco nearly killed her and left her temporarily paralysed.
It also follows the sale of lastminute.com to Travelocity for £577m in May, which netted Fox a reported £13.5m. Details: www.luckyvoice.co.uk
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