BAM Karaoké Box, Musically Yours

A small step from the world of finance to the colourful universe of song. In any case, that’s the giant leap that Arnaud Studer took when he came back from one of those holidays that can change a life. To begin with, there was nothing that destined him to launch himself into the karaoke box adventure, a concept he discovered in Japan, where in spite of his terrible voice, he had a great evening of singing for the very first time. The idea? Private spaces for 5, 10 or 30 people where you can go with friends, family and even with work colleagues. Gone are those embarrassing moments when you have to decide whether to throw yourself into your favourite track and put up with the, sometimes mocking, looks of the strangers around you. When he decided to repeat the experience in Paris, Arnaud Studer discovered that the concept he had enjoyed so much did not yet exist. Being an enthusiast, he launched his first BAM Karaoké Box in 2014 without missing a beat. It was a roaring success. Now the owner of three sites with ultra-stylish interior designs, the last of which, located in Parmentier, is an invitation to frivolity with its nod to the pimped up world of Miami and its legendary Ocean Drive. On your mikes, get set… Sing!

BAM Karaoké Box Parmentier : 40 avenue de la République – 75011 Paris.

Couloir BAM Karaoké Parmentier Béton Murs bleus Néons

Salon Attente BAM Karaoké Parmentier Plantes Murs bleus Fauteuils Décoration

Mur salle papier-peint jungle BAM Karaoké Parmentier Décoration Paris

Arnaud, what’s your story?

Arnaud

I spent a lot of my childhood in Germany and Austria. Before I started my company, I worked for a share investment fund in Paris after graduating from business school. I’m glad I changed direction!

How did BAM Karaoké Box come about?

Arnaud

I went on holiday to Japan with some friends in the summer of 2011. I wasn’t exactly wild about the idea of karaoke. I don’t like pop music and I can’t sing for toffee. But my friends dragged me along and, after 30 minutes, I got into it and had a great night. I really liked the fact that it was in a private room, just for us. The result: no judgement by other people, you can just let yourself go and have fun. In summer 2012, we wanted to repeat the karaoke box experience in Paris, but I couldn’t find anywhere suitable. So, it occurred to me that it would be a good idea to open somewhere nice where people could do karaoke in private rooms in Paris. Bit by bit, I put the project together and left my job in finance in June 2013. I opened the first BAM Karaoké Box in April 2014 at 30 Rue Richer, Paris.

Mur salle papier-peint jungle vert BAM Karaoké Parmentier Décoration Paris

Bar Mur en brique Miroir BAM Karaoké Parmentier Paris

Who is BAM Karaoké Box aimed at?

Arnaud

BAM Karaoké Box is basically for everybody. It’s for anyone who wants to have a bit of fun for a few hours. Singing is an excellent way to enjoy yourself when you can do it in an informal setting, in private rooms with a stylish decor. We host a lot of parties, anything from birthdays (thirty-year-olds in the evenings and kids in the afternoon!), company dos, and hen and stag nights.

What’s different about this new place? Who was responsible for the decor?

Arnaud

BAM Karaoké Box Parmentier is the third BAM venue in Paris. There are nine karaoke rooms organised around a large cocktail bar. The rooms can hold between 6 and 30 people. It’s the first time that we’ve designed a karaoke room for 30 people. It truly is an arena for singing and unique in its kind, with a secret access to the bar. Michael Malapert took care of the overall interior design of the place with an Art Deco Miami theme. The bar is designed like a walk through lush vegetation, with a nod to Ocean Drive (concrete floor, feature lighting, woven armchairs…). Each box can be identified by its coloured clapboard facade and a neon sign that gives a clue to the theme of the room.

Salle paradise Rose BAM Karaoké Parmentier Paris

Each of the rooms is different, in fact. Could you tell us a bit more?

Arnaud

The key to the success of the first two places has been retained: top-of-the-range equipment in all the rooms, a huge international catalogue that’s updated regularly (15,000 tracks), stylish design and privacy guaranteed by perfect soundproofing. At BAM Karaoké Box Parmentier, the thing about the rooms is that they all tell a different story that you can try to guess from the neon signs. For example, a neon palm tree is a clue to a room with wallpaper featuring tropical vegetation; a neon parrot fronts a room with walls covered in birds with colourful plumage, etc. Each of them is designed like a small lounge that can hold between 6 and 30 people. The wallpaper draws the eye, a stretch ceiling in black mirror glass opens the space and the lighting can be customised by brightness and by colour.

Why BAM?

Arnaud

It’s an acronym for boîte à musique (musical box).

Any more projects in the pipeline?

Arnaud

We aim to open two more places in Paris in the near future and then to look to other countries.