dekestone

If you'd really like writing help, come to the Writers Without Borders meeting on Thursday night, 7 PM, at Koon Mal on Nienamhanem Soi 17. No fees, can listen and/or read your own work. All types of writers welcome, any style, any genre. Good food, great people.

Is that Bangkok? (Doesn't sound like it.) If so can you give directions from say, the nearest BTS station?

I walked into Bourbon Street and walked straight out - wayyyyyyy too crowded.

That was my experience at Bourbon Street a couple of years ago. Great menu, but I really don't like fighting crowds at the buffet table. Maybe I will try Bully's this year.

I know Bourbon Street and Madrid are having their usual spreads. And many of the hotels. I believe last year Bully's Pub had a T-Day dinner as well but I don't know about this year. Any recommendations based on recent (last year's) experience?

(My last year's experience: Madrid was too crowded, Roadhouse had already finished their Thanksgiving dinner (6:00!!)so I had a chicken shwarma at the Beirut!)

What is the venue like? Inside? Outside? Where in Bangkok?

Impact Arena. Muang Thong Thani, north of the city, near Laksi Intersection, pain to get to if you live in central bangkok. Inside just a big cement box -- horrible acoustics.

And yes, I bought my ticket today!

Still no mention on his website about any asian tour.

The first date on his upcoming tour page is May 9, 2011, Dublin!!

http://www.ericclapton.com/tour

Saw him last time, what a legend!

all the Thais left before the encore!

Not surprising they left. I saw that show and it was dismal, took some Aussie mates and some Thais and everyone was bitterly disappointed. No pzazz, no real "performance". I've seen Ernie loads of times and he is usually great value. Of course, he was younger then. I dunno what happened last time; perhaps a late night the night before. Trouble is, he was that poor that I wouldn't risk him again. Others will I'm certain have different opinions which is fine. I'm afraid our Ernie has, for me, become a middle class old man who has lost his edge. He's just trotting it out for the money now.

I just spoke with one of our illustrious members who went 2-3 years ago and saw Eric in Concert at Impact. He said it was pretty bad. A waste of money. He said he only played one of his great classics. At 5,500 per ticket, I would be upset too!

I suppose it depends what you mean by 'classic', I remember them playing 'Layla', 'Cocaine', 'Crossroads', 'Wonderful Tonight', 'Tell the Truth'... It was more of a Derrick and the Dominos set than Yardbirds or Cream. But i agree that at times Eric seemed to be just going through the motions. He says in his autobiography that that particular tour of Asia was exhausting -- not because of late nights, since he doesn't drink or drug, more because of jet lag and the climate.

But if you check out the DVDs of his recent Crossroads benefit concerts in Texas and Chicago I think you'll find he's still got it. (e.g, see Buccholz's video with Buddy Guy et al above)

Clapton was one of my 3 instructors for electric guitar. The others were Mike Bloomfield (Paul Butterfield Blues Band) and Peter Green when he was with John Mayall. Ok, not directly. I was a teenager in Madrid (my parents were thousands of miles away) having just been expelled from a boarding school. I had a cheapo record player the size of a cracker jack box, and a 2nd hand '62 fender Strat. I'd sit by the record player and copy the blues leads as best I could. At 16 I was strutting my stuff with blues bands in smoky little clubs around Madrid, and later all around Spain including Balearic Islands. Welcome to Thailand, Eric. Have a great time.

Hey Brahm you sill got the '62 Strat?

Saw him last time, very good. all the Thais left before the Encore! and then when I went to get me car I realised why! jeeeeez, that took me ages to drive out of the car park.

Still, it was a great encore! 'Crossroads' and 'Cocaine' as I remember

Pity it's a midweek gig, I have to work.

Yeah, that's a bummer. The other thing as I remember from his last concert was that getting out of Muang Thong Thani after was not easy, especially if you went by taxi.

I'm curious to see who his band mates will be this time and if Daryl Trucks will be joining him again.

According to an ad in today's BKK Post Eric Clapton will be here again on Feb 16th. (Though no mention on his web site.)Tickets go on sale tommorow (Nov 20). I was not very impressed with Muang Thong Thani when he played there a few years ago, but what the heck, it is Clapton after all.

Tickets B1000 -- B6500.

I don't know about the other postal codes listed above but I can confirm that not all of 10400 is included in the service. Din Dang and Ratchadapisek are, but not Phaholyothin Rd.

You should be able to purchase an airline ticket with it in Thailand if you go to an agent but I don't think you can purchase anything on line with it. At least I can't with my KTB electronic VISA. Need a regular credit card for online purchases.

I saw Tommy Emmanuel (and others) at last year's Bangkok Acoustic Celebration. Great concert in a nice, intimate setting. But I'm surprised it's going to be back at the Centerpoint Playhouse in Central World. Was that area not damaged by the fire or will it be totally rebuilt by 31 Oct?

Remember, some of them are doing this as asassignments from their University. (Though I doubt that was the case with the guy offering his 'sister' ) "Go out and interview a farang! Get some authentic English!"

I always balk when they pull out the video camera. I don't want to be on you tube.

A Dan Fan i see.

Indeed! And speaking of turntables, the cd shop on the 3rd flr of Paragon has a vinyl copy of Aja. But I don't have that gear so I'll have to stick with the remastered cd version.

Ice skate or rollerblade?

Check out the top floor of Fortune Tower, on Rama IX(Phra Ram 9 MRT stop). On the opposite end of the building from the IT mall are a lot of shops with vinyl (mostly second hand I think) and lots of stereo equipment -- new and second hand. I've seen turntables there for sure.

ZZ -- great stuff! Thanks for taking the time to upload all those pics!

Two interesting and relevant stories on the front page of the Bangkok Post this morning: one about Ayutthaya possibly losing its World Heritage status due to vendors and their garbage, the other about the poor quality of Thailand's beaches due to pollution caused by human activity. They've been drilling in the Gulf of Thailand since the late 1970's. Some of the fields are closer to Samui than to Songkhla, even though Songkhla is the logistics center.

Tell me honestly, which do you think has caused more environmental damage to Thailand in the last 30 years -- the oil industry or tourism?

What about Craig's list

http://bangkok.craigslist.co.th/msg/

or Guitarthai.com

http://www.guitarthai.com/home.asp

Once in Cambodia I dropped a 1 hundred dollar bill; a normal looking poor Cambodian ran up behind me and gave it to me.

Very cool. And I love the name...long live Kurt!

Maybe the Old Germany Restaurant/Pub on Soi 11?

Great stuff, last nights jam was good with a few regulars that come in including Matthew Kelly (Kingfish) and Len Tucky (Suzi Quatro) and we also had a great drummer/singer/guitarist in from the states, I think he's based in BKK.

You got pros coming to your jam nite?!

I know there were a couple of places in Bangkok that showed the hockey olympic gold final. Just wondering if any place is showing the Blackhawks - Flyers finals. Game 1 is Sunday, around 8am our time GO HAWKS!!.

Jinatune Guitar shop. Bit out of the way in Thonburi, but he's quite good. Studied as luthier at Red Wing College in US. He did a neck reset and other work on my 1972 Martin D28 and I was very happy with it.

http://jinatuneguitar.freeservers.com/jinatuneguitar.htm