Disappointing Night at The River Market

[suzannegoh]

The River Market was advertising this event (a concert by a famed vocal group from Yale) for a month, attracted a full house of people ordering food & drink, but somehow they weren't to make sure that they had a functioning sound system. We left a half hour into the show because we couldn't hear anything, 1500 baht poorer and having bad feelings about the Duke's chain.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1931438816901619&id=100001065579920

[EL159]

Have given The River Market a few chances ( people visiting seem to want to go there). For me, and usually my visitors, the food is very average but dramatically over priced. Caters for tourists mainly I guess, if you live here, you can get far better far cheaper, and dont get me wrong, I dont mind paying good money for good quality, but this place is just bang average at best.

[Loaded]

The last time I went there we ordered a couple of mains and sides to go with the mains. After 10 minutes the waiter came to us to tell us one of the mains (fish) 'no have'. The sides we ordered were to go with the fish. They arrived.

 

 

[Trujillo]

I thought you were not allowed to "name and shame." Has this policy changed? I can think of a bunch of shops and restaurants that deserve a good flogging. 

[Nowisee]

4 times and 4 experiences that were below average.  I've given up on that chain.  Better places to eat with tastier food.  

[Thailand]

13 hours ago, Trujillo said:

I thought you were not allowed to "name and shame." Has this policy changed? I can think of a bunch of shops and restaurants that deserve a good flogging. 

I was suspended for criticizing the food at one of this chains outlets so maybe the rules have changed.

[EL159]

Apparently the owner of "this chain" has a habit of threatening people who dont say great things about his places! Be careful!

[NancyL]

This event was organized by CM International Rotary Club as a fundraiser for our Children's Service Projects and we lost money because we had to pay the expenses of the Yale group during their time in CM and so few people donated at the concert because they were disappointed with the sound system.

 

Many people were very disappointed with the quality of the sound system at River Market Thursday evening, none more so that Dave, the owner.  During the past year he had a stage and sound system installed and it's worked fine with bands where the singers use the microphone right in front of their mouth and their instruments are wired into the speakers.  It simply wasn't designed for an acapella group.  The sound situation wasn't really any better than it had been in previous years for the Yale group.

 

The turnout of this event was much larger than expected and River Market didn't have time to adjust.  They received over 100 reservations in the 24 hours before the event.  Dave and CMI Rotary had a difference of opinion in whether this should be a free event.  In previous years "passing the hat" at a free concert worked just fine, but it didn't this year because so many people turned out, many kept talking during the performance and the place was just too crowded.  

 

Next year there will be a have to be adjustments, not the least of which will be advance purchase tickets, with pricing to encourage people to make advance reservations. i.e. higher entry price "at the door".  One possibility for improvement is to rent an outdoor stage with an appropriate drop-down microphone system for an acappela group of 14, but that's at a charge of at least 20,000 baht.  Do the math on that.   It won't be a free concert.

 

 

[VocalNeal]

38 minutes ago, NancyL said:

It simply wasn't designed for an acapella group.  The sound situation wasn't really any better than it had been in previous years for the Yale group.

 

This is the sole responsibility of the CM International Rotary Club organizer/coordinator or the Rotary Club's  Event chairperson.  I've been a member of and president/committee member of service clubs and have organized or been part of organizing many events. The person who books the bands etc has to have at least a basic knowledge of such things. Blaming the sound system as a reason when it was a person, is a bit weak. 

 

Better luck next time. 

38 minutes ago, NancyL said:

Dave and CMI Rotary had a difference of opinion in whether this should be a free event.

 

If this Dave is running a business at the venue than it has to be a pay event. Surely no service club would sponsor an event at a business and not expect attendees to pay. 

 

Quote

At the River Market, quality is our passion. 

 

Obviously not when it comes to the sound system for this specific event. Again bad planning by the Rotary event chairperson.

 

 

Edited June 9, 2018 by VocalNeal

[NancyL]

We were "expecting" the attendees to pay via a "pass the hat" donation during the intermission.  This worked well in the previous years when the turnout was much, much smaller.  This year was different in that both River Market and CMIRC heavily promoted the event on Facebook.  

 

Also in previous years, the sound system was OK when there were 100 fewer people in the restaurant.

 

Part of the problem is the nature of the expat community here.  They wait until the last minute to decide to do something.  Had we know the turnout was so large, we would have had time to consider the rental of the 20,000 baht outdoor stage and sound system.  I think that River Market used the word "free" a bit too much in their promotion.  The CMI Rotary promotion stressed how it was fundraising concert in support of our Children's Service Projects that that's the loser here.  Fortunately, while we lost money on having the Yale ladies in CM, it wasn't a major money loser.

[VocalNeal]

Unless you live in a small community with no other  activities people only make decisions at very short notice. It is a FarceBook / smart phone thing. 

 

I belong to another group and if one schedules an event no one with preregister but they mostly all turn up on the day. 

 

Better luck/organization next time? But maybe a rethink of subsidizing an event at a business. I guarantee the River Market didn't lose any money! 

[Dante99]

Come on Neal, like Nancy said, nobody screwed up, it was the fault of  the nature of the expat community.  Funny, no?

[rumak]

7 hours ago, Dante99 said:

Come on Neal, like Nancy said, nobody screwed up, it was the fault of  the nature of the expat community.  Funny, no?

I have mentioned a few "facts" of hers that were not correct.   Never going to get an admission of being

wrong from some people.   I won't mention any names.  

Only thing i get is a LIKE any time someone disses me    lol

[Ulysses G.]

15 hours ago, EL159 said:

Apparently the owner of "this chain" has a habit of threatening people who dont say great things about his places! Be careful!

His chain has some of the best foreign restaurants in Thailand, so he probably does not have to "threaten" people often. ?

[simoh1490]

"Part of the problem is the nature of the expat community here.  They wait until the last minute to decide to do something."

 

Something has to be done about this, we simply can't allow the expat community to continue behaving in this way, it's simply not acceptable!

 

FWIW I like the food at The River Market, it's very different from other restaurants that I frequent, good quality plus the setting is pleasant - anyone who thinks it's an expensive eatery must eat somtam or cow pad 24x7. 

[suzannegoh]

20 hours ago, NancyL said:

We were "expecting" the attendees to pay via a "pass the hat" donation during the intermission.  This worked well in the previous years when the turnout was much, much smaller.  This year was different in that both River Market and CMIRC heavily promoted the event on Facebook.  

 

Also in previous years, the sound system was OK when there were 100 fewer people in the restaurant.

 

Part of the problem is the nature of the expat community here.  They wait until the last minute to decide to do something.  Had we know the turnout was so large, we would have had time to consider the rental of the 20,000 baht outdoor stage and sound system.  I think that River Market used the word "free" a bit too much in their promotion.  The CMI Rotary promotion stressed how it was fundraising concert in support of our Children's Service Projects that that's the loser here.  Fortunately, while we lost money on having the Yale ladies in CM, it wasn't a major money loser.

I’m sorry but that excuse is not valid and blaming the size of the crowd and the style of the music is ridiculous.  You made an announcement before the singing began, we were closer to the stage than half of the people in the restaurant, and that was inaudible too.  If a sound system is working so poorly that the MC can’t be heard, then of course the system is not ready for use in a show.  And then to then complain that you got a poor yield when the hat was passed for donations – that takes a lot of cheek.
 

Edited June 10, 2018 by suzannegoh

[suzannegoh]

His chain has some of the best foreign restaurants in Thailand, so he probably does not have to "threaten" people often. [emoji106]

Our food was fine but we would have eaten at a cheaper place with food that we enjoyed at least as much if it hadn't been advertised that Whim'm Rhythm was performing there. Unfortunately the problem with the sound system were not subtle, it only working a little bit and when they tried to turn up the volume they would just get feedback rather than useable volume.

 

 

[EL159]

5 hours ago, Ulysses G. said:

His chain has some of the best foreign restaurants in Thailand, so he probably does not have to "threaten" people often. ?

Here we go, right on cue, the "lovers" of this "chain" rush to his defence! "Best foreign restaurants in Thailand"?  Youre having a laugh!

[Dante99]

22 hours ago, EL159 said:

Apparently the owner of "this chain" has a habit of threatening people who dont say great things about his places! Be careful!

There are several owners, which one are you talking about?

[Sparkles]

7 hours ago, Ulysses G. said:

His chain has some of the best foreign restaurants in Thailand, so he probably does not have to "threaten" people often. ?

I guess if you restricted yourself  to dining at only one of the Dukes chain that statement could well be true.

 

However times have changed in CM.Competition has hotted up to a point where you can discover new culinary treats that leave the Dukes chain for dead unless you are wearing blinkers. Oh and most dont have the "add ons" surprises when you get the bill.

[NancyL]

4 hours ago, suzannegoh said:

I’m sorry but that excuse is not valid and blaming the size of the crowd and the style of the music is ridiculous.  You made an announcement before the singing began, we were closer to the stage than half of the people in the restaurant, and that was inaudible too.  If a sound system is working so poorly that the MC can’t be heard, then of course the system is not ready for use in a show.  And then to then complain that you got a poor yield when the hat was passed for donations – that takes a lot of cheek.
 

Suzanne, I can assure you that the sound system worked just fine during the sound check when the restaurant was empty.  My post was to explain what happened.  The size of the event simply got away from the organizers.  Mistakes were made -- the event shouldn't have been "free".  There should have been a cover charge or, better yet, tickets where advance purchase pricing was lower so the organizers would have had a better idea of how many were coming. And that advance ticket sales could have gone to the Rotary club.  And yes, the sound system definitely needs work. 

 

I'm astonished that you accuse me of "having a lot of cheek" in commenting that the CMI Rotary club lost money on this event.  It is a simple statement of fact.  I could also comment that your statement that you "wasted" 1500 baht on the evening is also cheeky when you did eat dinner, after all.  

 

 

 

 

[idman]

Love his place never had a bad meal, fantastic view and the prices are not out of line. I agree with the above poster that those who bitch and moan about paying too much most likely are the Archa beer for lunch bunch you see in places like Un Irish, Geeko, Maddog, et al.

[Katia]

Does the performing group not provide input into the best setup of the sound system for their performance?  Surely if they're so world-famous they know what setup should be used and are sure to specify what that is?  If not, why were they not asked, if this type of group has not been booked before?  And if the sound system cannot handle it without excessive costs unlikely to be made up by attendees, perhaps this type of group should not be booked again in future, rather than doing it and operating on some kind of "hail mary" system of either "I hope the existing sound system works this time" or "we'll do the expensive setup and hope we get enough money to cover it."

 

Also, perhaps instead of "passing the hat" halfway through or after the performance, as it sounds was the case if donations were affected by people leaving early, a donation box could be available at the door.  That way, even if people leave they will still have the chance to donate to the cause (assuming it's clear they're donating to a third-party charity, and not to the musical group or the venue, so they know that even if they don't like the performance, it's not the group/venue they're intentionally not giving money to).  And if numbers are a problem, perhaps limited entry; this could be published on event flyers ("limited to 50 patrons" or whatever seems a safe and manageable number).

 

As far as the cost of sound systems, etc., I assume it is not common in Thailand to ask people and other businesses to "sponsor" such an event?  I think that's what would commonly happen in the U.S.-- yes, the charitable group has to pay to rent a sound system, but they might have sought specific donations to cover this so they don't have to dip into the donations meant for the charity (which I'm sure those donating also appreciate, as I could see people being sore that money they thought was going to a charity actually went to event overhead). 

[suzannegoh]

9 hours ago, NancyL said:

Suzanne, I can assure you that the sound system worked just fine during the sound check when the restaurant was empty.  My post was to explain what happened.  The size of the event simply got away from the organizers.  Mistakes were made -- the event shouldn't have been "free".  There should have been a cover charge or, better yet, tickets where advance purchase pricing was lower so the organizers would have had a better idea of how many were coming. And that advance ticket sales could have gone to the Rotary club.  And yes, the sound system definitely needs work. 

 

I'm astonished that you accuse me of "having a lot of cheek" in commenting that the CMI Rotary club lost money on this event.  It is a simple statement of fact.  I could also comment that your statement that you "wasted" 1500 baht on the evening is also cheeky when you did eat dinner, after all.  

 

 

 

 

And I'm astonished that you are acting as if it was a subtle problem and that the mistakes made mainly involved not charging  the attendees an entrance fee.   The event didn't make money because it was a fiasco, not because the attendees were unreasonable.

[suzannegoh]

43 minutes ago, Katia said:

Does the performing group not provide input into the best setup of the sound system for their performance?  Surely if they're so world-famous they know what setup should be used and are sure to specify what that is?  If not, why were they not asked, if this type of group has not been booked before?  And if the sound system cannot handle it without excessive costs unlikely to be made up by attendees, perhaps this type of group should not be booked again in future, rather than doing it and operating on some kind of "hail mary" system of either "I hope the existing sound system works this time" or "we'll do the expensive setup and hope we get enough money to cover it."

 

I called them “famed” but they are not the Rolling Stones nor even Carabao, they  are a collegiate group from Yale that contains a different group senior year students each year.   They are famous mainly because they are the female incarnation of a long running male group at Yale called the Wiffenpoofs who has had a few famous alumini and has occasionally been the subject of conspiracy theories, but it’s hard to say how well known they are outside of New Haven.   So I wouldn’t expect them to have a huge budget for sound systems while traveling, if any budget for that at all.    

[Trujillo]

So the sound system worked, then didn't work. 

What was the problem, then? 

[suzannegoh]

56 minutes ago, Trujillo said:

So the sound system worked, then didn't work. 

What was the problem, then? 

Apparently the problem was that there was no entrance fee and that a lot of people showed up without reservations.

[naboo]

55 minutes ago, suzannegoh said:

Apparently the problem was that there was no entrance fee and that a lot of people showed up without reservations.

 

Don't forget the attack on the nature of the whole expat community, that people dared to chatter when they could hear nothing and the lack of donations once nobody could hear the show.

 

From what I understand, there was a lack of communication between performers, organisers and venue, the setup was not suitable for the performance, the venue oversold the deal, the unsuitable sound system did not even do what it should have been able to do in ensuring everyone could hear the MC speak and after the show, instead of apologising, the organisers have come up with a load of excuses for their failure and attacked the people who seemingly support them.

 

A circus.

Edited June 10, 2018 by naboo

[NancyL]

I think I have apologized that the sound system wasn't working properly and that mistakes were made in organizing the event by setting it up as a "free concert" whereby people didn't have to purchase advance tickets to give the organizers some indication of the turnout.

 

As for the acapella group, Whim 'n Rhythm providing input as to what their sound system needs were, I received zippo input from them.  Remember, they are an acapella group and they stress that they are flexible in how and where they perform.  During their time in Chiang Mai they performed at a school, hospital, assisted living center and elephant camp (the elephants loved them).  They came here from Hong Kong where they said they performed in a shopping mall, private homes and a restaurant.  They pride themselves on being flexible and going with the flow.  They are some of the most charming, enthusiastic and game-for-anything people I've ever known.

 

They've gone onto Australia as the next stop in their world tour.  I've emailed asking for input as to what can be done differently next year, what are their recommendations for a sound system.  The open-air environment of River Market may not be the best location.  

[worgeordie]

Maybe the acapella group should have sung louder !

regards worgeordie