Live Music In Bkk ?

[sleir]

Hi,

I think I know most great places in Chiang Mai, but when it comes to BKK I've noticed I don't know too many places with live music, especially western music.

Of course there are plenty of clubs with Thai pop bands, but that's not really what I'm looking for.

So if you have any hints for me where to find good music, go ahead and post them here !!

thanks

[Ciaphas]

There's a great jazz bar by victory monument or for western pop music the band that play the witches tavern on Thonglor are very good for english pop.

[sleir]

thanks, anyone else ? there must be hundreds of good live music bars in bkk, I just don't know where to look

[jfchandler]

Tokyo Joe's blues music on Sukhumvit Soi 26... Saxophone Pub for jazz near Victory Monument...

[rgs2001uk]

thanks, anyone else ? there must be hundreds of good live music bars in bkk, I just don't know where to look

try tokyo joes sukhumvit soi 26, jf chandler recently wrote an excellent review of the place in this forum.

[thecatman]

The place at Victory Monument that Ciaphas mentioned is The Saxaphone Pub. http://www.saxophonepub.com/ It's one of Bangkok's best known live music venues. There's also The Rock Pub opposite the Asia Hotel near Radchatewee BTS station, and yes, it does rock, pity it's always near on empty. http://www.therockpub-bangkok.com/ Other good venues are The Brick Bar and Sabai Sabai both on Khao San Road. For a more detailed look at whats on offer in BKK check out http://www.bangkokgigguide.com/ There's an A-Z of Bangkok's live music venues here. One of my personal favourites is Hillary Bar on Sukhumvit Soi 4 with live bands every night.

Edited May 13, 2008 by thecatman

[jfchandler]

try tokyo joes sukhumvit soi 26, jf chandler recently wrote an excellent review of the place in this forum.

Thanks for the plug... I went back a second time this past Saturday night...and had identical experience to that of the week before...great music and too few customers.... (PS... I'm just a music lover...no connection with the business...)

Here's the link to the review... I like this place quite a bit..and it's an easy walk from Phrom Prong BTS...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=187160

[rgs2001uk]

try tokyo joes sukhumvit soi 26, jf chandler recently wrote an excellent review of the place in this forum.

Thanks for the plug... I went back a second time this past Saturday night...and had identical experience to that of the week before...great music and too few customers.... (PS... I'm just a music lover...no connection with the business...)

Here's the link to the review... I like this place quite a bit..and it's an easy walk from Phrom Prong BTS...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=187160

jf, your review summed up perfectly what i think about the place, thats why i said you gave an excellent review.

i like you am a music lover with no connection to the place, i have never had a bad night in there.

who knows, we have probably been in at the same time and didnt even know.

[sleir]

thanks guys,

I have already been and really enjoyed Rock Pub a lot, it would have been rather empty without our group, a bunch of drunk swiss guys

Brick Bar & Sabai from Khao Sarn I know and find it ok... but not really great music-wise.

I got to check out Tokyo & Sax asap !

thx again,

Simon

[guava]

Ad makers on Lang Suan (LH side, about 300m in) used to be a blast. Probably still is, just haven't been there for 12 months or so. Live music starts early in the evening. The house band used to be called Big Boy (if memory serves, which is a big IF), and they came on a bit later in the evening (10ish?), and then just accelerated as the evening went on. They were very polished, seem to be able to play just about any cover, even some really obscure stuff you'd be unlikely to hear too many other places (eg Domo Arigato Mr Roboto, Bohemian Rhapsody, etc). By 2am (ok old days) it was dancing/moshing up in front of the band, congo lines, etc.

Always packed on weekends, sometimes also weeknights so may be worth phoning ahead. The crowd is mostly Thai but almost always farangs there as well. Local celebs/musos fairly common. Decent food (sand crab larb etc) not too pricey. Grab a bottle or three and settle in for the evening with a small crowd.

If anyone has been there recently please give an update. I vaguely remember some talk about moving to a new location, but forget the details, and likely as not incorrect.

Hillary Bar on Sukhumvit 4 (opposite Hanrahans) also good fun sometimes. Sek Loso and a few other big names play there from time to time.

Mojos on Sukhumvit 33 picking up a bit now, especially later in the evenings - not really sure how great the music is, but some nice coyote eye candy, heaps of pool tables, big feeds, etc.

Absolute 7 and Tequila Dragon in Sukhumvit 7/1 also have bands on later in the evenings. Again I'm usually not in the condition or frame of mind to judge band quality by that time of the night

I haven't been to Tokyo Joes for quite a long time now, and I haven't seen the Soi Dogs since they played at Saxaphone way back, so have to check that out again myself.

Brown Sugar is another Bluesy place, across the road from Lumpini Park, and not that far from Admakers. I've had a few pretty dull nights there actually, but have heard others rave about it.

Few places around Patpong I, II, and Silom 4 also. Norreigas at the end of Silom 4 used to have some good bands, but last time I went there it was all a bit Salsa for my taste. Few other bars around there have live music, but not really my kinda soi (guys in tight pink shirts called Noy), and Tapas is just a pretentious wankpot more often than not. In my opinion of course

RCA and Ratchada Soi 4 also have plenty of places with live music (not just international DJs), sometimes excellent, but all a bit hit and miss. Had some great nights but nowhere I would outright recommend.

[jfchandler]

Was out to Country Tawandang on Soi Pattanakarn in Klong Tan on Saturday night...for a very good time Thai style, as almost always is the case there...

Much to my delight, the last band played until 2 am...whereas it had been a strict 1 am closing that last few times I'd been there in recent months.

I've heard thru the grapevine there's been a general relaxing of closing times...moving back toward the 2 am standard...

On my way home Saturday night (Sunday morning) after Country Tawandang, I noticed some of the local streetfront bars on my soi in Sukhumvit still had customers visible from outside as the time was almost approaching 3 am...

But I'm not out very late night to enough places, so often, to have any good feel for how broadly such a relaxing is occurring, if it is...

[dopster]

You could try the following places that are hidden gems:

1. The Good View bar and restaurant - Charon Krung Road (good music, busy clientel, a good selection of food western and Thai)

2. Rider Resort - Side of Seacon square (Western and Thai food, good music, really smart decor)

3. The Forte(RCA) - Great entertainment!

[wimster]

Overtone Music Cave on RCA. The orange place about half way.

Edited May 26, 2008 by wimster

[Groongthep]

Tokyo Joe's blues music on Sukhumvit Soi 26... Saxophone Pub for jazz near Victory Monument...

These are my favorite 2 places also. Brown Sugar on Sarasin across from Suan Lum used to be good too, but I haven't been there in a long time so I don't know how it is now.

[jfchandler]

You could try the following places that are hidden gems:

1. The Good View bar and restaurant - Charon Krung Road (good music, busy clientel, a good selection of food western and Thai)

2. Rider Resort - Side of Seacon square (Western and Thai food, good music, really smart decor)

3. The Forte(RCA) - Great entertainment!

I had never been out to the Srinakarin area ..until lately... And when I visited there, a Thai friend took me for dinner at the Rider Resort... It's a very peculiar...but lovely place...

Peculiar...because...it's down at the end of a crappy almost unpaved road... behind Season Square... As we were driving, it made me wonder what kind of place my friend had it mind... Yet there were all kinds of signs saying this place was ahead...

So, once we got inside, it was great to discover they have a hotel and an outdoor patio/garden restaurant that overlooks a kind of lake... The menu was good, big selection of Thai food, good service from the staff... fair prices...

And yes.. they have simple live music... The weeknight night I was there, a lady singer and guy guitarist... But that day, I hardly got to hear any of them, because they were having some problem with their microphones and sound system, and every time they tried to use it, they got that loud squeeling feedback sound...

So, all in all, it made for a lovely, romantic, pleasant dinner setting... And I'd certainly go back again... if I was in the area... But it seemed the music style there was low-key acoustic...and simple... But I was there 6-7 pm ish... So can't speak to what happens later or on weekends....