Death of the disco

[colmx]

A recent post by Thrillbill reminds me of something i meant to post about a while back.... The death of the disco...

Its 8 years since my first trip to Thailand and one of my favoutite things in LOS (after the boys) has been the thai disco....

For those who have never been a typical Thai disco: It has no dance floor and usually consists of a stage surrounded by a couple of hundred tall tables and stools.

You bring your own bottle of whiskey (sometimes have to pay a cover or corkage charge) and then buy the neccessary soda, coke and Ice. There is usually a waiter assigned to take care of your area (6-8 tables) and they ensure that everyones glass is always kept topped up. :drunken:

The entertainment is traditionally provided by a high energy live singing and dance troupe, with live musicians and not a backing track or lip sync in site. Usually there would be 2 (or 3) 45 minute shows with DJ playing inbetween each show

Unfortunately it would seem this sort of venue is on its last legs as there as been a shift in the Thai psyche to a more upmarket type venue

Pattaya:
Hollywood South Pattaya is now closed, replaced by new hollywood - half the size of the original and now practically in Naklua... The band is still there, but the 30+ dancers has been reduced to 3 singers and 4 dancers. Now the focus is on rock and "life" songs rather than pop

X-zyte has gone from being thronged everynight to barely open. On our 1 visit last trip they had barely 100 customers there, they have even scrapped the farang cover charge to try to win back business. I'd be surprised if they are still open after songkran... unless they retool and change their show

Disco Duck is gone as is Palais and Palladium

All replaced by places like Differ, Slim and Tawan Daeng...
the feeling in these bars is very upper-middle class === 80B for soda instead of 60... (everyone wins the bar owner makes more profit - the customers gain more face by spending more!

Khorat:
No Discos whatsoever in khorat now... Speed became Crocodile rock and subsequently closed.We spent the night in Ba Nana, Tawan Daeng and Living bar - both very upmarket- once again the focus was on life and rock songs and there was not a single show to be found in any venue.

Were advised by several people not to go to the RCA because of boy gang violence

Buriram:
Happy to report that Speed buriram is still open. Crowds down on before. Show was terrible though... at least 10 farang there. Across the square cyborg (or somthing like tht) has also turned into a life song bar, selling expensive wasabi and 80B sodas.
Tawan Daeng also popular in Buriram - once again life songs

Khon Kaen:
KK was next on our trip, having researched KK we knew that the best nightlife in town was near Tuk Com under the Sofitel and Chareon Princess.
Club Gik under the Sofitel has turned into a life song type venue (4 piece band again!)
It seems that RAD is the main venue in KK now
It had 4 zones karaoke, life songs a euro style disco and a lady gogo bar.
Of course there was a Tawan Daeng in KK too!

We spent the night in Zolid Disco - once again no show, just 3 or 4 bands, even more farang there than Buriram!

Instead of spending a night in Udon - as per our plan we decided to head to Vientiane in Laos, nightlife in Laos inon a different planet to thailand (but thats for a different post)

Of course whilst i miss the BIG entertainmant of the Thai disco - i am also easily entertained so will most happily settle for x-ray, T&T, Body Language or BBB anyday!

Just wondering what everybody else thinks of the death of the disco?
Good riddance?

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[Jetsam]

I went to the new Hollywood with "bf" and thought it was great, I was actually drunk when we arrived, I had real trouble to handle my 900cc Honda RRFireblade , I asked the bf next morning what he thought about the new Hollywood and he was not impressed.

all is true, only the fireblade part is a bit exaggerated. I was a passenger on my friends 125 cc bike.

About X-Ray , I went there 2 times with guys from Krazy Dragon and also enjoyed myself there, I think alcohol can really improve the perception of having a good time
:drunken:

[dave_tf-old]

are you bemoaning the death of the dancing? The gayness? The Thainess? Or the music?

[colmx]

are you bemoaning the death of the dancing? The gayness? The Thainess? Or the music?

The Boy dancers!
Only reason to go to these style discos before was to look at the show (or get p1ssed! :drunken: :drunken: )

Now i have to go to X-ray to see my share of flesh!

In seriousness i used to love the grandiosity of it all...
I feel the sequins, dancing flair and short costumes have been traded in for greasy mops, Dodgy facial hair and tattered denim

So i guess its the gayness i miss :albino:

Colmx, I hope your experience was on bad days.

I love going with the BF and friends to the disco. Our last visit to old Hollywood (just before it closed) was a blast. In our little area we ended up with all the gay boys from a single bar. An extra bottle and lots of sanuk made for an unforgettable evening for all. Although BF did not go up on the individual dance podium nearby, many friends did. I am so impressed at how well some of these guys can dance! So different from the bored shuffle in the go-go bar.

As usual the boys were amazed by how much Jack I can drink; they really are cheap dates in this regards, and how long I can dance. Most don't know that this old falang is a current marathon runner. Of course the BF tries to explain and many can not understand why someone would run so far for fun.

Taking the lot for an after disco meal is a big part of the fun. I just let them take me to a place they like, they order, and I have dishes that the average punter never sees. When all is said and done, everyone seems to have a great time and BF's status is always elevated.

On this last visit I had an interloper trying to hit on me while the BF was two sheets to the wind. One of the bar captains, who I always take to the disco with us, made sure I was protected. Darn it! I have found that taking a good captain with you guarantees the best tables, no funny business on the check-bin, and someone who will make sure nobody detracts from the fun.

For me doing the disco an integral part of the scene. Whether it is Hollywood, X-cyte, Maya or X-ray, I would hate to see this go away.

[Brad the Impala]

These venues are thriving in Patong. Galaxy, always busy, and Lamae, managed by the manager of James Dean and Friends. Galaxy is 25% gay.

....In seriousness i used to love the grandiosity of it all...
I feel the sequins, dancing flair and short costumes have been traded in for greasy mops, Dodgy facial hair and tattered denim

So i guess its the gayness i miss :albino:

Ah yes, now we're getting to the nub of the complaint.
I can (vaguely) remember the heyday of discos back in the late 70's/early 80's - the height of Fabulousness B.E. (Before the Epidemic). Today's discos by comparison are so dreary. You can wonder how anyone can dance with their heads stuck so far up their a$$es. Everyone preening like strutting peacocks and trying to act Too Cool.
Or maybe I'm just getting old and have lost too many shiny tailfeathers.

This last trip in Phuket, on our last night there, boyfriend and I went to Tangmo offed a boy he liked and the best dancer I saw. We then picked up a Farang friend (a poster here) and we all went of to Galaxy. It was as Colm X discribes - lots of tables instead of a dance floor, some kind of "Thai Rock" being played at a deafining level by a live band. Boyfriend now 3 sheets to the wind (thanks JoeM). My Dancer Boy was doing his thing but I wasn't too impressed.....UNTILL
I turned around and looked at the crowd instead of the stage. I've never seen so many happy smiling, laughing young people just getting drunk and enjoying life. These kids weren't dancing... but they were ROCKIN'!

I guess what I love so much about Thailand - what keeps me coming back despite all the problems and frustrations - is the the feeling of absolute joy you can find all over if you just look for it.

So from now on when we go to a Thai Disco, I'm gonna Off the Nelliest, bestest Dancers I can find and we'll all go to the Disco and

BRING OUR OWN FABULOUSNESS! :cheers: :flower: :occasion7: :hippy2: :leb: :bootyshake:

[thaiworthy-old]

I've kind of grown out of the disco era. I did it in my twenties in West Hollywood, but that was another lifetime.

Fast-forward, Thailand. The only time I was invited to a disco was by my third off ever and I think I enjoyed myself. But mostly for his *company* afterward. He worked at BBB and wanted me take him out again the night after. I was staying at the Ambiance. After telling the story to hotelier Gordon M*y, he instructed me thusly: "Don't let these guys turn YOUR vacation into THEIR vacation!" Well, I didn't want to be manipulated. After all, the control factor is nice when offing a boy, I suppose.

These days I wouldn't be opposed to another visit, perhaps with someone more meaningful than a new off. Experiences like this are more enjoyable with people I know and trust when I am so much out of my element, like that-- since it's really not my cup of tea. I think I would get more pleasure from watching an entourage of gay Thai lads having a good time. And that too, is Thai culture, in a way.

[Shuee]

joe m = For me doing the disco an integral part of the scene. Whether it is Hollywood, X-cyte, Maya or X-ray[quote:3b2cmy0a] Shuee

i thought maya had gone & was replaced by xray, as when in xray last the manager is now there who used to be at maya.

just colmx its a shame, i REALLY miss hollywood as it was so easy to walk to & then stagger home from after.
Then there was maya, a little bit further to walk to & ok to get home from, now you have to go all the way down 2nd road to xray & a longer journey home. Or the new hollywood like you say is miles away so you can forget that, & too str8 so i'm told also.

Dont forget though there's jjdance in soi day/night area :drunken:

[/quote:3b2cmy0a]

[dave_tf-old]

People's tastes change...not just individually but collectively. My recent trips haven't been as frequent as yours, but I have noticed "lately" a shift in styles among Thai young people the way you described it. Personally, I prefer to rock. But in most of the world, these musical styles have been running parallel for decades. I was pretty excited to see my first blues club in Bangkok years ago after many visits filled with mostly glittery music.

Still...the most fun for me has been in venues specializing in Issan music. High energy, at least marginally 'exotic' and always great fun as JoeM has described it.