Enduring live music in Thailand

Stuart says:

I used to say that one of my favorite things about Thailand is all of the live music. But then I realized that most of the live music is, as you say, loud amateurish trash. I am often amazed at how much Thai people love to get on a microphone regardless if they sound good or not.

But I do like good live music with my dinner, so I am always looking for new places to dine. One of my favorites now is Ad Makers on Soi Langsuan. I think the band is from the Philipines, actually, but it doesn't matter because the lead female singer does an incredible Janis Joplin cover. That one song alone makes my night. (The food is pretty good, too.)

mr peter says:

Outrageous slander, thai music is the best thing about thailand, with the exception of pap like string and songs for life. These styles are both unworthy of the title thai music as they just ape western styles of pop and protest/rock music.
Luktung and morlam are what makes thailand such a great place, magnificent entertainment by some amazingly talented artists who can actually sing, and who did not get a recording contract just because they are half falang. There is nothing worse than a thai band playing western crap but nothing better than thai music, it's better than sex and better than anything I can think of, and no I have not been drinking-peter

tj says:

my friend is a Thai and plays in a live band, I for one think noi would be devastated if he heard your derogortory comments with regard to some of his finest renditions of such classics as hotel california.

NJW says:

Once more Peter says that anything but morlam or luktong is not Thai music and has no merit because it merely apes the style of western music.

Absolute rubbish!

Music is a living art form, the greatest exponents of which are influenced by many styles, and adopt those influences to expand and grow. It is only the journeymen of music, those performers with no soul, who refuse to change. Afraid that if they tried something new their weaknesses would be exposed.

Two examples.

The Rolling Stones. They're English, so they should have stuck their fingers in their ears and droned out dirges about bringing in the harvest. Instead, they took American blues, and adapted it to suit them (oh, those wonderful days at the Crawdaddy!)

Further back; Mozart, Austrian. Should have written jaunty little songs about lonely goatherds. But no! He took an Italian style and wrote some of the world's greatest operas!

But, Peter, you no doubt look with disdain at these, and other, musical giants, because they merely aped foriegn styles. Well, that is your opinion, and you are entitled to it, but by expressing it so often, you just demonstrate your ignorance of the arts in general, and music in particular.

Bagwan says:

Mozart wrote 20 operas and only 3 are regularly performed - Marraige of Figaro (K492), Don Giovanni (K527) and Cosi fan Tutte (K588). The overture to the Magic Flute (K620) is also very popular. By any reasonable yardstick Verdi and Puccini are head and shoulders above Mozart in the area of composition of opera. Mozart's music may be considered supranational as he incorporated French, German, Austrian and Italian elements and ideas.
In relation to the Thai music scene I consider Karaoke to be Japan's revenge for WW2 and all those responsible should appear before a War Crimes tribunal.

BillyBob says:

I like these 'trash' bands. Both of the regular bands on the "Music Corner" in Patpong are great although somewhat repetitive 70's and 80's classics. The band that has the female singer and the great congo drummer on the other corner plays smoking latin dance favorites. Most of the cuties that hang out there also know a little salsa so over all a fun experience if your into that. However, the Music cafe sucks in my opinion. Saw a horrible Thai Elvis impersonator there once and almost lost my cookies. Also heard a half way decent band at Country Roads once.

mr peter says:

Strangely the great morlam singer Banyen Raggen includes some latin type numbers in her songs, why this is I have never been able to find out as she is the master of the morlam phoot thai style. Listening to her is better than taking drugs, a hypnotic enchantress, the true morlam effect.They have a regular Elvis impersonator at the Asia Hotel, I could not get through the lobby fast enough! Country road used to be good when they had the upper floors, 'lao chareon' used to be great even if it was a thai guy pick up place for thai gals. I saw one or two big names there including Deang Jitakorn. Downstairs is yet another pool hall now (yawn) The breifly lived Issan pub on soi 23 was heaven but never made a penny losing the owners a packet. I imagine it is some sort of nasty string, or even worse, hip hop joint now.
Also sad that Issan Holiday and Issan happy home have both closed, along with Villa and Dara Cafe's a bit futher back in time. Happily trad thai music still is going well over the water and there are a few great cafes still doing good trade. Phra Nam Khow cafe and Tatwang Deang back over the river are ok-ish but too bloody loud, a growing mistake in thai places of entertainment all over it seems. Anyone ever been to Hollywood disco? never again i'd rather cut my ear off!-peter

Bagwan says:

Come back Victor Silvester and Laurence Welk. All is forgiven :-) BUT NOT BY ME!

mr peter says:

Well I don't think these two gents ever went to LOS did they? Of course H.M. is a great music fan and has played with many of the jazz greats and met many western musicians including Elvis. For a walk in the past the Atlanta hotel on soi 2 is hard to beat. At luchtimes they play (or used to ) H.M. compositions and later it's mostly western jazz and classical.Victor is not included, but I have heard motzart played there.-No sluts, scruffs, drug addicts or hooligans allowed though-peter

Davo says:

Just flicking through these posts I am disappointed... am leaving UK to teach English in Pattaya in October time... I'm an acoustic singer/songwriter and intend to play at suitable venues.. any recommendations? Also any recommendations for a reggae scene, ORIGINAL indie/rock bands please let me know. Also, how good is the jazz and blues? I certainly don't relish poor cover bands... could get that on any council estate pub in Blighty, I'd rather suck a ladyboy than sit through Honky Tonk Woman again!

philH says:

Davo, there's one soon to be happy ladyboy out there in fun city.

Most of the live music in Pattaya is the dodgy cover version kind. There are one or two bands that seem half way reasonable until you see them for the third time. By then you will have heard their entire repertoire at least twice and your ears will have acclimatised to the 116 decibel volume so you'll hear the true quality.

Pattaya did have a couple of bars which attempted to shake off the usual dross one of which is still going as a bar but I don't know about the music. It's called Shennanagins (or similar - "Irish" style pub) on second road close to Ripleys. There's a guy who, with his wife, turns out slightly better quality cover version stuff, they appear under the name Rick & Harpic (clean 'round the bend if you remember that old advert) he might be able to advise you better.

As for reggae etc - forget it. My missus had a bar there a while back and I tried to introduce some alternative music, anything that wasn't Wind of Change etc. Waste of bluddy time, average Pattaya punter has the musical appreciation of a housebrick.

But basically, brace yourself for Honky Tonk Woman etc and if you think Pattaya is bad, try Kuala Lumpur. I'm here on contract and all I can find, apart from a bunch of amateur folk singers, are dodgy Philippino cover bands although there is a vibrant club circuit which is not bad.

Andy says:

Walking St Pattaya has some decent live music / bands. The downstairs of Lucifers has a good house band, and quite a few good jazz musicians are to be heard further down. (Forgot the name of the bar!)
There are a lot of Filipino and international bands in Pattaya off the obvious tourist trails. If you have the inclination and time; you'll find them easily enough.