Bangkok Reports

[Banana Boi]

That is what GoGos have lost; the excellent social element they used to have.

How were gogo bars socially different in the good old days?

[Goatscrot]

Yeah! 4 Grammy's and counting. I am not saying there is no talent these days, just that music from back in the 60's and 70's appeal to me more.

I also think this has something to do with swarming of content. Today there is so much content on the net it is impossible to get your hands around all of it to make an objective assessment of who is really the best. I am sure everyday millions of songs must be slipping past me unheard. Back then, one would wait for the single to come out and then the album and then the tour.

Yes, it's difficult. One has to follow blogs, etc. I too really enjoyed music from the 60's, and in the 70's and 80's when I was growing up. It was amazing waiting for that album and the the tour. And it will never be like that again. That being said, I hear some great stuff now.

[Goatscrot]

I disagree with this. What's better? Music to get the girls revved up so they lap dance on you for free or music that some dude at the bar prefers to listen to that puts the girls to sleep? Give me the music that gets the girls going. If I enjoy T-Rex or The Beatles I can listen to it all day at home. I go to bars for one thing only. GIRLS! Surely I hope guys don't really avoid bars with the best looking fun girls because they don't like the music.

If you like old music go to G clubs like Kinnaree and Camel Toe in Pattaya. They play music like The Byrds and Elvis. Same songs every time you go, over and over again. You can sing along with the Thai girls cause they hear the songs so often they know all the words.

I've never been concerned about "getting the girls going. " I've always felt like music should be about the customer. And no, don't want to hear the same songs over and over again. That was the great thing about Cactus. Sometimes some classic rock, then The Clash, The Ramones, some Wilco, etc. I went to bars to hang out with my mates, drink, and then take a gal. The gals were always a fixture, but sometimes it was just about hanging out with the dudes. That is what GoGos have lost; the excellent social element they used to have.

[Banana Boi]

Many of us have always been irked that many places play music the gals like and not music the patrons like. .

I disagree with this. What's better? Music to get the girls revved up so they lap dance on you for free or music that some dude at the bar prefers to listen to that puts the girls to sleep? Give me the music that gets the girls going. If I enjoy T-Rex or The Beatles I can listen to it all day at home. I go to bars for one thing only. GIRLS! Surely I hope guys don't really avoid bars with the best looking fun girls because they don't like the music.

If you like old music go to G clubs like Kinnaree and Camel Toe in Pattaya. They play music like The Byrds and Elvis. Same songs every time you go, over and over again. You can sing along with the Thai girls cause they hear the songs so often they know all the words.

[Robbie31]

Any updates? Is it even operating?

[Blanquiceleste]

Some mighty good singer songwriters in the US now. Ever heard Jason Isbell?

Yeah! 4 Grammy's and counting. I am not saying there is no talent these days, just that music from back in the 60's and 70's appeal to me more.

I also think this has something to do with swarming of content. Today there is so much content on the net it is impossible to get your hands around all of it to make an objective assessment of who is really the best. I am sure everyday millions of songs must be slipping past me unheard. Back then, one would wait for the single to come out and then the album and then the tour.

[CzarNicholas]

The point is lyrics were far better back in the 60's and 70's than now. Pretty simple conclusion.

And, for the record, Barry received the Nobel Prize for Peace. Not Literature. I think there is a small difference, don't you?

Completely destroyed the credibility of the committee, espec in matters of such huge subjectivity.

Peace? Literature? Art?

Even the stem categories have been tainted by politicization.

[Goatscrot]

The point is lyrics were far better back in the 60's and 70's than now. Pretty simple conclusion.

And, for the record, Barry received the Nobel Prize for Peace. Not Literature. I think there is a small difference, don't you?

Some mighty good singer songwriters in the US now. Ever heard Jason Isbell?

[Blanquiceleste]

What's your point LOL.

The point is lyrics were far better back in the 60's and 70's than now. Pretty simple conclusion.

And, for the record, Barry received the Nobel Prize for Peace. Not Literature. I think there is a small difference, don't you?

[Aviator12]

Many of us have always been irked that many places play music the gals like and not music the patrons like. Cactus when John was running it was really great. Some great tunes ranging from classic rock, to alt-new wave, to blues, to alt-country; it was great. When I first came most Cowboy bars played at least some rock. GoGos used to be a great place to drink with all your buddies. Not to expensive and then you could grab a gal when you were ready to shag. Midnight was unreal before the Arab bought it (twas his first bar). 100 Baht drinks and lady drinks, 500 Baht BF included use of ST room upstairs, and gals happy with 1 k. Used to sit in the back booth for hours on end, pop upstairs for a romp, then back downstairs to hang out with friends. Good playlist as well when Aussie Mark was running the place.

Agree that Cactus was a great music bar when John was around. A reliable source told me that Long Gun just changed their music profile. Now it is "old music" as the girls describe it. More or less same style of music as in Sexy Night bar in Nana. This means rock classics from the late 60's, 70's and 80's. If this is just a temporary idea from the owner (the fat lady frequenting some evenings) or a more permanent move I do not know. Very good move in my opinion, but than again Long Gun always have had great variety in music and shows. They seem more focused on pleasing the tourists these days and not the eye candy girls they were known for 15-20 years ago.

[Smoothy]

You know enough of the language to pick difference between songs in Thai and in Isaan?

It ain't rocket science. You don't need to know a word they are saying to be able to tell the difference. Isaan dance music has that fun twang to it. As far as ballads, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but I don't like those anyway.

[Syzygies]

That being said, when in the bars, I prefer the fast Issan songs, they remind me of Indonesian dangdut which I think is great music. (Mainly for the reasons banana boi mentions a couple of posts before this one.)

You know enough of the language to pick difference between songs in Thai and in Isaan? I know because I understand the later somewhat less well and it has different tones, although tones are a bit hidden by songs. The very basic Isaan words give it away.

Jao si bpai sai? Where will you will go? In Thai: Khun ja bpai nai? I probably have only 100 to 200 words of very common Isaan vocab, enough to get by, and fortunately many words are the same as Thai just pronounced a bit differently.

Het ee-yang What are you doing?

I do have an App on the phone to learn Lao which is close enough to Isaan speech. However requires one to be quite studious.

Isaan actually sounds quite ugly compared to Thai, especially when extra loud which is common.

[Smoothy]

Isaan Karaoke ballads are really uninteresting to me, but had to put up with a lot of that for Songkran. Seems those in the Isaan province don't like to sing Thai songs, only Isaan songs, so I did not know any of them at all. Sometimes a pacey amusing Thai song can be fun in a gogo bar and having the girls do a bit of "Mor Ram" dancing. Best when they are funny songs not serious.

Some of the Carabao rock songs are okay For my taste, but modern Thai pop not much good for me.

When I go to karaoke with educated Thais from the office, they sing Thai pop songs and I find those songs to be pretty good. I don't like the ballads, but the fast pop songs I do like. My very first visit to Bangkok, the girls in the office bought me a Nicole Theriault CD since I commented on how much I liked it when they sang that Busaba song at karaoke. There's something quite charming about very cute office girls singing those songs. That was a long time ago, but this song is pretty well representative of Thai Pop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q8AZaDQDbc

That being said, when in the bars, I prefer the fast Issan songs, they remind me of Indonesian dangdut which I think is great music. (Mainly for the reasons banana boi mentions a couple of posts before this one.)

[Goatscrot]

Re. Music. Thai dance music is the best music. Don't really care about the music. Just like when Thai girls go insane when they are mao mak mak at 2 am in a Pattaya gogo bar.

Many of us have always been irked that many places play music the gals like and not music the patrons like. Cactus when John was running it was really great. Some great tunes ranging from classic rock, to alt-new wave, to blues, to alt-country; it was great. When I first came most Cowboy bars played at least some rock. GoGos used to be a great place to drink with all your buddies. Not to expensive and then you could grab a gal when you were ready to shag. Midnight was unreal before the Arab bought it (twas his first bar). 100 Baht drinks and lady drinks, 500 Baht BF included use of ST room upstairs, and gals happy with 1 k. Used to sit in the back booth for hours on end, pop upstairs for a romp, then back downstairs to hang out with friends. Good playlist as well when Aussie Mark was running the place.

[Banana Boi]

Re. Music. Thai dance music is the best music. Don't really care about the music. Just like when Thai girls go insane when they are mao mak mak at 2 am in a Pattaya gogo bar.