Blue Streak Posted March 4, 2021 Share Posted March 4, 2021 Couple of snaps from tonight.....First ''Rock Factory'' on Soi Buakhao has reopened and a snap of ''masks and metres''...lol.... And the reopening of this place...on L K Metro ..the din in that corner now...lol... Mask meters and ear protectors....lol... 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob lt Posted March 4, 2021 Share Posted March 4, 2021 Not sure if I misunderstand but the first snap is Zero bar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Streak Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 7 hours ago, bob lt said: Not sure if I misunderstand but the first snap is Zero bar Correct m8, no snap of ''Rock Factory'' ( I'll get one tonight for you) the Zero one was to show that lots of places blatantly flaunt what has been asked of them and will be the first cry when it all gets locked down again...hence ''masks and metres''. Packed in like sardines, they aren't the only ones by far........ 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Streak Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 As promised....Rock Factory....... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggles Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 We used to go to the previous Rich bar a few times a week. Gave the RF a try, great interior design, lighting etc..... but the noise. We lasted one drink and out, I must be too old, yet I love Rock music 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 4 hours ago, biggles said: We used to go to the previous Rich bar a few times a week. Gave the RF a try, great interior design, lighting etc..... but the noise. We lasted one drink and out, I must be too old, yet I love Rock music I avoid anywhere with live music, they must think the louder they play the more customers they'll get. Saying that Bodega bar on 2nd road isn't to loud but the rest of them well.......... & most of them are shit IMHO. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggles Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Simon, thsts why we liked Rich bar, two guys, nice volume played a variety of stuff. They had been there 8-10 years as I recall. Agree about the Bodega bar volume, used to drop in often. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Smooth Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 6 hours ago, biggles said: Simon, thsts why we liked Rich bar, two guys, nice volume played a variety of stuff. They had been there 8-10 years as I recall. Agree about the Bodega bar volume, used to drop in often. A bar that has live music but has the sound system lowered to such a level that allows for conversation where you don't have to yell at your mate to be heard from just a few feet away, makes for a proper set up. Too many bars IMO around town failed to do that unless they also had an outdoor venue available where the sound had some place to escape. If inside a walled up venue, then the sound just bounces around and you are left to just hold your drink in one hand while bobbing your head to the beat. Even the WS venues played loud, but those places were playing as much to the passing crowd to draw them in as much as for the crowd that already WAS in listening to the band play. That nice balance was what made the Blues Factory my favorite indoor live music venue in Pattaya. When Lam Morrison was bending those strings while playing Hendrix, Moore or Clapton, it sounded great without being ear shattering. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeb Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 (edited) Anyone know the story about the "Cooters" Bar which has opened on the 6 in the former Scooters location ? Did Scooters sell or is it a re-badgering etc ? Has this bar reverted to a more 'traditional' Soi 6 business model or does remain as Scooters was ? Good to see it opened either way and wish them well. Credit to Blue Streak for the photo - Edited March 6, 2021 by Zeb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeb Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 (edited) 13 hours ago, biggles said: Gave the RF a try, great interior design, lighting etc..... but the noise. We lasted one drink and out, I must be too old, yet I love Rock music Yep. I avoid the live music generally in Thailand and for the same reason. They even come close to fucking up a late afternoon drink at sunset in the Bars on BR just south of Soi 8 with loud music, at times. Edited March 6, 2021 by Zeb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fforest Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 2 hours ago, Zeb said: Yep. I avoid the live music generally in Thailand and for the same reason. They even come close to fucking up a late afternoon drink at sunset in the Bars on BR just south of Soi 8 with loud music, at times. All should learn from the Beer Garden, it was the perfect mix of music volume and still being able to talk....And Bamboo Bar too, Bamboo was plenty loud but not unbearably..... 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jambo Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 1 hour ago, fforest said: All should learn from the Beer Garden, it was the perfect mix of music volume and still being able to talk....And Bamboo Bar too, Bamboo was plenty loud but not unbearably..... Had some hilarious "Grab-a-Granny" nights getting pissed in Bamboo with the usual suspects in the old days. 🤣 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forcebwithu Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 Used to frequent Billabong quite a bit in the early evening. Rarely stayed when the live music got going due to the volume. They finally lost me as a regular customer after the 1st lockdown ended. Early evening, before the band had even arrived, I was one of only handful of other customers, but they still felt the need to crank the volume of the noise that tries to pass itself off as music. No sense of who their customer base is now, so like others voted with my feet. Plenty of other customer friendly bars to choose from. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcharliemofo Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 1 hour ago, forcebwithu said: Used to frequent Billabong quite a bit in the early evening. Rarely stayed when the live music got going due to the volume. They finally lost me as a regular customer after the 1st lockdown ended. Early evening, before the band had even arrived, I was one of only handful of other customers, but they still felt the need to crank the volume of the noise that tries to pass itself off as music. No sense of who their customer base is now, so like others voted with my feet. Plenty of other customer friendly bars to choose from. Perfect description of it, I was in Time Bar and looking at a nearly empty Billabong one night and the noise was so bad that it was 'check bin' and out. Cafe Racer told me that due to the noise from there and the old Office agogo they put doors in their place to keep the noise out of there. And yet some people swear it's great ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemondropkid Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, mrcharliemofo said: Perfect description of it, I was in Time Bar and looking at a nearly empty Billabong one night and the noise was so bad that it was 'check bin' and out. Cafe Racer told me that due to the noise from there and the old Office agogo they put doors in their place to keep the noise out of there. And yet some people swear it's great ? Billabong is a monument to how you never go broke underestimating the public's bad taste!!! The Band slaughters a range of classics at unbearable volume. The bar must make a fortune during high season from newcomers who pay for 2, can't face sitting there any longer. Martin on NDTVi blog was waxing lyrical about Billabong, describing it as the "epicentre" of LK metro. How many of those online who swear it's great are just being paid to shill it? Edited March 7, 2021 by Lemondropkid 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightcrawler Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 1 hour ago, Lemondropkid said: Billabong is a monument to how you never go broke underestimating the public's bad taste!!! The Band slaughters a range of classics at unbearable volume. The bar must make a fortune during high season from newcomers who pay for 2, can't face sitting there any longer. Martin on NDTVi blog was waxing lyrical about Billabong, describing it as the "epicentre" of LK metro. How many of those online who swear it's great are just being paid to shill it? I used to use the Billabong as a meer up place before moving on. High volume most nights and that's not just the PA😁 30 minutes was enough. Same as the Triangle bar, only ever used it as a meeting place or a beer to have a gander at the massage girls opposite. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom51red Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 1 hour ago, Lemondropkid said: Billabong is a monument to how you never go broke underestimating the public's bad taste!!! The Band slaughters a range of classics at unbearable volume. The bar must make a fortune during high season from newcomers who pay for 2, can't face sitting there any longer. Martin on NDTVi blog was waxing lyrical about Billabong, describing it as the "epicentre" of LK metro. How many of those online who swear it's great are just being paid to shill it? Waxing lyrical,wonder if he drinks there....used to like it as a starting point early doors before 8pm,4 bottles move on,good for people watchin and the odd game o pool,band were shite tho i agree. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stillearly Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 The only time I used to go to Billabong was early evening after a trip to Devils Den , just for a couple of drinks to regain my strength before I went back to my hotel to get changed for an evening out ... this was when Greg had it and music was just in the background 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemondropkid Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 1 hour ago, Phantom51red said: Waxing lyrical,wonder if he drinks there....used to like it as a starting point early doors before 8pm,4 bottles move on,good for people watchin and the odd game o pool,band were shite tho i agree. You're made of sterner stuff than me if you can sit through that band for 4 beers😀 The Beer Garden has always been my early doors venue of choice, but then I'm a rarity it seems in that I still prefer WS over LK. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizondave Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 2 hours ago, Nightcrawler said: I used to use the Billabong as a meer up place before moving on. High volume most nights and that's not just the PA😁 30 minutes was enough. Same as the Triangle bar, only ever used it as a meeting place or a beer to have a gander at the massage girls opposite. Don't think I ever got a seat closer than one that was nearly being hit by a motorbike, the inner sanctum seemed to be reserved for the early bird all nighters and regulars. Ok for a quick beer but being pestered by the left over girls whilst the better lookers were all reserved was a bit annoying and the fact that 2 beers was the order did mean I tended to quicken up my drinking. Understand about the band which was not an incentive for staying but it did have a prime position and not pricey so I could suck eggs for a short while but it was always a transit point for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Smooth Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 As for the excess volume from the Billabong, do you figure that whoever is the manager takes it upon himself to do that simply because of it's location on LK? It is at the turn, it occupies a wide stretch of street front on two sides, has a seating capacity to accommodate many more people with the seating arranged out into the street on both sides, and because of that, probably attracts a high number of those who are on holiday and want a festive atmosphere with a louder volume, which probably equates to more drinks being bought. I once stayed there when Greg was still the manager. The rooms, though aging, were satisfactory. This was before the band downstairs came about. But what killed me was the loud volume coming from the Queen Agogo until 4 am. It shook the walls of the hallway on my 3rd floor room, couldn't ever get to sleep until close to 5 am. Never stayed anywhere on LK again. Once those agogos moved in and brought some of the WS atmosphere over to LK, I never did like that. I always preferred the variety of single and doublewide shop house sized bars that all played their own music at a reasonable volume and didn't overwhelm the other bars in the vicinity and for which made for some great times chatting up the girls and the eventual late night negotiations. Guess I just preferred the more subtle aspects of LK then before all the hoo hah invaded the scene. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemondropkid Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 21 minutes ago, Mr. Smooth said: I once stayed there when Greg was still the manager. The rooms, though aging, were satisfactory. This was before the band downstairs came about. But what killed me was the loud volume coming from the Queen Agogo until 4 am. My one and only visit to Queen's it was absolutely deafening, loudest place I've been to in Pattaya- might have been around the same time as your visit, as definitely no band in the Billabong. Was in Queen's with BM Galenkia as I recall. He seemed to love it in there, but with all that Metal & Goth his hearing would have been shot to s**t already😀 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stillearly Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 Loudest place in Pattaya for me was Shooters on Soi 7 , don't think I even finished my drink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galenkia Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 3 minutes ago, Lemondropkid said: My one and only visit to Queen's it was absolutely deafening, loudest place I've been to in Pattaya- might have been around the same time as your visit, as definitely no band in the Billabong. Was in Queen's with BM Galenkia as I recall. He seemed to love it in there, but with all that Metal & Goth his hearing would have been shot to s**t already😀 Ha ha!. Yeah, love a booming gogo, and yes, my hearing is shot to shit!. Roll on the gigs starting up again, missing my nights out in Camden. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krapow Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 25 minutes ago, galenkia said: Ha ha!. Yeah, love a booming gogo, and yes, my hearing is shot to shit!. Roll on the gigs starting up again, missing my nights out in Camden. Heard Covid was too scared to go near Goths anyway ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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