We
have for some time now been debating what constitutes
a "gig". Is it confined solely to performances
by an entire band? Is one guy with a keyboard a gig?
Is a clown's performance a gig? Pretty heavy stuff!
Anyway, we decided to be a little more open-minded
and include all live performances under the gig umbrella,
and so the answer is "yes" to all of the
above. With all the cancellations going on lately,
we may be redefining it again sometime in the near
future. I don't even want to go there. With that in
mind I ventured down to the Roots Reggae Club this
past Saturday night. Located in the small sub soi
right opposite the petrol station, only 50 meters
into Soi 26 from Sukhumvit, it is simple to find with
it’s large sign easily spotted. If you are driving
yourself you can choose to park in the petrol station,
where each 300bht worth of petrol will get you one
hour’s free parking. Alternatively you can pay to
park at 30bht per hour. On the other hand if you go
another 50 meters or so down Soi 26 there is a parking
lot, again on the left hand side, very dark and sinister
looking, but a 20 bht tip to the attendant who lives
there will get you 2 hours parking no problem. The
choice is yours.
When I arrived at about 11.30 almost every seat in
the downstairs area of Roots was taken. There is a
pool table immediately inside the door and a large
curved bar covered with a thatch roof that is actually
quite inviting. Filled with what appeared to be regulars,
there was a good vibe in the place. Reggae was playing,
the wooden furniture and ambient lighting gave the
place a lived in look. The way Roots is set up features
recorded music downstairs at a moderate volume, and
by that I mean you can talk without screaming at each
other, while the upstairs floor features live DJ's
and MC's at a considerably raised volume for dancing.
I decided to sample some of the Thai food on the menu
before venturing upstairs. The BBQ pork salad, or
yum was the first to arrive, followed closely by the
glass noodle yum with fresh shrimp. Both were fairly
spicy, although moderate by Thai standards. But seeing
as most of the patrons of Roots are foreigners this
makes a lot of sense. The vegetarian spring rolls
topped off the order and did not disappoint. All in
all, a tasty little meal at a very fair price with
dishes ranging from 40 to 80bht. Roots Reggae Club
is run by Dawiseboy, who after working in one of the
more popular upscale restaurants in Bangkok for sometime,
decided to set out on his own. I ordered a bloody
Mary, however Dawiseboy informed me that although
Bloody Marys are not on the drinks menu they would
give it a try. After some additional hot sauce it
was not bad, so I guess all is fair. To my knowledge,
Roots is the only place in Bangkok that consistently
delivers top-notch reggae. The strains of Jimmy Cliff,
UB40 and of course Bob Marley were remixed to a hip
hop backbeat and made for some very interesting listening.
The African style decor adds a certain flair to the
place and if reggae is your thing, this is it. By
now the rhythms coming through the closed door leading
upstairs were becoming increasingly urgent.
Upon opening the door, I was hit by Shaggy's "Mr
Bombastic" at a volume level much less than I
had imagined while listening through the door. The
DJ booth was set up right next to the dance floor
and the boyz were doing their thing. And in fine style
too. Huge speakers along the back wall emphasized
the heavy bass so synonymous with reggae and again
the songs were all remixed with a hip-hop backbeat.
Interesting stuff. Upstairs at Roots is much more
laid back. Couches and big pillows dominate and there
are backlit pictures but for those not inclined to
relax there are a few tables and chairs thrown in.
The music was excellent, the DJing spot on, although
on Saturday nights there are no MC's doing live rap.
That is only on Fridays. Still, the crowd was on its
feet and with the groove being put down anything else
was almost impossible. Using Technics SL 1200's and
vinyl, the DJ's almost gave the evening a retro kind
of feeling. I'm not kidding, SL 1200's and vinyl,
I was impressed. The sound was excellent too, although
if you wanted to have a serious conversation, well,
that's what downstairs is for, isn't it? The decor
is sparse, still following the African type theme,
with some masks on the wall, but little else, leaving
plenty of room for the dancers. From some beams coming
down from the ceiling were hung speakers, not cabinets,
but speakers for the highs and mid-range. Apart from
delivering an impressive sound I couldn't help but
wonder at Dawiseboys simple, yet very decorative style.
Definitely unpretentious, and set up to party. Judging
by the crowd on Saturday night, party is the operative
word at Roots. By the way, the beers were cold too.
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