I
Have ventured out to various obscure parts of town
over the last couple of months for our Gig of the
Week, this edition we are back to the old stomping
ground of Sukhumvit Road. Traditionally an area for
clubs and eateries, this road through the heart of
Bangkok has seen more than it's fair share of venues
come and go over the years. In the seventies a car
was filmed crashing through the plate glass windows
on the ground floor of the then Chokechai Building
opposite Soi 39, in the chase scene from the first
James Bond movie to be filmed in Thailand, "The
Man with the Golden Gun". On the top floor of
the building was a steakhouse that featured prime
cuts from the Chokechai farm, and yes, they had live
music. The eighties brought us RPM, then billed as
the biggest disco ever in Thailand. A joint venture
between locals and a group from New York, RPM was
a few years ahead of it's time but did bring live
music in from abroad with one group going on the billboard
charts with the first version I can remember of, "Can't
Take My Eyes Off You". Ah, the good old days.
What was so good about them? Nothing really. The traffic
on Sukhumvit was horrendous; it flooded at the slightest
hint of a cloudburst and Bond and RPM quickly faded
from memory. Those were the days of Sylvester's "Do
You Wanna Funk With Me" and Rick James and his
"Super Freak", which incidentally still
gets people out on the floor. OK, so maybe it wasn't
all bad. But I digress. The nineties brought us the
sky train and although traffic remained horrendous,
and it still flooded, at least you could now get up
and down Sukhumvit faster than ever thought possible,
if you used the BTS.
Which brings us to the current decade. These days
it floods less frequently and when it does, it is
not as severe as it used to be. And the traffic, well
the traffic still sucks. But we still have the train,
which will soon be extended by a line that goes from
Hualampong Station almost to the old airport. OK,
maybe not that soon, but before the new airport anyway.
In these times of "size does matter", at
least on Sukhumvit, Coliseum Brew Arena takes the
cake. Located diagonally across Sukhumvit from Soi
Thong Lor, between Sois 38 and 40, it is five minutes
walk from the BTS station. The point of entry is a
lobby area with the biggest beer can I have ever seen,
pouring an endless stream of the amber liquid into
a frothing glass on the floor. There is also a souvenir
shop with items that can be purchased outright or
traded for a booklet of stamps you collect every time
you pay a bill. But if you were meeting someone at
this venue I would strongly recommend making the lobby
your starting point.
The reason is simple, Coliseum is divided into five
levels in a very well thought out sweeping split-level
design moving upwards from the stage, allowing you
a clear view of the entertainment going on, no matter
where you happen to be seated. In the unlikely event
that your direct view of the action is blocked there
are two huge screens on either side of the stage with
MTV style shots of the band down below. That is only
the first three levels. In the back of level three
is the DJ booth, spacious and well laid out with a
wide bar along the front allowing for guests to watch
the boys at work. The seating also varies in the different
levels; in the level closest to the stage, barstools
and high tables are set up in tight rows. On the next
two levels, each area becomes more like a dining area
as you move up the steps. Levels four and five handle
the overflow on busy nights and weekends and require
negotiating a well lit flight of stairs, with level
four extending out over the floor below, giving you
a bird's eye view of the band on stage. There is an
area for playing pool and in the area furthest from
the stage it is possible to hold a quiet conversation.
A further three zones of VIP areas rounds out the
floor space in the upper levels. You might never find
your friend.
The area in front of the stage is another matter,
the sound is loud, although clear and well balanced
and the performers are top rate. Coliseum features
no less than four bands per night, every night, with
comedy skits and other routines in between. The sound
system is massive, as would be required by a place
of this size, I could literally feel the sub woofers
while on the upper level, but the mix was surprisingly
good. The sound booth is located above the DJ, exactly
where it should be. On this night the bands were playing
current local and international hits with several
well-known groups and performers on the roster delivering
a good range of top-notch entertainment. As the evening
progresses the tunes get more aggressive, with house
dancers joining the performers on stage to get the
groove going with the folks at the front. There is
no dance floor, but most people dance around the area
where they are seated anyway. As you can imagine,
with a capacity of 2,500 the traffic to and from the
dance floor would be like, well, Sukhumvit. The interior
looks like a big cave decorated with Roman statues,
although more cave than statues, except for the area
to one side of the stage where a replica of Mount
Rushmore takes up almost the entire wall. On the opposite
side, you guessed it, is the Thai equivalent. These
two are reason enough for a visit.
The Executive Chef, whom I was lucky enough to meet,
recommended Ostrich in Black Pepper Sauce and Deep-Fried
Tiny Crabs. The ostrich was superb, the meat tender
and succulent, the pepper sauce enhancing the flavour
and the accompanying vegetables. A definite ‘must-try’
dish, suitable as a main course. The tiny crabs, fried
whole and dipped in a Thai style plum sauce were a
beer snack to be wary of. With crispy little legs
and a tender juicy middle it was impossible not to
keep having another one. The thick menu, available
in English as well, with an extensive selection of
special dishes, is worth looking into. The beers were
cold, and as usual, I had several to make sure this
was correct. Cocktails are also available on the extensive
drinks menu.
There was a skit where a rather large man came on
stage in a woman's costume. It was quite amusing considering
the size of the garment he was wearing. Then the DJs
had a spin and the next band, Spy, came on. Crowd
pleasers, they had a polished routine while doing
several local hits. The singer spoke English and was
conversing with a guy in the front row, who was from
England we were told. The ambience in the house was
good, people were having fun and the conversations
were loud and boisterous. By this time Coliseum was
doing a very good business on the first three levels,
and this was on a week night. This is one venue that
doesn't seem to be feeling the current freeze in the
nightlife scene. I was informed that the venue is
booked for birthday parties every evening and I could
see why. The entertainment is tight and well planned
and the comic relief between bands and DJs is a nice
touch. The sound is loud but not obnoxious and of
course there's plenty of room. There are several special
events coming up in the near future, including the
"Miss Coliseum 2003", and the ladies I saw
rehearsing that night were, well, mighty fine. This
live music venue is definitely a place to mark down
for a night out with a group of good friends, or even
just acquaintances, if you're going to drink a lot.
Coliseum
Soi Thong Lo,
906 Sukhumvit,
Klongtey,
Bangkok 10110.
Tel: 02-713 5000.
Open: 5.30pm-2am. Music from 7pm.
Credit cards accepted. |
