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Gig of the Week
7th. May 2003
Noriega's
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Silom Soi 4 has been mentioned on several occasions in recent GOW's, mainly due to some interesting changes taking place in that little cul-de-sac sandwiched between Patpong 2 and 'Little Ginza", or Thaniya, as it is more commonly known. I say interesting because for as long as memory serves Silom Soi 4 has been the "in" place for Bangkok's gay community and the changes taking place are slowly removing that image and bringing a whole new look to the soi. I believe Bobby of Bobby's Arms was the first to take the initiative by extending his fading pub with an addition opening on to street level in the soi. There were several other attempts, albeit unsuccessful, to open non-gay establishments over the years. Then suddenly along came Frank "Superstar" and Paul with Noriega's and of course the more recently opened Samsara which brought "G" up from Pattaya to the City of Angels. Somewhere in between, an art gallery also opened their doors and before that there was Tapas, all replacing clubs catering mainly to the gay scene. It used to be that if you wanted the latest in music, sexual preference notwithstanding, Rome club was the place to go. They would be spinning the latest long before Bangkok's radio stations even got wind of it, but no more. In the "new" Soi 4 these days you can visit a gay club if that is your thing, lounge to cool sounds at Samsara or head down to Noriega's for live music. For some time now I have been paying kudos to the boys at this club for giving many new, up and coming Bangkok bands their first chance at a real gig. The band I went to see on Saturday night is by no means a newcomer but certainly is one of the forces that are slowly turning Noriega's into a live music venue to be reckoned with. When I arrived Cannonball were in full swing and I was pleasantly surprised to see a nearly full house grooving to the band's bluesy, R&B sound. Incorporating a play list of covers and tasty originals the band is slick and professional, not surprising at all as the members of this group are for the most part seasoned professionals. EZ Nolan leads the band on keyboards and lead vocals and he also writes most of the band's original numbers. Cannonball is truly international in it's makeup, featuring players from Ireland, Australia and Sweden, who are expats that have for some time now been working regular jobs in Bangkok and were brought together by chance at the weekly blues sessions around the city. I would not describe Cannonball as a straight forward blues outfit though, their sound is also R&B, soul and various combinations of the three genres with a bit of this and that thrown in. At one point even Emerson, Lake and Palmer came to mind. EZ Nolan is probably one of the best keyboard players around in Bangkok at the moment. His original tunes range from blues ballads to upbeat shuffle style, heavily R&B influenced tunes with interesting musical diversions breaking up the set. Benny on drums is a stalwart in Bangkok having started his drumming career during his days in LA. He doesn't go too much for the fancy stuff but rather concentrates on keeping a crisp groove going for the rest of the band to build on. The newest addition to the group, James on bass, is solid and works well with Benny to lay down that firm foundation so important in a tight outfit. Daniel on guitar compliments EZ's solos and the trading off between the pair this past Saturday made for some interesting listening. As Nils, also on guitar, is currently on holiday Daniel was actually working hard. I was not aware that musicians could have holidays, but there you go. In his stead was Pueng, another solid player on the Bangkok blues circuit, who is mainly known for his steady playing and slide guitar pyrotechnics. Some of the tunes Cannonball do are fairly complex and Pueng had exactly one rehearsal before stepping into Nils's rather large shoes. It has to be said here that Nils is one of those guitarists with an understated style of delivery who is exactly where he needs to be when he needs to be. Except this last weekend of course. The band even fired off a Stevie Wonder number, "Isn't She Lovely" to make a change and on a couple of other originals I was quite impressed with Pueng's ability to get in there and contribute despite the fact he had never played these particular tunes before. EZ on the keyboards is a joy to watch and of course listen to as well. His fingers are a blur across the keys delivering scales and tasty licks with lightning speed. As a vocalist EZ has been learning the hard way what it's really like to be responsible for singing every song in every set, every night. He does a good job on covers ranging from Keb Mo to the Allman Brothers and his own stuff, with names like "Bad Man" and "Suzie Wong", which if we didn't know any better would kind of sum him up. All kidding aside, the man is brilliant. This is definitely a band worth following and they will only get better as time goes by. Noriega's for their part has to be given credit on several points. As far as I'm concerned mostly for opening a quality live music venue in Bangkok and secondly for doing so all the way at the end of Silom Soi 4. With large plate glass windows looking out into the soi there are also tables set out front for those who want to converse while the band is on. An all white theme mixed with dark wooden tones sorts out the interior décor and a large bar dominates the left side of the room as you enter, with the stage directly opposite. Interestingly, another bar separates the two, running parallel with the main bar but closer to the stage. There is an area in the back with low tables and sofas for those who want to be more comfortable, together with a large notice board where people attach their business cards, amongst other things. Decorations are sparse, but adequate and the lighting is subdued but not too frugal. In fact, the place looks very Mediterranean. Another item of interest, in the men's room this time, is a miniature ceramic throne dubbed the "Vomitorium". Hopefully it doesn't get called into service too often. But it makes a great piece. And, being higher up than your average toilet bowl, I suppose it does make sense. Don't thank me for sharing that, but when you see it you will have to admit it is unusual if nothing else. Noriega's also does a menu of beer snacks and full meals and although I didn't eat, the dishes going by and being presented to some of the other tables looked very interesting. Beers and various drinks are in the 90 -120 Baht range and most importantly the beers were cold. Honest, I tried several just to make sure! Noriega's features several different bands during the week and hosts a Sunday night blues jam from around 10 or so, where all are welcome to bring their instrument and strut their stuff. And, beers are two for one. That's it, I'm heading down there before it's too late. |
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