What’s the Point Of Fun on Soi 24?
Call me an old hippy
stuck in the past, but I remember not
so long ago when Imageries on Soi 24 was
the place to be of an evening, especially
after midnight when it had the best live
music in town and maybe the most clannish
crowd too. Hi-so debs, rising stars, exploding
stars and ‘disastars’ too with loads of
police raids for possible drug abuse towards
the end of its reign, and an almost amphitheatre-like
atmosphere with the best music sound system
in town. Those were the days dude! I can
even remember jamming the blues on the
huge stage with the resident band who
were awesome and who apart from their
residency there, were top session musicians
during the day and after hours.
It was often difficult
just to get in it was so busy or so clannish,
and you had valet parking, and food, and
all the best chicks in town were a feature
too.
But
those were the days, ‘were’ being the
operative word. Now its called Point of
Fun or Club Sugar, depending on who you
speak to, and although there is still
live music in the new format, the stage
is a fraction of the size it once was
and the layout is now very cold, clinical
and minimal featuring glass, concrete
floors, stainless steel and chrome fittings
and a very powerful sound system belting
out the latest disco hits whatever you
want to call them – Drugs & Bass,
Dreams & Brass, or Shit Hop or Deep
Shit or whatever.
There are still the
three levels where you can hide or hang
out and above the stage is a giant flat
screen television featuring the latest
vids, DVDs and clips to match the in-your-groin
music. The stage is equipped with the
full live band regalia and equipment as
there are live bands most nights from
11 pm featuring ‘indie rock’ or the typeof
music made popular by the likes of Linkin
Park and Korn. The band onstage the night
we were there were imaginatively called
The Indie Band!
While you are unlikely
to meet the boss here – unless he is out
with his Mia Noi – My Girl was quickly
in her element up on her high heels first
and dancing the cocktails out of her system
to the latest sounds. We had eaten before
we got there thank God but there were
snacks galore including spring rolls,
cashew nuts, som tam, chicken wings and
all the other usual culprits. The drinks
menu was replete with every cocktail ever
conceived, but with some great spelling
errors and ticklefellarious mistakes–
a Jimmy Walker…!
Perhaps the weirdest
part of the evening was the dancing girls
on the gantry above the stage and on podiums
around the room. They were fully dressed
young ladies from Isaan I guess, dancing
to the beat so to speak, but well out
of place and very reminiscent of the early
days at the Blues Factory in Pattaya which
in its early days also used to feature
dancing ladies in what was a non-girly
or non-gogo bar. A little tacky I reckon
and really not necessary for us guests
with taste – or if you are with company
at least.
And what do they do
on ladies’ night?
But we are not talking
about quiet persuasion here or mood-enhancing
ergonomics. You are or should be here
to get hammered, to enjoy loud music and
to move to the groove while being totally
impressed by the gifted DJs doing their
thing. Throw away your political satire,
your knowledge of the universe, your persuasive
spiritual philosophising – it is wasted
here my dear, unless you can out-megaphone
the 10,000 watt sound system. In short,
keep it shut and party! It is the way
to go these days dude. And you can talk
about how wasted you were next day and
compare notes as to how cool the DJ was
or how bad the vibe was dude!
There is loads of room
in the place and it is well worth considering
for that extra big birthday party or even
a small one. And it is a room where you
won’t want to lounge around around or
try to look cool at the bar. It is a party
vibe for sure and I guess it is all down
to the type of music you like or what
the DJ specialises in. But with a good
young crowd, good DJ and good band or
two, this could be great place to hang
nearer the weekend.
They have occasional
concerts here too and recently featured
the totally cool Thaitanium - the Thai/American
rap/hip hop outfit who are totally cool
because they are…Thai/American!
The Ladies Night is
all you can drink free for ladies, but
300 baht plus one free drink for you,
me and the other guys who want in.
As to what the place
is called, My Girl got a flyer for a “Ladies
Night August 18th at CLUB SUGAR, Formerly
POF” and when I asked the “girls” at the
door and a management representative,
I was assured it is still called Point
of Fun (POF), but that a name change to
CLUB SUGAR may indeed be in the works!
Point
of Fun aka CLUB SUGAR
2 Sukhumvit Soi 24
Klongtoei Bangkok 10110
02 2615212
Open 6 pm until 1 am
