Manila. 1976. I'm at a dark hole-in-the-wall joint off the main drag. The sun set about two hours ago, I'm already down four whiskys and the fifth is on the creaky little wooden table in front of me. A 20 watt lamp hangs about two feet above the table shedding just enough light for me to see the shadow of a rodent as it disappears into its hole in the wall beside us.
I light up another one of my faithful beedis. The toothless old local legend sitting before me is chewing on his Havana cigar (easily available now that the Phillipines are such buddies with Cuba). "So.. you're going to see the steel buttefly?", he asks in a low, raspy voice. I nod and take another sip. "Watch out for that man, he may be a bit of a comedian, and his wife may be the dictator of the country, but some say he's the one who runs the show". "So I've heard", I tell him.
Another short silence cuts through the blaring music and the drunken voices around us. "I tell you what", he ventures, "Listen to what he has to offer. If you like the job, go ahead and take it. Even if the terms are not perfect." And with that he empties his glass and walks away leaving me to take care of his tab.
Two hours later I'm escorted through the palatial gates, up the road to the magnificent main building, through the front door, and into the waiting area. The butler leads me into the cloakroom so I can hang my coat. As soon as I enter, I stop stunned in my tracks. Rows and rows and miles and miles of hats. Of caps and turbans and every conceivable type of headgear I have ever laid my eyes on. More hats than I ever knew existed in our world. A voice from behind interrupts my thoughts. "So you like my collection?" I spin around and here I am finally face to face with him.
"It's fantastic", I reply trying to sound friendly yet respectful. He's chewing on a cigar and he looks thoughtful as he says, "I own a club in Bangalore where I store my special beret collection. As a matter of fact, you're a musician, would you like to play there some day?" Thirty seconds into the conversation and he's already made his offer. I need to think fast.
9.00pm, 23rd Nov: ABANDONFRIDAY: " Lounge Piranha"
george mathew: drums, rohan ramesh: bass, kamal singh: guitar & vocals, abhijeet tambe:
guitar & vocals
I light up another one of my faithful beedis. The toothless old local legend sitting before me is chewing on his Havana cigar (easily available now that the Phillipines are such buddies with Cuba). "So.. you're going to see the steel buttefly?", he asks in a low, raspy voice. I nod and take another sip. "Watch out for that man, he may be a bit of a comedian, and his wife may be the dictator of the country, but some say he's the one who runs the show". "So I've heard", I tell him.
Another short silence cuts through the blaring music and the drunken voices around us. "I tell you what", he ventures, "Listen to what he has to offer. If you like the job, go ahead and take it. Even if the terms are not perfect." And with that he empties his glass and walks away leaving me to take care of his tab.
Two hours later I'm escorted through the palatial gates, up the road to the magnificent main building, through the front door, and into the waiting area. The butler leads me into the cloakroom so I can hang my coat. As soon as I enter, I stop stunned in my tracks. Rows and rows and miles and miles of hats. Of caps and turbans and every conceivable type of headgear I have ever laid my eyes on. More hats than I ever knew existed in our world. A voice from behind interrupts my thoughts. "So you like my collection?" I spin around and here I am finally face to face with him.
"It's fantastic", I reply trying to sound friendly yet respectful. He's chewing on a cigar and he looks thoughtful as he says, "I own a club in Bangalore where I store my special beret collection. As a matter of fact, you're a musician, would you like to play there some day?" Thirty seconds into the conversation and he's already made his offer. I need to think fast.
9.00pm, 23rd Nov: ABANDONFRIDAY: " Lounge Piranha"
george mathew: drums, rohan ramesh: bass, kamal singh: guitar & vocals, abhijeet tambe:
guitar & vocalsGeorge Mathew is an artist by day and fully in control of the drum kit by night. He is also fully irresponsible for Piranha’s visual identity and website. Rohan Ramesh, current medical student and future quack, takes care of the bottom end with proficiency on his Warwick bass guitar. Kamal Singh on guitar and vocals, uses lots of alternate tuning and open strings, and hits the situation spot with alarming accuracy in the theory of disclaimer systematic analysis of the limitless school of thought. Abhijeet Tambe on guitar and vocals, emerges from the tangle of the electronic loops in his studio to provide the ambient soundscapes with lots of guitar delay and reverb.
9.00pm, 24th Nov: SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER with DJ ANOOP ABSOLUTE.
with a mix of retro picks n samples, ambient elements, modern electronica, indian classical riffs, its gonna be one crazy dance partaaay
Nokia KroaKnight (in association with Bacardi)
with a mix of retro picks n samples, ambient elements, modern electronica, indian classical riffs, its gonna be one crazy dance partaaay
Nokia KroaKnight (in association with Bacardi)
Wed: with mark
Hosted by Mark Rego & DJ Vinay, this a a popular quiz night where winners get all their booze free for the night. Rated by the BBC as indias best pub quiz... No entry charges.
it's a BYOI (bring your own instruments) afternoon .. with a buffet of khao suey, dosas and pastas, and some some bacardi mojitos and Kingfisher to add to the 'good times'.
.. and if u are an artist or a band that wants to be featured .. pls call shonali on 9845244610.
for updated jampot pics go
26th nov: STORMY MONDAYS with Ministry of Blues ( MOB)
a night thats already becoming very popular, a night that features a blues band live every monday night.
MOB has been around the Bangalore rock'n'roll scene for over a year now. The line-up includes two original members from Aftermath, Deepak Kesavan aka DK) and Philipe Haydon (Lead guitar/vocals). They were joined by Vinoo Matthew on bass (Midrange) and Rauf on keyboards. M.O.B. is a polished four-piece outfit, playing a very broad section of blues-rock.
go here for more about the band and their music
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