Thai guitar heroes

[panadolsandwich]

When I went to Koh Tao there was this really great band from the Philippines. They played all the latest hip hop/ R&B – you know the kind of thing – Gwen Stefani, Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna etc. Their guitarist was kind of the perfect mimic; and it got me thinking; especially seeing as Les Paul passed away so recently. A guitar is an expensive bit of equipment, but Asians are clever and very dexterous, and they appear to have the time– so why hasn’t there been an Asian Hendrix yet? Why haven’t we seen a real rock god emerge?

 

My personal guitar heroes go in the following order: Mr. Johnny Marr (Smiths: I wanted to sound like an entire record when I played), Bernard Butler (Suede) & John Frusciante (Red hot chili peppers). I’m generation X, but if I had to pick a few for you older blokes well Jimmy Hendrix, George Harrison and of course Keith Richards (we can all learn from his example) would be fairly high on my list. What do you guys reckon?

 

I’m not going to make a claim that I know almost anything about Thai music. However I like listening to Endorphin (this might be incorrect; I’m too lazy to go get the cd, they *could* be called enigmatic but you probably know whom I mean), punch, a karaoke vcd that almost gives me a seizure it flips camera angles so often of Thai girls dancing wearing bikinis (the pause button is my friend and it’s better than a wii if you’ve got mates over – that elusive crotch shot is very hard to get), and of course my treasured collection of Isaan vcd karaoke.

 

The guitar dudes in Isaan music let loose, and must pray for Les Paul’s ancestors, such is their love for electric guitar diddling. But it’s all derivation. I like the music, it sounds good, but there is too little of the cultural heritage coming through; and a strong western influence pervading (Les Paul diddling in the sky).

 

When will Asia stand on its two feet? Maybe it’s tied to economic reform. The populace you don’t feed today will be the one you’re fighting tomorrow. This is China’s problem – and our problem – particularly if you live in Australia.

In some respects I would love an Asian rock God to emerge – a guitar superstar. However that would signal an immense change in world power before that would be possible– and I personally can’t see it happening. There would have to be an enormous structural change in thinking throughout the entire South East Asian region.

 

I would love to see a Thai or Chinese Sex Pistols – not a mimic band, but an entirely original punk one. I only hope I see this in my lifetime.

 

[CTO]

Plenty of good local punk alt music bands -the underground scene is pretty strong. Go back into arts section to see pics and reports,

 

Wednesday night is very good - and there is a a locally produced English/Thai zine.

 

I think the THai main stream is pretty strong - nationalistic reasons being the most but still most records listened too are Thai and I do hear local influances

 

Morlams/love or hate them are interesting culture - the music is continually evolving over time but remains strong to it's roots - very similar to C&W in the west.

[sanyar]

[quote

I would love to see a Thai or Chinese Sex Pistols – not a mimic band, but an entirely original punk one. I only hope I see this in my lifetime.

 

 

Why should Thai or Chinese want or need to imitate 30 years old western styles? They are perfectly capable of creating their own musical styles, most of which have some western influences, without slavishly copying the west.

Check out Pee Sadeart on Grammy, marketed as luktung but really a rocker at heart and his concerts are mostly rock but with plenty of Thai country influences, not a bad guitarist and his band are sois ahead of the usual Thai bands falangs know about.

[Mentors]

in the early 90s there was a crazy Thai who had his own music Metal Pub in Hua Hin.

He played all night and he was one of the best guitar players i ever saw on this planet!

He was incredible.

I visit his pub over a couple of years again and again.

Unfortunately i don't know where he went later i just know that he married a Australian lady later.

 

 

[Spiff]

Thais are strange when it comes to music. Just check out the bars..you let at thai run the music and it's just love-songs. I love to have a beer in the bar in soi 4, before you enter Nana. Can't remember which one is Big Dog and which one is Morning Night But one of them always plays great music and has lots of customers. One beer turns in to 5 just because I like the music. Have tried to tell other bars that the music is actually important if they want to keep the customers in the bar, but I'm talking to deaf ears. Anyway.. When I play guitar in Thailand most farangs listen (hopefully they like it) but the Thais don't give a shit unless I play something they already know. If I play Hotel California I'm a superstar, Another Brick in the wall and I'm all right, some Loso songs and I can get a freebie but if I play something they haven't heard before they just go on doing whatever they where doing..

 

I love to see live music but it's sooooo boring in Thailand. In Pattaya there's several bars with live bands and they all play the same 15 songs over and over and over. If you sit in the bar for more than 30 min. you'll get the de javu feeling. Lan Morrison is actually a great guitarplayer in Pattaya but he's become way to boring too. Doing the same thing night after night. Now he hardly bothers playing the songs at all. Every night he "pretend" to have a problem with his sound so he's tweaking the knobs on he's amplifier all night while playing. Yes it looks cool when you are able to play and do some adjustment at the same time but try seeing him two times and you'll see that he does that shit night after night.

 

Most times when I hear great musicians in Thailand they turn out to be from the Phillipines. Why? Don't know. I'm starting to think that Thai's generally just are good at working in bars After all someones got to do that too don't they..

 

Rock on!

 

[Dexi]

Some very nice guitar solos on some of the old Loso albums :thumbup:

[ALHOLK]

Those who have spent time in Pattaya might have heard Noi at Natlie Beer Bar. He played mostly rock. When I heard him the first time about 20 years ago he was outstanding in Pattaya. Most other guitarists made me physically ill listening to them. Today the overall quality has improved quite a lot.

Unfortunately Noi died earlier this year.

 

ALHOLK

[Spiff]

All of a sudden I remember that I did meet one great guitarplayer/singer but that was up in Chiang Mai. My memory is so bad that I can't remember his name or the place. All I remember is that it was in a sort of resturant where a rock band played heavy music inside and outside there was first two guys playing and singing then this man came alone and played his acoustic guitar and he played much better alone then the two guys where able to. He really knew what he was doing and if you didn't see him perform you would think it was two guitars.I was sure that he was from the Philipines too but he told me later he was Thai. Not much help since I don't remember his name but if anyone know of a good place to go for live music then please let me know. I'll be back in LOS next month. I'm into all sorts of guitar-playing from classical guitar to heavy bad ass shredding!

 

[trooper]

Most times when I hear great musicians in Thailand they turn out to be from the Phillipines. Why? Don't know. I'm starting to think that Thai's generally just are good at working in bars

 

My thoughts excactly. Usually when I've heard a good band playing in Thailand it has turned out they're from the Philippines. Pattaya is the worst, all those bands in the open air bars they just suck big time.

 

And what comes to Lam Morrison, I haven't seen him live but watched some Youtube clips and to me he seems just average.

 

Actually now that I remember there was one band playing in Walking street in the open air bar that had a gogo upstairs, now closed, which had amazingly talented two guitar players.

 

[ALHOLK]

And what comes to Lam Morrison, I haven't seen him live but watched some Youtube clips and to me he seems just average.

 

He plays every now and then in the Blues Factory on soi Lucky Star. If you happen to be in Pattaya when he plays there go and check him out. He's well worth it even if he isn't the best guitarist in the world.