Channel Steve

Note: This post was written on February 5, 2010.

I was looking for a couple more drinks last night after Karaoke and a very disappointing Hard Rock Cafe fly-by, missing the new band because we stayed at karaoke for way too long. I hadn’t seen the inside of Seventeen Saloon since my arrival so decided this would be the perfect time to do so.

Unfortunately I had just missed the band, AGAIN! However, they were playing some pretty awesome hard rock over the PA so I stayed. After a couple of drinks I promised the typically over-attentive waitress that I’d return to experience the Filipino band tomorrow.

Well, right now is tomorrow and I’m sitting through some sickly sweet hard rock ballads while I wait for the good stuff. The first set rocked, but this one is definitely for the women so far.
The band is a gutsy 7-piece. Guitar, bass, keys, drums. There are two female and one male vocalist, all with monstrously powerful voices

Filipino hard rock band at Seventeen Saloon

Right now they’re playing the first of my requests, The Scorpions’ Still Loving You, immediately followed by my second request, Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin‘. Both requests were challenges to the band after considering what I thought their voices were best suited to, and they didn’t let me down. I feel like Klaus Meine has just graced the stage with his royalness. The male singer in this band has a perfect chameleon voice, and to my surprise one of the women played Steve Perry perfectly. I’m a happy little vegemite at this moment. Would be nice to share it with someone, though.

Klaus Meine's doppelganger

The band is taking a break and I’m suddenly feeling warmer, there’s a yellow light getting brighter and I can smell camphor.

Ready for the bar staff juggling fire show

It’s the bar show – barmen juggling lit bottles of spirits while the bar itself is encircled by more burning bottles. It’s a combo pyro / circus act, and it’s fun. It also takes the crowd’s attention away from the very drunk Vietnamese girl who is all over every passer-by and her poor female friend. Unfortunately, staff can’t throw her out as she knows the owner VERY well, judging by the greeting she just gave him. The staff really, really want to throw her out as it’s taking three of them to surround her and make sure she doesn’t break something – including the local laws.

Ah. She’s been convinced that Apocalypse Now is a much better option, and rolls out in the general direction of the door.

Happy staff juggler

Well, so far so good. This is classic rock heaven. In fact, it could be my new Rock City Phuket. One set to go and I know I’ll be back, exhorbitant beer prices or not.

Postscript – they let themselves down by wasting the last 15 minutes with modern Vietnamese pop. Not exactly the best choice in a bar mostly frequented by foreigners and westernized locals. Fairly successfully removed my buzz though, making sure I prepare to leave for home at a relatively early hour.

Woops! I take that back. It’s Friday night and they had no plans to go home early. Back came Europe, Queen and … Metallica!!! And they absolutely smoked!
Looking forward to finding more requests for them.

Check out my video highlights on Youtube.

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