Ad Here the 13th with the Dude

Tonight I went to Ad Here the 13th Blues club on Samsen Soi 2 in Banglampoo with my friend, the Dude. 

Getting there was a nightmare.  We hadn’t really thought about it, but the blues club is very close to Lang Suan and the Grand Palace area.  With the King’s birthday on Wednesday the whole area was decorated with beautiful yellow lights, and there were thousands of people on the streets.  The traffic getting there was unbelievable; it took us about 2 hours from Silom Road.

Ad Here is a tiny venue, with 5 tables and some seats at the bar.  It is packed every night, which means that it’s jammed packed with about 30 people.  Most of the men have some sort of chin-hair, and often very long hair or even dreadlocks.  It seems that about 1/3 of the crowd is always tourists.  The Dude and I looked conservative and out-of-place, and we were there with another 6 aquaintances, so we made up nearly 25% of the audience.

The band was the same one I’d seen at Tokyo Joes last month, and they were as good as before.  The band name escapes me… somebody and the dogs… something like that.  I’m sorry I can’t remember because these guys are very good.

This is not the normal house band.  I’ve heard the house band on three previous visits, and they are worth hearing.  To read a review of the house band from the Bangkok Gig Guide Click Here.

Bottles of beer were about 110 baht.  The venue isn’t much bigger than a walk-in closet, so be prepared to spend the night perched on a small, uncomfortable stool, in a smokey crowded venue, listening to excellent music.

We left shortly after midnight, at the end of the band’s second (and I think, final) set. 

Getting a taxi back to Sukhumvit was an adventure.  I’ve been to Ad Here before, and this is one of the drawbacks; because of it’s location getting a taxi home is tough.  (In Bangkok taxi drivers are not compelled to accept fares).  Both the Dude and I are capable of getting a taxi driver to do our bidding, but it took us 20 minutes of hard work to get one to agree to take us home.

I have to say, I like Ad Here.  It’s got good music and ‘atmosphere’.  But when you add in the discomfort factor, and the hassle of travelling out and back, it’s much easier — if you live in Sukhumvit or Silom — to get the same music in a more comfortable setting at Tokyo Joes.

So, if you’re staying in Banglampoo (near Khao Sarn Road & the Grand Palace area) Ad Here is a good night out.  If you live near the BTS (Silom or Sukhumvit) then I’d recommend staying closer to home at Tokyo Joes.