Different Drummers: Bangkok Beat Redux, #2

PRAISE FOR DIFFERENT DRUMMERS AUTHORS,

KEVIN CUMMINGS AND JOHN GARTLAND

Cummings writes in a warm and humble voice devoid of literary pretensions or highfalutin prose, reminding readers of one of Bangkok’s chief virtues: it’s teeming with all sorts of eccentric expat characters endowed with hugely entertaining backstories.

Jim Algie – author of The Phantom Lover and Other Thrilling Tales of Thailand

"Different Drummers is another fascinating ensemble of interviews, literature reviews, stories and poetry about Thailand and the region."

Melissa Ray – four time Muay Thai Champion in Thailand

John Gartland’s poetry brutally and beautifully exposes hypocrisy and despair, in a world of manipulated madness. Gartland is a master poet in the tradition of Seamus Heaney.

Christopher Minko – Front man for Cambodian band, Krom

No other expat author of Thailand writes with such lyrical artistry.

The Nation of John Gartland

Different Drummers

Copyright 2019 by Kevin Cummings and John Gartland

Second Edition

Contributing Author

T. HUNT LOCKE

With Introduction by:

PAUL DORSEY

First published in USA by Frog in the Mirror Press

www.peoplethingsliterature.com

[email protected]

Consulting Editor John Gartland

Cover Design and Illustrations by Colin Cotterill

Book Design by Maureen Cutajar

Print ISBN-13 978-0-692-19767-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner including internet usage, without written permission of the authors.

This book is dedicated to the memory of four important Different Drummers in my family:

Papa John Cunningham

and his three children,

Alistair, Archie, and Marion

And to the most important beat of all,

Ratree

The road to Hell is paved with works-in-progress.

― Philip Roth

Mmmm, Juicy Fruit.

― Ken Kesey

IN MEMORY

OF

Mark Fenn

AUGUST 14TH 1977 – JANUARY 16TH 2016

Mark Fenn was, among many other more important things, the Editor in Chief for my first book, Bangkok Beat. Mark died suddenly in the early morning hours at his home in Chiang Mai in 2016, and it is a loss that continues to shock.

Mark and I spoke a lot on the phone, and, with his British accent, he always sounded so polite. He would handle comments like that with a balance of professionalism, candor, humor, and, of course, politeness.

I sought Mark out for the job because I knew he had recently parted ways as Editor at Chiang Mai City News. I also knew there would be a lot of work involved, turning dozens of blog posts and a handful of new stories into a readable book. There was, and he never complained. He did the hard work, and turned the 75,000 words mess I gave him into a book I am proud of, and a book, as he told me many times, he enjoyed reading. Authors can go through periods of doubt and I was no different. Beyond our many phone calls there were hundreds of text messages regarding the editing of Bangkok Beat. Mark made it clear that he enjoyed the stories in Bangkok Beat. It’s the kind of book I like to read, he said. Then he would reassure me by adding, characteristically, I’m not blowing smoke up your ass.

I finally met Mark face to face at the book launch for Bangkok Beat on July 26th, 2015. Mark and his wife, Ning, were so helpful and pleasant throughout the event. They had taken the overnight bus from Chiang Mai to be there, and Mark was pleased to have booked a good hotel room along the Chao Praya River. Mark was a history buff, so it was no surprise he chose the River of Kings over a closer Sukhumvit Road location to spend time with Ning. He warned me that he had grown a mustache and that reactions were mixed. There was no need to worry. I liked Mark Fenn, and I am still saddened at his early passing.

I used to joke with Mark that I didn’t know how bad a writer I was until I got around good editors. I received editorial advice from many, but Mark did the heavy lifting.

One can learn a lot from writing a book. And the lessons are not all about writing. They are about the journey and the people you meet along the way. I am fortunate to have met and got to know Mark, briefly, during mine.

With, or without that moustache, Mark Fenn was a good and loyal man. I miss him.

INTRODUCTION

By Paul Dorsey

For my own safety I’d long ago been evacuated from the feverish nocturnal emissions of downtown Bangkok, leaving the scene entombed, I’m sure, in concrete despair at my departure. It had something to do with the asbestos lining in the walls of the bars, my then-wife told me. That seemed doubtful, because those bars BURNED. But she was usually wiser than me (and hence has since left).

In my cozy cocoon in the safer, greener suburbs, I was free to mull the memories while shielded from the frights. And then one day a grey slab landed on my desk bearing an intricate hieroglyphic etching by Colin Cotterill. It was the original Bangkok Beat, forerunner of this book, and its author was soon sending me e-tom-toms summoning me to a gathering of the tribe far up the Sukhumvit River, deep in the heart of that very darkness I’d fled, at a landing called Check Inn 99.

I readily accepted because Bangkok Beat had been fun to read, a re-acquaintance with writers whose work I knew and an introduction to many I’d never heard of, plus the story of this ancient watering hole where Bob Hope had filmed Road to Danang, co-starring Madame Noi, who still worked there (Check Inn, not Danang). And anyway, these were literary types and surely they wouldn’t be hitting me up for phaeng maak lady drinks. Not immediately, anyway.

Kevin, of course, hadn’t written about go-go bars, even if the noir authors and poets he profiled made them a trade staple, or at least they’d used all that red-light Bangkok sordidness as a backdrop for their gumshoe whodunnits and spook escapades. Kevin wrote about the joy of reading and of discovering new writers, about what made the local literary talents tick, and how they compared with the world’s greats.

So, yeah, I had to meet the guy.

Offsetting my intense disappointment at not being introduced to Mama Noi on that first visit to Check Inn or a subsequent one, which were the only two times I got to see the apparently unsinkable cabaret at the actual location of its birth, were three things:

• Proprietor Chris Catto-Smith proved to be an immensely entertaining raconteur in his own right (and popped for my steak dinner);

• Kevin Cummings proved to be as interesting as any hanger-on could hope for, a Californian former skateboarder and hoop-slamming hero so well connected in the creative community in Thailand and Cambodia that I still haven’t fully fathomed his Facebook feed.

• These guys, for all their early, hangover-free rising the next day and their dedication to the keyboard, proved to like drinking as much as I did.

Bangkok Beat did such a neat job of name-dropping that I was inspired to get on with an old ambition to make a list of all the expatriate writers who’d ever produced books about or set in Thailand. Done. It now has its own Facebook group.

In the past three years, I’ve had the pleasure to read and review fiction and non-fiction books by John Gartland, Collin Piprell, Jim Algie, Christopher G Moore, John Burdett, Matt Carrell and James Newman, all frequently mentioned names in the Bangkok Beat circle.

I’ve become acquainted with dozens more people in the circle and on the fringes, some not even writers, although I keep telling John Fengler, the most interesting of these folks, that he ought to be a writer. Through Kevin Cummings I also met Chris Coles, Eric Nelson, Gary Rutland, Christopher Minko, Mark Bolam, Alasdair McLeod, Ian Donnelly, Bruce Scott, Dean Barrett, a musical frog named Gop and some joker named Doug Stanhope. Countless more of his friends have become mine online.

Now I’m doing the name-dropping. It’s good to get out of the cocoon once in a while.

In my newspaper review of Bangkok Beat, I tagged Kevin as the chronicler of the noir night, the local literary movement’s historian, probing their dark tales with a flashlight, interviewing them for his Thailand Footprint blog and then deciding to emulate them and put out a book of his own. It got solid reviews from me and many others. At last, three years on, we have the follow-up. Based on the evidence I have seen, I’m betting it will have been well worth the wait.

– Paul Dorsey,

October 2018 Journalist and Book Reviewer for The Nation Newspaper

Contents

1: The Entertainment Zones

2: The Drum Beats of Technology

3: The Closing of the Original Checkinn99

4: The Rebirth of Checkinn99

5: Interview with Singer Kevin Wood

6: New Year’s Day: 1960 A Legend Arrives

7: Interview with Author J.D. Villines

8: Hunters in the Dark and Beautiful Animals

9: Interview with Lawrence Osborne

10: The poet knows we are all dying men.

11: Book Review of Vincent Calvino’s World

12: An Interview with Chad Evans

13: An Interview with Hugh Gallagher

14: Long Live King Klashorst

15: British Author John Burdett Discusses Brexit

16: An Interview with Colin Cotterill

17: An Interview with Christopher G. Moore

18: Interview with Queen Bee Owner John Branton

19: A Profile of Bangkok Writer Joe Cummings

20: Interview with David Armstrong

21: Interview with Tim Hallinan

22: Interview with Collin Piprell

23: A Review of Spirit Worlds by Philip Coggan

24: Interview of Jim Algie by T Hunt Locke

25: The New Top Dog of Checkinn99 – Keith Nolan

26: Interview with Author Steven Palmer

27: Interview with Frank Hurst

28: Stanhope Does Bangkok

29: Interview with Kevin Cummings

30: Read Any Good Bad Books Lately?

31: A Short Story for Papa

32: Witness Statements

CHAPTER 1

The Entertainment Zones

Five bits of cultural advice for Patpong, Nana Plaza & Soi Cowboy.

Lest anyone think I am ignoring the three well-known entertainment areas in Bangkok, in this personal journey, well, I am ... kinda.

There are, after all, tons of books out there that deal with them, and not enough that deal with all the other interesting happenings that go on in Bangkok and beyond. My focus is on the latter, since this book has a broader interest to pursue.

But truth be told, these three areas can never be ignored, entirely. Density and velocity, is how artist Chris Coles described the attraction of the Bangkok night. The reality is, of the 21 million + + visitors Bangkok gets ever year – a number growing by leaps and bounds – more go to these three zones than all the temples combined, despite what you may read from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Bangkok, has now been recognized as the top travel destination in the world by Lonely Planet Travel Guides and Mastercard International.

So herewith, I present all the cultural advice you will ever need to know about Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy and Patpong:

1. Never, ever go to an upstairs bar in Patpong even if you are, hypothetically, with a good mate that is Thai from your hometown in the USA.

2. If you do go to an upstairs bar in Patpong you will be ripped off, even if you are, hypothetically, with a good Thai mate that had lived in Bangkok for over twenty years.

3. By all means check out the culture of Nana Plaza. Everyone has. Mick Jagger has. Anthony Bourdain has. Husbands and wives have. Christian fundamentalists have. Groups of white women have. Groups of Arab men have tried. Go. Check it out. Be appalled. Be titillated. Don’t be a jerk but be something and go.

4. Soi Cowboy: Walk up and down the small street. Be surprised how small the street is. Be amazed at what goes on in such a small street. Eat outside. Look at the people. Some will look back. It’s not always easy to differentiate the animals from the spectators at this holy city zoo. Eat the street food. Eat an insect, just so you can say you did. The pyropes pesticide levels in one or two grasshoppers won’t kill you. After that you are on your own.

5. Don’t drink too much alcohol. It’s poison to the body just like the pesticide in the insects. The body’s response to them both is the same – let’s get rid of this stuff before it does any more damage. Best to practice moderation in eating insects, and moderation in drinking alcohol. Take the middle path or the deep fried larvae. Up to you as the saying goes.

So there you have it. After you’ve been to all three entertainment areas, or as Meatloaf says, Two out of three ain’t bad, eaten your insects and been in the same places as Mick Jagger and company, congratulate yourself. You’re in Bangkok, Thailand. And there are at least one-thousand other things you can see, eat, listen to, and do next. Better get started right after you read some of this book. Life is short. Bon Appetit!

CHAPTER 2

The Drum Beats of Technology

We judge time by technology. We judge information by the date of the technology. Time is an exact messenger. I’ve decided to be a typewriter fundamentalist. I don’t change with the times. You don’t hear much about us, but of course you wouldn’t. We’re not online or in a chat room. But we know we are out there.

You won’t last. You’ll be back on the computer before the day is over.

Crackdown, Chapter 25 by Christopher G. Moore

Recently I read two newspaper articles regarding technology that gave me pause. Of course they weren’t actually read on paper; they were read online. I don’t buy or read many actual newspapers nowadays. A sign of the technological times.

The articles are:

Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens written in the New York Times on March 6th, 2017 and Subtle and Insidious – Technology is Designed to Addict Us written in the Washington Post on March 2nd, 2017.

I recommend both.

The concluding lines in the New York Times article made me seek out the Crackdown passage above. It’s where Vinny ditches his smart phone and goes for Sam Spade office décor.

All good literature stays with us in one way or another and it can be triggered months or years later. It’s what separates the good novel from the forgettable ones. The New York Times suggests that, There should be times of the day where it looks like the 1950s or where you are sitting in a room and you can’t tell what era you are in.

The article also reminds us that finding time to be in natural environments is a good priority to have. For those of us lucky enough to be living in Thailand those times and places present themselves in various spots. One need only seek them out.

The New York Times and The Washington Post offer some good advice. As does Vincent Calvino. I hope you find a nice natural environment where you can enjoy Different Drummers – Bangkok Beat Redux.

CHAPTER 3

The Closing of the Original Checkinn99

It was a family affair. That is what has made the news so hard to accept for many, that Checkinn99 the basement cabaret bar located between Sukhumvit Soi 5 and 7 since 1957, has been forced to close its doors on the hidden gem of a location today: July 1, 2016. Chris Catto-Smith and his wife Mook took over the establishment on April 1, 2011 when it still employed over thirty hostesses, and cigar and cigarette smoke wafted up to the black and moldy ceiling.

Many were hoping the news of their lease not being renewed was a joke, only to learn that it’s part of a serious trend in Bangkok. Chris and Mook spent over 1,000,000 baht on renovations, and business has been booming, thanks both to their legion of faithful patrons located in Bangkok, and their visitors passing through from all over the world. Some well-publicized awards from Trip Advisor and tourists, generally relying more and more on social media than on travel guides, has seen the Bangkok club enjoy a resurgence in popularity of late, bringing it through good times and bad.

The club has a colorful history predating the height of the Vietnam War when it was known as The Copa. USO show entertainers such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and Raquel Welch made appearances at this getaway place of relaxation. Later on, David Bowie would stop by and make friends. More recently, Sammy Hagar has been known to show up straight from the airport to take in the campy ambience positive vibes.

As Chris Catto Smith says, If I was trying to describe Checkinn99 on a business plan, no one would accept it, but somehow it all comes together.

After a long history of being a private club for Danish members — complete with a dwarf doorman checking credentials in front of the entrance — Chris’s tenure revamped the club with live entertainment 7 nights a week.

Gone were the hostesses, but in their place were customers bringing their spouses, girlfriends and mates for a good time, before or after venturing into Bangkok’s many other entertainment venues on lower Sukhumvit. The club became female-friendly in a different Bangkok way.

Checkinn99 has hosted two productions of The Vagina Monologues since Chris and Mook took over, and has held many other special engagement cultural performances, including The Rocky Horror Show, a Blues Brothers night and Moulin Rouge. The club became known as an arts-friendly place for creative types to hang out — or better yet, to find a gig or discuss a new book idea.

In another against-the-grain Bangkok move, Chris introduced the Sunday drop-in jazz sessions, led by William Wait on saxophone and Keith Nolan on keyboard.

It started slowly from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm every Sunday and quickly cemented itself as a meeting place for many longtime expats. If you had a new friend in town, an introduction at Checkinn99 was often high on the list of things to do. Some Sundays it was even necessary to get there early to get a good seat.

2016 will also be remembered as the year everyone’s favorite Mamasan passed away: Mama Noi, a Checkinn99 original who worked at the club for over 50 years.

And now, not only has the once-recognizable sign been torn down, but all of that history as well.

The move from the old location on the once seamy and now sanitized sidewalks of Sukhumvit has surprised many Bangkok residents.

Here are how some of the city’s expat community feel about Checkinn99’s fortunes:

"The place is no palace, but what’s wrong with that? A little run-down, too funky in some ways. The air conditioning isn’t top of the line, but it’s real, and there’s a real community around it. The place is happening, that’s all I can say.

One thing that especially bothers me about this 60-year-old tradition disappearing is that it marks a trend I don’t like: the Singaporization of Bangkok. Development these days is mostly ugly, tasteless, and completely ignores old neighborhoods. There’s no zoning and virtually no planning, a huge amount of developer greed, and . . . well . . . there goes the neighborhood!" – Peter Montalbano, longtime expat and world-class trumpet player

Another longtime expat who could often be found having a drink in the infamous tunnel leading to the entrance of Checkinn99, is Bizarre Thailand author, Jim Algie. He’s also currently working with Chris Catto-Smith and British film maker Kaprice Kea on a documentary about the paranormal activity that’s been spotted at the ghost-filled club.

The ex-bass player puts it this way, "The demise of the CheckInn99 is symptomatic of what’s been happening all over Bangkok recently. We’ve lost the food street on Sukhumvit Soi 38, large chunks of the Pak Khlong Flower Market, the Rex Hotel, and in the next eight months or so, Cheap Charlie’s will be torn down too.

Little by little the city’s real character is being eroded in favor of this generic façade of malls, condos, and international chain stores and fast food franchises, which looks like any place and feels like nowhere."

Chris Catto-Smith is an optimist. He believes when one door closes another opens.

As with any good epic story, there is no ending here. Chris and Mook are in negotiations for a new location in Bangkok where family, friends and patrons will continue to feel welcome and make some history of their own.

The new location may not be as funky but it will surely still be a happening place and you can be sure, unlike many other places nowadays, you will feel like you are somewhere.

As Chris says, "Those customers are our family. When you have a family, you have a family atmosphere, it’s something that, you want to continue. You want to have that legacy long after, individually, you are not here.

And I am sure that what we have created here is going to last, and it’s going to last in people’s memories, and hopefully in people’s lives."

Chris Catto-Smith after a hard day’s night under the portrait of Mama Noi

CHAPTER 4

The Rebirth of Checkinn99

It’s back. From the moment you turn down Sukhumvit Soi 33 for a short 50-meter jaunt, to when you make a left-turn through the arched entryway at the familiar