Moments Like These
Music has a powerful effect on people, it has an ability to invoke memories of certain events, people, and feelings. Just a few notes from a song heard miles away from home can bring you right back to a place so familiar and comfortable, putting a smile on your face or a tear in your eye.
I arrived in Pai after a tediously long 4 hour journey on a bus that was probably manufactured during the war with the craftsmanship that only a paraplegic could be proud of. Tired and hungry I made my way to my guest house preciously holding my intended feast for that evening which consisted of one large chocolate brownie.
Strolling cautiously along the main street my mouth watering with the thought of demolishing the chocolate brownie, I passed one of the bars and heard a faint sound of an electric guitar playing. I turned back briefly as I thought I recognised the tune and wanted to confirm that it was in fact an extremely good version of Hotel California.
Before I knew it I was sitting on a tree trunk like stool, drinking a large cold Chang beer (6.8%!) with my brownie sitting next to it carefully wrapped up for consumption later, listening to two Thai guitarists churning out classic after classic such as ‘Me Weneration’ and ‘Wagic Wus’ by the Who, Jimmy Hendix ‘Woodoo Hile’, and ‘Eweyfing gonna fee all white’ by Bob Marley. Despite the questionable sounding lyrics they really put on a show, with one of the guys playing guitar behind his head and playing some outstanding solo’s.
Perched on my tree trunk stool I was lost in the music remembering Wednesday nights at the Cobbett, the great never ending competition to find the best ‘classics’ on the jubebox, and the hilarious put downs when something deemed by the majority not to fit into the criteria of a ‘classic’. Many of the songs played by the band were classed as ‘classics’ by the Wednesday night drunken Farnhamites.
Sitting next to me with a similar interest in the music was an Israeli guy (who I’ll call Jesus as I can’t for the life of me remember his name). Jesus actually looked like what I imagined ‘the son of God’ would look like. After conversations with him about music, Pai, religion(?), and with the pleasant feeling of 3 bottles of Changs (6.8%!) running through my veins I decided to hang out with him for the night and disposed of my beloved chocolate brownie in the nearest bin.
Jesus preached about a bar (The Bebop) down the road and said they played really good live music. He offered to give me a lift there on his scooter (I was a bit gutted his mode of transport wasn’t actually a donkey). We arrived and after a few more Changs (6.8%!), introducing Jesus and the barman to Strong Bow Sirrus and Ice (to which they both winced when they tried it), and losing at pool to a Japanese girl, the band started up.
When I was younger my bedroom was located above the sitting room, when I went to bed I was able to hear my Dad playing his music through the floor. This probably accounts for my extremely random music taste from 90’s music such as Radiohead, Weezer, and The Stone Roses all the way to country and old school rock such as Neil Young and Johnny Cash. I loved listening late at night to the different types of bands and singers, I’ll always remember the music my Dad played through that floor.
The first song the band played knocked me for six, it was Neil Young’s ‘Hey Hey, My My’. Far away from home and in my drunken stake I cheered and slapped Jesus on his holy back. It brought back all the memories of listening to my Dads music from my bed and when they next ploughed into ‘Rockin in the Free World’ I was beside myself with emotion. It was an amazing set, and an even better experience. We stayed sipping bottles of Chang (6.8%!) until closing.
Jesus dropped me back at my guest house on his divine scooter, I shook his holy hand and bid my farewell. I went to bed listening to Neil Young ‘Unplugged’ on my ipod thinking of my brownie in the bin and how that a few notes from an Eagles song had managed to turn what could have been a quiet night on my own into an one of the best nights so far in Thailand.
