UNBREAKABLE Adrenaline Index - Asia

	ASIA BHUTAN CAMBODIA CHINA INDIA INDONESIA JAPAN NEPAL THAILAND

BHUTAN	Back to site
Thimpu/November 2008/Adrenaline: Most people would probably agree that you don’t find yourself in Bhutan because you’re looking for cool clubs. If you still have some energy left after days of high altitude trekking there’s a few choices. OM bar is a good bar to start your evening, about 21 at night. Later on dance-parties (signposted on walls) or the forever (i.e. since 1999) running ClubX takes over, playing semi-new Gangster Hip-Hop. Here’s where you at weekends will meet a lot of young Bhutan. The closest you will feel like South Central L.A. however is the thrill of having packs of wild dogs chasing you back to your hotel at night. Ask any Bhutanese how to get to Club X. Webpage for OM bar is: www.changkhang.com (Posted by Magnus)
CAMBODIA	Back to top
Sieam Reap/November 2008/Adrenaline: A bar with the witty name Angkor What? Plays an interesting mix of old vintage punk songs, if they still have their old DJ, otherwise head for the outdoor serving. (Posted by Kelly) Phnom Penh/November 2008/adrenaline: Long time running rock bar Heart of Darkness still does the trick, even though it’s sometimes quite overcrowded. Don’t expect any locals, rather all the backpacker types straight from ‘The Beach’. (Posted by Kelly)
CHINA	Back to top
*Beijing update November 2008:* The most recent clubs to catch your favourite punk bands or underground hip hop acts are D-22, MAO and Yugong Yiishan, replacing former favourites like Nameless Highland and Lucky Club. Check their schedule: yugongyishan.ning.com, www.d22beijing.cn or try calling Mao Livehouse Tel: 010-6402 5080 (address : 111 Gulou Dongdajie Dongcheng District Beijing) Beijing/June 2007/Adrenaline: If you want to meet some of China’s freethinkers : punks, students, indie-fans and stoners, a good place to check out – despite it’s name - is The New Get Lucky Club. Call to find out what live acts are on, maybe Beijings original punksters Brainfailure will tear down the place (back from touring with Dropkick Murphys). (TEL (8610) 8448 3335, Ladies' Street, Xingbalu. Have someone call and take down directions in chineses for the cab driver!) Beijing/June 2007/Adrenaline: If you feel really hardcore and don’t mind mosh pits, beer spilled on you and toilets from hell, a good choice – and always good music – is The Nameless Highland Bar. (14 Anhuili District 1 Yayuncun Chaoyang District, +86 10 6489-1613) Beijing/November 2008/Gluttony: The Donghuamen Night Market is indeed a bit touristy, but still worth a visit. Where else can you indulge in stuff like skewered Starfish, Beetles, Worms, Scorpions, Centipodes or Cow intestine soup ? Bring your own beer though, and be on time: the ‘night’ market closes at 10 P.M. sharp. (Donghuamen Yeshi). Beijing/November 2008/Gluttony: A good bar area to go look for new friends in, is the small side street Sanlitun Nan Lu, crammed with bars and a mix of chinese students, expats and tourists. It’s not easy to find, but you can always try your patience by going there in a Taxi – most Taxidrivers will claim there is a few hundred streets with the same name and keep driving in circles. If all else fails, get off at the intersection of Gonrentiyuchang Beilu/Sanlitun Lu (Not to be confused with Sanlitun Nan Lu !) and walk from there – asking any young person for directions. Beijing/November 2008/Adrenaline: If you wake up and feel an urgent need to walk the Great Wall totally nude, make sure you pick the most remote and desolate part between Jinshanling and Simatai. At times you and your boyfriend/girlfriend will find yourself completely alone at this rugged and sometimes very steep part of the great wall. You’ll get unique photo opportunities – but remember that even though the Chinese Guards are few and far between, they do carry heavy duty binoculars – so plan your strip accordingly. (Posted by Morgan S, London)
INDIA	Back to top
Pushkar/June 2009/Adrenaline or Chill-out: Pushkar is maybe not a place that people go to for adrenaline kicks, but if you really insist maybe a visit to the Dali paintings Shop on the main bazaar street could help you score some beer (normally banned) with the help of a bicycle runner. Then, if you’re really twisted you could combine this with a Bhang Lassi (a cannabis laced youghurt drink – notoriously unreliable!) at Paradise rooftop restaurant, under the counter. Otherwise just chill out at the Pushkar lake and watch (become?) the pilgrims. (Pushkar main bazaar) Jaisalmer/November 2008/Adrenaline: If you find yourself in this border town close to Pakistan, you may wonder how to find a beer to balance the sand and the heat. Well, this is Moslem territory, so when you enter the lovely balcony of the Australian run 8th of July restaurant, ask either for an impossible to identify Gin Tonic or have them serve your cold beer in a teapot. When on a cameltrek, make sure to bring a cooler and ice, beer has never tasted better than under the billion stars in the desert.
INDONESIA	Back to top
Bali Kuta Beach/November 2008/Adrenaline: In spite of the utterly uninspiring name, Twice Bar is the breeding ground for up and coming new indie and punk-bands. Twice bar is part of something called Maximum Rock’n’roll monarchy (no connection to the classic San Francisco fanzine however), which includes streetwear shops and other rock affiliated businesses. The club is run by drummer Jerinx from Indonesian punk legends Superman Is Dead. A good place to hang out to get that beach punk vibe including songs from Social Distortion and Ramones and other bands you are unlikely to do without. (Posted by Sonam) Jakarta Jakarta/November 2008/Adrenaline: A good place to start looking for cool gigs, metal-punk-hip hop, with both semi-big foreign bands (Comeback Kid etc.) and hyped local acts (including cool rudeboys The Gross or long time punk legends AntiSeptic) is The Stardust Café. Another place with the misleading concept “café” added to their name, is Café Parkit Dejavu. They offer coffe – if you insist – otherwise you’ll blend in better if you’re into beer and indie or hardcore rock. Address : Cafe Parkit Dejavu Jl. Wahid Hasyim no.88 and Stardust cafe, Sarinah building 14th floor-Jakarta
JAPAN	Back to top
Tokyo/November 2008/Adrenaline: Classic punk club Anti-knock is still going strong and if you’re lucky you may be able to catch culinary delights like The Hacked Rabbit House or 5678’s (famous girl outfit from Kill Bill 2/Tarantino) or even Jet Boys – possibly playing nude like in the video documentary “Rock’n’Tokyo”. It’s in Shinjuku area, south east subway exit. Shinjuku 4, chome 3 block, building 15 or check their webpage www.antiknock.net Tokyo/November 2008/Adrenaline: Hatsudai Wall is another good Punk/Rock club in the Shinjuku area, easiest is probably to have a Japanese friend explain directions or call the club and hand over the phone to the taxidriver or hotel-guy. (Nishi Shinjuku 3 – chome 15-8. 3-15-8 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku.) Tokyo/November 2008/Adrenaline: Close to Shinokubo subway/neighborhood you have a few goodies : first of all another, possibly the best, Tokyo Punk/Rock club Earthdom. If you’re not feeling like up-tempo slamdancing, try metal venue Urga in the same area. Street skaters will enjoy thrashing the half-pipe ramp at Ookubo Ghetto, a kind of underground shopping mall including skateshops, punkmusic, tattoo parlors and art galleries. All are pretty close to Shoukan-dori, ask from there. Kyoto/November 2008/Adrenaline: A good first taste of Kyotos eclectic mix of live music/DJs is Whoopees Live House. The name leaves a lot to be desired, but it’s not the pancake house it sounds like, rather they have good hip hop acts alternating with hardcore punk. Check their schedule www.whoopees.net
NEPAL	Back to top
Kathmandu/November 2008/Adrenaline: If you feel you wanna hang out at the same place as Beastie Boys’ Adam, when resting from his Buddhist sessions, The Bamboo Club in Thamel is a good choice – especially when Rai Ko Ris – Nepal’s only punk outfit - is playing.
THAILAND	Back to top
Bangkok/November 2008/Adrenaline: If you think the name, Bed Supperclub, is strange, wait ‘til you see the Club itself, floating in the air above Soi 11, like an inflated Hoover vacuum cleaner.. Occasionally good Hip-Hop, otherwise just sit back and watch the beautiful people. (Sukumvith/Soi 11). (Posted by Somsak) Koh Chang/November 2008/Adrenaline: On the way to Lonely Beach you’ll find outdoor dancing club Backsound. This rave/HipHop joint is pretty good at peak season when it gets really crowded with party revellers. (posted by Somsak)