rock on!

‘Saxman’ Tran Manh
Tuan plays his heart outExplore Ho Chi Minh City’s growing live music scene

WORDS GEMMA PRICE
PHOTOGRAPHY PETER STUCKINGS

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) rocks! Tucked away among the shops and sights is an underground network of live music, and to catch international artists playing the best in rock, jazz, R & B, hip-hop and soul nightly, you just have to plug into the local scene. “A live band gives a different atmosphere,” says Florent Moncan, marketing manager at chic champagne bar Manna (26 Ho Huan Nghiep St, tel: +84 (8) 823 3978). “There’s something to look at, some interaction between people and the performers, an energy you just don’t get with a DJ or playlist – it creates a great ambience.”

Inside Manna One of Saigon’s more recent additions to the live scene, Manna is arguably also one of the most successful. The décor is sophisticated and elegant, with plush, comfortable seating, attentive service and – of course – plenty of room to dance. Hosting a different act every night, the atmosphere varies from chilled and ambient to frenetic, and it’s always packed. Tonight the Curtis King Band is rocking the crowd: billed as a “good time rock’n’roll party”, they’re one of the more popular acts on the South-East Asian circuit, and over the last decade have shared the spotlight with numerous local legends and rock gods Deep Purple. “They usually bring a guest, too,” says Florent. “I really like it – someone will come, have a few drinks and then get up on stage. It’s always different.”

Over the hour it takes us to work through a bottle of wine, the crowd of expats and locals passes far beyond their initial discreet toe-tapping. Everyone who knows the words is singing along, loudly and often badly; serenading complete strangers with poorly synched yet heartfelt lyrics. Bob Marley, Peaches, the Black Eyed Peas – even Bohemian Rhapsody makes it onto the playlist.

Worshipping the Beatles
at Yoko Manna is unusual in Saigon in that you’ll find different musicians and a different style of music every night, though if you find a favourite band it’s easy to follow them, groupie-like, across the city. Locally idolised foursome Akalika play an occasional set there, but Saigon’s seasoned gig-goers know that their true home is a small, arty bar in District 3. Yoko (22A Nguyen Thi Dieu St, tel: +84 (8) 933 0577) was formerly frequented only by locals, but is now gaining a loyal expat following. It’s dedicated to a fairly well known band from Liverpool, England. “The songs I love to play are Hey Jude, A Hard Day’s Night, Paperback Writer,” says Minh Phuong, on guitar and piano. “Beatles songs always get the biggest reaction from the crowd.”

Walking through Yoko’s door for the first time can be a bit disconcerting – unsuspecting punters find themselves emerging right next to the band, suddenly the focus of the arty, predominantly Vietnamese crowd. The trick is to play it cool and either hunker down into the low cream leather seating up front or saunter across to the dark sanctuary of the bar. Lennon’s lyrics adorn the glass doorway in chunky black letters, album cover stills pepper the walls and a huge monochrome portrait of the man himself provides the band backdrop.

Belting out Latino classics
at Carmen Phuong is joined by his Akalika bandmates at the weekend. “We feel connected to Yoko,” he says. “We always play here – we only play other venues if we are specially invited. Four years ago there was no one, but more and more people come here every week, and I hope it will continue to grow in the future.” One of Akalika’s many fans is unassuming singer Nguyen Thi To Phuong, of the Rice Growers, a well-known band mixing Vietnamese and expats. Tonight she takes the Yoko stage alone, in response to unabating shouts of “One more!” Shuffling to the mic, she introduces the number in a barely audible whisper, before her bizarrely powerful voice razes the furthest corners of the balcony. The retro 70s print smock-dress, jumbled assortment of beads and bangles and dreadlocked hair would not be out of place on the streets of Camden. It seems an alternative scene – until now non-existent – is on the rise in HCMC.

“There are more and more bands, a lot of talented musicians,” she tells me. “The problem is finding places to play. Live-music venues are really important here.” With the Rice Growers, the pint-sized performer has taken the stage at all of the city’s premier postcodes, and she pauses thoughtfully as she considers her favourites. “Yoko is great – Monday to Thursday it’s acoustic, Friday it’s rock and roll, and Saturday and Sunday are alternative and gothic. Here the crowd is young, but even in Vasco where the crowd is older, they love happy music and they love to dance.”

‘Saxman’ Tran Manh Tuan
at Sax N’ Art Vasco’s Bar (16 Cao Ba Quat St, tel: +84 (8) 824 3148) has always been a favourite haunt of the expat community, and usually over the weekend will host some form of live band – the only problem in a city where flyers and posters are discouraged is finding out what and when! Word of mouth is key and some promoters have an email or text database, but for the uninitiated it’s best to try to pick up a copy of a local magazine or ask a concierge – both of which can usually be found in hotel lobbies.

It’s easy, though, to hunt down the larger-than-life “Saxman” Tran Manh Tuan. A pioneer of contemporary music, and a saxophone fan from the age of eight, Tuan eats, sleeps and lives jazz – but with a modern edge. He’s literally played the world: his music assimilates African beats, Buddhist bells and Vietnamese flavours. “With jazz, there are no limits: you add a lot of your character into your songs, and I take great inspiration from the audience. Jazz is still not as strong as pop music, but I play jazz and people love it.”

Word of mouth works for
Vasco’s Tuan and his crowd, grooving away beneath the colourful halogen lighting of his club Sax N’ Art (28 Le Loi St, tel: +84 (8) 822 8472), are not alone in their passion for brass. At the other end of District 1, the weighty, throbbing wail of the sax carries across the 15th century-inspired interior of Carmen (8 Ly Tu Trong St, tel: +84 (8) 829 7699), where textured plaster, exposed brickwork and timber chest tables are not the only echoes of Spain. As black-andred-frilled waiters bustle around candlelit barrels, a five-piece band strums out Latin and flamenco classics. The exoticism is clearly appreciated by the overwhelmingly Vietnamese crowd, even if the barista’s Spanish is limited to muchas gracias and también. The ambience here is moody and romantic – it’s the perfect place for a date – and, unlike at other venues, people sit and listen in near-silent reverence. It might have something to do with the volume of the sound system, but it certainly adds to the atmosphere!

If thrashing around in grunge-fuelled ecstasy is more your thing, look out for the near-monthly outing of band Rock Fan Club. They never play in the same place twice, and the show is always unpredictable. Better practise your Van Halen, though – previous wannabe rockers have been dragged up on stage, handed a mic and cheered on to do a star turn. Be sure to pack your air guitar!

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Gemma Price says:

Researching this was great fun – it’s great to see so much talent and so much enthusiasm for live music. Vietnam’s local music scene is still in its infancy, but judging by the creativity and experimental style of the up-and-coming generation, there’ll be some names made on the international scene soon. The Vietnamese certainly aren’t mic-shy. The fact they can’t

speak English is no deterrent, and some of the local variations on Travis or U2 hits make for interesting listening. Even Bono could take some tips from the quirky improvisations of these young rockers!