I will not lie. I was nervous. There were dodgy looking men hanging around outside in groups when we arrived at Flamingo Bar. Music was blaring from inside. The concert had already started. There’s a long queue at the door. I looked around for a familiar face.Any familiar face. No chance. We were probably the only expats there. My antenna shot up –where’s the emergency exit? What if someone gropes me? What if someone starts a fight?
A stamp and fluorescent tags slapped on our wrists and we were in. It’s dark. Black walls with only the stage area brightly lit. Perfect setting for a rock concert, I thought. The place was already full. No U Turn had just finished their last song and General Tiger Gun was setting up. I naturally gravitated towards the end of the bar that’s closest to the door. If anything should happen, I reckon four giant steps and I’m out of there.
These young men were good. With spiked leather jackets, sunglasses and super tight jeans, they growled Indie Rock songs about drugs and war. More expats came in. Good, I thought, I can relax now. The crowd kept moving in and out the door but the floor was never empty. By the time the fifth band N-Zai started, I was attempting my third drink. I lost the first two. They slowly slid off the bar from the vibrations of the music. Twice. So technically, it’s my first drink but who cares. The music was excellent, the crowd was responsive, I saw more familiar faces. I was having a good time.
I didn’t realize more than two hours had passed. By this stage I was further up with the crowd. The band Trigger had brought the crowd to such a high, boyswere jumping around. When the last band P.B.D Hood came on with their hip hop songs, the energy was off the charts. In between rapping, swigging whisky straight out of the bottle and working the crowd, the three singers were unstoppable. Seven songs later and they were gone. Dang.
When we left, there were more people outside but this time I wasn’t as nervous. I had just experienced my first JamIt concert and my first live concert in Myanmar. I understood none of the songs but the musicians were no doubt talented. So I will not lie. I did have a fantastic time.
