04/07/2016
Today I have made the decision to close Overground Bar+Cafe after over three years of operation. Our final closing parties will take place Friday and Saturday.
I originally opened Overground to facilitate what I saw as a much-needed intimate venue to support a live performance scene whether it be acoustic, electronic, spoken word, comedy or otherwise. Three years on I am proud that we have played a small but hopefully significant role in making this happen and that several venues around town have picked up on this, and are supporting a vibrant and healthy creative performance scene.
In some respects, this means our raison d'etre has ceased to be.
Along the way we also brought some fantastic international acts to Bangkok such as Afrika Islam, A Guy Called Gerald, Francois K, Basement Freaks, DJ Scratchy and more. We provided a base for the soon-to-be superstars Jenny and the Scallywags to hone their craft before launching themselves into the big time. The scene around Bangkok Lyrical Lunacy and friends has got to be the goddamn coolest and most interesting set in expatriate Bangkok. Matt Smith and the Popscene crew also held some memorable nights, to the extent we were half-worried the floor would collapse from all the dancing!
Business is tough out there. Costs keep on rising, and income is not rising to match. The powers that be are actively hostile to the nightlife scene and probable imminent developments will make for an even more treacherous trading environment. We also have little visibility over the future status of our leased property which removes the incentive to invest for the long term. Most bars and clubs in BKK I talk to are down 30-50% in revenues.
I am going to leave individual thank yous until after we close but for now I want to acknowledge the terrific efforts and dedication of our wonderful staff as well as thank all the amazing customers who have supported us over three years.
This Friday we will feature the first of two closing parties, with DJs Nemo Cools and Rory Breaker-Morant.
On Saturday, our last trading night, we will feature DJ Billy V and a last and special performance at Overground from Wasabi Bytes featuring jnknslry.
In the future, the Overground name will endure in the form of special events and festivals. I am planning the first one for December featuring Afrika Islam, Das Fluff and more both in Bangkok and elsewhere in the region. I also have lots of friends operating other bars and clubs in Bangkok and I look forward to working with some of them to add value with special events that hopefully make their venues even stronger and more interesting.
I hope to see you at the end of this week for our two closing parties. We have a lot of alcohol we need to get out the door!
Cheers and much love from Grahame
