Reggae Party in Hanoi!

I have mentioned The Only Reggae Band numerous times in my blog (performed at my Birthday Party for one...), and here I go talking about them again. This past Wednesday a bunch of us got together and headed over to E-Z Rider Bar (and yes, it is decorated with themes from the movie) to watch the guys perform. Usually the band consists of 4 people, but this time a random hippie from Thailand showed up with a bongo and one drum stick, which he then proceeded to hold between his toes and drum on a large can. The show was really fun, with a lot of Reggae dance, and it seemed that a lot of people wanted to get in on the action of the band; every other minute some random person was on the stage holding a wood block, or a cowbell, or some other equally inane instrument. By the time midnight hit, the intense Vietnamese woman who owned the bar rushed the stage, tapping the guys mid-song and trying to get them off. After 3 attempts of repeated poking, prodding, and pleading, a more elderly version of the same woman jumped up and started pulling the singer away from the microphone. This resulted in a quick termination of a Bob Marley rendition, and was immediately followed by the police busting through the door. This is never usually a cause for alarm for a foreigner, but it definitely explained why the Vietnamese owners were freaking out. So the police waved their batons and we all filed out into the street, which was lined with police officers looking rather pleased to have busted a party that was host to such a large number of attractive white women. We managed to get about 2 hours of music in, so overall, I would say the concert was a success. Next week is the International CAMA Music Festival, which hosts bands from all over Asia; there was an amazing Japanese all-girl rock band last year, so I am really looking forward to some of the bands coming this time. Who knew Hanoi could be such a happenin' music spot? :)