A place to shake ... and get funky

By ROBERT GREER

Whether it is the tango, the jig, line dancing or just shuffling your feet to a beautiful and sappy love song with a loved one, dancing is one of life’s most fun and relaxing ways to spend an evening.. If people can shake the feeling that everyone is watching them and judging them (which they are not), more people would get up and do it and then realize the joys and feeling of freedom that come from shakin’ dat booty.

Getting down and funky at the Q Bar Samui in Chaweng is Koh Samui’s best place to do it. The music, atmosphere, drinks, people come together to make for a great place to let it go and let it flow.

Pepe Giuseppe Viva is the Italian general manager of Q Bar Samui and has a lot of experience in running clubs and bars. “I have a very dynamic personality and running this kind of place is perfect for me. It is who I am and therefore I am very passionate about doing it right so that the people not just have a great time but an exquisite time,” says Pepe as we sit in his office.

Pepe first began working with Q Bar Samui in December 2005. He was hired by David Jacobson and Andrew Clark, who also own Q Bar Bangkok. “They had no one here on Koh Samui to get the bar going. They put me in charge and I took off running. From initial planning to training the staff, I have had my hands in every part of the current design.”

The club had its grand opening in October last year and has been going strong ever since. It is hard not to know about Q Bar Samui because everyone talks about it when talking about good venues on the island. “Word of mouth is probably our biggest marketing advantage. People come and have a great time and then tell their friends or bring them along the next time. For Q Bar Bangkok, word of mouth is really our only marketing,” Pepe says.

The bar gets a good mixture of local farangs and tourists every night. “I have some locals that come three or four times a week,” says Pepe. “Every night it is a great mix of people and when the music gets thumping you can really feel the vibe flowing through the crowd.”

To keep things interesting, each night of the week Q Bar Samui offers a different theme. On Monday nights they have the “Trash the Dance Floor” where patrons can drink as much as they want from 10 till 12 midnight for only Bt700. Considering that Q Bar Samui only serves top-shelf alcohol, this seems like a good deal. Wednesday nights offer the “Sexy Contest” with beautiful girls showing their stuff. Sunday night is “Disco Night,” so be sure to wear your platform shoes. Each night has its own special DJ playing as well.

Speaking of DJs, in August DJ LTJ Buken will be on the island and playing at Q Bar Samui. This is sure to be an amazing event as Buken the superstar plays his drum & bass music that can mesmerize a crowd.

With jello shots and VIP cards that get you into special events and 20 percent off everything (including Dom Pérignon champagne), Q Bar Samui is the coolest and hippest place to hang out and get your groove on. You will never be disappointed in the music and you might even find yourself up and dancing before you know it, and no, no one is laughing at you, too much anyway.