 Club Astra was an institution in its short reign on the Bangkok clubbing scene, yet that didn’t grant them longevity. However Club 808, the new club at the old Astra site, is gearing up to establish its own dynasty and on Tuesday, December 04, 2007, they made their first step in that direction. The new club decided to host one leg of the HP Art in Motion Pacific Asia tour, which saw Godfathers COLDCUT, DJ NUMARK of the Jurassic 5 and local group KATSUE, joining forces to give us a night of Audio/Video entertainment. PFADFINDEREI The worlds #1 event video artist were also on board and the organizer at 808 did an impressive campaign on the web prompting nearly 3000 clubbers, to turning out to get piece of the soft-opening action. The club was completely packed as soon as they opened the doors, and KATSUE got the chance to sample the new club. The group is made up of Joni Anwar and Montonn Jira. Their fusion of electronic and live instrument is a rarity in Bangkok, with Montonn on guitar and Joni doing lead vocals. They played for 30 minutes and set that set the stage for DJ NUMARK.
 DJ NUMARK on the other hand brought the whole toy store with him to the venue. Bangkok has never seen anything like it and he wasn’t shy about showing off his toys either. Everything that could make a sound got their turn including a coin and an elastic band. His set was a constant parade of showmanship, commanding every eye on him as he gave us nothing but originality. But as his first set finished and COLDCUT ‘S started, there was a sense of uncertainty that they wouldn’t be able to maintain the momentum. Their set seemed like a repeat of their previous visit, but it was none the less impressive with an edgy intro, MC Juice Aleem keeping it fresh and that Tony Blair/Bush Skit that had everyone laughing. They were one man short and that may have had something to do with it.
 DJ NUMARK was definitely the main man and his second set was crafted beautifully. With a greater focus on getting the crowd dancing, his set was a genre-hopping affair that saw us loosen up and give in to the funk. The night had to come to an end though and that came via Nirvana’s “SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT”, the crowd went mental and by then the bars were completely sold out.
Club 808 has cleared their first hurdle and their decision to open before the club was finished was a daring gamble but at half strength they have only added fuel to the ever- growing hype. Their line up for the next few months is a massive one and RCA will definitely see many more clubbers on the strip. The club is a lot more spacious and the sound system is promising to be the best in Bangkok. We will be giving the club a full review as soon as it’s completed. So for everyone who couldn’t get in, there will be many more memorable nights at Club 808 to come. Photos of the event are now online: Club 808 Pre-Opening Party Pictures Discuss this night @ 808 in the forum . 
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