What a delightful surprise when I wandered into the new club called Atlas in Patong Soi 2 last night. Big spacious bar, well lit stage right in the center, everything modern and comfortable. And there on the stage were all of the boys from The One / Tawan. They have all quit The One, and are now working at Atlas, which just opened a few days ago.
The bar is owned by Arthur, who long time Tawan patrons will remember as the big mixed Black/Asian bodybuilder from Tawan days. As frequent visitors will know, The One never regained the atmosphere of Tawan; it became stale and less inviting, and the show was tame and uninteresting.
By contrast, Atlas last night was fun, lively and uninhibited. At least 25 guys, all the top talent from Tawan plus a few new faces. All muscular and fit, if not necessarily lean. These are big muscular men. None of the older fat guys that had come to haunt Taiwan a few years ago were in sight. Fortunately, those days seem to be behind us.
The show is back to being hard core and explicit, with lots of audience interaction. Sound and lighting are top notch. The show could have been a little longer, but they just opened a few days ago.
I go there to have fun in the bar, not necessarily looking for an off. The guys were friendly, affectionate, and uninhibited. I don’t drink much but I opened a bottle to help them celebrate. I was soon surrounded by guys who, for a tip, were happy to take off their pants and sit with me and drink naked. I’m a bit of a voyeur, so after the show I convinced several of them to also do their rotations on stage stark naked. What a treat.
Service was excellent. Arthur seems to be a very competent manager. No admission charge. Drinks were 500 baht, which is steep but worth it to me given the environment. All in all, highly recommended. I hope they can make it a success.