Live music at Midtown

[pw]

Where is Midtown?

[Blue Lizard]

Front of Nur hotel....just up past Yali supermarket ....

[AnnDL]

As  far as I can see, the live music night/s is something very much trial and error at the moment. Asking what type of music folk would like is one way to get it right. If the mix is good it will attract customers, if not, we have  choice - walk on by or give it a try. Its very difficult at the moment for anyone in business, we have to think of ways to attract and keep our customers.  Time will tell...........

[Bee]

Sounds great. The majority of people enjoy listening to live music, be it traditional, Jazz, rock or pop. Each have their own preference of course. Maybe try traditional Turkish one night and European another night.

Only the people, both locals and dare I say it "tourists", will vote with their feet.

Bazza, I personally find your comments are somewhat negative. Kalkan is a holiday resort open to anybody whether they wear football kits and have tattoos or dress in Prada. It isn't an upmarket, private members only club. It's a TOURIST resort and all that matters is the amount of money they spend whilst they are there doing what they want to, eating what they want to and listening to whatever kind of music they want to.

See you in September Martyn.

[pw]

Front of Nur hotel....just up past Yali supermarket ....

of course it is! Walked past it about 14 times the other week!

[pw]

Sounds great. The majority of people enjoy listening to live music, be it traditional, Jazz, rock or pop. Each have their own preference of course. Maybe try traditional Turkish one night and European another night.

Only the people, both locals and dare I say it "tourists", will vote with their feet.

Bazza, I personally find your comments are somewhat negative. Kalkan is a holiday resort open to anybody whether they wear football kits and have tattoos or dress in Prada. It isn't an upmarket, private members only club. It's a TOURIST resort and all that matters is the amount of money they spend whilst they are there doing what they want to, eating what they want to and listening to whatever kind of music they want to.

See you in September Martyn.

good point, well made

[michelle from newcastle]

I just love live music. I think anything apart from jazz I would like. Local singers or bands would appeal to me mix of traditional and modern could be good x

[MartynE]

Interesting comments... thanks everyone!

I have a meeting with Baris this week to discuss the music nights and all these comments will be passed on (and I mean ALL of them!)

With any luck the music nights should be starting mid-May.

By the way... I have run open-mic nights in the UK... so any holidaymakers who are also musicians/singers will be very welcome to step up for a few numbers... the more the merrier!

[Tatilde]

As long as they can play or sing. No Karaoke please!

[bazza1970]

Absolutely Tatilde. We don't want to lower the tone even more. This isn't Magaluf after all! Can you imagine a load of middle aged wannabe singers out of their boxes on Efes and G&T screeching out Delilah by Tom Jones as families and other quieter natured people are trying to enjoy a relaxed and quiet meal on a beautiful rooftop restaurant. The sooner this stupid project begins, the sooner it will fail......hopefully!

[bazza1970]

I tell you what MartynE, why not start Bingo on Friday nights too and if you make enough profit, open a Cash for Gold and PayDay loan lending facility next door! Now that will remind you of home!

[Tatilde]

I'm not against the idea of live music and have attended live music evenings at the Nur in the past.
Please don't think I agree with Bazza on everything!

[bazza1970]

Of course not Matilde. I appreciate you will not share all my views. However and what a lot of people do not realise is that many, many people private message me with their support. People who are sick to the back teeth of the gradual degradation of Kalkan into just another Med resort but are too polite, timid, other, to pit their name to their comments. I just happen to have the cahunas to say what I feel. And unless and until I am taken off this forum for speaking up for the silent majority who are saddened each year to find Kalkan transmogrifying into a pseudo Spanish Hi-de-hi resort, I will continue to tell it how I see it. For that, I make no apologies!

[Christina]

Please re-think the open-mic plan
I'm a huge live music fan, and when it comes to festivals, gigs and concerts - I'm your girl. This discussion is an interesting and important one, so for what it's worth, here are my views:

When I first heard about 'live music' in Kalkan, I thought 'good' - some low key, ambient, classic accoustic vibes can help to make an evening really special. Count me in.

When I heard that this would not necessarily be Turkish music, I thought 'OK' - as long as the *western/modern* music is tasteful, and there's not an amp in sight - it might work.  I'd definitely be up for some of that. (But who wants to be walking into town for dinner to hear amplified drum beats booming out from 100 metres away?)

Then when I heard 'open-mic' - alarm bells started to ring. In my experience (and with respect to all the musicians out there), open-mic nights exist mainly for the benefit of the performers rather than the audience. There is no control over the quality or the content of the 'entertainment' and many of them simply aren't that good. I'm happy to watch to amateur musicians and random strangers have their moment in the spotlight in my local pub on a Friday night, but when people are on holiday for only a few precious nights, I believe they deserve to be offered something different from and better than what they can get at home. And all this, sited next to the tacky Las Vegas motel-style decor of the Passport pizza place, would in my opinion cheapen the area, rather than enrich the average tourist's experience.

No disrespect meant Martyn, whilst open-mic nights might be a welcome diversion for locals in the winter, I'm not convinced they have a place in high season. Hope to see you in the Midtown Bar anyway, just to say hi.

[kevincat99]

Maybe this will be the forerunner of Kalkan's Got Talent [ or not as the case ]

I think that which annoys some people is that when they came to live / stay here years ago Kalkan was a small village, with lokantas and restaurants and very little "Britishness. " an ideal place.

Over the years we have seen changes, invariably fueled by the Turks desire to maximise profits and to provide what they think tourists want. So with the advent of things like TV's in the street showing sport etc it appears to becoming more downmarket and aligning its self to the larger resorts.

However Kalkan by it's very size isn't able to hide some of these things away in certain areas - such as Bar Streets and they proliferate all over the place and it is difficult to avoid them.

Can one ask MartynE as you have now come to live here [?], have a musical bent and apartments at the old Nur are you the driving force behind this plan and will you be participating in it by playing.

One must ask do people come to Kalkan for what it once was or for what it is becoming and if it goes downmarket will they still come ?

As always in Kalkan, things start and fail on a regular basis as the punters decide - so lets see how it goes and let market forces decide on it's popularity or otherwise

[lilly]

I was in Kalkan last September with a group of girlfriends. There was a jazz band in town.
They played in different venues, evenings and some lunchtimes. I'm not a great jazz music fan but they were good musicians and we all enjoyed having something to listen to, we even had a bit of a jiggle about(dance) I think it's ok if the music/ musicians are good.
However, would not have enjoyed an open-mic session. Cringe!
If you want to sing,hire a private boat, we did this last year. Then take to the high seas and you can all screech away to your hearts content. L

[fidimax]

I cant understand what some people are moaning about,its music we are talking about here,not a world war !
If I dont like a place,what music they play or what food they serve ,I dont go ....... simples !
If and when I stop loving Kalkan,I will stop coming,I do not come to Kalkan for what Music is being played in the bars,I come because I have friends in Kalkan and I love the place ..... music or no music !!!!!

[kalkan4eva]

well said, Neil
The doom and gloom people have been predicting for the village for the last few years - downmarket tourists (God forbid), a McDonalds (the place that's packed with locals in Fethiye), a mini Marmaris culture descending....has not happened
I do recall a huge debate a couple of years ago over Baris's live music nights which again were championed by MartynE - you'd have thought Kalkan was about to turn into Blackpool. Similarly, last year the arrival of Passaport Pizza (Baris again...) was greeted by some as the end of life as we know it...! Everytime we passed the place there only appeared to be locals patronising the establishment
Its called change...some may say progress. Nothing stays the same, thats a fact of life and we can either go with it or vote with our feet....we're not in a position to stop the tide and moaning and bitching about it just makes us sad, bitter individuals. Obviously the music nights at Nur weren't a massive success first time around otherwise they would still be happening...we don't need to get hot under the collar about someting that is still in the discussion stages and may end in a similar way...
I happen to think the centre of the village will always retain its unique charm no matter what happens on the periphery.....and I think we should appreciate how hard it is to run a business in Kalkan and not shoot down every idea that's floated on here - whether its Live Music Night or an Indian restaurant - because its not our personal taste.

[MartynE]

Blimey. That's opened up a can of worms.

When I said I used to run open mic nights in the past I was certainly not suggesting the same for Kalkan... perish the thought... I have had to put up with too many hopeless wannabes screeching to want to put up with that ever again! No, I simply meant that if, during the course of a music evening, a musician/vocalist who obviously knows what they are doing asks to "guest" on a couple of numbers, it would be acceptable. So... inclusive, not exclusive, but strictly quality-controlled and definitely not X-Factor meets Kalkan... eek!

Right. I am now going to speak my mind too, Bazza... and I don't really think it's got anything to do with having the cahunas (sic - I think you mean cojones?) to speak out - it's just that most people aren't as arrogant as you. What gives you the right to dictate what is acceptable culturally, and what is not?  Isn't it rather patronising of you to insist that Kalkan stays just the way you want it to be? If the locals want to change their town they can't, because you, the mighty Bazza, says so? Turkish locals are allowed to embrace different cultural experiences from their parents, but only if it gets a Bazza rubber stamp?

Rant over.

The funny thing is, I really don't think that we are actually miles apart on this. Why is it that everyone automatically assumes that live music = Benidorm?

The reason Fiona and I have chosen to live in Kalkan is exactly the same as all the other self-appointed arbiters of taste on this forum. We chose Kalkan after having travelled extensively... we do not want to turn it into Blackpool (not that there is anything wrong with Blackpool  ) We love it for its unique charm so why would we want to destroy that?  That said, if a local businessman and musician asks me, as a musician and resident in Kalkan - who also has business interests in both the UK and Turkey - to participate in putting on a low-key music night at his cafe, to satisfy a perceived demand from both Brits and Turks, then why shouldn't I? If the demand is not there, it won't continue. If it does continue, it will be tasteful and measured. I see myself as much a guardian of Kalkan as you, Bazza, but maybe I'm just a bit more open-minded.

Take a chill pill, guys.

[Christina]

For me, it's not so much about the genre of music, but the noise level itself. I too saw the live jazz band playing at the Merkez last year and it was pure joy! Even though I don't particularly like jazz.

Acoustic is one thing - those who want to listen, can. Amplified is something else - those who might not want to listen, are forced to.  I was rudely awoken at midnight around a month ago, when the HAN restaurant at the main roundabout started to blast out 'Gangnam Style' type music at ear-splitting volume during one of their 'functions'.

It seems like the forum members with the most concerns are those with properties there - who have more to lose if Kalkan's reputation slides. Only yesterday, I had an enquiry from a lady looking to book my apartment in town who wanted to know if she might be disturbed by noise at night. Well, whilst I can't stop the dogs from barking or the cockerels from crowing, I'd like to do whatever I can to protect my guests from the curse of badly sung Oasis songs echoing round the bay into the wee small hours.

By all means, bring on the music, but for everyone's sake, let's get the balance right.