In about 2001 I started hanging out in singing bars and clubs in the China Town district of Saigon Cho Lon. Specifically, clubs called Hat Voi Nhau.
A HVN club is like a glorified karaoke bar. Usually there is a live keyboard player playing over pre-recorded tracks and someone goes up on stage to sing. Sometimes a full band. Sometimes karaoke only.
Anyway, the way it works is you buy a dozen plastic flowers each with some rolled up money inside. Usually a buck or less. The waitress scribbles down on your bill how many flowers you have bought. If you like the singer you go up and give them a flower or two that they place in a bucket. The money is taken back by the employees and stuck back in new flowers THAT THEY SELL YOU AGAIN.
So at the end of the day the only people that make the money is the club. By the way, usually a hostess or two are sitting with for forcing you to drink faster than you want and they are pounding beers too that are going on your bill. Often they open cans in advance just to jack up your bill. Oh, and they bring you a fruit plate that, guaranteed, you didn’t order in the first place.
Now don’t get me wrong, These places are incredible. And once you learn how the system works you have fun instead of just getting fleeced for cash. And if you can sing Vietnamese its a bananas event. You get handed many flowers full of cash - none of which you get to keep.
I still love going to HVN. Especially in Phnom Penh where there are a few Vietnamese clubs. They all know me now but in the beginning they wouldn’t let me in. They would say “Vietnamese people only”. But then I would start speaking Vietnamese to them. Adding to the fun, the clubs in Phnom Penh are a whole next level of crazy. I usually drink a bottle or two of water, buy people some drinks, sing for about half an hour and get the hell out. Sometimes the clubs in PP feel a little dangerous - you would have to be there to understand.
When I sing in these clubs it often gets live-streamed by people. I always wonder who is watching and whether that adds to or detracts from the safety of the situation.
Someone had been drinking a lot this night! Full disclosure, it was a long time ago and I don’t drink alcohol at all anymore in case you are like, ”Dude!”
