Looking back at the heyday of KL nightlife

SPENDING hours preparing for the ‘night life’ by getting dolled up with extravagant hairdos and an almost excessive amount of make-up, being jammed five to six friends in a car like a can of sardines, clinging tightly onto ICs while waiting in line to get the stamp of approval from the surly bouncer guarding the entrance to the discotheque – before boozing the night away to pounding music was a rite of passage for many denizens of KL from the 1980s up to the early 2000s.

There was a sense of excitement when Wednesday came around as it was ‘Ladies Night’ and Saturday night fever started to kick in. Back then there were no smoking bans, while sensible drinking and ‘making connections’ via mutual friends in the discotheques were what clubbers looked forward to.

Compared to now, where jeans and T-shirts are the norm and there is not as much of a need to dress up as discotheques are no longer the centre of attraction, instead cafés and pubs are where it’s at when it comes to catching up with friends.

‘Clubbing’ in the capital of Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur, at that era, attracted a diverse clientele from the straight to the LGBTQ – and everything in between. In terms of music, hip hop, gothic, techno-trance all pressed together in what can only be described as a tiny dance floor.

A writer from The Vibes takes a stroll down memory lane, looking back at what was, sparing some sentimentality to a time lost to history.

The Backroom

Any formerly enthusiastic clubber above the age of 40 today would without a doubt remember the most legendary underground club Kuala Lumpur has ever had. Located underground at the Menara Pan Global, the Backroom was a revolutionary discotheque that popped up around the time the electronic dance music scene was beginning to bloom, and helped introduce house music to Malaysians. It was also famously known as the venue to go to after hours after all other clubs had closed their doors. 

My experience: I remember clearly when I first stepped foot into The Backroom – excited with adrenaline pumping through my body, though at the same time I was scared to my wits as I was clearly underage, 17 to be exact.

The entrance walkway to the disco was mysterious (dark, but not that dark) and I could hear the bass of the music going ‘bom-bom-bom’ as I got closer. I could not deny the feeling of my heartbeat beating faster as my palms were beaded with sweat. I was thinking twice about whether I should make a run for it, and whether I’d be picked up by the police or religious authorities if my luck went south.  

Once in the backroom, I was first intrigued with how big the speaker boomboxes were, followed by the presence of ladies dressed in the style of the time, of bare back crop tops, belly chains and some with pierced belly buttons, dancing on the triangular podium to ‘electronic trance music’ in the middle of the club.  

It soon became a monthly affair for me and my friends. The beautiful part of it was that, during that era, undeniably there were whispers that the backroom was a nest for patrons from the upper crust who wanted to get high and do business with the so-called ‘underworld’, but it was still a decent and safe place to be with your friends – if you enjoy dancing to electronic music that is. 

Groups of people minded their own business and partied all night long without any hiccups. I did not once experience or see any nasty fighting or turf disputes between gangs, no one had offered me any kind of illegal substance and neither was I groped. 

It was always the same crowd in the backroom, and it was rare for me to see new faces. It was more like a ‘homey’ place to be at, and patrons were just friendly and had that genuine care for one another, especially seeing that there were several groups of patrons who knew that me and my friends were way underage, but they somewhat took care of us – kept an eye on us to make sure we stayed out of trouble – we were always being ‘showered’ with warm cuddles by the older female patrons and a ‘pat’ on head by the older male patrons. 

Personally, for me, the weirdest thing I saw that I could not understand was why some patrons were shoving their heads into the speaker boom boxes, however a couple of months later, I understood why, but let’s leave it at that!

The Sultan Lounge

Designed by the team behind the infamous Buddha Bar in New York City, with other locations around the world, Sultan Lounge is an elegant private bar. Located in the Mandarin Oriental hotel, the bar features bold fabrics that mimicked desert tents, with belly dancers and a wide range of music.

My Experience: The Sultan Lounge, for starters, its location inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel already gave it a reputation as an upper-class venue to be at when it opened its doors in 2008. Thus, dressing up accordingly was what came to mind during my first visit. 

Visually stunning with luxurious design, I was fascinated with the décor of it. Everything was featured with fabrics that were obviously from an exclusive type of material – it was shimmery, silk like texture all around the club – that was the only décor. 

It also featured a Moroccan-esque theme – with tent-like seating booths with ceiling drapes and several pieces of unique furniture, one of which became the centrepiece of conversation amongst me and my friends, a couch/chair that looked like lava. 

The music played very much had Arabic influences, as well nods to the song Desert Rose by Sting featuring Cheb Mami. As for the patrons? They were dressed to kill, as though we are at the Oscars, with a majority of them being expats. 

The Beach Club

Opened in 1999 as an open air nightclub at Jalan P. Ramlee, with a design and ambiance that owes a lot to its name, it was situated approximately 150m from the iconic KLCC Twin Towers. 

It was quite the happening nightspot, as many famous people walked through its doors, including footballing legend Robbie Fowler, Moto GP Racer Valentino Rossi, Formula One legend Michael Schumacher, WWE wrestler The Undertaker, Saxophonist Dave Koz and many more.

My Experience: Whenever I was having a bad day at work, I would go to the Beach Club to unwind because of the ambience – the beachy feel and of course the reasonable price for stout and beer. Amongst the décor was a shark tank measuring to 6x1.5 feet with a live shark swimming inside it.  

Getting into the Beach Club on weekdays was easy enough, but it would get really packed on Saturday night, with no tables available but you could still grab a beer and stand around until a spot opened up, however, knowing Malaysian men, they would always give up their spot for the ladies. 

People were friendly, and it would be easy to make friends with people from Scandinavian countries as they liked to check-out the Beach Club. It was also easy to catch foreign celebrities there as most of them would make a stop there when they were in Kuala Lumpur. 

It was also the go-to place during important football matches, particularly during the English Premier League and the World Cup, race events such as MotoGP and Formula F1 races. Beach club was the place to chill as there was no formal dress code. 

Thai Club

Located just opposite The Beach Club, Thai Club was famous for its live band performances and operated until wee hours of the night with the clientele noticeably different from those in other venues. Patrons were less trendy and more mature.  

My experience: When I entered Thai Club for the first time, I could feel the warmness of Thailand with regards to the minimal décor and signage on the entrance of the club. Nothing too over the top, but the vibe made it feel like you were hanging up north. However, it was not my cup of tea, as it was always packed. 

The live band performances were superb and there were always events happening, such as fashion shows or beauty pageants – with some claiming that the women were transgender, but honestly, who cares?  

Liquid Bar Room KL

Apparently famous in the mid 90s with a single group of clientele – it was known as THE Gay bar, before people were more open to the LGBTQIA+ community – Liquid Bar Room KL was where these colorful people with big personalities wouldl get together, not just for fun and games, but to make economic connections as well. 

My experience: Walking up the circle stairway to Liquid Bar Room KL could be like walking through a labyrinth. It was difficult to find, unless you were lucky like me and tagged along a friend who knew how to get there. The entrance was hidden at the back of Central Market, at the Mezzanine floor of Central Market Annex.

As we would approach the entrance, we would be welcomed by gracious bouncers who, after checking our ICs, would let us through. Right before me – as I could remember – was a piece of frosted glass which was sculpted into the shape of an eye. One could disregard and not notice it if they did not take their time to carefully observe the glass. 

Once inside, the club was warm with what I remember to be pink and blue neon light all around. Bean bags were also scattered on the floor, giving it a playful and comfortable atmosphere. There were also unique cocktails that were available for customers. 

Apart from that, the arrangement in the bathroom was spectacular – fitted with a tall mirror from floor to ceiling.  Recognised as a gay and lesbian club, Liquid Bar Room was one of the friendliest nightclubs in KL as the employees and regular patrons would check up on you (especially if they knew you were a newcomer) from time to time until closing time at 3am.

The Boom Boom Room KL

Situated just up the road from The Telekom Museum on Jalan Raja Chulan Kuala Lumpur, The Boom Boom Room was a nightclub located in a mansion that had a British-era architecture feel to it.  

It was split into two areas in the mansion, the ground floor was a standard nightclub that spun R&B and soul music, while the first floor catered to an extravagant drag show. 

My experience: During my first visit – which is still clear as crystal in my mind, I had parked my car somewhere along the Cathedral of St John on Jalan Bukit Nanas and made my way by foot to the Boom Boom Room because parking nearby was close to impossible. 

It cost RM18 to get into the club with one complimentary soft drink, anything beyond was extra, of course.  

During my first night there, a majority of the patrons were university students, which eventually ended up with me bumping into my own college mates.  

Drinks and music were average, just like any other nightclub, until one time when me and my friends decided to peek at the other floor of the club. It was then we discovered a far greater nightlife experience in the Boom Boom Room – the drag show.  

Upon entering, we could hear the sounds of It's Raining Men – the 1982 classic by The Weather Girls – so cliché I know! But for a 19-year-old girl, it was an amazing experience!  

Immediately all alcoholic drinks went out the window for me and my friends that night as we were more enthusiastic to get the full-on experience of watching the performances of the drag queens, which were fabulous and humorous, and trust me, the parties upstairs were way, way more fun!  – The Vibes, May 1, 2022

*This article is part of a series of content produced for Lens KL, The Vibes Culture & Lifestyle’s fortnightly series that sheds light on the past, present and future aspirations of Kuala Lumpur.