Night Club: Slippery Senoritas - UPR, Penang (Top Pick)

Few who stay in Penang for any length of time will not have heard of Slippery Senoritas, Penang's longest standing night club in Upper Penang Road. Set amongst the bustling bars of UPR, SS, as it is known locally, is without doubt one of the best night-spots in Penang. UPR is home to many bars, including two of my favourites, Monkey Bar and Zanzibar (photoreviews to follow), and also the clubs Voodoo and Mois. These clubs are also popular with Mois being particularly busy BUT, they cater for a different crowd. Stand outside Mois on a Friday night and you will see that it is definitely frequented by a very young clientele. So where do the '30 something' crowd in Penang head for when they want to party? Simple, SS, and it's easy to see why.

I have now been to SS numerous times on differing nights of the week and can honestly say that it's easy to see why SS is so popular. Firstly there is the layout. The main area is arranged around a large, nicely lit central bar where the bar staff pull-off some superb juggling acts with bottles while mixing cocktails for the revellers. Tables and comfortable stools are laid out on a variety of slightly different levels in this main area which opens out just in front of a large stage to an area that often doubles as a dance floor when the mood takes. On the next floor up an all round balcony with yet more seating, another bar, and a large floor area provides further space for party-goers when the club is particularly busy, like Halloween and like it most certainly will be tonight!!!!

So what else has SS got going for it that makes it so special? Well, it's really the complete package that it offers. Throughout the evening the club is cascaded in various arrays of lights from a superb light system ranging from swinging beams with all colours of the rainbow to the black and white contrasts of high speed strobes. Then there is the entertainment. A superb Philippinno band 'Elevate' play a number of sets each and every night from around 9:30 pm onwards, starting of with some outstanding ballads and set pieces to get the mood going. As the first set progresses, and certainly in the subsequent sets, the stunning singers Joan, Rose and Reema really up the tempo and belt out some outstanding rock numbers both contemporary and classical. They clearly enjoy what they do and their voices, drive and energy really get the crowd going. They are a real pleasure to watch, nice people too :-)

The DJs (Chan and Menu) and the sound system are also outstanding. One of the owners is a DJ of 25 years or so experience and it's clear that this experience, together with a lot of thought and effort, and also expense, has gong into to making the sound system in SS something to be proud of. The sound from the vast array of speakers that surround the club is monitored throughout the night by the sound and lights engineer, Mark, to ensure it's not too loud, too much base etc etc. It's a pity some other clubs don't do this. The result is well balanced sound throughut the evening and some truly exceptional music.

On the music front, you should also try SS on a Thursday night. Thursday is retro night with the Retrokillerz as guest DJs, Retrokillerz being none other than the owner / DJ I mentioned, Harry, and my good chum and manager of SS, Jack. A great night out with a difference and a change in music theme.

The range of drinks on offer at SS is also staggering and prices are very reasonable IMO. There is also an extensive menu available and many people dine just outside SS in a courtyard which is shared between SS and a few other bars that surround it. And of course, what finally makes a club is the crowd and the crowd in SS tends to be more mature, fun and friendly with many being regulars.

So there it is, SS. If you are in town either as a resident or as a visitor you should definitely give SS a try, and preferably more than once. Wednesday is ladies night with free entry for the fairer sex, Thursday for Retro and of course the weekends are very popular. But just about any night at SS will be enjoyable and for that reason alone SS gets a well earned 'Top Pick' from me. Below are a few pictures to give some idea of what SS is like. More pictures can be found here.





My chum and manager at SS, Jack, prepares for another busy night.

Hostesses Irene and Sally at reception.

The band 'Elevate' in action, features three of my fave singers in Penang......

Rose........

.

Joan......

and Reema.

As the night goes on the band ups the tempo....







and SS gets busier as it gets later....








but the crowd is always good and just out to enjoy.






And finally, two shots from Halloween. Nights like this can be very busy but luckily SS has the capacity to cope......