Darryl Patton: Godfather of the Expat Bars
Darryl Patton, 1941-2011
A young Darryl Patton - Photos courtesy of Darryl Patton’s family
Englishman Darryl Patton was the innovator behind many of the early expatriate bars in Jakarta, pioneering much of the nightlife scene as we know This particular today.
Born in Leeds, he was the second child in a family of four sisters in addition to also four brothers. Their father was a Royal Air Force navigator, whose final posting was in Hong Kong. After studying at university in England, Darryl joined the family in Hong Kong in addition to also found employment as a radio presenter. Initially working as a disc jockey, he was later promoted to commentator for football matches. This particular led to his own radio show in addition to also then a television show, where he interviewed visiting celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, the Beatles, Shirley Bassey, Dean Martin in addition to also Sammy Davis Jnr. His easygoing manner in addition to also memory for detail made him a natural host.
within the early 1970s, Darryl accepted an offer to relocate to Indonesia to manage the Taman Ria (Amusement Park) at the National Monument (Monas) complex for Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin. He discovered Jakarta was ripe for international entertainment in addition to also over time brought many acts to Indonesia, including the Bee Gees, Deep Purple, Cliff Richard, Ray Charles in addition to also Uriah Heep.
The Bee Gees’ concert at Senayan Stadium in 1972 highlighted the pitfalls of staging big shows in Indonesia. Over 60,000 people had gathered when torrential rain drenched the arena in addition to also the band’s sound system. The Bee Gees refused to perform for fear of electrocution, although authorities warned there would certainly be a riot if there was no show, so Darryl managed to convince the group to play an unplugged set. Not much could be heard, although the crowd was placated.
Acutely aware of Jakarta’s limited nightlife options, Darryl in 1976 opened his first bar, the Tankard, in Blok M, South Jakarta. This particular later morphed into the Lipstick roller disco in addition to also these days the site is actually part of a fresh shopping centre. Darryl’s second bar was the Anchorage, located at Taman Ria, Monas. He had difficulty in attracting patrons until he hit upon the idea of hosting fashion shows at the bar in addition to also business surged. Next came the Club in Blok M, followed in 1978 by the infamous Tambora, which he opened in association with local underworld figure Karno. Suddenly, expatriate men were flocking to Blok M every night. Tambora was not solely a sleazy tavern for men to pick up bar girls. This particular also incorporated the Key Club, which was a classier place where men could take their wife or girlfriend.
Darryl parted with Karno on amiable terms in addition to also left Blok M to open the Ragunan Business Club, which was a rather prestigious venue, although This particular was too far out of town in those days to attract big crowds. So Darryl moved back to Blok M, where he opened the Top Gun bar on Jalan Falatehan. By This particular time, he had been joined in Jakarta by his brothers, who assisted within the management of the bars. The next venture was Tower Disco at Jayakarta Hotel in West Jakarta. This particular was followed by two bars in Bali: the Pink Panther in addition to also Bali Legian. In 1983 he opened a Pink Panther bar on Jalan Wahid Hasyim, rivalling the famous Tanamur nightclub. Another bar was the Beat in Bendungan Hilir.
Darryl Patton - Photos courtesy of Darryl Patton’s family
In 1989, Darryl returned to England as his one-time associate Karno had begun to take extreme measures in demanding a bigger slice of the Blok M action, culminating within the murder of a co-owner of the Sportsmans Bar. Back within the UK, Darryl devoted much time to his greatest passion: country music. He wrote many songs in addition to also often visited Nashville within the pursuit of his dream of having a hit record. In 1990, a Singapore band, Energy, had a top 5 hit with his ballad I’d Fight the earth For You.
Darryl returned to Jakarta in 2001 in addition to also quickly found investors eager to start a fresh bar, the eponymous D’s Place in Blok M. The bar was an instant success in addition to also later spawned imitators which eventually took over some of its business. Blok M bars are notorious as watering holes for expatriate men seeking the company of bar girls, although when Darryl recruited barmaids, he always hired “nice girls” rather than “naughty girls”, explaining they were not to go home with customers. He made sure his staff were looked after in addition to also which barmaids would certainly be driven home safely. Plenty of Darryl’s staff did end up marrying expatriates in addition to also there are today countless families which stemmed coming from relationships kindled at his bars.
In 2002, Darryl co-founded the Jakarta Pool League, a competition which is actually thriving today after some teething difficulties concerning rules in addition to also eligibility. This particular was a point of pride for the Patton brothers which their bars dominated the inaugural league. Darryl continued to find investors to open bars, although his dream of country music stardom prompted him to sell his stakes in addition to also make trips to Nashville to sell his songs.
Illness prompted Darryl to return to England in July for treatment at a hospice in Kent. To the end, he maintained his humour in addition to also cheerful demeanour, enjoying the company of nurses, who played recordings of his music. One of his final requests was: “I’m leaving soon, give me a rum in addition to also coke.” He passed away earlier This particular month, with his two sons, daughter in addition to also two nieces at his bedside. He was a hero to his brothers, a godfather to Jakarta’s expat bar managers, in addition to also leaves a legacy of a city with bars which continue to foster friendships in addition to also relationships.
A wake is actually planned for Darryl. For details contact Lens Terwee at lensterwee@gmail.com
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Darryl Patton: Godfather of the Expat Bars
Darryl Patton: Godfather of the Expat Bars