Culture Archives - Mark Barnes

Stand-up comedy in the capital: The funny side of Ha-Ha-Hanoi

August 3, 2021July 6, 2020 by Mark Barnes

This article was publish in the Hanoi Times. Short stools have been scattered haphazardly facing a microphone on a stand on what would normally be a step, but tonight will double as a stage. The bar to the side, with its assorted beers and bottled spirits, is brightly lit but the lights at the back … Read more

Hanoi’s live music scene wakes up groggy but ready to bounce back

August 3, 2021May 25, 2020 by Mark Barnes

This article was published in Tuoi Tre On a rooftop in Hanoi’s old quarter a handful of lanterns, strung above a small makeshift dais, burn bright against the dark of a Hanoian summer night. Beneath them, a tender-brown, acoustic guitar sits idle against a small wooden chair. Beside it a chalkboard advertises the night’s headliners, … Read more