Raising the bar: tattoo tiki

File under: drink, nightlife, tattoos, Wellington

I've got plenty of new bar suggestions, but just for a moment I want to go back to the Tiki bar concept. That's because I just had an idea of the perfect location for such a bar: the National Tattoo Museum on Abel Smith Street.

The location is good (far enough from the Courtenay hordes, yet close enough to Cuba Street) and it would help form a cluster with Havana and the Southern Cross. But it's not the location itself that interests me, and the last think I'd want to do is suggest that the museum be pushed out to make way for the bar. On the contrary, I think the museum should open a bar, making use of its existing exhibits and decor to create a truly unique spin on the Tiki bar experience. They've already got this mad moai glowering over the entrance to set the mood.

Everyone agrees that the museum is a great thing to have in Wellington, but they've been struggling to get the visitor numbers required to pay the rising rents. By incorporating a bar, they could ensure that the exhibits are seen, pay some of the rent, and add a unique venue to the Wellington scene. Part of the building could still be set aside as a more serious museum, but there should be enough room left over to mix moko and Mai Tais. They could also use some of the carpark area on the Wigan St side as an outdoor bar (with bamboo walls and flaming braziers, naturally).


Of course, tattoos aren't just about Polynesia, and the museum covers other cultures and contemporary counter-cultures as well. But this is exactly the sort of Tiki bar that I had in mind: not so much an upmarket lounge bar, but something a bit more Cuba Street, the sort of Tiki bar that Eyeball Kicks would create if they were so inclined. Maybe they'd play Martin Denny exotica on a midweek night, but crank it up at the weekend with the Chandeliers or the Mysterious Tapeman.

I hope that this doesn't sound like a frivolous or disrespectful suggestion, or a resort to the notion of the "exotic" to cheapen a serious mission. But the musuem itself has been happy to use drummers, fire eaters and body-painted models to enliven their fundraising parties, so this could be seen as a permanent party to fund the museum and get greater exposure for a fascinating exhibition.

And just in case you think it's strange to be obsessed about wanting a Tiki bar, read this excerpt from a recent editorial in Modern Drunkard Magazine:

Local publications and pundits have long found pleasure in labeling Denver a Cow Town, an oversized burg with big-city pretensions but lacking the sophistication and culture to back it up.

And up to three weeks ago, those decriers may have had a foot to stand on. But no more. Denver is now a real city. A full-fledged metropolis. And if you think I'm saying this because of the recently opened opera house, you couldn't be more wrong.

I'm saying it because Denver finally has a Tiki bar.