When Paul Gee took a big bottle of Tiger beer, more than half full, and
whacked Darren Jorde on the head with it last Saturday night, it was
certainly regrettable, but it wasn't just another bar fight. Gee is a part
owner and manager of Napoli, the infamous pub in Taichung that has provided
the stage for endless experimental jams by early Spring Scream bands,
including Dribdas, and generally led the way in nurturing Taichung's music
scene for most of the last eight years. Jorde is the bass player for Milk,
one of the biggest bands to ever come out of that scene.
The thing is, Gee has been managing day-to-day operations at Napoli for over
a year and a half now, since becoming a part owner. Previously, the pub had
been run by Luigi Castagnanova, a popular figure in Taichung who managed to
support local bands for years in a free and easy environment. Many feel that
Gee has changed that vibe, though a number of local bands do continue to
play regularly at Napoli.
Since the incident, Jorde has taken no legal action towards either Gee or
Napoli. Like his band mates, he is generally conciliatory and hopes to
resolve the situation with an establishment that has been something of a
Taichung landmark.
"I don't want to start a feud or anything," said Jorde, "Professionally and
personally, I just want to get over it." Castagnanova, who was at Napoli on
Wednesday night, echoed similar sentiments, saying he had spoken with Jorde
about the matter.
Napoli is located at 424 Hwa Mei St. in Taichung City (台中市華美街424
號). Bar brawls notwithstanding, there is free pizza from 10pm to 12am on
Thursdays.
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