New StarMetro series revisits discotheques and bars that shaped Klang Valley’s nightlife
While dance floors and pulsating beats defined the disco era, Tin Mine at Kuala Lumpur Hilton, which was in Jalan Sultan Ismail, had another draw away from the music – a dedicated backgammon corner.
Tucked within one of Kuala Lumpur’s most glamorous entertainment spots, the backgammon corner offered a quieter space where regulars could retreat for a game, catch their breath between dance sets or unwind over conversation.
In many ways, the room reflected the charm that made Tin Mine one of the city’s leading nightlife destinations from the early 1970s through the 1990s.
Disco deejays
For former Tin Mine deejay Liew Min Kak, 65, the backgammon room remains one of his fondest memories of the discotheque.
“It wasn’t just popular with guests, the staff loved it too,” said Liew, better known as DJ Kako.
“There were a few backgammon tables and we would play before guests started arriving, then again after closing to wind down.
“It became part of the Tin Mine experience.”
DJ Kako, who worked at Tin Mine from 1980 to 1994 with Singapore-based entertainment company Juliana’s of London, described the discotheque as “a magical place”.
“It was popular, yet discreet.
“The moment you stepped into Tin Mine, you felt alive and special,” he said.
His career there began almost by chance.
“I had no experience.
“My mentor, the late Charles Buenaventura, interviewed me in the afternoon and I was learning the ropes that very night.”
At just 19, DJ Kako was thrust into entertaining Kuala Lumpur’s discerning crowds and had to quickly learn to deejay.
“We used turntables then, so I had to understand beats per minute, learn to read the crowd and operate the lighting system.
“The night would begin with a laser show,” he said.
Tin Mine initially featured live bands before gradually alternating between live performances and deejays in the mid-1970s.
Eventually, deejays took over the console as disco culture grew in popularity, said DJ Kako.
He said Tin Mine could accommodate about 450 guests, often reaching full capacity with hardly any standing room on weekends.
“Yet people kept coming,” said DJ Kako, who now moderates the Tin Mine KL Hilton Facebook page and lives in Butterworth, Penang.
Veteran radio announcer Fabian Jesse James, better known as Phat Fabes, also had a stint at Tin Mine in the 1990s while working with Patrick Teoh’s Music Machine.
“Tin Mine was a place where the who’s who would come to party. It was a place of controlled chaos.
“On one side, you had people playing backgammon, just chilling and having a good time, and on the other, people were partying,” said Phat Fabes, 56.
He said long-serving bartenders and wait staff, known for their personalised service, knew regulars by name.
“The staff were amazing. People from all walks of life partied there,” the Lite FM deejay added.
“What was great about Tin Mine was that everyone was treated like a VIP.
“That’s why I loved the place. Nobody was looked down upon.”
Phat Fabes also remembered Tin Mine as a safe place to party, where fights were rare and broken bottles were unheard of.
All dressed up
The venue was synonymous with glamour and exclusivity.
It attracted celebrities, expatriates, prominent businessmen and Kuala Lumpur’s social elite, all expected to adhere to a strict dress code.
“The women were always elegantly dressed and adorned with jewellery,” DJ Kako recalled.
“There was no such thing as wearing jeans, shorts or T-shirts.
“Even we deejays had to wear a coat, shirt and tie from 9pm onwards.”
For Sherrie DeKorte, owner of salsa studio Havana Estudio, dressing up was part of the excitement for a night out at Tin Mine.
“The women were dressed to the nines, while the men wore jackets and trousers,” she said.
“Some even wore suits. It was always fun to be at Tin Mine.
“I remember playing backgammon with my husband and our friends.”
Tin Mine also became the place where DeKorte, 67, discovered salsa dancing after Colombian F&B manager Oscar Lezama introduced salsa nights to cater to the hotel’s international clientele.
“Oscar started weekday classes and on Saturday evenings, we had salsa parties,” she said.
“Another Malaysian and I were the only locals attending classes.”
Kuala Lumpur resident Rachel Williams also remembers Tin Mine as the city’s ultimate social destination.
“It was where people went to socialise and be seen,” she said.
“Tin Mine was the hippest disco in town.
“People would have dinner at Malacca Grill before ending the night at Tin Mine,” she said.
For many who experienced its heyday, Tin Mine was more than just a discotheque.
It was a cultural institution where music, fashion, conversation and even a centuries-old board game came together to define Kuala Lumpur’s golden era of nightlife.
