Greetings,
Welcome to the return of LengPleng.com as a weekly email. If you wish to receive LengPleng in your inbox every Thursday please send an email saying Subscribe to gigs@lengpleng.com. Yes, we have our old address back too. Venues and performers wishing to have their gigs listed please use the same email address from now on. And tell your friends.
Well well, it does seem that we’re out from under the blankets of restrictions in Phnom Penh, as live music is now bursting out across the city – new venues and bands, as well as old favourites springing up seemingly out of nowhere. Elsewhere it seems there is some slow return of activities, with The Harbour in Siem Reap back on again on for their Wednesdays and as well as a Friday night gig, and more events are expected soon there and in Kampot.
Thursday in Phnom Penh has become a busy night – notably new tonight are Skinny Lydia, a collaboration between Phil O’Flaherty and new fella Gaby Courroux at Botanico. Also coming in under the radar somewhat has been the Elephant Bar Follies on Thursdays under the stewardship of Phil Javelle. Argentinian duo Poca & Gonzalo are back at Back Street Bar, and Intan & Friends expands to a trio with Daisuke joining Intan and James at The Attic.
For a quick run around the highlights of the coming weekend, Jeff Baker kicks off the new Friday series at Odom Garden with a solo performance, Little Susie returns to live music with Antonio. Alpaca Lips descend on The Harbour in Siem Reap. On Saturday night new venue Central Cafe hosts Blues Routes, while brand new band Japan Guitar Shop open for Little Thieves at Oscar’s on the Corner and Joe & the Jumping Jacks are at Duplex.
**For the rest of the gigs, check out the listings at the bottom of the page**
Next Tuesday, 16 November, Meta House opens their first new exhibition, Sound and Light, featuring artworks by Phnom Penh musicians. Long in the preparation, at last this show is going ahead – check out works by Vanntin Hoeurn, Troy Campbell, Gem Habito, Mirasol Aguila, Rodrigo Garzon, Nara Tsitra, and help our cousins in the art world celebrate their own return. Much more information here. You can find the new Meta House on St 228 between St 63 and Monivong. From 6 pm.
Still thin on details, but at least it’s been announced: the Angkor Internaional Festival of the Arts will be held 10 – 12 December in Siem Reap. A bit more detail is available for one part of the festival, the Angkor Writers and Readers Festival over the same weekend.
Passing Chords: a few things you might not know about… Gary Custance
Oxford native and massive Elliot Smith fan Gary Custance is part of the creative explosion that is Little Thieves, formed in Phnom Penh in the times of the pandemic and ready to rock you at Oscar’s on the Corner on Saturday night, supported by new outfit Japan Guitar Shop and followed by K’n’E.
Do you have a pet musical hate?
Hate is strong, but West End musicals make me feel a bit nauseous.
The year you first came to Cambodia:
2015, when the rivers of Phnom Penh teamed with rainbow fish and one could survive simply by foraging fruits on street 278.
An early music memory:
We only had 2 albums in our car. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours and the Annie Lennox album that opened with Walking on broken glass. I could sing you every word of that Fleetwood Mac album, if you’d like?
The last thing you had to eat:
Indonesian fusion and crisps.
A country you want to visit:
England – it’s been ages since I’ve been back to blighty.
A book or movie you keep going back to:
I reread George Orwell a lot, currently rereading East of Eden by Steinbeck. Mr Cove Aaranoff, song writer extraordinaire of Japan Guitar Shop, based a few of their tunes on Steinbeck I believe. But I digress…
What languages can you speak?
English, a bit of Khmer and practically no Urdu
Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:
Guitar – 14. Easy.
Something people might be surprised to know about you:
I am actually afraid of guitars… no not really. Ermmmm, I don’t like my name very much. Sorry to any co-members of the Gazbrigade out there, but it’s just a bit rubbish isn’t it?
You have a time machine and a magic ticket to one gig or festival in the past. What do you choose?
Any Elliott Smith show once he started playing the intimate acoustic gigs. Would kill to have seen him before he left us.
A question from the last participant: If you could choose one musician/singer to play/sing with (living or dead), who would it be? Michael Jackson, George Harrison, Amy Winehouse and Prince. Carnage. (Apologies to the last participant for multiple choices).
A question for the next participant: [note – this doesn’t have to be musical in any way] Who had a bigger musical influence on you, your mum or your dad? And WHY?
New and Recent Releases
A new release on Bandcamp – Ernie Buck, just returned to Phnom Penh stages – Brakelights by The Cham Ticks at https://erniebuck.bandcamp.com/track/brakelights. It’s the lead single from their debut album, Self Portrait with Moustache, coming soon.
Musician/s sought
Phnom Penh resident Johnathan Garrett looking for English-speaking multi-instrumentalists that are open to collaborating on studio work. He has some rock/hard rock demos he would like to develop. He can be reached by WhatsApp through 012549440 or johugarr@gmail.com.
Penh Garden at 278 (https://www.facebook.com/penh278) and Penh Coconut Park are seeking expressions of interest from performers of all kinds.
Steve Porte Photo of the Week
The triumphant return of Ernie Buck with Greg “I was here the whole time” Beshers, The Uncomfortably White Brothers at Oscar’s on the Corner, Friday 5 November, 2021.
If there are things that you know that LengPleng should know, please tell us and we’ll do our best to tell the world.
See you around the traps.
your correspondent,
Guillermo Wheremount
LengPleng.com
gigs@lengpleng.com
Weekly Gig Guide ** residency
Thursday
- Gareth Bawden, 6 pm, Penh 278 **
- Skinny Lydia, 7 pm, Botanico
- Poca y Gonzalo, 7 pm, Back Street Bar
- Cloud Open Mic hosted by Initial G, 7 pm, Cloud
- Elephant Bar Follies with Phil Javelle & Friends, 7 pm, Elephant Bar **
- Intan & Friends, 7.30 pm, The Attic **
- Jam session, 9 pm, Bosporus
- Unity, 8 pm, Central Café
- Havana Nice, 8 pm, Sora Sky Bar **
- The Extraordinary Chambers, 10 pm, Oscar’s on the Corner **
Friday
- Jeff Baker, 6.30 pm, Botanico@Odom Garden
- Alisha, 6.30 pm, Cloud
- Gerard & Gaby, 7 pm, Green Pepper
- Antonio, 7 pm, Little Susie
- Khmer Magic Music Bus, 7 pm, Bouchon Wine Bar**
- Kiss Bang Bong, 7 pm, Lantern
- Havana Nice, 7 pm, Elephant Bar **
- Pisces Trio, 8 pm, Central Café
- Alpaca Lips, 8 pm, The Harbour (Siem Reap)
- Havana Nice, 9.30 pm, Azure
- K’n’E , 10 pm, Oscar’s on the Corner **
Saturday
- Mekong Margarita Fiesta featuring Dairon Gonzalez Reyes, Seekers Spirits – event starts 12.30 pm, music from 6 pm
- Ocean Smooth, 7.30 pm, Sunset Boulevard
- Blues Routes, 8 pm, Central Café
- Joe & the Jumping Jacks, 9 pm, Duplex
- Little Thieves plus Japan Guitar Shop plus K’n’E , 9 pm, Oscar’s on the Corner
Sunday
- Joe & the Jumping Jacks, 10 pm, Oscar’s on the Corner **
Monday
- Cambodia Country Band, 10 pm, Oscar’s on the Corner **
Tuesday
- Joe Wrigley & Friends, 6 pm, The Cove **
Wednesday
- Yee & Austin Rizer, 7 pm, Bouchon Wine Bar**
- The Box Office open mic, hosted by Gone Marshall and Scott Bywater on alternate weeks, 8 pm, The Box Office **
- The Harbour open mic, 8 pm, The Harbour (Siem Reap)
- First World Problems, 10 pm, Oscar’s on the Corner **
Coming soon:
Esther Mao & Friends at Botanico@Odom Gardens
Stiff Little Punks at Oscar’s on the Corner
The Extraordinary Chambers at Duplex