Click here for an audio-visual look at the gig highlights

***for full gig listings jump to the bottom***

Greetings:

On Thursday in Phnom Penh, things kick off with sets from both Raphael Biamonte and Alli G at Botanico for the opening of the art exhibition Printing Reflections, then there’s the jazz jam with Dr George at Tape Deck and the Noisy Chili  open mic hosted by Muz Muskett,  Aisha & Ace at Little Susie and The Extraordinary Chambers at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap, Possum Bush are at The Pizza Garden.

On Friday in Phnom Penh, Rags to Rainbows are at Khmer Funk Sky Bar, Miss Sarawan is at Botanico, Randy Cataluna at The Tin Hat,  The Next Universe are at Meta House and Ethereal Journey are at Distortion Dive Bar. For late night Montra are at Oscar’s on the Corner, Two Country Drunks Band are at Bassac Square and Miss Sarawan at Uniga.  In Kampot the Jampot open mic at Karma Traders is hosted by Ant Colloff.

Saturday night in Phnom Penh Dr George is solo at Botanico and Rockustic are at Tropico.  Going later, The Extraordinary Chambers are at Oscar’s on the Corner, there’s a late night jam with Ace at Stories by Little Susie  and Miss Sarawan is at Sabada.  On the coast, Christophe & Phil are at The Wave: Kep West.

Come Sunday, Garden Trio are at  Sronos Music School, Two Country Drunks are at Motodop, Wayfarer State and Marianna Hensley are each doing solo sets at The Vine, Scott Bywater hosts the Sunday Sundowners open mic at Tacos Kokopelli, Joe Wrigley is at Bar Oz and Greg Beshers is at Hunt.  Later on Shaken Spirit is at Oscar’s on the Corner.

Passing Chords – a few things you may not know about

Mariko Fukao, euphonium and trombone player with Bassac Brass, Brass on the Block, Garden Trio, and the Phnom Penh Symphony Orchestra.  “I also played with a Japanese choir, the Phnom Penh Singers, they invited me as a guest performer to play some solo pieces on the euphonium.  All these things are so new to me, because in Japan or other countries I usually go involved in very big brass bands or concert bands, 30 or 50 people.  Here everything is more flexible.”  After a couple of years in Cambodia she is moving on, and will play farewell gigs with Garden Trio this Sunday at Sronos Music School, and then with both Bassac Brass and Brass on the Block at Motodop on Saturday 13.

Do you have a pet musical hate/pet peeve?

When music is too loud.  I’m not that sensitive, I play a brass instrument and sometimes play with 50 brass players in one room with no problem, but sometimes the sound can be too loud.  At gigs or even at the shopping mall.

A private musical indulgence:

I like brass bands.  When I was young I used to listen to a lot of brass band music, especially the British style.  Music to my ear.  I also grew up listening to J-Pop and Ghibli and Disney and even game music.

The year you first came to Cambodia:

I think it was 2005, on a work trip for only one week, with colleagues.  I was in Phnom Penh and visited Kampong Speu province.  It was a really nice experience – my first business trip after I started work, everything was paid for by the company.  I liked the Cambodian food, noodles, and rice and pork.  No high buildings.

An early music memory:

My sister, four years older than me, started to play the piano.  I always listened to her practice, and I thought I’d like to learn also.  She would play Debussy, Chopin, she was pretty good.  And she also played trombone in the school brass band.  So I tried to follow everything she did.

The last thing you had to eat:

A rice bowl with chicken.

Stagefright – yes or no?

It depends.  Usually no.  I used to have stagefright all the time.  But in Cambodia the people are so welcoming I don’t feel so much pressure or competition.

A country you want to visit:

I want to visit Sri Lanka and go whale watching.  I want to go to Italy, and Australia.

A book or movie you keep going back to:

I don’t have much time to go back, I want new things that I haven’t seen.  Recently I finished a Japanese comic book from the eighties.

What languages do you have?

I speak Japanese, English, and a little bit of Thai.  I used to live in Thailand.

Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:

I started piano at four years old, then I started euphonium at nine years old and played that for a long time, it’s my favourite.  I only started playing trombone recently.  I like all the brass instruments.   I can play trumpet; I can’t play tuba, the mouthpiece is too big, it covers my face.

Something people might be surprised to know about you:

Mayumi, who plays piano with Garden Trio, went to the same high school as me, overlapping for two years, but we didn’t know each other until we met in Phnom Penh.

You have a time machine and a magic ticket to one gig or festival in the past. What do you choose?

One CD I listened to over and over was the 1992 Brass Band Championship in the Royal Albert Hall in London.  In 2024 I visited the Royal Albert Hall, it was great.

A question from the last participant: what is the hottest venue that you have played music in in Phnom Penh?

Coconut Park.  Brass on the Block played there last month – during the soundcheck my iPad shut down, the heat was too much.  We played around eight o’clock in the evening but it was still hot.

Department of Mutual Support:  Friends of LengPleng

Being a Friend of LengPleng is open to venues, acts, and even private individuals; if you value the service we provide please consider assisting us financially.   For a modest contribution ($25 for three months, $40 for six months, $75 for 12 months), you get the logo of your choice into the weekly email and onto the weekly wrap page, and an automatically click through to a page on our website for further information, photos, videos and so on – we like to think of it as an alternative to Facebook.

We also pay special attention when you have a good story for us – an upcoming event or an artist you wish to highlight.  Email gigs@lengpleng.com for further details or bail up Scoddy wherever you see him.

 

Steve Porte Photo of the Week

Tep Modyka of Montra, who return to Oscar’s on the Corner on Friday night.

[Steve is on his annual vacation in New York City]

If you wish to receive a notification for the new edition of LengPleng in your inbox every Thursday please send a subscribe email to gigs@lengpleng.com.

Musicians, venues, punters:  if there are things 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 (mailto:gigs@lengpleng.com

 

Weekly Gig Guide – week commencing Thursday 4 June 2026

** residency/weekly

Thursday

 

Friday

 

Saturday                                                            

 

Sunday

 

Monday

 

Tuesday

 

Wednesday

 

Coming soon:

Friday 12 June

Saturday 13 June

Sunday 14 June

 

Friday 19 June

 

Saturday 20 June

Sunday 21 June (Fete de la Musique)

 

By Weekly Wrap