Leng Pleng

Chema Rodriguez

• The Jam-Cha weekend at Khmer New Year was a blast! Three amazing shows in a row in amazing venues: The Harbour, Pomme and Laundry Bar! Packed, loud, have, funky, fun!
• Touring Kampot and Phnom Penh with Jam-Cha and our new original project ScapeGoat Candy was fantastic!
• Miserable Man shows! What a talented guy! Enjoyed three of them, wish I could have had more.
• Playing along great musicians as a substitute drummer for Pocket Change. A great night at Le Moon followed by an amazing jam at Oscar’s.
• Kampot Playboys at Dong Tael. Great vibes, good people, good times!
  
• The Wildmen EP release gig at The Harbour!  It was totally packed, full of energy, high voltage. Same as our music. Headbangers everywhere. That’s what rock and roll is all about.

Greg Beshers

Since Odom Garden is closing on 8 January 2023 i’d like to thank all of the artists that played Botanico@Odom Garden in 2022 (and since we opened).   I’m sure I will forget some: 12me, Havanna Nice, Miss Sarawan, Gareth Bawden, Josh & Denver, Clay George, Scoddy Bywater & Tamarinda, Marianna Hensley, Mirasol & Gabby, The Broken Cymbal, Phil O’Flaherty, Poca & Cesar, Gonzalo Rodino, Ariane Parkes, Jeff Baker, Billy Page & Phil Javelle, Geography of the Moon…. and most recently Mimi & the Merrymakers early on a Sunday morning.  FYI – The 3 Country Drunks will play the last gig at Botanico@Odom on Friday, 6 January, 2023.

As for other gigs, the most recent Japan Guitar Shop show at Craft Bbq & friends in Palace Laneway was great. As was Cove playing solo sets at the Vine’s Sunday Sessions.  The First Laneway Fest with the 2 Jacks and Skin and Strings, and the very waterlogged Vinestock later in the year.

The Uncomfortably White Brothers’ Craft Beer festival 2022 gig in Kampot at Monkey Republic was pretty epic. As was the last UWB gig at the Vine on Ernie’s birthday.   The Kampot & Siem Reap Jumping Jacks shows were great. Good times at 60 Roads studio too!  Marianna Hensley doing her first solo set at the Vine. The Kampot Playboys’ first gig of 2022 at Oscar’s.

The long planned Bob Dylan tribute at Oscar’s on the Corner. Not only getting to hear a bunch of great musicians, but also getting to play with a diverse group of local musicians too.  The last Cambodia Country Band show at Oscar’s was pretty crazy all around.  Getting to play with my old friend Slim Jim when he visited in November.  Forming a new band, the funky lounge act that is The Los(T)apes (with Marianna Hensley & Phil Javelle).

Being a part of the planning & production of Oktoberfest. Thanks to all the bands who played and people who helped out.

My weekly gigs with the Cambodian Country Band, and The Jumping Jacks and of course getting my rock and roll on with The Extraordinary Chambers (my first band here in Cambodia).

I realized a few months ago that I’ve been playing at least 150+ gigs a year just at Oscar’s. So I have decided to take 2023 easy and cut back to just two regular gigs a week there (plus whatever extra ones elsewhere I book).

Happy 2023 to all the musicians in town. And also a very big THANKS to all of the music fans who go out and watch us all do our thing.

Thanks LengPleng

Steve Porte

• Return to the stage of Kampot Playboys and Japan Guitar Shop.
• New aircon unit at Oscar’s.
• Several new bands out of SR gigging in PP.
• Finally developed a fair and equitable method of deciding which band to cover on nights with multiple overlapping shows: a coin toss.

The Broken Cymbal

It’s hard to choose which memories stick out for us this year. Could it be a massive mango tree, the Shargta King, Sugar Goat, or the ghost of bass… Either way, The Broken Cymbal has laughed, cried (mostly from laughing), danced and enjoyed 2022 with reckless abandon, deep joy and moments that we will cherish forever.

Yuvalito’s farewell gig at Hub Street Cocktails, a quarto, live stream extravaganza at Meta House, rocking out at Oscar’s on the Corner…To ALL the venues who have housed us and given us space this year, we love and appreciate you more than you know. To the people who have come out to support our gigs, from the bottom of our hearts we adore you. To our brilliant photographer Aurel at MSYPhotographie, you are a light and we revere your gorgeous talents, thank you so much for snapping us this year.

It has truly been a blessed year. Anthony who brought us all together and kept us going through rhythm and rhyme, Amed who earned us multiple bet fares and divinely touched souls with his bass techniques, Yuvalito whose energy, skills on the keys and light shines beyond any glow we’ve ever witnessed, Cati on vocals, smooth, passionate, we salute you and 2022.

Thank you so much to everyone whose been involved in our journey, we cannot express how much we love and adore you. These memories will last a lifetime. Blessings and happy 2023.

Will Canuck

This was a year of transition musically for many of us participants in the Phnom Penh live music community. The most prominent change being just plain getting back to gigging as COVID loosened its grip on the Kingdom and restrictions receded. We also saw a number of community stalwarts, both bands and individual players say goodbye, at least for now but not forever one hopes. Clay George and the Cambodia Country Band is the most significant act gone MIA to me. I will miss Mondays watching the band I personally found to be the best array of players in the city, one complete with the Penh’s most talented front man. Stan Paleco will also be sorely missed, a gentleman and one of the deepest founts of musical knowledge and ability I’ve had the pleasure to know.

On the personal front my first band here in the Penh, first world problems, hung it up as guitarist Pavel Ramirez moved to Sweden with his young family. That lead to a change in philosophy, line up and name as drummer Ricky Haldeman and I rebuilt our sound and set list. The addition of Soun Vutha and Martin Sutch on lead and rhythm guitar respectively and embracing a covers friendly approach, forgoing the problems “originals only” mantra in favour of a blend of the best of what I’ve written and the songs from my favourite artists has proved a real success. And with all that, a name change had to follow. We settled on “blender” which describes both our new approach to our set’s material and the fact that the four of us all hail from different countries.

For me, two events stand out among the 30 odd gigs we played in 2022 and lord knows how many more I attended.

The special Saturday gig blender played at Oscar’s on the Corner in honour of my youngest brother Dave’s visit to Phnom Penh was particularly meaningful as it was the first gig I’d played with a family member in attendance for over seven years. Dave has been backstage or front of house throughout much of my musical journey, designing posters for my uni bands, running lights for my band he said she said during our run at the big time in the late 80’s and never failing to praise what was good or being blunt about what wasn’t working with all of my various bands.

The Dylan tribute at Oscar’s was the best of both worlds as the city’s best came out to deliver stunningly creative, respectful and accomplished renditions of Bob tunes, deep cuts and all. And on a personal level I had the honour of singing one of my favourites, Desolation Row, in front of a line-up that included some of my absolute favourite players with special mention to Sal DiGaetano, who along with my blender bandmate Ricky Haldeman, is one of my two most respected drummers in the Penh.

And there is this. I’ve started writing again, penning a tune called “Phnom Penh Rocks” a few months back. It’s been a real crowd pleaser at our Wednesday nights at Oscar’s and is proof that when you write something you know to be true, you really can’t go wrong.

Michele Bowen

Here are my top four most memorable

• Secret Garden concert at Sofitel
• Phnom Penh Symphony Orchestra at Chaktomuk Theatre in June
• Groovy Tuk Tuks at Villa D in Siem Reap last weekend
• Mayari Quartet at Sunset Boulevard in October

Magnus Saemundsson

One of the unexpected but beautiful concerts in Phnom Penh during 2022 took place at the Raffles Le Royal on September 18. Three Vietnamese classical guitarists, Huy Thanh Nguyen, Huy Quang Tran and Nien Le, played contemporary music by the composers Roland Dyens from France and Paulo Bellinati from Brazil. Brilliant performance of beautiful music, including O Trio Magico and Baião de Gude.

The PRERNA duo of Thomas Hommeyer on sitar and Pervez Gulzar on tabla performed a memorable and mesmerizing concert together with the Sharon Lui on violin at Meta House on 8 October. The setting of sitar, table and violin was perfect both for the formality and improvisation of the classical Ragas as well as the Indian Fusion arrangement of rock music.

The classics of Scott Bywater got a stirring and most enjoyable new arrangements and sound with the Tamarinda, that unfortunately only performed once at Odom Garden on 18 February.  Tamarinda were Scoddy himself on vocals & guitar, Sharon Lui on violin, Troy Campbell on drums and Marianna Hensley on vocals. Not least Troy’s sensitive and imaginative drumming transformed the classics into another dimension.

The organisation Asian Music in Peoples’ Peace and Progress (AMP3) organised an interesting and fun concert at Meta House on 3 November under the header “Our Music, Our Community, Our Struggle: A Night of People’s Music from Asia”. The performers were from Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines and India. The magic sound of Vedi Sinha’s acapella songs were spellbinding and powerful at the same time.

But you cannot talk about musical highlights in Phnom Penh this year without talking about Ariane Parkes. During 2022 Ariane has emerged as unique and personal singer songwriter, both through her first album “talk to the girl, speak to the ghost” and the music videos of the songs on the album but also as a solo performer together with Scott Bywater. Such pleasure! 

Ariane Parkes

Looking back on 2022 with my music glasses on, I realize that it was a really great year and I think I should appreciate that by writing these following lines and sending them to LengPleng. The reader might find my highlights a bit self-centered but here I go anyway.

The year started with a personal highlight end of January, the Phnom Penh Ukulele Circle Theme night: Muppets! The muppet in me sometimes comes out on stage – unrequested – but this time we were all muppets and mastered the actually quite challenging songs happily. I got the chance to sing Happy Tapping with Elmo and truly gave my all to make it sound like Elmo.

The year continued with two recording projects with Professor Kinski: First in March, Checkered Past – Phnom Penh’s premier Ska-band, thank you Greg – released their EP “Public Announcement” on bandcamp and we had two absolutely amazing gigs, the one headlining the Saturday at Sofitel’s Springfest – a big stage and a wireless microphone, what else could I have possibly wished for?? – and our epic EP release party at Backstreet Bar. Checkered Past will return to Phnom Penh’s stages with new musicians on board – Ska has not left the building!

The second bandcamp release followed in May, my completely unexpected solo album “talk to the girl, speak to the ghost”. This was a real milestone in my musical life and I hope, I’ll get the chance to record more of my songs next year. And I will say it again and again: Thank you Scott, and Thank you Jan for making my songs sound lovely and Thank you Björn for the beautiful booklet for the album and the beautiful videos that have also been released now.

Another highlight in live music during the first half of 2022 was certainly the Secret Garden Festival at Sofitel, I had not experienced this sort of festival atmosphere here in Phnom Penh before.

The second half started for me in August after my return from Germany which also had a couple of musical highlights for me (like the This-Is-Ska-Festival/family reunion and a real reunion with my former band in Berlin Port Royal) but they don’t belong here, of course.

Checkered Past had to go back to the rehearsal room with our new band members and Scott and I came up with a different gig beside The Sock Essentials in which we’re just the two songwriters that we are and simply perform our original music only. One of these shows was at Botanico at Odom Garden (which will be dearly missed next year) and amazingly attended and particularly great fun.

I’m still waiting for one more highlight though which will be when I can say after the gig: no wrong notes on the glockenspiel tonight.

That’s already been a bunch of highlights and I’m still not finished! December had two more for me: The debut gig of a brand-new band called “Penh Pals” at the 17^th anniversary of Tacos Kokopelli/TacoKat. Liam and Mike – two excellent guitarists – and I are coming from rather different musical backgrounds but managed to find a really enjoyable mix of suggestions for cover songs from all of us and also added some originals from each one of us. We’ll be back on stage next year, that’s certain.

And my musical year 2022 ended with another highlight, another milestone for me: On Christmas Day I was the guest host of the legendary Sunday Sundowner Sessions at Tacos Kokopelli. Luckily enough I had just recently started to occasionally give short solo performances with the guitar so I was brave enough to play (mostly) all by myself for about two hours. Just a few weeks ago I wouldn’t have thought that I could be able to do that.

I just looked back on 2022 with my music glasses on and I can only say: Thank you, 2022, you’ve been wonderful!

Stuart Cottom

Moving to Phnom Penh was my first step to join a thriving music scene. A big shout out to Kevin “The Vagabond” Sysyn who at Lone Star Saloon’s open mic not only gave me the opportunity to sing, but from the outset was incredibly supportive of my goals. Singing at open mics was the first step to working out what I knew, what I didn’t know and what I needed to work on. Scotty at Voodoo Saloon, Dave at Sundance, Jason at the Box Office, Jamz at 308 Electric Kitchen, and Packo at Ponytails/Front Bar all gave me a chance to play and sing.

I was then invited to join The Busking Kings by Packo, Pete and Paul which drove me further to practice and learn. Bunthoern at Little Susie’s then offered me my first solo gig and I am forever grateful. Of course, the pinnacle of the Phnom Penh music scene is Oscar’s on the Corner. Live bands play every night and it is a phenomenal venue to mix with the Phnom Penh musos. It is/was a pleasure watching and listening to the Cambodian Country Band every Monday night with Clay, Joe, Greg, Dave, Oscar & Vibol. From Temple on Tuesdays, Blender on Wednesdays, Extraordinary Chambers on Thursdays, Srey Ka and K&E on Fridays, guest bands on Saturdays and Joe & The Jumping Jacks on Sundays, there is never a shortage of great music.

The Busking Kings even toured Kampot and Brett at Bundy Bar, Benjamin at Golden Time and Mark at First Bar have hosted us. Tony at Villa Grange and Bob and Pheap at Front Bar on St 118 have also had us play. Bar Oz’s Gary heard me play at one of the Sunday sessions and asked if I would host every Sunday, which again I truly appreciate. As I continue on my journey, I look forward to future opportunities.

To all the musicians, customers and venue owners, I cannot express my gratitude enough for allowing me to be a part of the music scene. My goal is to continue to improve and provide great entertainment throughout 2023. Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year and to creating and enjoying more great music next year.

Frank Scarfone

I really have bad memory.  A recent one I enjoyed was Maki Orkestr at Back Street Bar – music, atmosphere, crowd, energy, everything was great.

Alli Gecikarana

Personally I have had a blessed year surrounded with great musicians and also different kind of arts people that are sometime not highlighted enough. I know some poets that still beautifully craft their poems, I know photographers that see the views from different perspective, I know videographers that uplift the scenery, I know fire spinners that playing with danger and make it looks effortless. And as u can see Leng Pleng is one of them where it should always keep being alive.

Every single one of these artsy people, I cherish them. Even though they are weird in the eyes of the norm, for me, u guys make the art scene in Cambodia more colorful. I am also glad that a lot of my music projects such as Alli G solo, Rockustic and TheQuilas got a lot of support from the scene itself. And Apollyon Events Management who always believe about being different and accept my differences. I just felt blessed.

Thank you for appreciating my arts. It means a lot and I will never stop.

Phil Javelle

Thanks again to all the musicians who participated in the International Jazz Day Music Fest @ Treellion Park on April 30th, it was a great gathering of talents and friendship – thanks to Cambodian popstars X-Brothers Band for inviting me to join them on stage.

AIA’s Fit For Hope concert on October 22nd was a great stage moment, backing X-Brothers, Kai and Khemarak Sereymom.

Thanks to Oktoberfest’s organizers for enabling me to launch Oompapazz, an international marching band featuring Euan Gray, Ross Clarke, Yusbel Ramos and Daisuke Yasukochi.

Marianna Hensley

Looking back, 2022 feels like the longest year—a liminal time between what was and what might be. And so it makes a kind of sense that the musical highlights that call to me are a combination of returns, departures, beginnings, and singular moments.

Grass Snake Revival. With Mark Chattaway back on mandolin, the addition of Gaby Courroux on (mostly) guitar, Joe Wrigley stepping out on (mostly) double bass, and me singing my heart out like the happiest fool in the holler, Grass Snake’s return to live performance in 2022 is an undisputed personal highlight. Mimi and the Merrymakers.

After months of livestreaming through the COVID era, 2022 welcomed the return of the joyful chaos that is the Merrymakers in-person. A particular highlight is a recent Merrymakers show where there was literally a child attached to each of my legs for nearly half of the performance! (Makes jumping around like a kangaroo or doing the hokey pokey particularly challenging.)

Other performance highlights for me in 2022: the Dylan Tribute at Oscar’s on the Corner, an afternoon of Bacharach and Simone with the sublime Metta Legita at Paradise Home, navigating the genesis of the Los(T)apes and trying to figure out what exactly “lounge rock” is, and a first foray into solo performance thanks to the support and encouragement of friends at The Vine.

Other 2022 highlights as a music lover: Solo acoustic performances by Ernie Buck and Clay George. “Our Music, Our Community, Our Struggle”: A Night of People’s Music from Asia hosted by Meta House was a beautiful evening featuring artists and folk music traditions from across Asia—transporting. Musica Felice’s performance of “Be Still My Soul” at their October charity concert left me in tears.  And sharing Margaret Bywater’s swan song at a standing-room only carol-sing at Barista the weekend before her departure—priceless.

Graham Cain

Reflecting back on the live music scene this past year, as 2022 comes to close, has been an uplifting journey as a solo entertainer.

The reopened region of South East Asia, since the pandemic ended, has brought with it new western entrepreneurs whose passionate love for live music has been highlighted in Cambodia. From the islands to Phnom Penh and everything in between. Although many live music venues dissolved during the pandemic, others are sprouting up with bigger and better venues and ideas.

Kampot has seen five new wonderful live music venues open in just the past few months. This for me has been the highlights of an ever fast growing live music scene happening in Kampot and in the Kingdom.

Here’s hoping the trend continues into 2023 and beyond.

Darryl Carter, Radio Oun

Kong Boran

Having just had our Xmas staff piss up, we were delighted to have Kong Boran (son of chapey master Kong Nay) play for us. Intimate gig, sat on the scenic lotus pond for sunset. Some of the team are not too keen on
Cambodian music but his performance had us all mesmerised including the kids playing and the da lengers. As we were walking back, a couple of teenage Khmer lads jamming asked him what his instrument was
called and if he wanted to jam with him. He sat with them, told them to put their guitars down and he belted an impov out for them. They had the same reaction as Wayne’s World: we’re not worthy.

We’ve recently had a couple of really nice venues open in Kampot who are big into the live music scene, The Bay and Kepal. To make the trip worthwhile for Boran I got him a couple of gigs at the new venues in addition to Monkey Republic who are always keen to showcase exceptional talent. Wow! Plenty of people in Kampot are now fans of the chapey.

Radio Blah Blah

Great to have Miserable Man perform and chat live to air the other month. Hope he makes it back soon.  Still waiting for GoM to call round to do the same, but they’re too busy touring SEA at the moment. Sadly last month Texas Mike passed away after a few months of illness. Sad loss of a friend, a presenter of 5 years and a big supporter of the music scene, lending equipment to musicians, letting them rehearse at his venue and giving them a stage to perform on. He’s remembered well; I sometimes put his picture up in the studio and play some country music from his playlists.  We’re doing got some new team members on board. The same week Mike died, we had a new presenter start, California Mike, who’s doing a great morning show on Mondays and Tuesdays. We’ve also got Maz doing weekday afternoons and local expat Niel Wilks who runs the local boat that goes to Kep is going to start presenting some Drivetimes in the new year.

Top 100

This year the top 100 poll has got me busy. Great to see so many people taking the time to nominate and vote and as has become an organic tradition, plenty of home grown talent in the list this year. I’ve not even got any idea who’s in the lead yet until our geek works out how to count them this year. I don’t have enough digits.

Looking forward to the new year. We’ve got some exciting news in the pipeline!

Chris Hilleary

For my own gigging endeavors, the 2022 highlight was having the opportunity to land the weekly Tuesday spot at Oscar’s Bar just as the year began as a member of Chi-Town. Although it lasted only a couple of months, it jump-started my motivation to practice once again after being dormant for the entire previous year.

The gig I enjoyed watching the most in 2022 was the sparsely attended acoustic set performed by Jam-Cha at Odom on a late afternoon. I was reminded how tight a 3-piece band can perform if everyone is tuned into each other and plays for the song.

Thomas Hommeyer

• PRERNA returning to the stage after a-year absence due to COVID and other factors was a major highlight on its own. Then playing at Meta House to a full house, and an evening playing Prince Brewing on the rooftop under the stars.
• Arranging and writing new material, with the thought of some recording later in the year.
• The addition of Sharon Lui to the band can’t be understated. She has expanded our sound in a truly wonderful way.

Derrick Big D Walker

I came to Phnom Penh and started playing with Philip Javelle and also with the Blue Souls, which was a really good experience all around. I did make a compilation of singles during the pandemic – none of it is blues, but it’s my arrangements, my solos, my rhythm guitar parts, other small instruments – this is what has taken up the majority of my year besides coming to Phnom Penh, which has been a pleasure.

I’m playing high-end gigs like the Tribe Hotel, Elephant Bar, but by far the most fun gig has been at Bouchon wine bar with the Blue Souls. With that said, if the Back Street bar had a better soundsystem I would say that was my favorite gig of the year. Actually, every gig is my favorite one. The last one at Oscar’s was fantastic last Monday, and the Mondays will continue.

Summer and Phil and I played at The Tribe for Christmas Eve, which was great.  I usually play blues and funk but working with a singer like that, that’s the kind of jazz that I like to play.

Cove Aaronoff

Too many to list, but off the top of my head I’d say the Dylan tribute show at Oscar’s, Maki Orkestr at Perch, Colin rapping with GOTM at Back Street, and any time the Kampot Playboys played.

Mia Lee

The highlights of my year have definitely been the mini-tour we (Nightmare A.D.) did with our friends in the Vietnamese thrash band Cut Lon (we did Saigon, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap), and the back-to-back shows with Nightmare A.D. and Psykic Elektric over the Halloween weekend. It’s good to be playing live on stage again, and more to come this coming year.

Desta Olds

• Beebop Jazz Night with Sharon, Gabby, Daisuke, etc at Sunset Boulevard
• Maki Orkestre at Sofitel where played with 19 others – and anytime they play, like when they packed out Back Street Barand filled Perch
• Live music at Back Street Bar is always fun. I saw Geography of the Moon there right before they did their Japan tour

Arone Silverman

7 October 22, at Oscar’s on the Corner: Spiked Gravy w/ John Paul.  John Paul is a dear friend of mine from university. We used to have a band and tour up and down the Eastern coast of the US, hitting cities like New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC. We lost touch over the years, embracing our own musical/life journeys, until this past year when JoPa decided to visit Cambodia. I started Spiked Gravy as a way to express my original ideas. It’s a collection of songs that I’ve felt are too avant-garde for the masses but challenging and fun to play. A lot of the ideas and even some of the songs were written with JoPa, so it was glorious having him sit in with the band. That night at Oscars, JoPa knew where he was supposed to be. Even though he was new to the band, there was a longtime connection that was already there. Ricky and Damani were excited having him as well. There was a packed crowd that night and all of them really went on a journey with us. They were in it man, and it brought back memories of why I started performing in bars and clubs in the first place. It’s just a feeling and you can’t replicate it anywhere else. The guy is a monster on the keys and it was a pleasure to have a lot of those moments lived again up on stage. Fortunately, he’s decided to visit again now, so we have another opportunity to make new songs and go further this time. Keep an eye out for JoPa, he’s a national treasure back home.

Mirasol Aguila

This year is truly has an amazing impact to me and for sure for most people specially in the entertainment scene, I’ve seen many musicians got back on their feet again and start anew. I’m glad that I saw music scene flourished and musicians help each other. I’ve accomplished most of my goals this year and truly believe that music unites us all. I’ve been inspired by other musicians and they gave me so much inspirations. We are blessed that Phnom Penh music scene are back and still strong and creative to share talents and send message to the world that music is life.

Gary Tough, Bar Oz

Another gruelling year for bar/entertaining industry .Thankfully our local musicians stepped up to the mark to help us all out. Playing for reduced fees just to support us. A special mention to Joe Wrigley who selflessly gave up his time to perform his vast repertoire of songs along with his sublime vocals. Also the musos turned up in force to help out in aiding to raise funds for those in need – the Chris Bean fundraiser was a highlight with just about everyone dropping by to contribute their time and energy, which culminated in a great day of sublime music.

Another highlight was definitely Stu Cottom taking over our regular Sunday sessions. Stu has really come to the fore in his ability to relate to the crowd and keep them entertained for the whole show with his vocals are real highlight. I really put my heartfelt thanks out to all our local musos who have supported us here at Bar Oz throughout the year and just hope the Penh returns to that vibrant music scene of days before.

Gareth Bawden

What a year for music in Phnom Penh, and Cambodia at large! Some great starter highlights for me were seeing The Broken Cymbal live for the first time, ad seeing how Japan Guitar Shop progressed for having barely a set to just destroying any place they play at. I also got to see Geography of the Moon play live for the first time, and honestly, probably the best thing for me out of all of these performers is that I now consider them all my friends.

I got to participate in my first festival this year in Koh Rong’s own Nestival, at The Nest. I got to play alongside the amazing Woody Dares, Joe Wrigley, The Broken Cymbal, and Geography of the Moon for two nights! Another amazing set of events was held at Central Cafe BKK when they unleashed their open mic steak night for musicians. It was rammed; and once again a great night for the music scene to come together as friends and collaborators.

This year, I supported and performed with Joshua Chiang and the Boxchords, the rawness of Alli G, wrote music with the phenomenal Cati Isaacs, got to perform at so many new venues and events. It’s been a really great year for me.  As always, I’ve frequented the longest running and arguably the best open mic in Phnom Penh, the Sunday Sundowners at Tacos Kokopelli with the legendary Scoddy Bywater, and had the pleasure of hosting my first open mics with his blessing. If it wasn’t for him, I would likely not be working the way I am in Phnom Penh right now. A legit local hero.  I’m currently performing most often as a duo with the fantastic Pervez Gulzar. We played a great gig at Seekers for Christmas Eve last week, and will be at Botanico again tonight to have our last gig for 2022.

After this year, I’m excited for what the new year has to hold. I’m grateful for all the venues who’ve hosted our musical asses, and I’m grateful for every muso that walks the walk, man. It’s not always easy, but it’s what we love.

Finally, I’m grateful for a kind soul having put my name forward for the Top 100 Best Songs of all Time list for this year. Not having been part of anything like that before, it really has been the icing on the cake for what has really been an amazing year. All the best for the new year folks. What is gonna be this 2023, I guess we’re going see!!

Colin Grafton

At the end of January we did two performances with the chapei player Sokim and other Cambodian musicians. Chapei Diary was supposed to be a starter but the Cambodians got busy and Pavel left, so the project was shelved until we could find someone else who was interested. Now we are trying to experiment with an excellent pianist and it seems to be developing well.

We also got into the habit of taking the jazz and bossa nova act Blue Wave to Siem Reap. As for other events, we became addicts of Anton Isselhardt’s classical concerts and musical boats cruises arranged by Tacos Kokopelli and Little Susie.

Another highlight of the musical year for me personally was the arrival of Big D. Walker, a large as life “Chicago bluesman” (not from Chicago, and a resident of Sweden), an excellent harp player in a place with scant numbers of harmonicists, who also plays raunchy sax and EWI, sings and is a most entertaining ‘front man’ and despite his (could-be) intimidating size, a very sweet and amusing gentleman. He added spice and humour to the Blue Souls, and is absolutely hilarious with Jeffro and Phil Javelle, as The Ghostboosters. I say “personally” because at last I have someone to talk to about harmonicas who knows what I’m talking about. It’s alright for all you guitarists who can go into ecstasies about your Strats and Gibsons and new pedals etc. The life of a harp player in PP can be a lonely one.

Joel Shipsides, The Vine

Rod Tolentino

The Jam-Cha tour of Kampot and Phnom Penh with Scapegoat Candy would be one of the memorable gigs I had this year!   It’s a one week gig being away from temple town, Siem Reap.  We played Karma Traders and

Monkey Republic in Kampot, then Bouchon, Odom Garden, Oscar’s in the Corner and Sam’s in Phnom Penh.    For all the new and old friends who joined and rock with us.  Thank you so much!!

Joshua Chiang

2022 is…

The year when I finally got around to checking ‘solo album’ off my bucket list, only to discovery that all it did was to clear space in my head for more song ideas to pour in, and not I’ve started writing songs for my next a little bitum which will be released as two EPs.  Hopefully that won’t take seven yearw to publish unlike the debut solo album.

The year when I thought I’m finally going places because… some American mom wrote to me on Instagram offering me $500 to write a birthday song for her eight year old daughter Annabel, but it turned out to be a scam.  Fortunatelyt I was so eager to prove that I could do the job that I refused any payment upfront until after I wrote the song and that completely blew her plan.  As I later found out, if I had given her my bank account number she’d have deposited a $5000 cheque and then would claim she made a mistake and ask for $4,500 back.  The cheque would of course bounce.  The song that resulted from this episode, Annabel’s Day, turned out to be such a personal favourite that I now include it in my setlist at every gig.

The year when I asked my guitarist to pull my finger onstage in front of an audience.  My dance rock band Psykic Elektric was one of the bands playing at the Halloween party at The Deck.  We just finished playing an original number that went down really well with the audience and I immediately launched into the opening chords of the next dance number but discovered to my horror the index finger on my fret hand was frozen in the position of the first barre chord. I stopped what I was doing and in front of the puzzled audience offered Denver my fret hand and asked him to pull the index finger.  I was afraid to do it myself because I didn’t want any potential pain to stop me from unfreezing the finger.  Denver gave me a look as if to say: dude, you’re taking the irreverent stage persona a bit too far, but obliged nonetheless.  That didn’t solve the problem, and I had to play the rest of our set using open chord fingering and fearing if that was the end of a guitar playing musician – it wasn’t, I got back full index finger mobility soon after.

And finally, the year then I embrace my inner campy diva and made a totally uncool music video for the debut album’s third single, Don’t Let Them Get You Down, featuring myself and the very sporting co-members of Boxchords performing a very silly dance along the Diamond Island boardwalk wearing 80s inspired aerobics attire.  It is nominated for the Radio Oun Top 100 Songs of All Time 2022 poll so be sure to vote for it and make it number one.

Mark Eastty, Tacos Kokopelli

It was a slow start to the year for live music at Tacos Kokopelli as we recovered from COVID restrictions and then a first small influx of tourists. That all ended on May the 6^th when we hosted Geography of the Moon for the first time. Loud, rambunctious and completely mesmerizing, the sound and the crowd packed the venue and all went along for a wild and drunken ride. Half way through the performance Colin Hodgkins from Japan Guitar Shop stepped up to spit some hip hop rhymes whilst GOTM’s Andrea improvised on drums and guitar, to much fist pumping approval from the crowd, before the serene haunting vocals of Virginia Bones returned to the mic for another infectious spaced out second set that left everyone drunk on the sound, and quite possibly the tequila!

This was shortly followed by the album launch of Ariane Parkes’ first album talk to the girl, speak to the ghost, not really a live music event in the true sense of the words, but we’ll get to Ariane’s involvement in some of them later. This was a night to revel in the first solo recording from talented songstress Ariane alongside friends and the musical community, and it’s safe to say that all were most taken by an album that combines to create a playful introspectiveness that invites the listener to enjoy the emotion drenched lyrics with a little contemplation if they so desire.

Things then quietened down a little over the rain soaked and rather barren summer, apart from the Sunday Sundowner Sessions, our open mic, which continued being a vibrant part of the Phnom Penh music scene and reached the milestone of its 9^th anniversary at Tacos Kokopelli in August. Thanks as always to Lengp Peng stalwart Scoddy for hosting, and providing his talented and inspiring song-smithing, that nurtures musical talent, and drives the Phnom Penh scene forward, and of course everyone who has participated in the Sundowners over the years. We love you all, and to prove it we created a photo mural of pretty much all the performers who have taken the mic over those 9 years and it’s been amazing to see our friends and musicians returning from afar in 2022 some after long covid enforced periods of absence.

Our next notable gigs were reserved for the last month of the year as we would celebrate TacoKat’s 17^th anniversary. The 9^th of December will always have a special place in our hearts as it was not only when we launched the Alley Cat Café (same location as Tacos Kokopelli), but also the first gig of the Cambodian Space Project when they played at Alley Cat’s 4^th Anniversary party. We would continue that tradition in 2022 as we welcomed new act Penh Pals to perform along with solo sets from Joe “who also hosted the Sundowners for a bit” Wrigley and Joshua “please don’t stick my head in a toilet bowl for the flyer” Chiang who should all of course be familiar to all you readers from their many musical exploits in Phnom Penh. Josh warmed up the crowd with some of the tracks from his new album, and as always, his vocal talents were much appreciated, before Joe dropped in for a rockabilly cameo that got feet a stomping and the crowd enthused for more. That more was to follow shortly with Ariane, Liam and Mike metaphorically stepping up to the metaphoric stage where they would get on down to some Irish tinged musical shenanigans that brought the crowd to their feet, and the celebration to its deserved climax!!

Final mention goes to our good friend Moisty “the man in the cat suit” Atsushi who returned to Phnom Penh in December for a quick musical tour opening at Tacos Kokopelli. This ska reggae officianado brings a passion and intensity for that music to every set he plays, often dressed in his trademark cat suit, as he was whilst once again situated below the famous cat mural grinning and stumming the ska he loves to spread to the world!!

It was great to see the live music scene bouncing back in 2022, and we look forward to seeing what 2023 will bring to Phnom Penh, and its music scene. Wishing everyone a happy, prosperous, and musical new year!!