As we gear up for this mid-week Christmas and New Year’s Eve events, LengPleng takes some time to flick back through the months to highlight things you may have forgotten in this difficult year.
It’s been a busy year for touring – we’ve seen such diverse acts as Chakra Shakers (Portugal), My Druthers (US), Carnival Youth (Latvia), and the Monaco Boys Choir. Also the return of Dengue Fever, Bona Thiem (formerly of Memphis Pub) with his Blues on the Cob combo, Nikki Buzz, and singer-songwriters Sarah Gee (US), Matthew Fischer (US), John Lindsay (UK), Rob Saltsman (US), as well as our Indian friends Nilimesh Chakraborty and Arnab Bhattacharya, under the new name Rhythm of Ecstasy. In the latter part of the year we welcomed Skeleton Goode (Vietnam), Bullshit Boy (Germany), Left Hand Drive (Singapore) and PlanB (Australia). Denmark-based US-born singer-songwriter Brett Perkins is now in the midst of his second visit, doing gigs, running workshops, and establishing songwriter festivals in both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
And that’s not to mention the metal touring bands, particularly hosted at Atlantis in Siem Reap, but also part of the two legs of the third annual Slam City Metal Fest, and Get in the Penh events: Jasons (Japan), Riot in School (China), Mi-Na-Gi (Japan), People Die At The Fair (Switzerland), Dummy Toys (China), Rabies (Czech Republic), Seventh Son (Japan), Eleanor (Japan) and Opposition Party (Singapore), Failure Trace Of Human Race (Thailand), Truth Be Known (Singapore), Scotty Austin (US), , Liturgy (US), Soundmakers (Vietnam), Noturnall (Brazil), Illusion Force (Japan), Dream Spirit (China) and Harenchi (Japan).
Among those we said goodbye to this year were Ned Kelly, Takeshi Yamauchi and Justin Frew; Gareth Bawden made a move to China, and Aymen Ghali went off to pastures new but not before hosting a farewell One for the Road concert featuring his bands Maki Orkestr, Swing Time and Jazz Sauce.
Other notable events in Phnom Penh included The Players’ Ball, Canopy Fest at Treelion Park, the Pearls of Phnom Penh cruise and at Oscar’s on the Corner the 1974 tribute in January and the fundraiser for drummer Cesar Toni in October. In Siem Reap it was all about festivals, including Wat Bo Village, Revibe and Harmony. Dave Fest was held again on Koh Rong Samloeun during Bon Om Touk with an expanded line-up.
A new initiative this year was the Phnom Penh talent show Acoustic Battle – after six heats the final contest will be held in January – which succeeded in introducing a host of new performers to the scene.
Men of Faith opened the year with their final gig, only to return in November for another bite. We saw the development of Lakhon Luong, Punch Drunk, Drunk on Champagne and Nirvana Nevermind, the evolution of Crash Boom Bang, and in Siem Reap reggae band Rainy Season appeared. There’s been something of an explosion of jazz, notably in Tuol Tom Pong, with The Deck’s Thursday jazz jam, House of Jazz and More’s Sunday sessions, and a list of new combos including Smith Biamonti Quintet, JAG Fusion Trio, Hot Strings Trio, Pick & Bow, [gee-squared], and Lost City Jazz Society in Siem Reap.
Celebrating notable anniversaries this year were the twentieth for Tacos Kokopelli(formerly The Alley Cat Café), the eighteenth for Meta House, the tenth for Au Marche, Duplex and Farm to Table, and Cloud their ninth. Tropico and The Wild Rover had their first birthdays. We saw the closure of Craft, but the opening of House of Jazz and More, Tittibugs, Stories and BigWig.
In a relatively quiet year for new releases, Smack the Unicorn, Gary Custance, Tired Panda and Joshua Chiang all launched new material, and Phnom Penh’s very own 21st Century brass band, Brass on the Block, released an entertaining video of their cover of the Golden Era classic Jeas Cyclo, by Yol Auralong.
That’s our glance across the peaks for 2025. We apologies for the Phnom Penh-heavy content, and encourage more participation particularly from Siem Reap and Kampot, but from anywhere that live music is taking place. Thanks to the venues and performers and audiences that keep this scene going and provide support to LengPleng.
Next week you, the readership, will be providing your own highlights, please get your submissions in forthwith. Merry Christmas and see you around the traps.
