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

Greetings,

St Patrick’s Day!  And the second anniversary of Cambodia closing down for the first COVID wave in 2020.  Plenty to celebrate, and plenty of places to do the celebrating – of course we confine ourselves here to the events involving live music.

Tonight in Phnom Penh you can find Kiss Bang Bong at Craft, Gareth & Pristine at Botanico, The Sober Gentlemen at Treelion Park, Hugo at Bouchon Wine Bar, Dandan at Sundance, Joshua Chiang at HClub, Catherine Isaacs & Yuval Ricklis at Elephant Bar, and going late, The Extraordinary Chambers at Oscar’s on the Corner.   In Siem Reap, Giuliano & Simon, are at Villa D and Alli G is at Silk Garden, while Joe Wrigley, is at Oh Neil’s in Kampot.

On Friday, Esther Mao’s November Band is at Odom Garden, Kayron & Liz are at Palace Gate Hotel, Kheltica are at Sunset Boulevard and Aguita E Coco are at Duplex.  New band The Broken Cymbal are at Gray Home Boutique early and then late at Oscar’s on the Corner.

In Kampot, catch the DeliCious closing party with Roberto, Ant Colloff, Joe Wrigley & Patrick, Chiet & Max and Lady Yay.   In Siem Reap, it’s Jam Cha plus Alli G at Wine O’clock, Those Handsome Devils plus Charlie & Katy and Electric Soup at Laundry Bar, and Lucky & Mark at AMBAR.

Come Saturday, the big story is The Goldilocks Zone, Fathers of Medicine and Radioactive Death Monkey all together at Cloud.  Elsewhere you can find Khmer Magic Music Bus at Craft, Kiss Bang Bong at Seekers Spirit House, Havana Nice at The Glasshouse, The Broken Cymbal at Central Café, and K’n’E late at Oscar’s on the Corner.

In Siem Reap, Star Bar third anniversary party hosts KStorm early and Jam-Cha later, while Alli G is at FCC Angkor and Toma, Giuliano, Sage are at The Harbour.  Geography of the Moon are at The Playground in Kampot.

**For the rest of the gigs check out the listings at the bottom of the page**

What We’re Making a Fuss About This Week

Released this week, more goodies from the lab of Professor Kinski – a farewell EP from The Schkoots, who played their most recent final show at Oscar’s on the Corner last Friday.  Seems like this time it’s serious, though – within a month all three will be back in various different parts Europe.  Their parting gift is Forever Insoumis, four tracks of 11 solid minutes of Schkoot goodness – tight and lean and hard.  And it includes a French version of a Sex Pistols song – what’s not to like?

While you’re at Bandcamp, also check out a six-track mini-album from Phnom Penh’s own ska band, Checkered Past:  ladies and gentlemen, Public Announcement, and Penhsteady, a Professor Kinski collaboration with Phil Javelle, along with the many other local acts to be found there – from the Kampot Playboys to Doch Chkae to Scott Bywater to Ernie Buck to Vibratone.

Passing Chords:  a few things you might not know about…

Cati, of new combo The Broken Cymbal.  After a long career in musical theatre, followed by time spent teaching in South East Asia, she is finally singing in a band here in Phnom Penh.  “It started at a friend’s birthday.  Can you sing me “Happy Birthday”?   Then it turned into a night of karaoke, taking requests.”  Next thing you know she was performing for a Water Festival party, moving to Phnom Penh, and finding the rest of The Broken Cymbal.  “The band contributes a lot to the experience.  There’s a very specific bond that we have, it makes playing that much more pleasurable.”  Find her at Elephant Bar tonight with Yuval Ricklis, then on Friday with the band at the opening of Gray Home Boutique early and Oscar’s on the Corner late.

Do you have a pet musical hate?
Sound system problems – crackles in speakers, and especially feedback.

A private musical indulgence:
International music, I love Hindi sounds and Middle Eastern stuff, I can listen to it for hours.  Bollywood soundtracks.

The year you first came to Cambodia :
2018.  I was teaching English in Vietnam and I wanted to go on holiday, I thought I wonder what’s next door? I’d always heard of it, and watched Tomb Raider like everybody does.  Best ten days of my life.  And then I got a job in Siem Reap – okay, I’m going back home.

An early music memory:
My very first experience of theatre was a musical, I was fours old and my mother took me to see The Wizard of Oz at the State Theatre in Pretoria, where a friend of hers was working backstage.  At the big moment when the evil witch gets melted I was freaking out – how are they doing this?  She actually melted away!  Then we went backstage and saw the trapdoor and met everybody – all the costumes, all the dressing rooms.  I remember thinking I want to do this for the rest of my life.  If I could just be here I’d be very happy.  And then I did.  That’s what I studied and that’s what I did.

The last thing you had to eat:
Coffee.  I don’t eat breakfast, which is a strange thing in this country.

A country you want to visit:
I really want to go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, because it happens around my birthday.  And Cuba.  Also New Zealand.

A book or movie you keep going back to:
Shrek.  I’m such a child.  Every time I feel sad or happy – it makes me laugh so much.

What languages can you speak?
English and Afrikaans.  Then hello and thank you in about six others.  I speak a little bit of sign language, but South African sign language, so it doesn’t work anywhere else.

Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:
I started singing in church when I was three, but it wasn’t very encouraged in our household.  Music is not a career, it’s a sideline thing.  When I was ten I started playing the piano, then picked up vocals, and then started playing drums when I was about 18.

Something people might be surprised to know about you:
I’m actually an introvert.  Perhaps an ambivert – socialising is fine, but I cannot go to a party with a lot of people and come out feeling energised.  I need to recharge by myself, which is difficult for people to understand.

You have a time machine and a magic ticket to one gig or festival in the past.  What do you choose?
Woodstock.   Also I love the old opera houses in Europe, I’d love to see those composers – Mozart, Beethoven, Bach.

A question from the last participant, Gaby Courroux:   What would be the craziest place you’d like to perform ?
On top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.  Or maybe something I saw on Fear Factor, people having dinner in the sky.   I don’t know why, because I’m petrified of heights.  Alternatively, an underground speakeasy, with everybody dressed in sharp 1920s outfits.

Steve Porte Photo of the Week

A rare colour one: Mark Chattaway with Grass Snake Revival at Farm to Table on Friday 11 March, 2022.

Our revived sister publication, kumnooh.com, aims to provide a lengpleng.com service for the wider arts – painting, sculpture, literature, dance, architecture and classical music – across Cambodia.  Check it out every Tuesday – to subscribe send a subscribe email to fabianhipp@kumnooh.com.

LengPleng.com has returned to its weekly email service.   If you wish to receive LengPleng in your inbox every Thursday please send an email saying Subscribe to gigs@lengpleng.com.   And tell your friends.

Musicians, venues, punters:  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 (mailto:gigs@lengpleng.com)

Weekly Gig Guide – week commencing Thursday 17 March 2022

** residency/weekly

 For DJs and clubs, we recommend Phnom Penh Underground

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Coming soon:

  • Spring Festival day one featuring Joe & the Jumping Jacks, Miss Sarawan, 12me, Japan Guitar Shop, 25 March, Sofitel
  • Gareth Bawden, 25 March, The Box Office
  • Arome Khmer, 25 March, Craft
  • Opera & Dine, 25 March, Green Pepper
  • Machiko & Takeshi, 25 March, Cloud
  • Oscar’s on the Corner 13th anniversary party: four bands, 26 March, Oscar’s on the Corner
  • Spring Festival day two featuring Drum Circle Cambodia, Havana Nice, Geography of the Moon, Checkered Past, 26 March, Sofitel
  • 12me farewell show, 26 March, Cloud
  • Back to the 90s, 26 March, Pomme (Siem Reap)
  • The Blue Souls, 26 March, The Glasshouse
  • The Blue Souls, 30 March, Sunset Boulevard

 

 

 

By Weekly Wrap