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

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

Greetings:

On the road this weekend are Siem Reap band VORT-X, who are at Oscar’s on the Corner on Friday, Duplex on Saturday and Bar Oz on Sunday.

Thursday night in Phnom Penh find the George Hess-led jazz jam at The Deck, open mics at LOLA Music Lounge and Noisy Chili.  Later on The Extraordinary Chambers are at Oscar’s on the Corner and in Siem Reap Kodi Hudson is at Barcode.

Friday night Penh Pals begin their July reunion tour of Phnom Penh [see our article from May 2024] at The Box Office, while Nestor Garcia Joa is at Botanico, Skeptical Chemistry are at Noisy Chili and Miss Sarawan Duo are at Bat Muk Yu.  Aisha & Neil are at Stories by Little Susie, Antonio Elchico is at Tropico and Miss Sarawan Trio are at Uniga.  In Kampot Bunna is at Old Market Skybar and youngster Millie Little debuts at The Panthers Hut in Siem Reap.

On Saturday in Phnom Penh LOLA Music Lounge present LOLA Music Fest featuring Pich & Sarah Garcia, Ali & Max, Summer Lee Carlson & Mute Speaker and a DJ.  Elsewhere Jazz Sauce are at The Deck, Ysabel is solo at Botanico, Crash Boom Bang are at Bat Muk Yu, Mirasol & Phil are at Au Marche and Ace is at Stories by Little Susie.  Going late are Montra at Oscar’s on the Corner.  On the coast, Andy Luna is at The Wave: Kep West, while in Siem Reap Gareth Bawden plays probably his last Cambodian show at Nomad Eatery and Poca & the Sticky Tentacles are at Laundry.

On Sunday, Greg Beshers is at Villa Grange, Clay George is followed by Marianna Hensley at The Vine, Sunday Sundowners open mic at Tacos Kokopelli (with French tacos for Bastille Day) is guest hosted by Mike McCann, and Crash Boom Bang is at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap, there’s the open mic at Ubuntu, Kodi Hudson is at Embargo and newcomer to the scene Rachel is at Sabai Lifestyle.

Established just this week is Songwriters Session (Phnom Penh chapter) – join the Facebook group here.  “This will be an ongoing, monthly meeting to share music we’re working on, share feedback, have an ongoing proactive group for motivation to finish songs, work on prompts for extra creativity, get inspiration, collaborate & more.  Feel free to message Summer Lee Carlson, Brooke Palmer or Cameron McCracken Smith if you have questions.”  The first meeting will be held on Sunday 27 July at Java Creative Cafe Toul Tom Poung.

Passing Chords – a few things you may not know about

Photo: supplied

Paul Mackie.  “I’ve had the stage name Pmac for 25 years on and off and that’s what most people call me.  I am currently based in Siem Reap. I am one of the three singers and guitarist in the rock band named VORT-X. The name comes from the old Hard Rock Café Siem Reap gigs pre-COVID when the other members and Ollie from Harbour Bar had a band which I joined when Ollie went back to France. The X in VORT-X is reference to X Bar where all members had met and formed deep friendships in the past.  I come from Scotland where I played in many great local bands and formed two nationally successful tribute bands and then went on to join Pallas, a well known neo-prog band with around ten albums;  I recorded two full albums with them, many tours of Europe and a family type fan base, very good.  I also wrote and recorded many Grand Theft Auto songs from the first GTA –  one all the way to Vice City where I co-wrote and founded the now very famous Love Fist, a fictional Scottish rock band within the game.   I moved to Siem Reap because the guitarist and Producer of Pallas came to live here 10 years ago, we still had work to do so I came and never left. This led to me meeting up with Cesar (drums, vocals), Ray, (guitar, bass and vocals) and Stephane (bass).   We all became friends very quickly and would jam in The Harbour Bar; we never stopped. Electric Soup was our three piece outfit when Stephane was in France during COVID times, a well-loved power trio in Siem Reap.”    VORT-X are at Oscar’s on the Corner on Friday, Duplex on Saturday and Bar Oz on Sunday.

Do you have a pet musical hate?
Disrespectful jamming where ego wins over improving the sound. I learned to play nothing until you hear and even then don’t play it, instead create a response phrase.  Not easy but it works.  I also geek out on soud quality and I act as sound engineer, making sure that we can all hear every word the singer is articulating.  Too often its all balls to the wall and the poor singer just has to shout.  I’m sorting that out around SR and many people are loving the results, I am very happy about this.  One last thing is a band being dumped in a corner with no lighting whatsoever – being a photographer by trade I love lights, so to solve that I take a few with me when I play, it makes all the difference.

A private musical indulgence:
I started out as young boy listening really closely to The Jam with Paul Weller’s lyrics hitting hard and educating my young mind about the class system in British society to some post punk, high energy songs, that’s what kicked me off.  Then one day a friend brings me 2112 and Exit Stage Left by Rush, it blew my brain open and I still adore the Rush family.  Johnny Cash, and of course the voice of Jim Reeves melted into me, ahh, the tone.  Duran Duran might be the curveball and I still love them.  If it’s good I like it, if it’s real I love it, no matter the genre.

The year you first came to Cambodia:
I came to visit my friend from Pallas, he had been here for six months so I came out January 2016.  I just loved it.  Came back with my partner and my son in 2018 and we never looked back.  Cambodia has been the most beautiful experience in our lives, as we all know, providing you get the balance right of course.

A book or movie you keep going back to:
I’m not a reader, I have attention issues.  But I love to listen to long format conversations with the world’s intellectuals and comedians, so much learning in there.

Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:
My voice is my main instrument by far, followed by acoustic guitar which I started at 14 years old.  In  VORT-X I play electric guitar and sing, it’s great fun.  I have been working on my drumming and groove mostly on cajon – I love that for learning – and then I get behind a proper drum kit and I’m a happy little boy. The musicians of Cambodia let me jam live on a kit and the drummers in town would listen critique and teach me more.  Wonderful, I owe a lot to Cesar, and Chema of Jam Cha, for their advice.

Something people might be surprised to know about you:
Most people know me from the stage because that’s what I have always done, local to international level, however as soon as I was off a tour I would head to the mountains of Scotland, in all weathers – blizzards never stopped us.  I was a professional photographer and had landscapes to shoot; I loved that life.

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

Question from last participant: if you were an instrument, what would you be?
I would be a flute, my reeds being gently blown.

Steve Porte Photo of the Week

Steve is back.  He dropped in on the Lone Star open mic on Tuesday.  Here’s Frisco Tony with Gerard and Fabrice.

In Memoriam 

Justin Frew, singer/songwriter and frequent visitor to Cambodia, seen here performing at Sundance Inn & Saloon in September 2023.  So long, champ.

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See you around the traps.
your correspondent,

 

 

Guillermo Wheremount
LengPleng.com
gigs@lengpleng.com (mailto:gigs@lengpleng.com

 

Weekly Gig Guide – week commencing Thursday 10 July 2025

** residency/weekly

For DJs and clubs, we recommend Phnom Penh Underground

Thursday

Friday

Saturday                                                             

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

*Note that Wednesday events are often not announced until early in the week – check back here for updates*

Coming soon:

Friday 18 July

Saturday 19 July

Friday 25 July

Saturday 26 July

Wednesday 30 July

  • Khmer Magic Music Bus, 10 pm, Uniga

Thursday 31 July

  • Jazz jam with George Hess, 7 pm, The Deck

 

By Weekly Wrap