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

Greetings:

Tonight in Phnom Penh Graham Cain is at Botanico, new venue Excelsior hosts a Latin night with La Union, and The Extraordinary Chambers at Oscar’s on the Corner.

On Friday in Phnom Penh, find Wrigley & Pearl at Craft and Christian Herve at Cloud.  The Sock Essentials are at The Tin Hat in Tuol Tom Pong, Havana Nice are at Back Street Bar and The Blue Souls at Le Moon.  Soselo Summer are followed by Srey Ka & K’n’E at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap, Sing & Kodi are at Ambar.

Saturday brings Phnom Penh the Golden Street Party with Kampot Playboys, Miss Sarawan, Joe & the Jumping Jacks , while the more sedate Green Leaf Motif are at Seekers Spirits. Find straight jazz at Green Pepper with Funky’s Jazz Trio and gypsy jazz with Phil, Sylvain & Charly Clerentin at Au Marche.  Then there’s Miss Sarawan at Craft, The Broken Cymbal at Botanico, and Graham Cain at Sundance.  For late night there’s more jazz with Khalil & Intan at Mayazon and rock’n’roll with Srey Ka & K’n’E at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap, The Screaming Reels are at Star Bar and Electric Soup are at Laundry.

Looking forward to Monday, the Around the Traps book launch at Botanico will feature some dramatic readings of the contents – the collected interviews in LengPleng 2022 include Geography of the Moon (twice), The Uncomfortably White Brothers, Ariane Parkes, Stan Paleco, Alli G, Clay George, Sokim Keat and Nightmare AD – and then there’s all 29 of the Passing Chords mini-profiles of the year.  If you can’t make it, secure your copy via email: gigs@lengpleng.com.   Siem Reap and Kampot launches are planned for next month.

On Wednesday night there’s a special event at The Birdcage Boutique – Queens of the Blues – where Intan, Mirasol, Sitara, Cat and Big D Walker join with The Blue Souls.   Read more about it in our interview with Cat Isaacs.

The Leng Pleng feature interview 

Share that joy: the triumph of Cat Isaacs

Sometimes the apparent ease and naturalness of a performer belies a long and difficult struggle to find their true voice.  South African singer Cat Isaacs has followed her calling for many years, only to have Cambodia lift her up into the spotlight.

Ironically, her first obstacle was her rather musical family.  “I grew up in church where we used to sing,” she explains.  “All of us play – my dad still plays guitar in the band, my mother sings, my sisters sing and one also plays the bass, my niece is an incredible vocalist, my grandfather was an amazing saxophonist, my cousin is a famous pianist in Durban and his wife sings.  While I always wanted to sing, in my family it’s not regarded as a real job.

Read the full article here

Passing Chords – a few things you may not know about

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Garry Eyles, of The Screaming Reels, playing this Saturday night at Star Bar in Siem Reap.  Garry came to Cambodia in 2010 to teach drum therapy at an NGO.  “I have been writing songs and performing in bands since the 1990s.  My early bands included Mind Riot and Knobtang, who had a cult following in Australia playing original grunge.  The songs of The Screaming Reels are tales of the south lands, Australia and South East Asia.  We have had nearly 20 members over the years, playing songs and having fun. Times.  The current line up features fresh members and new songs.  What to expect: all original high energy 70s middle eastern rock grunge swamp punk.”

Do you have a pet musical hate?
Classic songs that get re-released and butchered with crap dance or techno beats.

A private musical indulgence:
Youtube music nights at late night bars listening to awesome bands like Winery Dogs.

The year you first came to Cambodia:
2010.

An early music memory:
Beatles cartoons.  Seeing someone play a Gibson SG.  The movie Crossroads.  Borrowing a cassette from a library that looked good – it turned out to be David Lee Roth’s Eat ‘em and Smile.

The last thing you had to eat:
Salty egg and rice porridge. Soul food.

A country you want to visit:
USA.

A book or movie you keep going back to:
Avatar.

What languages do you have?
Australian and Khmer.

Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:
Drums and guitar.

Something people might be surprised to know about you:
I’m claustrophobic.

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

A question from the last participant: what is the wildest gig you have ever played?
Support for the Painters and Dockers in Australia. Their lead singer was on stage naked.

Department of In Case You Missed It

Last week’s feature article on what LengPleng can do for your venue or act:  Getting bums on seats and beer into patrons: how venues and performers can use Lengpleng.com to the greatest advantage

TLDR:

  • Gig listings throughout Cambodia, every Thursday afternoon, from our page com, via email (subscribe at gigs@lengpleng.com), and our Facebook page.
  • Absolutely free: no charge to use or list
  • Performers and venues: just send us the name of the act, the time and date, and a link to the venue (Facebook or otherwise). It’s even easier than setting up a Facebook event.
  • Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kampot, Kep, Battambang, Koh Rong – we aim to cover these and any another locations
  • Bonus for providing a poster or image – that gets you in the video weekend preview
  • Even more bonus if you have a special event or visiting act that would warrant a full length interview for added promotion

Department of New Releases

We’ve come across a youtube easer for a new album by the Khmer band Coconut.

Japan Guitar Shop have released a song on YouTube, Panic, recorded at 60 Road Studios in Siem Reap.  They promise more to come.

Camerado conducted an interview with Phnom Penh based hip hop artist Initial G and it’s now available here on Vimeo.

Former Phnom Penh resident and singer-songwriter Sarah G has been releasing songs on a variety of social media in recent weeks.  Check out Bold Babe and Walking in the Rain.

Steve Porte Photo of the Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Banjo man Richard Pearl is back in town – spotted here at The Vine on Wednesday 18 January, 2023.

If you wish to receive 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 19 January 2023

** 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:

  • Penh Pals plus The Sock Essentials, 7 pm, 26 January, Botanico
  • Sokunthea & Giuliano, 8 pm, Harry’s & The Welsh Consulate (Siem Reap)
  • Ariane Parkes & Scott Bywater, 27 January, 7 pm, Craft
  • The Broken Cymbal, 7.30 pm, 27 January, Tacos Kokopelli
  • Billy Page, 8 pm, 27 January, Sundance
  • Giuliano & Bliss, 6.30 pm, Oyster Bar (Siem Reap)
  • Giuliano Turello, 9 pm, Ambar (Siem Reap)
  • Billy Page & Phil Javelle, 10 pm, 28 January, Oscar’s on the Corner
  • Seventh anniversary party featuring John Prak, As The Heart Betrays, Vanocean, Sin Visal and DJs, 8 pm, 28 January, Cloud
  • Japan Guitar Shop, Gareth Bawden and DJ, 8 pm, 28 January, Perch
  • Christian Herve, 7 pm, 28 January, Kep Natural (Kep)
  • Billy Page, 7 pm, 6 February, Tiki Garden (Kampot)
  • Billy Page, 8 pm, 7 February, Karma Traders (Kampot)
  • Christian Herve, 8 pm, 14 February, Karma Traders (Kampot)

 

By Weekly Wrap