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

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

Greetings: 

On Friday night in Phnom Penh, Adam Marsland is at The Box Office, Daro is at Botanico, Penh Pals are reunioning at Tacos Kokopelli and Billy Page is at Noisy Chili.  Later on Bart – Psar are at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Kampot, Packo’s Busking Kings play First Bar.

In Saturday in Phnom Penh, Miss Sarawan & Ratanak are at The Deck, Rockustic are at The Wild Rover and later on Saigon Shock (featuring the Kampot Playboys’ rhythm section) are at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Kep Adam Marsland & Matau Moloi are at The Wave: Kep West, and in Siem Reap Rod & Chema are at Ubuntu.

On Sunday in Phnom Penh, Geography of the Moon play twice at Au Marche (1.30 pm and 6 pm), and newcomer Zakk Zoot (see Passing Chords below) is at The Vine, while Sunday Sundowners open mic at Tacos Kokopelli is hosted by Scott Bywater, and Joe Wrigley is at Bar Oz.  Later on, Montra (formerly K’n’E) are at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap The Shack presents a night of Storytellers: Paul Mackie, Gareth Bawden and Christabel Menezes.

Looking forward to Monday in Siem Reap, Waterflower (Latvia) will play an intruiging show at Atlantis.

Passing Chords – a few things you may not know about

Photo: supplied

Zakk Zoot.  Originally from the UK, Zakk has just arrived in Cambodia after spending a few years in Dubai.  “I’ve found myself doing a lot more solo work recently, I’m very comfortable with that, but I’d love the opportunity to sing with a band again, that’s where my passion really lies.  I’ve sung for metal bands, rock bands, my covers are across a large range.  I’ll sing Britney Spears, I’ll do whatever, put my own little twist on songs that people don’t expect.”  Zakk makes his Phnom Penh debut on Sunday at The Vine.

Do you have a pet musical hate/pet peeve?
The typical songs that as a cover artist I have to play.  Playing at the Hard Rock Café in Dubai people would come up to the stage and it was always Hotel California.  But that comes with the territory.

A private musical indulgence:
It varies so much – anywhere from heavy metal to really wordsmithy rap stuff to punk.  It all depends on how I’m feeling at the time.  I think most people are like that.

The year you first came to Cambodia:
A week and a half ago.

An early music memory:
My dad was a musician, so I remember going to see his gigs in divey pubs in the UK, and getting kicked out after 15 minutes because I was too young to be in the bar.  He was a guitar player – when I went with my friends and the band would get to the solo Sweet Child of Mine I’d point at him and say watch how fast his fingers go!

The last thing you had to eat:
Chicken nuggets.  A lazy 1 am take-away.

Stagefright: yes or no?
I’ve been asked this question before – I’ve never really experienced stagefright, and I think I don’t because I’ve always done music for my love of it, not for gratification.  I get kind of embarrased when people tell me they think I’m good.

A country you want to visit:
Continent-wise, South America.  Somewhere like Peru.

A book or movie you keep going back to:
Law Abiding Citizen is one of my favourite films.  I’m not much of a reader.  When I was a kid I used to read the Guiness Book of World Records – the only book that I can say I’ve read cover to cover.

What languages do you have?
English, and enough to order a beer in a few other languages.

Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:
I’m a singer and frontman.  I was in my first band at 11.  I played my first gig in a pub called The Eight Bells in Peterborough.  I learned to play guitar just to accompany myself.

Something people might be surprised to know about you:
Because of the way I look people assume I’m a tattooist or a musician, but by trade I’m a design engineer, designing things for Ferrari, Porsche, Nissan.

You have a time machine and a magic ticket to one gig or festival in the past. What do you choose?
The free Rage Against the Machine gig in the mid-90s.  I always loved the idea of being around for that, but I was three years old at the time it happened.

A question from the last participant :  It’s pretty common for brass and woodwind players to tear their mouths up playing their instruments – I’ve walked away from shows with blood on my reed.  What’s the gnarliest injury you’ve gotten while performing music?
Once I cut the index finger on my chord-playing hand a couple of days before a gig.  I remember having to super-glue my finger halfway through the set to make sure that it didn’t rip apart.  The guitar was covered in blood.  I’ve also fallen off stage a couple of times as well, and done myself some damage by misjudging where the edge of the stage was.

Book of the year: Around the Traps 2024

Coming soon – the sixth annual volume collecting the interviews and articles from LengPleng during the year.  This year’s edition includes interviews with international visitors Wild Flowers and Chakra Shakers (both of Portugal), PlanB (Australia) and Skeleton Goode (Vietnam), organisers of jazz and metal festivals, local bands Checkered Past, Japan Guitar Shop, Absolute Zero, Nightmare A.D. and more – plus Passing Chords mini-profiles of the likes of Summer Lee Carlson David Atkinson, Tiffany, Jesse Zenchuck, Cameron Smith, Carling Vail and Vince Solomons.

The price is still $7.50 after all these years, and still $5 if you’re in the book (or on the cover).

Kampot Radio Top 100 Songs of All Time Poll – 2024 version

Thank you for donating and voting. Technical difficulties have forced a delay on the Top 100 results countdown, we hope to have an update for you very soon.

Department of Mutual Support:  Friends of LengPleng

New Friend of LengPleng – The Pearls of Phnom Penh Valentine’s Day boat trip on February 14.  Strictly limited.  Tickets on sale Sunday 5 January.

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a Friend of LengPleng is open to venues, acts, and even private individuals; if you value the service we provide please consider assisting us financially.   For a modest contribution ($25 for three months, $40 for six months, $75 for 12 months), you get the logo of your choice into the weekly email and onto the weekly wrap page, and an automatically click through to a page on our website for further information, photos, videos and so on – we like to think of it as an alternative to Facebook.

We also pay special attention when you have a good story for us – an upcoming event or an artist you wish to highlight.  Email gigs@lengpleng.com for further details or bail up Scoddy wherever you see him.

Steve Porte Photo of the Week

Chakra Shakers (Portugal) helping to bring in the new year at Oscar’s on the Corner, 31 December 2024

 

 

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 2 January 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 10 January
  • Saturday 11 January
  • Tuesday 14 January
  • Wednesday 15 January
    • Kind of Blue tribute, 8 pm, Bellini
  • Friday 17 January
    • Mirasol, George & Mika, 30 pm, Craft
  • Saturday 18 January
    • Lakhon Luong, 30 pm, Craft
  • Friday 24 January
  • Saturday 25 January
    • The Originals Acoustic Sessions featuring Summer Lee Carlson & Mute Speaker, Matsumara Fishworks and Mute Speaker, 6 pm, The Deck
    • Skeptical Chemistry, 30 pm, Craft
    • 1974 Tribute, 9 pm, Oscar’s on the Corner
  • Friday 31 January
    • Rags to Rainbows, 30 pm, Craft
  • Sunday 9 February
    • Get In The Penh XI with Jasons (Japan), Riot in School (China), Mi-Na-Gi (Japan), Nightmare A.D. and Reign in Slumber, 7.30 pm, Oscar’s on the Corner
  • Friday 14 February
    • Summer Lee Carlson & Mute Speaker, 6 pm, The Deck
By Weekly Wrap