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

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

Greetings:

Thursday night in Phnom Penh get the weekend started early with the jazz jam with Dr George at The Deck or sample the Niki Buzz Band at House of Jazz and More.  Later on The Extraordinary Chambers are at Oscar’s on the Corner and Adam Marsland is at The Silk Route.  In Siem Reap, PMac is at The Pizza Garden.

Friday night in Phnom Penh Cardboard Lo-Fi are at Botanico, Zakk Zoot is at The Tin Hat, and Adam Marsland is at Big Wig.  Later on it’s jazz with the Smith Biamonti Quintet at Hometown Hangout and The Stuffs are at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap Gracie is at The Salty Dog and Bless is at Infusion Bar.

Saturday in Phnom Penh there’s an introductory hour with Phnom Penh Ukulele Circle at Bong Bonlai / YK Art House, followed by the Day Time Open Mic.  Elsewhere Two Country Drunks are at The Deck, Miss Sarawan is at Botanico and Checkered Past are at Noisy Chili.  Take Three plus 2 are at Au Marche, Who U are at Stories and Scott Bywater is at Tropico; Nestor & Lily are at Samai Rum Distillery and John & the Scallywags are at Hometown Hangout.  Stu Cottom is early at Oscar’s on the Corner, followed by Cambodia Country Band.  On the coast, Karona Chan is at The Wave: Kep West.  In Siem Reap the Revibe Music Festival on Bamboo Street features Camborocks, JamCha, Joshua Chiang and more, there’s a Siem Reap Songwriters Festival concert with Cam PoiZen, Brett Perkins and DJ at The Craft by ColYve, and Niki Buzz Band are at Laundry.

On Sunday in Phnom Penh, The Garden Trio (Sharon, Mariko and Mayumi) are at Le Point, while Brooke Palmer at The Vine, Sunday Sundowners open mic is by Scott Bywater at Tacos Kokopelli, and Adam Marsland is at Botanico.  Later and louder, Shaken Spirit are at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap, Millie Little is at New Leaf and there’s an open mic at Nomad Eatery.

A LengPleng Boost

In the garden – a reintroduction to Botanico

In about six months’ time Botanico Craft Beer Garden will celebrate ten years of presenting live bands.  The grand opening in May 2016 featured the power trio Road to Mandalay in a performance that set the music curfew at 9.30 pm in perpetuity.  These days the acts are a little more sedate, but the commitment to live music has remained strong through changes of management and ownership.  What has also continued to develop is the mixture of indoor and outdoor, the leafy garden atmosphere that even boasts a fish pond.  LengPleng sat down with the owner Marco Gunther to discuss the current schedule and atmosphere.

“For me it’s very important that the music has to match the vibe,” says Marco.  “People have to be able to talk and chat, so it’s not a concert, but a bit more than background music.  At the same time it’s important that we have a variety of different types of music.”

Read the whole boost here

A LengPleng Boost

An outpouring of song – Phnom Penh/Siem Reap Songwriters Festivals with Brett Perkins

One of 2025’s converts to the delights of Cambodia and its music landscape was American-born resident of Denmark Brett Perkins.   Already on his second trip this year he’s set up annual songwriter festivals in both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh this month.  LengPleng had a video chat with Brett from Siem Reap to discuss the whys and the hows and the whos.

“There’s threefold purpose behind the festival.  Firstly is to highlight the existing scene of creatives, and the word ‘festival’ helps to draw potentially new audiences to the existing scene.  Second is the charitable factor, to bring renewed and added support to kidsonthebridge.org, the school that Kevin Sysyn started and has been championing – it’s a great cause, so we’re raising some funds for that.  The third factor is that personally it gives me a very good reason to come back to Phnom Penh every year, and a chance to support and encourage newer, younger artists.

Read the whole boost here

Passing Chords – a few things you may not know about

Sara Garcia.   “I’m a British-Spanish 24 year old who is travelling and trying to experience life around the world. I have a mixed musical background including university studying music and sound production, classical piano and other instruments and a lifelong love of music. Performance has been a very new part of my life that i am exploring and experiencing.”  On Friday night Sara fronts The Stuffs at Oscar’s on the Corner.

Do you have a pet musical hate/pet peeve?

My musical pet peeve is a lack of exploration in music. When people make music with a lack of enjoyment and a lack of want for artistry in their creations.

A private musical indulgence:

My private musical indulgence would probably be Korean music including BTS, Jonghyun, Dean, Loco, Mamamoo for the last 12 years, and the whole The Blues Brothers and Shrek soundtracks.

The year you first came to Cambodia:

I came to Cambodia earlier this year 2025.

An early music memory:

Some of my earliest music memories include watching my uncle perform in his Blues Brothers tribute band and soul/rock band around Spain.  Also some not-so-fond memories of practicing piano from four years old, arguing with my mum.

The last thing you had to eat:

The last thing i had to eat was a taco pastor and chicken empanada.

Stagefright: yes or no?

No stagefright as I think I don’t ever really care what strangers think of me.  Although in front of close family or friends I’m definitely more nervous.

A country you want to visit:

The next country i want to move to is Dominican Republic as I’ve heard the men are handsome and why not?

A book or movie you keep going back to:

Movies: The Blues Brothers, End of the Tour and Burlesque. Books: Kim Jiyoung’s Born 1988 or any classic murder mystery, also The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.  Although I don’t watch a lot of movies or read books, I mainly listen to music – 169,000 minutes last year.

What languages do you have?

I speak English and Spanish, and then a little French and Korean.

Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:

My primary instrument would be singing and piano though I dabble in guitar and saxophone.

Something people might be surprised to know about you:

I grew up working in and around my family’s churros business in London from the age of five.  I spent many years at music festivals and events, seeing some of the most iconic musicians from the last 50 years. I also started my own paella company at age 22 in London which went well.

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

And although cliche i would love to go back to Live Aid, or Roger Waters at the fall of the Berlin wall.  Or any Soul Train episode recording.

A question from the last participant: do you love the mountains or the beach?

Honestly neither, they are both beautiful as all nature is, but sand and inclines can go stuff themselves. I love skiing and scuba diving so more a fan of oceans and snow, but overall winner is a thick forest overflowing with wildlife.

Department of Mutual Support:  Friends of LengPleng

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

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Steve Porte Photo of the Week

Jeefunk rocks out with Johatsu at Indie Rawk Fest Vol. 2 at Oscar’s on the Corner on Friday 14 November, 2025

 

 

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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 20 November 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:

Sunday 23 – Sunday 30 November

Thursday 27 November

Friday 28 November

  • Free songwriting workshop with Brett Perkins, 4 pm, Stories
  • Phnom Penh Songwriters Festival – Listening Room Concert with Ysabel Rubis, Kevin Sysyn, John Memery, Scott Bywater and Ben Etc., 8 pm, Stories

Saturday 29 November

Saturday 6 December

Tuesday 9 December

By Weekly Wrap