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

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

Greetings:

Celebrating their first birthday tonight Thursday is Tropico – get along for a performance by Clay George and a DJ.  The party continues on Saturday with Zakk Zoot.

Coming through Cambodia this weekend for a second time on their current South East Asia tour are Chakra Shakers, at Laundry in Siem Reap tonight Thursday, then to shows in Phnom Penh at Oscar’s on the Corner supported by We Are Ewe on Friday, Tacos Kokopelli on Saturday and Bat Muk Yu on Sunday.

Also tonight Thursday find Greg Beshers at The Vine, an open mic hosted by our returned friend Hugo St Leger [see From the Archive: Passing Chords] at The Box Office, and later on The Extraordinary Chambers at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Kampot, Wooden Bridge with Steppa Styl and Julia Marks are at Madi Bar and George Town hosts an open mic at The Bay.

On Friday night in Phnom Penh celebrate St David’s Day with Kheltica and the Phnom Penh Brass Ensemble at Welsh Consulate, or join Cardboard Li-Fi at Courtyard by Marriott, Mirasol, George & Mika at Craft or John Peter at Botanico.  Blitzkrieg Boppers will be at The Box Office, Jave is at Little Susie and Ex-Pulse are at Bat Muk Yu.  In Tuol Tom Pong choose between Agent P & The Resistance at The Tin Hat, Matsamura Fishworks at Noisy Chili  and Showdaddy at Hometown Hangout.  Later on Miss Sarawan is at Uniga, and We Are Ewe are followed by Chakra Shakers at Oscar’s on the Corner. In Siem Reap, The Blind Swine presents an artist showcase with Peter Jacobson.

On Saturday in Phnom Penh, Smack the Unicorn are at The Deck, Summer Lee Carlson & Mute Speaker are at Craft and Brooke Palmer is at Vinoteca.  Angkor Classique are at Au Marche, Arome Khmer are at Bat Muk Yu and Noel is at Little Susie.  In Tuol Tom Pong The Stuffs are at LOLA Music Lounge and Pocket Change are at Hometown Hangout, while at Oscar’s on the Corner, Hugo St Leger leads The Boys Are Back through a couple of sets of classic rock.

On Sunday in Phnom Penh find Loopy Reggae early at The Tin Hat, Brooke Palmer later at The Vine, Scoddy hosting a special birthday edition of the Sunday Sundowners open mic at Tacos Kokopelli, and later still, Electric Muxu Orchestra at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap, Free Folk Trio featuring Kodi Hudson, Peter Jacobson and Chema Rodriguez are at New Leaf, and later Kodi Hudson is at Embargo.

Passing Chords – a few things you may not know about

Natasha Dow and Joe Mac of Chakra Shakers (Portugal), international purveyors of peace, love and rock’n’roll, coming through Cambodia this weekend for a second time on their current South East Asia tour, at Laundry in Siem Reap tonight Thursday, then to shows in Phnom Penh at Oscar’s on the Corner supported by We Are Ewe on Friday, Tacos Kokopelli on Saturday and Bat Muk Yu on Sunday.  Then they head off for a tour of Japan.

Do you have a pet musical hate/pet peeve?

Natasha: The use of an iPad or phone on stage for lyrics or unnecessary key changes.
Joe: Playing popular covers because “that’s what they want”. Valerie, Superstition, Hotel California, the list goes on.

A private musical indulgence:

Natasha: Wham!
Joe: Zydeco, Mexican ranchero. I get way too excited about a furious 2/4.

The year you first came to Cambodia:
Natasha & Joe: 2023.

An early music memory:
Natasha:  Save all your kisses for me, by The Brotherhood of Man.  I thought that it was written for me because I was 3!
Joe: Cal Poly Thrashathon” 12 punk, hardcore, skate thrash bands around 1988.  I’ve been a punk rocker ever since!

The last thing you had to eat:

Natasha: Pickled mango.
Joe: A waffle from a street vendor.

Stagefright – yes or no?

Natasha: No, not any more. I used to be terrified on stage. Then I was widowed and the stage became my place of escape, my time to feel the freedom of musical abandon
Joe: For me I get a bit of stagefright every gig. One of the greatest things about touring is playing so often. The riffs and guitar solos and things that give me that small anxiety become muscle memory. What happens on the other side of the stage doesn’t concern me so much. The only time I feel a bit intimidated is when it’s a small crowd and they’re all musicians watching too closely.

A country you want to visit:

Natasha: China.
Joe: Cuba, Nepal, many places in South America, India, Africa…

A book or movie you keep going back to:

Natasha: The Sound of Music, I have to watch it if it’s on!
Joe: At the moment it’s the teachings of the Buddah. Every day I have time to reflect on non-attachment, impermanence, quieting the mind, being present.

What languages do you have?

Natasha: English,  Portuguese…ish.
Joe: English, Spanglish, and close to no Portuguese.

Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:

Natasha: Piano, age 6.  Bass, age 45.
Joe: Started on trumpet in school, then drums at 14. Guitar at 20.

Something people might be surprised to know about you:

Natasha: I was passionate about pioneering novel in vitro drug metabolism studies such as human hepatocyte induction and Caco-2 cell transport studies.
Joe: I’ve lived for years with no running water or electricity and I absolutely loved it.

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

Natasha: Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert 1992 for George Michael’s Somebody to Love.
Joe: MC5 at the Democratic Convention in 1968, or the Monterey Pop Festival.

A question from the last participant: Are you a fan of any sport? If so, any particular sport, team or individual athlete?

Natasha: No. Much to my family’s disgust, I don’t really enjoy any sport.  Snooker is addictive to watch though, Ronnie O’Sullivan is a troubled genius.
Joe: I like the quick wit of Muhammad Ali. Doc Ellis throwing a no hitter on LSD, John Daly disrupting classicist golf, Michael Phelps high as hell.

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Steve Porte Photo of the Week

Claude, of Siem Reap punk band The Wildmen, making their Phnom Penh debut at Oscar’s on the Corner, 22 February 2025.

 

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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 27 February 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:

 

By Weekly Wrap