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

Greetings and welcome to 2024:

Visiting Cambodia this weekend are Maykidz, a rock band out of Japan.  They will play on Saturday at Atlantis in Siem Reap with The Wildmen in support, and at Cloud in Phnom Penh on Monday.

 On Thursday in Phnom Penh, find Greg Beshers at Villa Grange, an Indian and Bangladeshi music concert and lecture by Dr. Asit Roy at Meta House , and The Extraordinary Chambers go late at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Kampot, Graham Cain is at Arcadia.

On Friday night in Phnom Penh, there’s Los Del Sur at Craft, Muxu at Botanico, Mikayla Gonzalez & Woody Dares at Voodoo Boulevard and The Lark at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap Rod & Chema are at Ubuntu and there’s an open mic at Mex’d Up, and in Kampot, Summer Lee Carlson is at KAPAL.

Saturday night in Phnom Penh brings Billy Page to Botanico, The Blue Souls joined by James Atkinson at Aquarius , while The Box Office celebrates eight years of business with The Lazy Drunks. Stu Cottom is at Little Susie while Geography of the Moon are at Sundance /Nacho Bell, and The Extraordinary Chambers are at Oscar’s on the Corner.

Department of Bragging Rights: Radio Oun Top 100 Songs Of All Time Poll 2023

Congratulations to the Coz Collective and Geography of the Moon for their top placings.  Here’s some stats:  83% of songs fall into the Cambodia-related category, including the entire top 20.  Although only a small proportion – 16% – were at least partially in Khmer language, this presents the big challenge for next year.  Also of note is that only three songs in the top 10 had male lead vocals.  Peruse the list at your leisure here.

 

Passing Chords – a few things you may not know about

Mikayla Gonzalez.  A Filipina singer who relocated last year from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh.  Mikayla and Co. perform Monday – Saturday evenings at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, and she co-fronts Oscar’s on the Corner Wednesday band blender. Find her this Friday with Woody Dares at Voodoo Boulevard.

Do you have a pet musical hate?
Heavy metal, death metal.  I use it when I’m painting to make myself more creative – I don’t vibe with it.  My brain works like that – if it’s disturbed…

A private musical indulgence:
Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.  Or Sweet Caroline.

The year you first came to Cambodia:
In August 2022.  I was in Sihanoukville – recruited to scam people.  I’m glad I did that, because now this is my life, this is what I want to do.  Music is a therapy for me.  I was born in the Philippines but I wasn’t living there, just barely existing.  In Cambodia there’s a different energy, and I don’t want to leave.  I feel at home here.

An early music memory:
I knew a radio station that had a programme called Throwback Sunday where they would play old music.  Ella Fitzgerald was a really big influence for me when I was younger.  What caught my ears was The Carpenters – so melodic and smooth.  The first song I learned was Yesterday Once More by The Carpenters – everybody told me I kind of sound like her.   When I was eight I was encouraged to sing – hey, sing, we’ll give you ten pesos.  That’s a lot for a kid.  That’s how I started – by coins.  My music teacher put me on stage when I was ten – I was crying, it was very overwhelming singing in public for the first time.   Then I was a First Soprano when I was 12, the youngest in the choir, and competed in the Asian Choir Games in 2007 where we won a silver medal in a field of 64 countries.

The last thing you had to eat:
Sushi.   My favourite food.  When I feel sad sushi is my happy food.

A country you want to visit:
Spain, Mexico.  And The Maldives.

A book or movie you keep going back to:
The Notebook.  It makes me cry every time.

What languages do you have?
Tagalog and English.  Some Spanish, some Chinese, some Japanese, some Korean – I’ve worked in those countries singing as well.  A little bit of everything.

Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:
Voice.  I’ve been a professional singer since I was 14.  I went from being a dishwasher to singing in a band.

Something people might be surprised to know about you:
I can wiggle my ears.  I’ve been practising it for quite a long time – might as well use it to fly anywhere for free, like Dumbo.

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

A question from the last participant – When playing with other musicians, what is the instrument that inspires you most?
Piano. A lot of songs I want to sing only with piano – I like to sing slow, savouring the notes.  Simmering, as if cooking.

Musicians: They’re Just Like Us

 

Will Canuck checks the scores and hopes the Toronto Maple Leafs are ahead.

Department of Mutual Support:  Friends of LengPleng

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a Friend of LengPleng gets your logo 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 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

Maximum diversity in the audience at Oscar’s on the Corner for New Year’s Eve.

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 4 January 2024

** 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