Leng Pleng - Live Music and DJ Gig Guide of Cambodia: February 2014

Weekly Gig Guide - Week Commencing Thursday 27th February 2014

Great news for the Phnom Penh music scene this weekend as The Kampot Playboys have reformed into a fantastic new outfit. They bring a rare performance of Khmer Fusion Rock to the capital with a gig at Sharkys on Saturday night. The band have a couple of new members including a totally smoking-hot Tro player – a graduate from the Khmer Cultural Development Institute (click here for more info). Also, lead vocalist, Cheat, still belts out a totally great set of originals and golden era classics. Not to be missed.

Kheltica - www.kenedgar.com

Meanwhile, a huge weekend of music is taking place at Doors Phnom Penh under the banner of Big Folk – Phnom Penh's First Folk Music Festival. Seven acts over two evenings include Holey Bucket Union, Kok Thlok and Kheltica. The event begins at 6pm on each day, with a cover charge of $5 for one night or $7 for both nights. The theme is Folk, Roots and Traditional music of both Western and Cambodian origin. Jack is particularly looking forward to the performance of last week's cover star Jimmy Kiss, who has reportedly acquired a special backing band for the occasion. If you missed the Jimmy Kiss story, get up-to-date here.

An astonishing new promo video was released by last week by Dub Addiction – Cambodia's only Raggamuffin-reggae band. Check out the super hard-hitting 'So Pea Set' - an ingenious video treatment of urban Phnom Penh directed by Alexis Zeisler. Jack is addicted!

Thousands of miles from the gritty streets of the Penh, a venue in Hollywood is getting ready for a huge summer festival of Cambodian music. According to the organisers, the event at The Ford Theatre 'is about supporting and participating in a larger movement that is shaking up Hollywood and moving through to its rightful place on the world stage... Transcendence lies within the creation and sharing of these new [Cambodian music] works, which humbly strive to replace what was nearly destroyed.'

While there are a few big names conspicuously absent from the line up (no Dub Addiction? No newly reformed Drakkar Band?), headliners Dengue Fever, The Cambodian Space Project and Laura Mam will all be there on the 4^th August 2014. The fourteen acts performing at The Cambodian Music Festival will combine to show the great provenance and the healthy current state of music of Cambodian origin. Check out the promo video below.

Cambodian Music Festival performer Bochan contacted Leng Pleng to let us know about her latest music release entitled 'Hello Hi'. Bochan writes, 'This release is very dear to me as it was an original song composed by my late father here in the States in 1989. I stumbled upon the cassette tape during an NPR interview on my father's legacy of keeping the music alive among the refugee community. The song completely grabbed my attention and became the inspiration for my new album.' Cool! Follow the soundcloud links to listen to Hello Hi and remixes.

https://www.facebook.com/bochanmusic

Savy is another Cambodian-American star taking part in the August festival. She recently released the self-penned single About a Boy – check out the video below.

One leading Cambodian band who might be a little too hardcore for mainstream audiences (and they wouldn't have it any other way) are Sliten6ix. The band got in touch to let us know that their newly-released EP Nevermore is available for streaming and for download at sliten6ix.bandcamp.com. To download the track you will need to put in your name and email address, as well as the price you would like to pay (you can enter zero if you wish but Leng Pleng recommend you support the band with more than that).

Several hot bands will be taking the stage at Oscar 51 over the next few days. The tagline for The Cambodian Space Project's gig on Friday, 'Keep Oscar Flying', suggests that the venue could use a little boost from it's patrons to continue to be able to promote live music several nights a week. The Foreign Passports provide an opening act for CSP, and this great Funk/Blues band from Sihanoukville are worth the $2 cover charge alone. Catch the full Foreign Passports experience at The Groove on Saturday night.

Cambodian Space Project - www.kenedgar.com

Also on Saturday, Mispent Yooth return to Oscar 51. The band has an ultra-strong and experienced line-up and purports some of the local scenes best musicians, including Lewis Pragasam, Chris Kebeck, 'Smokin' Kenny Smith and Dave Zdriluk. In addition to these great gigs, Oscar is offering three (that's three) free beers to anyone willing to put in a set at Thursday's open mic. Should be a good one, with the stage open to comedians as well as musicians.

Stay safe and see you around the traps,

JACK DIAMOND.

Latest Gigs

Thursday 27-Feb-2014

9:00 AM ~ Hear My Song 2014 Launch at The CJCC
8:00 PM ~ Open Mic Music & Comedy at Oscars 51
9:00 PM ~ The Tuk Tuk Sessions at Equinox
9:00 PM ~ Submarine Brass Band at The Groove

Friday 28-Feb-2014

8:00 PM ~ MWAUKA & The Gang at The Village
8:00 PM ~ DJ Proff at A Boat on the Mekong River
8:00 PM ~ The Cambodian Space Project and The Foreign Passports at Oscars 51
9:00 PM ~ DJ Illest , DJ Gang , DJ Rob Bianche and Mc Dolla at Pontoon
9:00 PM ~ Diego Dimarques trio at The Groove
9:00 PM ~ DJ Nicomatic and DJ Wah-Wah at Meta House
9:00 PM ~ The Fumes at Equinox
9:30 PM ~ Submarine Brass Band at The Slur Bar
10:00 PM ~ Tim Coates and Alan Ritchie at Code Red
11:00 PM ~ DJ Tech 12 and MC Hydro Phonics at Pontoon
11:00 PM ~ DJ BBoy Peanut and DJ Gigahurtz at The RiverHouse Lounge

Saturday 1-Mar-2014

1:00 AM ~ DJ Ewone * at Pontoon
6:00 PM ~ Holey Bucket Union , Miss Sarawan , Los Illustrados and Jimmy Kiss at The Doors
9:00 PM ~ DJ Edwardowski and DJ Island at The Laundry Music Bar in Siem Reap
9:00 PM ~ The Foreign Passports at The Groove
9:00 PM ~ Mispent Yooth at Oscars 51
9:00 PM ~ The Kampot Playboys at Sharky Bar
9:00 PM ~ Vibratone and DJ Rachid Baggasse at Equinox
9:30 PM ~ The Adobo Conspiracy at The Slur Bar
10:00 PM ~ DJ Phatt Controller , DJ Sequence and DJ Alan Ritchie at Dusk till Dawn

Sunday 2-Mar-2014

6:00 PM ~ Kheltica , Kok Thlok and Roxanne Dumont at The Doors
6:30 PM ~ James Whitehead at The Sundance Inn & Saloon
9:30 PM ~ Woody Dares at Oscars 51

Monday 3-Mar-2014

9:30 PM ~ Pavel at The Slur Bar

Wednesday 5-Mar-2014

9:00 PM ~ DJ Alan Ritchie at Dusk till Dawn
9:30 PM ~ Woody Dares at The Slur Bar

Coming Up

Grass Snake Union at Equinox
Jahzad at Equinox
Dub Addiction at Equinox
Pop Music Quiz Night at Equinox
Bands of Cambodia Music Video Night at Equinox
RJ Marshall at Equinox
Submarine Brass Band at Equinox
The Cambodian Space Project at Equinox
The Adobo Conspiracy at Equinox
SunBodia at Phnom Penh Passenger Port
Marsyas at Equinox
Vibratone at Equinox
Tamaraka Trio at The Slur Bar
Jahzad and Wat A Gwaan at The Slur Bar
Rox & Friends at Slur Bar
MWAUKA & The Gang at The Slur Bar
Miss Sarawan at The Slur Bar
Sonic Detergent at The Slur Bar
Luna Negra at FCC - The Mansion
The Klezbodians at The Slur Bar
Punk & Rock Festival at Slur Bar
Joshua Chiang at The Slur Bar
DJ Tim Coates and DJ Mikus at The RiverHouse Lounge
DJ Illest at Pontoon
DJ R-Wan at Pontoon
DJ Feraliskinky at Pontoon
DJ Luke Coolhand and DJ Chantal at The Pontoon Pulse
Mapro at The Pontoon Pulse
DJ Bree, DJ Polaak and MC Kaztet D at The Slur Bar
The Kampot Playboys at The Blissful Guesthouse in Kampot

Weekly Gig Guide - Commencing Thursday 20th February 2014

"I want to show Cambodia to the world. I really want to be a Cambodian star - but a Cambodian star that can show Cambodian style to people outside Cambodia. I've been around my own country and I have found a lot of beautiful things and that's why I want to be a famous singer. I want to share these beautiful things with the world. Cambodian instruments like the Chapei, for example. Life is not long.Before I die I hope I can do something for my country." - Jimmy Kiss.

Read the first full English-language interview with Jimmy Kiss here.

You can catch Jimmy on Friday, along with Dub Addiction, MC Kaztet Dee and Wat A Gwaan as they provide support for The Reggae Rajahs - 'India's first Reggae Soundsystem'. Like their Cambodian counterparts, and the multitude of 'Sound Systems' originating in Japan, the Rajahs show that you can be a long way from Jamaica and still be right in the beating heart of reggae music. Dance to their sounds, selections, and toasts at Slur Bar (cover charge of $5 includes a drink) with an after-party DJ set at Pontoon ($8 on the door or $4 if you have a valid ticket from Slur Bar). Lots of videos, sound files, and more information on the Reggae Rajahs website. You can also catch the band in Siem Reap on Thursday at The Laundry Bar.

Raising the tempo but keeping the fun factor at Code Red this Friday are The Cuban Brothers - another really cool international act arriving in Phnom Penh. The Cubans are from Scotland but their crazy and cool stage show has less to do with the freezing streets of Edinburgh and more to do with a 1970's Miami discotheque. Check out their website or the video below showing the Brothers in action at Hyde Park, London. Tickets at Code Red are $10 including entry to another gig on Saturday. There is a pre-club event at Doors Phnom Penh on Friday night when some free passes will be given away.

Something strange is going on this weekend... has George Clinton's P-Funk Mothership left it's orbit and taken up a position in the skies above Cambodia? I can hardly keep up with the number of funky brothers roaming the streets of Phnom Penh this weekend. Marsyas lay down raw and live grooves of excellent quality at Equinox on Friday, whilst, on the same evening, French visitors The Submarine Brass Band will be over at Sharky Bar. Sharky's told Leng Pleng that these guys are 'a seven-piece brass band with two drummers... stable mates of The Octopus Brass Band that played Sharky's a few years ago.' You can also catch this intriguing and genre-hopping ensemble at Equinox on Thursday night.

Punk-rock legend Didier Wampas will be making a splash in The Kingdom of Wonder over the next few days, hitting The X-Bar in Siem Reap on Friday with his band Sugar & Tiger. 'The Iggy Pop of France' then travels to the capital on Saturday for a show at Sharky Bar. Didier has been active as a solo artist and with his band Les Wampas since the mid-1980's. He is known for the political edge to his lyrics and the high energy level of his gigs – including a great deal of crowd involvement. Sharky's have added the fantastic punk-rockers Bob Passion and The Schkoots into the mix and also Stonewall– 'A French metal band direct from Bangkok'. Cover charge of $3 from 7pm. More information on Didier Wampas on his website

The unlikely marriage of 'English Indie Rock n Roll with Congolese Soukous music' tours Phnom Penh this weekend as People People play a number of gigs before their lead singer and songwriter Louis Stephens returns to the United Kingdom. Antonio Rotello of Italy and Lewis Pragasam of Malaysia make up the trio. Louis reports that the band sounds like Ladysmith Black Mambazo jamming with The Artic Monkeys. Have a listen to their Soundcloud page to find out for yourself. People People will be playing The Village on Friday, Oscars 51 on Saturday, and a rooftop sunset gig at Dusk Till Dawn on Sunday before heading to The Groove on Monday evening.

Phew! After all this funking around Jack will be ready for a traditional and cultural Khmer experience on Tuesday when the musicians, performers and dancers of Cambodian Living Arts will be playing a special show at Doors Phnom Penh. This troupe normally only plays within the walls of the National Museum. Cover charge $3 or free for Cambodian Event Network members.

As Jack steels himself for an exceptionally busy weekend of gig-hopping, just time to mention that the excellent Radio Free Equinox has changed its address to http://www.radionomy.com/en/radio/radiofreeequinox/index, where you can listen to a large library of concerts recorded live at the venue.

Finally, check out the cool video below featuring The Reggae Rajahs:

Stay safe out there and see you around the traps,

- JACK DIAMOND

Latest Gigs

Thursday 20-Feb-2014

9:00 PM ~ Diego Dimarques trio at The Groove
9:00 PM ~ Reggae Rajahs Live at The Laundry Music Bar in Siem Reap
9:00 PM ~ Michelle Flemming at Pappa Pippo in Sihanouk Ville
9:00 PM ~ X-Pat Sound System at Meta House
9:00 PM ~ Submarine Brass at Equinox
10:00 PM ~ DJ Flo at The RiverHouse Asian Bistro

Friday 21-Feb-2014

6:00 PM ~ Sonny Krishnan and Pervaz Gulzar at Le Jardin
8:00 PM ~ Submarine Brass at Sharky Bar
8:30 PM ~ People People!! at The Village
9:00 PM ~ DJ Tonle Dub and DJ Mercy at Meta House
9:00 PM ~ Ritchy Boisson , Luis Arambarri and Leon at The Groove
9:00 PM ~ Doors + Code Red at The Doors
9:00 PM ~ Michelle Flemming at Footprints in Sihanouk Ville
9:00 PM ~ Dub Addiction , Wat A Gwaan The and Reggae Rajahs * at The Slur Bar
9:00 PM ~ Marsyas at Equinox
9:00 PM ~ Didier Wampas * and Sugar & Tiger * at The X-Bar in Siem Reap
9:00 PM ~ DJ Stroke and DJ Maily at Naga World
10:00 PM ~ DJ Lefty at The RiverHouse Asian Bistro
10:00 PM ~ DJ Donabelle at Nova Penthouse
11:00 PM ~ DJ Mocity at Pontoon
11:00 PM ~ DJ DSK * , Alan Ritchie and The Cuban Brothers * at Code Red
11:00 PM ~ DJ Per at The Pontoon Pulse

Saturday 22-Feb-2014

8:00 PM ~ Team Riot at The RiverHouse Lounge
8:30 PM ~ Kok Thlok at FCC-Phnom Penh
8:30 PM ~ Kok Thlok at FCC - The Mansion
8:30 PM ~ Jaworski 7 at The Aquarium Bar
9:00 PM ~ Stonewall * , Bob Passion & the Schkoots and Didier Wampas * at Sharky Bar
9:00 PM ~ Rom Bak Battle at The Slur Bar
9:00 PM ~ MC Gobshite , Tiny Toones and DJ DSK * at Code Red
9:00 PM ~ DJ Achaya and DJ Wah-Wah at The Kep Lodge in Kep
9:00 PM ~ People People!! at Oscars 51
9:00 PM ~ Euan Gray , Barry Speirs and Ritchy Boisson at The Groove
9:00 PM ~ Michelle Flemming at The Otres Market in Sihanoukville
9:00 PM ~ Jahzad at Equinox
10:00 PM ~ The Kimchi Collective at Dusk till Dawn
10:00 PM ~ DJ Funkelastiks and DJ Alan Ritchie at The RiverHouse Asian Bistro
10:00 PM ~ DJ Tinc at Nova Penthouse
10:00 PM ~ Swagger at Meta House
11:00 PM ~ DJ Tech 12 and MC Hydro Phonics at Pontoon

Sunday 23-Feb-2014

5:30 PM ~ People People!! at Dusk till Dawn
10:00 PM ~ DJ Wez-T and DJ Simon C Vent at The RiverHouse Asian Bistro

Monday 24-Feb-2014

9:00 PM ~ People People!! at The Groove
9:00 PM ~ Michelle Flemming at Santino's Rock Star Resort in Sihanouk Ville
9:30 PM ~ Joshua Chiang at The Slur Bar
10:00 PM ~ DJ Tam at The RiverHouse Asian Bistro

Tuesday 25-Feb-2014

7:00 PM ~ Joe Wrigley and Miss Sarawan at Wat Opot Music Program in Kampong Speu
8:00 PM ~ Anton Isselhardt and Steve Retallick at Meta House
8:00 PM ~ Pop Music Quiz Night at Equinox
8:00 PM ~ Cambodia Living Arts at The Doors
10:00 PM ~ DJ Susu at The RiverHouse Asian Bistro

Wednesday 26-Feb-2014

9:00 PM ~ RJ Marshall at Equinox
9:00 PM ~ No Bad Habits at The Slur Bar
9:00 PM ~ The Cambodian Space Project at The Barn in Sihanouk Ville

Coming Up

The Fumes at Equinox
Vibratone at Equinox
The Grass Snake Union at Equinox
Jahzad at Equinox
Dub Addiction at Equinox
Pop Music Quiz Night at Equinox
Bands of Cambodia Music Video Night at Equinox
The Adobo Conspiracy at Equinox, Equinox and The Slur Bar
Big Folk at Doors
RJ Marshall at Equinox
Submarine Brass at Equinox
The Cambodian Space Project at Equinox
SunBodia at Phnom Penh Passenger Port
The Cambodian Space Project and The Foreign Passports at Oscars 51
DJ Tech 12 and MC Hydro Phonics at Pontoon
DJ Nicomatic and DJ Wah-Wah at Meta House
DJ Tim Coates and DJ Mikus at The RiverHouse Lounge
DJ Ewone * at Pontoon
DJ Illest at Pontoon, Pontoon
DJ R-Wan at Pontoon
DJ Feraliskinky at Pontoon, Pontoon
DJ Luke Coolhand and DJ Chantal at The Pontoon Pulse
DJ Proff at A Boat on the Mekong River
Mapro at The Pontoon Pulse
The Tuk Tuk Sessions at Equinox
MWAUKA & The Gang at The Village

Weekly Gig Guide - Week Commencing Thursday the 13th February 2014

It’s been a while since the Leng Pleng Gig Guide has been so loaded with gigs. Some returning heroes and some new faces combine this week to ensure a very busy weekend for music-lovers in Phnom Penh.

The party starts early on Saturday afternoon at Showbox, where Sliten6ix will celebrate the launch of their debut EP Nevermore. The band’s record label Yab Moung Records will be distributing the EP for free to promote ‘the first ever Hard-Core EP recorded, pressed and released in Cambodia’. Look out for a download link soon. Sliten6ix and other guest bands will be playing a ‘hardcore matinée show’ from 3pm and you will be able to grab your own copy of what could become an historic recording release.

Sharky Bar is back in business again on Saturday following a January gig hiatus. The Second Coming is a triple bill featuring three of Phnom Penh’s best-known bands. The Teaner Turners, Bum N Draze and Stiff Little Punks will be blowing away the cobwebs (and probably laying waste to several cases of beer) with the assistance of new band members and new set lists. Expect a loud, brash and celebratory evening.

Another triple bill can be enjoyed on Saturday at Equinox, where Michelle Flemming, Roxanne Dumont, and Robin Narciso perform individual acoustic sets. Each of these talented singer-songwriters has something unique and interesting to offer in very contrasting styles. Michelle is a powerful singer from Holland with a great stage presence. Roxanne is from Belgium but sings a very groovy Latin style. Robin is from Italy and is the lead singer of hardcore band Sangvar Day.

The Cambodian Space Project offer a welcome alternative to all those romantically-themed Valentine’s Day gigs with a return to Equinox this Friday. The psychedelic spaceship is expected to be rocking hard following a recent tour of Europe. Check out the excellent video below to see how the band performed at La Grange à Musique (GAM) in Creil, France.

Taking Cambodian rock’n’roll to a very different place, Sliten6ix put together this black-and-white promo for their new EP Nevermore :

International drumming virtuoso Lewis Pragasam has been busy at Oscar 51 recently, collaborating with a succession of excellent musicians for various special performances. This weekend’s huge schedule of gigs really goes off with bang on Thursday night with Misspent Youth, a blues-rock super-group featuring four outstanding players - Chris Kebeck (guitar/vocals), ‘Smokin’ Kenny Smith (guitar/vocals), Dave Zdriluk (bass/vocals) and Lewis himself. Jack sincerely hopes this will be the first of many Misspent Youth gigs as I am currently ‘on assignment’ in Siem Reap.

Until next time, watch out for those wrong-way drivers,

JACK DIAMOND.

Latest Gigs

Thursday 13-Feb-2014

6:30 PM ~ Frisco Tony The and Beatniks at The Sundance Inn & Saloon
9:00 PM ~ Fluxus Night at Meta House
9:00 PM ~ Diego Dimarques trio at The Groove
9:00 PM ~ DJ Wez-T at Dusk till Dawn
9:30 PM ~ Lewis Pragasam , Kenny Smith , Chris Kebeck and Dave Zdriluk at Oscars 51

Friday 14-Feb-2014

4:00 PM ~ DJ Sequence , DJ Donabelle and DJ Alan Ritchie at Phnom Penh Passenger Port
6:30 PM ~ Valentines at The Himawari
7:00 PM ~ Chaktomok Violin Trio at FCC-Phnom Penh
7:00 PM ~ Sea Wolf at Boulevard Club
7:00 PM ~ Euan Gray and Charlie Corrie at The Doors
7:30 PM ~ Louise Norup and Barry Speirs at The Cabaret Restaurant
7:30 PM ~ Miss Sarawan at The FCC in Siem Reap
8:00 PM ~ DJ Nicko , DJ Mat and DJ Possum at 80s90bar in Siem Reap
9:00 PM ~ Kheltica at Paddy Rice
9:00 PM ~ Ritchy Boisson , Leon Kondo and Ten at The Groove
9:00 PM ~ The Cambodian Space Project at Equinox
9:00 PM ~ DJ BBoy Peanut and DJ Gigahurtz at Star Palace Night Club
9:00 PM ~ X-Pat Sound System at Meta House
9:00 PM ~ DJ Alexis G at Nova Penthouse
9:00 PM ~ Bert Bevans * at Code
9:00 PM ~ DJ Susu and DJ Maily at The RiverHouse Lounge
9:30 PM ~ Marsyas at The Slur Bar
10:00 PM ~ Dr. Wah Wah , DJ Rob and DJ Strange Fruit at Dusk till Dawn
11:00 PM ~ DJ Per at Pontoon

Saturday 15-Feb-2014

3:00 PM ~ Sliten6ix EP Launch at The Show Box
5:30 PM ~ DJ Flo , DJ Funkelastiks , DJ Lefty , DJ Il Toro * and DJ Egospell at Koh Rong Samloem in Sihanouk Ville
7:00 PM ~ Sea Wolf at Boulevard Club
8:00 PM ~ Ringtail at The Village
8:00 PM ~ Stiff Little Punks, Teaner Terners and Bum N Draze at Sharky Bar
8:30 PM ~ Vibratone at The Slur Bar
8:30 PM ~ Dean Bailey at The X-Bar in Siem Reap
9:00 PM ~ Michelle Flemming , Roxanne Dumont and Robin Narciso at Equinox
9:00 PM ~ DJ Tonle Dub and DJ Mercy at Meta House
9:00 PM ~ Euan Gray , Barry Speirs and Ritchy Boisson at The Groove
9:00 PM ~ DJ Bree , DJ Stroke and DJ Woody at Code
9:00 PM ~ DJ Island at The Laundry Music Bar in Siem Reap
9:30 PM ~ Joe Wrigley & The Jumping Jacks at Oscars 51
9:30 PM ~ Krom at The Doors
10:00 PM ~ Elvis Fandango at Shanghai Bar
11:00 PM ~ DJ Illest at Pontoon

Sunday 16-Feb-2014

9:30 PM ~ Elvis Fandango at Oscars 51
10:00 PM ~ DJ Sequence , Dj Klang , DJ DaveBreeze and DJ TropicalAlien at Ritchies Bar in Sihanoukville