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Scott Bywater - pic: Ken Edgar |
Scott Bywater
makes a return (of sorts) to Equinox
tonight. The author of 'Phnom Penh Driving School' is hosting a film
screening of 'Searching For Sugar Man' – the fantastic documentary
telling the story of cult singer-songwriter
Sixto Rodriguez. According to the venue, Scott will be hosting the
movie 'in absentia'. Exact details are a closely-guarded secret so we
will have to wait and see what happens tonight...
DJ U
this week begins a regular
Friday night residency at
new Phnom Penh nightclub
D'beat. The
venue is also kitted out for live music with
Sinville Roadshow and
Miss Sarawan
already
having
played small
live
shows.
Manager
Rory McCabe
told Leng Pleng
that the venue has plans to host more live
bands soon. As always, watch this space for developments. Sinville
Roadshow add
an extra live date at Sharky
Bar
this Friday. The band regularly perform each Thursday at Sharky's
Ladies Night.
Any opportunity to hear super-talented Californian lead-singer
Tiffany
is a good thing.
Aquarium
Bar
hosts the
special
live music event Music Not Missiles
this
Saturday night between 8pm and 10.30pm. Joshua
Chiang,
Robin Narciso,
Chino De Nogales
and Sophie Rose
are just a few names from a long list of Phnom Penh musicians
gathering to give a benefit concert for the humanitarian effort in
Gaza. The United Nations says that more than 17,000 buildings in Gaza
have been destroyed or severely damaged, and that there are at least
475,000 internally displaced people as a result of the recent
conflict between Palestinian and Israeli forces (source:
BBC).
Oxfam
are working in Gaza to provide safe drinking water, emergency food
vouchers and
medical services to those affected by the conflict. All
proceeds and
donations
received at
the
Music Not Missiles event
will
go
towards Oxfam’s Gaza Crisis Appeal. The
cover
charge
is a bargain $3 for a concert
featuring more than ten performers.
![]() |
Miss Sarawan - pic: Ken Edgar |
The
Music Cafe
is a brand-new venue opened in Battambang. Miss
Sarawan play
two dates there as an acoustic duo this weekend.
Battambang
has
a growing scene that is becoming
home to an
increasing number of
small art galleries, coffee-houses
and bars. As
testament to the local arts scene that has a substantial reputation
for producing some of Cambodia's best-loved artists
over
the years, the streets of Battambang are once again becoming
a
meeting
place and performance space for a
growing
artistic
community.
Phare Ponleu Selpak
(PPS) is
a renowned performing arts school and social support organisation
based in Battambang. PPS organises the famous 'Battambang Circus'.
Ros Sereysothea, the
'Golden Voice' of Khmer-rock,
was born in Battambang. Read
more about the spiritual home of Khmer music in this great piece from
the Leng Pleng
archives, 'Welcome to Battambang', written by Julien
Poulson.
Miss
Sarawan
will
evoke
the sounds of the 'Golden Age' of Khmer-rock at
The Music Cafe
this Saturday and Sunday. The
owner of the café,
John McLaughlin,
told Leng Pleng that
the regular weekly program features a variety of acoustic music that
includes
classic rock and country as well as traditional Khmer folk music:
'There
will be an open mic night for those who bring their own
instruments... We also plan to feature Apsara performances 2-3 times
per month in order to
support the local
dance schools and Khmer culture.'
Miss
Sarawan returns
to Phnom Penh for a date at Slur
Bar
on Wednesday – merging Khmer-rock with the jazz manouche stylings
of guitarist Aymen
Ghali.
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Sunday Sundowner Sessions - pic: The Alleycat Cafe |
The
Sunday Sundowner
Sessions is
a regular
weekly
open mic session hosted by Joe
Wrigley
that
takes
place at The
Alleycat Cafe
off Street 19 in Phnom Penh every
Sunday.
This week,
the restaurant is celebrating the first anniversary of the event with
a free buffet for performers.
Sundowners
was previously hosted by Scott
Bywater
at Rubies Wine
Bar. The Alleycat Cafe
is a magical, intimate space for live music where everything sounds
good and everybody listens. Tucked
away down an alleyway near The
Latin Quarter,
the Alleycat
is hard to locate and thrives on the loyal patronage of a group of
hardcore expats. The history of the Cat
is intertwined with the recent history of the Phnom Penh music scene
– the restaurant was the venue for the very first Cambodian
Space Project gig and is owned by a
former manager of Pontoon
(back in the days when it was actually a pontoon on the Tonle Sap
river). Importantly, it is one of those unpredictable open mic
sessions where one never knows who is going to next
walk
through the door.
“Phnom Penh said goodbye to another great musician last week, as Brent Clark left for Australia. Brent, A.K.A. 'Saxophone Brent' was ever-popular at the Sharky and Paddy Rice open mic nights, as well as being a member of RNA, 2Shots&aChaser and many other bands. He was always up for a jam with his sax, guitar, vocals and occasionally the drums. I’m sure he’ll find a stage in his home town, where he and his family can continue to enjoy the good music. He’s a great guy and a great musician.” - Tim Holland, bassist, SD
Until next time, stay safe out there and... see you around the traps!
JACK DIAMOND
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