= Live Music 
= DJs 
= Open Mic 
= Live Music & DJ * = International
It is great to get away
from it all sometimes. To spend three days away from the overcrowded,
noisy, gridlocked streets of Phnom Penh. To escape the stench of
trash on the road, the incessant blaring horns of vehicles and the
gritty taste of dust in one's
mouth. The great thing was,
I didn't even have to leave the city to get away from these
daily torments... because everyone else left! For three glorious days
of Pchum Ben I
enjoyed a holiday mood, driving my little 50cc moto around a deserted
Phnom Penh. Now things are almost back to normal in this town - but I
have an appetite for further unhurried and unharried adventures.
Perhaps a trip to Kampot is in order!
 |
| The Kampot Playboys |
The Kampot Playboys
have a long-established
jam session
at Madi
House
each Thursday night. This
excellent band combine Khmer vocals and
a smokin' hot Tro
Sau Toch (traditional
Khmer bowed instrument) with groove-orientated drums, bass and
guitar.
The
resulting retro-rock fusion can wander in
surprising directions but the band is galvanised by
the sheer energy contributed by Uk
Sokchiet
(vocals, guitar),
Bong Tro
(Tro) and brothers Mark
(bass
guitar) and Ben
(drums) Chattaway.
The
band will also be joined this very evening by occasional second
guitarist
Conrad
Keely. The
…Trail
of Dead front-man
put in a telephone call to Leng Pleng
from
a speeding Toyota Camry – somewhere between Kampong
Speu
and Chhuk.
Jack
had some trouble hearing what Conrad was saying above the noise of
the road – but there was definitely something along the lines of
'it's going to be
a great gig tonight'.
The
Bodhi Villa has a well-deserved
reputation for being the place to visit in Kampot for live music and
DJs on a Friday night.
Looking at the riverside
venue in the daytime, it is hard to imagine how Bodhi impresario Hugh
Monroe
manages to cram
a full band, DJ, sound system and one hundred or more bouncing
revellers into the less-than-gigantic proportions
of Bodhi Villa.
But cram them he does - whether
at the bar, on the
dance
floor
or on
the pontoons floating on the Kampot River, and it always seems to
work. Hugh
and his team work meticulously to ensure the sound system is in
great shape for each show. When
the Friday night crowd at the wooden-structured villa are enjoying
themselves, the entire
venue
is quite literally 'bouncing'.
Television
Ted reliably informs me that the place is going to be pumping this
Friday - when
the totally energetic and rolling rockabilly band,
Joe
Wrigley & The Jumping Jacks, return
to play an extended set of outrageously great tunes.
Made in Cambodia
(M.I.C.) is a special mixed
event
that
is
taking
place in Kampot this Saturday. M.I.C
is
a
celebration
of
Cambodian street arts.
Brand-new
arts space
Lightbox
will host the
party comprising
of live music, break-dancing
and skateboarding as well as film, photography, art
exhibition and
live painting.
Sreyleak
of Klapyahandz,
spoken-word poet Kosal
Khiev
and DJ Kdam
are just a few of the several
artists performing.
It
will
be a great
party! M.I.C. is jointly organised
by Katharina
Glynne
of Lightbox
and Kampot-based
community organisation Dao of Life. The
organsiers told Leng Pleng:
'Made
in Cambodia will bring together young street culture artists and
performers from Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, offering an
opportunity to meet, exchange knowledge and grow their communities.'
When
M.I.C. wraps up at Lightbox,
the
after-party will kick in at the Saturday-night Kampot destination of
choice – Naga
House.
For
more information, see the facebook event page.
Check out the awesome
sounds below from one of the performers appearing at M.I.C – Mute
Speaker
– 'Khmer-influenced beats made almost exclusively from samples and
field recordings collected on a recent trip to Cambodia.'
Whether you are wandering through the
backwaters of Kampot, or navigating the back streets of Phnom Penh,
stay safe out there and... see you around the traps!
JACK DIAMOND
No comments:
Post a Comment