= Live Music 
= DJs 
= Open Mic 
= Live Music & DJ * = International
The members of Drakkar Band are living legends – survivors of the 'Golden Era' of Cambodian pop music. Their original album of psychedelic rock'n'roll was recorded in Cambodia in the early-to-mid seventies and released on cassette tape in 1974. In 1975, the self-marketed, self-distributed masterpiece became the biggest-selling album in Cambodian history when more than 40,000 cassette copies were sold. Before the band could order another production run of 'Drakkar 74', the general situation in Cambodia took a sudden and drastic turn for the worse. The vast majority of Cambodian musicians and artists were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge over the next few years, along with the work they had produced.
Mr.
Touch Tana (lead
vocals/guitar),
Mr. Ouk Sam Ath
(drums)
and
Mr. Touch Chhatha (guitar)
are still very much alive and kicking (and rocking). An
arc of rock'n'roll history will
reach
its long-awaited
conclusion
next month when Drakkar
Band
travel to the
U.S.A. to take part in a series of live
concerts. The
tour, featuring many legends of Cambodian music, will
take place in
conjunction with public screeenings of John Pirozzi's celebrated
'Golden Era' music documentary Don't Think I've Forgotten.
In
the meantime, Phnom Penh gig-goers have an
opportunity
to see Drakkar Band
performing their only pre-US Tour show at Sharky
Bar this
Friday.
Leng Pleng readers
viewing this before 5.30pm (Cambodian time) on Thursday afternoon
(26th March 2015) still have time to compete in an auction
to win a very special Drakkar Band prize. The highest bidder
will win a signed copy of the extremely-limited 12-inch vinyl edition
of Drakkar 74. This iconic and celebrated album of
Cambodian psychedelic rock has been re-released this month by Metal Postcard records, making the recording generally available again for
the first time in 40 years. The album cover will be signed in person
by the three surviving members of the original band at Sharky
Bar on Friday night. Check out the video below to see the band
in action at Sharky's during
last year's Penhstock festival.
The winner of the auction
must be present (or have a representative present) at the Drakkar
Band gig on Friday. To compete in the auction, click here to place a bid via the Leng Pleng Facebook page. Click here to see the full rules
for bidding.
 |
| Kheltica sometimes visit Kampot in order to find a venue large enough to accommodate them |
Kheltica
will attempt to squeeze most
of their members on to
the Slur Bar
stage on Saturday. The lively, rabble-rousing outfit rarely like to
perform with less than eight or so players,
ensuring
a wall-of-Celtic-sound produced by flutes, violins, piano, guitars
and whatever else they can get their hands on. The man at the
forefront
of all of this is the fervently
Scottish Chris
Bradbury,
who spurs Kheltica
on with energetic, Shane MacGowan-esque vocal performances.
Chris
plans to head back to Scotland soon – Saturday's gig at Slur might
be his last ever with the band.
Lewis Pragasam
continues his weekly Drum Jam
on
Sunday afternoon at the newly-established
Starworks
music academy, located at the LYLA
Center. Check
out the video below – looks like a lot of fun!
A classy evening of jazz
can be enjoyed on Wednesday night at Doors
Phnom Penh. The
Kae Lhassan Quartet
comprises of the fabulous Kae on vocals, together
with
Toma Willen
(drums), Seb
Adnot
(guitar)
and Nono
(violin). Expect
jazz-manouche-flavoured renderings of classic
songs,
and
a very
high
level of musicianship. Check out the 'hidden gem' of a video below
from a few years back: Kae's rendition of 'My Favourite Things'.
Whatever you're up to over the next few days, be safe out there and... see you around the traps!
CLICK HERE FOR LATEST GIGS
JOE WRIGLEY
CLICK HERE FOR LATEST GIGS
JOE WRIGLEY
