= Live Music 
= DJs 
= Open Mic 
= Live Music & DJ * = International
The Cambodian music scene
is veritably jumping this week, with loads of great options for live
music lovers and denizens of the dance floor. Check out the Leng
Pleng Gig Guide to find out about all the
scenes unfolding in Phnom Penh, and beyond, over the next few days -
including the welcome return of a favourite Street 13 venue.
Meanwhile, a couple of hours down Highway 3, some great happenings
are being stirred up...
Not-so-sleepy-Kampot
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pic: The Garden,
Kampot
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The
moment one arrives in the leafy riverside city of Kampot, a calming,
soothing atmosphere of quiet ensues. The two-and-a-half-hour express
mini-bus or share taxi ride from Phnom Penh may be more white-knuckle
roller-coaster than relaxing drive, but it's worth it. Somehow, even
the throng of tuk-tuk drivers crowding the bus-stop, brandishing
well-worn hotel and guest house information cards - a familiar sight
at any Cambodian tourist destination - are less intrusive and
troublesome as they make a friendly grab for your luggage.
Kampot is well known and well-loved by expats for its slower pace of life, and uncrowded city streets. It has not been so well known, however, for its thriving nightlife and live music scene... until now. Sure, there has been great regular music nights happening in Kampot for a long time (Madi's Bar, Naga House, The Magic Sponge and others). But things seem to be moving forward this year with a few new venues hitting the scene (The Garden, KAMA, Ecran). Bodhi Villa may be gone but we are eagerly awaiting the new 'big daddy' of the Kampot music scene: Alaska, coming soon to an old fish market near you!
Kampot is well known and well-loved by expats for its slower pace of life, and uncrowded city streets. It has not been so well known, however, for its thriving nightlife and live music scene... until now. Sure, there has been great regular music nights happening in Kampot for a long time (Madi's Bar, Naga House, The Magic Sponge and others). But things seem to be moving forward this year with a few new venues hitting the scene (The Garden, KAMA, Ecran). Bodhi Villa may be gone but we are eagerly awaiting the new 'big daddy' of the Kampot music scene: Alaska, coming soon to an old fish market near you!
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|
The
roads can get quite busy during rush hour
pic:
http://www.cambodiahotels.biz/travelguide/cambodia/kampot/
|
Scott
Bywater will be making
the trip from Phnom Penh for a brace of Kampot shows this weekend.
The globe-trotting
singer-songwriter from
Tasmania will touch down at Madi's Bar
on Friday for a 'rock n roll and red wine inspired night
with special guests'. 'Scoddy'
will then head to Ecran
on Saturday night for 'An Evening With Scott Bywater: a
smorgasbord of his songs across a wide palate, spicily flavoured with
poems, garnished with visual projections, and marinated lightly in
red wine...' - Tasty!
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Bitches
Mix getting down with saxophonist Stephane Routtier. pic: Showbox
Facebook
|
Bitches Mix
is an experimental music duo comprising of Maria Lobato
and Adrien Sergent.
As regulars at the Showbox
Wednesday night open mic will know, anything can happen when these
guys start to
improvise
live on stage. Maria (Argentina) and Adri (France) combine keyboards
and guitars with pre-recorded samples and looper pedals. The
resulting
grooves
are are
then ornamented
with
live melodica,
'beatbox' vocals, harmonica and...
whatever other musical objects are available! Bitches
Mix
will be at the KAMA
Sun Ra Space Bar
in
Kampot
on Saturday night. Don't forget to bring your instrument, fellow
jammers are welcome!
Time to bounce
 |
mixing with the best (Dr Dre) – pic:
http://djjam.com/
|
Nova Club Phnom Penh will present an international hip-hop legend on Saturday night, when DJ Jam comes to town. This veteran of the West-Coast U.S. scene helped shape the sound of modern hip-hop when he worked with Dr Dre on his seminal 1992 album 'The Chronic'. DJ Jam has also toured with Snoop Dogg and worked with the late great Biggie Smalls. Should be a super night with a bona fide hip-hop heavyweight.
Back in business
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Kheltica at Opera Cafe, 'back in the
day'. pic: www.kenedgar.com
|
Hiring
the band Hot Club de Phnom Penh seems
like the perfect way
to bring live music back to Opera
Cafe.
The classy and
elegant
trio comprising of long-scale acoustic 'manouche' guitar, upright
bass and fiddle, are not likely to draw a
lot of noise complaints. A couple of years ago, the small
cafe-restaurant venue was well known for regular 'boutique' music and
arts events... until an army of complaining neighbours gathered to
thwart the scene. Things seemed to have cooled off now (perhaps a
certain 'Bong Thom' has moved out of the area?), so the Opera
Cafe is
back in business as a live music venue. Catch
some great gypsy jazz there on Tuesday.
Doors Phnom Penh offer
a special gig on Wednesday when Louise
Norup,
Euan Gray,
Carrie
Herbert,
Phil Ceulen,
Andrey
Mesheryakov
and
special guests come
together to form the one-off, band-for-one-night, Soul
Pilots.
The repertoire is described as '100%
Groove
and Soul'.
With
musicians of this calibre in attendance,
it should be a rocking night.
Rumour has it...
TKS
Band are a new all-girl Cambodian rock band currently racking up
many thousands of Facebook likes and Youtube hits. Check out their
original song 'ar rom jong mean sne' via
the video below. The group are rumoured to be performing at Sharky
Bar very soon. As
always, watch this space for further details...
Whatever
you're up to over the next few days, stay safe out there and... see
you around the traps!
JOE WRIGLEY
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