= Live Music 
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= Live Music & DJ * = International
I'm
going to be honest with you – I will be glad to see the back of
September and October. These months are largely a dull time for
happenings on the Cambodian music scene. With November about to kick
off, we have a lot of cool things to look forward to. The venue
Simone Art,
situated on the site of the Boeng Kak Lake in Phnom Penh, has already
begun it's 2015 'high season' – which continues tonight with a
performance from experimental electronic music artist Saphy
'Lafidki' Vong. In
Sihanoukville, The Venue
is
gearing up for live bands – while Otres Market
is building an entirely new
staging area in preparation for their re-opening party at the end of
November.
 |
| Cast and crew of Hanuman Spaceman, Kampot 2014. pic: David Rosenberger |
The peaceful riverside city of Kampot looks set to continue the transformation from expat outpost to breakaway cultural centre over the next weeks and months. In addition to the newly-opened Banyan Tree and the soon-to-be-opened Kampot Fishmarket, Tantrei Sunset Music Bar will this weekend join the growing number of live music and arts venues in Kampot. Tantrei is one of several venues hosting the inaugural Kampot Writers & Readers Festival (KWRF) – an official sister event of the international Ubud Writers & Readers Festival - to take place in Kampot between the 5th and 8th November. The scope of the event has grown from a literary festival into a larger arts event, including many live music concerts. Judging by the huge buzz of anticipation preceding KWRF 2015, it seems that Kampot is more than ready to stage an international arts event. Read more about KWRF 2015 in this special edition wrap written by Leng Pleng's Television Ted.
Stay
tuned to Leng Pleng for
more information about the
music events taking place at the KWRF -
in next week's wrap. We also have, in
the second week of November,
the 12th
International Music Festival Phnom Penh
to look forward to! Festival
Director Anton Isselhardt
will be continuing with his
mission to bring world-class classical music performers to Cambodia.
This year's festival program
will focus on the period of history from the Age of Enlightenment
until Romanticism (1700-1900). With
these two festivals coming up, and lots more exciting
things on the horizon, the words of Phoeurng Sackona, Cambodian
Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, seem uncannily
wise and timely:
 |
| Phoeurng Sackona – pic: Khmer Times |
“Once again we discover here the strong binding ties of art.
They demonstrate clearly that behind all fascinating diversity, there
is always something in common among us all. We may call this cultural
archetypes. Music is an ideal medium for turning concrete and even
conceptual experiences into an all-permeating positive sensation,
which then may enlighten our constructive individual imagination. Or
in other words, music enables us individually and together to
participate in a unique and yet universal experience. This may lead
to quite new artistic horizons.”
-
Phoeurng Sackon, festival
notes, 12th International Music
Festival Phnom Penh, November
2015.
 |
| Halloween is rubbish – pic: http://rickssummer.blogspot.com/2012/10/halloween.html |
As this coming weekend marks the last day of October, it is traditional for many venues to insert the word 'Halloween' into their weekly promotions. Looking at this week's Leng Pleng Gig Guide, I would assign a ratio of roughly fifty percent to well-thought-out fun theme nights and fifty percent to gigs arranged hastily with the vague intention of reaping some share of the vapid commercialism surrounding a meaningless non-holiday. I will let you decide which is which. Fortunately, you will still find a number of great gigs coming up over the next few days.
 |
Diego
DiMarques – pic: supplied
|
Diego
DiMarques
will make a welcome return to Phnom Penh for a solo
acoustic
gig at Cabaret
Restaurant tonight
(Thursday). If you are new to Cambodia, you may not have yet had the
opportunity to catch this charismatic Gypsy-Flamenco guitar master in
person. Cabaret
provides a salubrious and high-quality listening environment in which
to do so.
Shanghai
Bar
will
re-enter
the Phnom Penh live music scene this weekend with a gig by
Australian
musician and entertainer Graham
Cain.
Graham has also branched out into the world of event promotions with
his new talent agency, Hat's Off Entertainment
Promotions.
Check
out his website for more details
– could be a good opportunity for local musicians trying to find
gigs, or local venues looking to find musicians!
Heavy
metal band Knell
will make one last visit to Sharky
Bar
this Saturday before band leader Doug
Marsden
takes his leave of Cambodia. The
tightly-knit and hard-hitting rockers are inspired by bands such as
Tool,
Gojira and
Metallica.
Speaking
of hard-hitting rockers, check out the newly-released album by
Psychotic
Reactions,
which is available via YouTube link below – posted
by Psychotics drummer and producer Professor
Kinski.
The
band is on a hiatus at the moment, but we hope that it is only a
matter of time before Laura
Snook's
band of hardcore punks return to the live music scene.
Whatever you're up to over the next few
days... stay safe out there and... see you around the traps!
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Joe Wrigley
