Are you prepared to take the trip? This is gonna be a wild ride!
It’s Garage Fest! Cambodia is here again… yep! Looser AND wilder than ever, this 4 or maybe 5 night pop-up festival is now in its 3rd year and this year, we’ve got such an awesome line-up we’re planning to take it on the road. But yeah, like I said, it’s loose, it’s assembled around The Cambodian Space Project but sometimes even the CSP fails to appear… whatever happens… it all works out in the end and by all accounts, Garage Fest is not to be missed!
Kicking of aptly on May Day… Garage Fest is at the much loved Laundry Bar on Wed May 1 – this is traditionally the venue and famous ‘open mic’ night that was run by our wonderful friend in music and life – Brian Woods or Brin as he was sometimes known. Many of you know that Brian Woods passed away recently and is sorely missed by the music community in Cambodia. Launching at The Laundry is a fitting tribute to a great friend and a wonderfully supportive Garage Fester… Brian was at all of ‘em right from the get go!
May Day! May Day!
May 1 at the Laundry Bar, Siem Reap will be a brilliant night of music with friends of The Cambodian Space Project – Salt & Steel or Briony & Ellie as they’re also known, touring and performing for the first time in Cambodia. These girls rock! And they’re touring also to support our initiative Srey’s School of Rock so we’re hugely excited to present this band – not just any band but an awesome band that is set to become bigger than Angkor Thom… and taking off in Cambodia.
Joining the tour and for the very first time in Cambodian comes The Tommys – the legendary surf trio outta Melbourne, Australia. The Tommys make you feel like you’re in some kinda crazy movie…but hey? Aren’t we all already? Sure we are. Local Siem Reap mainstays The Screamin’ Riels will be on hand to liven up the party and help the new arrivals settle in for the ride… the big trip… touring with The Cambodian Space Project from Siem Reap to Kampot.
Garage Fest! Tour dates and Venues
… okay so it’s ‘sposed to be loose, pop-up… details remain sketchy and all but here we go… full disclosure:
THE CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT, THE TOMMYS, SALT & STEEL, THE SCREAMIN’ RIELS touring Cambodia, It’s Garage Fest! May 1-5
Wed May 1 – The Laundry Bar, Siem Reap
Thu May 2 – The Balcony, Battambang
Fri May 3 – The Villa Grange, Phnom Penh
Sat May 4 – The Villa Grange, Phnom Penh
Sun May 5 – Fish Island Community Arts Centre (Closing Party)
Srey’s School of Rock
Srey’s School of Rock is great initiative of FICAC. A workshop run by women for women.
Srey’s School of Rock takes place in Kampot, Cambodia. Our goal is to provide Cambodian women a chance to rock out and join music activities.
Home of Garage Fest at at The Village Grange
The shows coming up in Phnom Penh will sell out fast. Tickets are limited so please get yours now from reception at Villa Grange or by ABA – see link. It’s $15 for a single night or $25 for both Fri 3 and Sat 4. Accomodation deals (2 or 3 night packages) are also available but don’t try booking online as we’ve block booked the entire hotel. Email directly to villagrange2017@gmail.com
Both The Laundry (SR) and The Balcony (BTG) shows are free! But please be generous and make a donation to help us fund and facilitate places for Cambodian women to join Srey’s School of Rock. You can also donate directly to Fish Island Community Arts Centre via ABA.
Tickets for Phnom Penh shows at The Villa Grange – home of Garage Fest! will sell out so grab ‘em fast. This will be the best music night of the year and probably the last chance to see The Cambodian Space Project in Cambodia for 2024.
A loose history of Garage Fest!
Now I think of it, I can’t really remember how the idea got going… but perhaps back in November 2019, there was a few of us getting together lament quieter times. A number of venue had already shut down, Phnom Penh was not the free-easy-rolling place it once was – perfect city for the fun times of live music and a vibrant community of artists. The loss of Channthy had, and continues to be, a huge loss for music in Cambodia. CSP was still not sure about continuing on as a live band but even before Channthy passed away we had bookings 2 years ahead. So I guess the first Garage Fest! – over 3 nights in November 2029 came to be to support the idea of getting the show back on the road… doing it with a bunch of like-minded folks and having some live, rowdy, raucous fun! Also, compiling the Angkor Pop! release – Cambodian groups covering Iggy had already set in motion some of this… but that’s another wild story.
the first shows were suitably wild and crazy, bands in from Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Australia and UK. The main venue got cancelled on the main night…bummer… many of the audience relocated around the corner to Eggy Bar… But is was a dame shame to miss seeing a couple of the acts… still some great sets from Moth Flesh, Round Eyes, Captain Future, Ziad and Space Party at those first couple of festivals… here’s a snapshot of the program.
One thing do remember on the first year of GF is somehow ending up playing drums on the street with Captain Future… aka Alex McGowan…running about 172 street in front of Sun Dance Bar, hollerin’ and shouting the gospel… and Sunday session it was… I wasn’t expecting to play drums and had to find equipment, sticks at least…but alas only 1 drumstick to be found, so the ingenious bar keep suggested using a small bottle of Tabasco sauce… it worked for about 5 mins then smashed open and splattered hot sauce everywhere. Tabasco sauce was splashing back up from the snare drum and right into my eyes…ouch! moral of the story…don’t do this stoopid stuff if you can help it. But to conclude: its been a helluva lot of fun and this years Fest is best year. All the bands are on fire! hotter than Kampot peppers… Can’t wait to see you at GARAGE FEST 2024.
