Sharky Bar & Restaurant

Sharky Bar & Restaurant

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Cambo Headbangers Ball II: Saturday, August 6, 2011

Cambo Headbangers Ball II Special guest opening act "Animation"
"Sub-Student"

"Millenium"

"Anti-FATE"

"Alisha" guesting with "Anti-FATE"

"Sliten6ix" close the evening



Saturday Night was 'Cambo Headbangers Ball II' and the turn of the Khmer musical fraternity to showcase their talents - and by crikey didn't they just - in what turned out to be the best 'Chapter' of the 'Headbangers Ball' so far !

Big Mike did the 'Intro' and set the tone for what was to follow, which was a phenomenal rollercoaster ride of sublime heavy metal guitar licks, unbelievable drumming, thumping bass lines and a range of vocalist styles that ranged from Green Day's (Billie Joe Armstrong) through to Slipsnot's 'stone sour supremo and frontman' Corey Taylor !

First band up was 'Cartoon Emo's' stable-mates 'Animation' - and they did'nt let anyone down - with a great opening set !

Some great intricate guitar playing was backed-up with some really impressive vocals. The set and sound was tight and the energy level fantastic - as the 'Animation' boyz went for the jugular ! Aarrrgh !

One song was even in 'thai' which goes to show that with the Khmer bands - expect the unexpected !

Great stuff - and really good to see Cartoon Emo's Boy, Din and Virak (their Manager) in attendance - and 'head-banging' along with their mates ! Brilliant !

After a 'brief pause for a gulp of fresh air' - next up was 'Sub-Students.' A new band on the scene and very much a force to be reckoned with in the near future.

Looking like 'mobsters' from the latest episode of 'The Untouchables' the band certainly knew how to play.

Some really neat, tasteful guitar playing was backed-up with some really fine vocals, bass playing and drumming.

Not quite 'Elliot Ness' but 'untouchable' all the same ! Cheerz guyz you were awesome !

The packed-out Sharky crowd by this time were getting into the 'swing of things' - and pumped-up by Big Mike - Millennium took to the stage !

Metal Rappers cum Rock Band (think Stephen Tyler's Aerosmith / Run DMC) and this is Millennium !

The whole place erupted as barking mad frontman 'Karona' took up the reigns and entertained the audience with his madcap style of singing !

No 'turn-table' this time for Karona - but with his razor-sharp 'rap-like' vocals - the whole place was fired-up - as Millennium truly rocked the joint !

Can't say that Sharky's have seen such an enigmatic frontman 'in da house' for a long-time ! A truly breathtaking performance from Karona and the Millennium boyz !

'Walk This Way' indeed ! F*****g Magic !
The momentum was certainly in it's ascendancy when crowd favourites 'Anti-Fate' took to the stage.

In probably, the outstanding performance of the night - Propey, Dom, Vin and Jino - really set the place alight !

The unmistakable 'Green Day-ish' sound of 'Anti-Fate' was thoroughly enjoyed by the bi-partisan 'Khmer/Barang' (local/expat) crowd.

This was certainly the band's 'finest hour' in Sharky's and with a guest appearance from the lovely Alisha on vocals - 'Anti-Fate' really set the place on-fire !

A thoroughly deserved encore was called for - and the band duly obliged - with what else, but a 'rip-roaring' version of 'American Idiot !' Absolutely, brilliant, stuff from Anti-Fate !

But how on earth could you possibly top that performance ???

Answer: Mosh Pit, Wall Of Death and of course - Sliten6ix !

If 'Anti-Fate' had only moments before raised the roof - then 'Sliten6ix' just came on and smashed clean through it !

I don't know if Sharky Bar has ever witnessed such scenes of 'carnage, devastation and mayhem' - but with JP (from the American Alternative Rock Band 'SuperGlide" of Virginia Beach), Robbie G-String, Josh, Matt, Lhars and myself (Dave Punk) marshaling the 'Mosh Pit' - their were bodies flying everywhere as the music just exploded !

With Big Sharky Mike, the Emcee, flinging his long hair up and down, screaming, taunting and challenging the Wall of Death crowd with wanting to be the FIRST Mosh Pit Jumper at 105 kgs (WTF??), everyone in their right mind stepped away, and rightfully so !!! But Big Mike's taunting got the young Wall revelers to start abandoning their shirts, jumping on stage, and flinging their bodies into the 60+ party kids who formed the Wall !!

Even young Blase, everyone's favorite young Rocker from Australia, was banging and rocking in the Free World too. What an incredible scene of absolute fun and madness that Cambodia has never seen before from any Rock Show!!

This was now a true 'Headbangers Ball' in every sense of the word !

The music was metal core - the band were awesome - the muscianship was brilliant - and the crowd were just loving it ! Every second of it !

With vocalist 'Misfit' screaming out his vocals with such lung-filled intensity - that he could probably have 'blown-up a helium filled hot-air balloon' - Sliten6ix just tore the house down - I mean literally !

Hats-off to Veasna, Nu, Billie Supertramp, Alan Madness and of course, crazy frontman 'Misfit' for bringing 'Cambo Headbangers Ball II' to it's ultimate fever pitch ! Absolutely brilliant !

The final Mosh Pit Stage diving from Veasna, Misfit and even our very own master technician and Entertainment Manager Ross, brought the evening to it's emphatic but fitting close !

The sweaty mounds of bodies dispersed and the bar returned back to respectable normality.

I think all of us would agree, that we had all just lay witness to one of those great musical events that merely underlines that 'Sharky Bar & Restuarant' is 'The Number One Music Venue in Phnom Penh ! (not to mention the longest running Rock and Roll Bar in Indochina - 15 years already and 15 more to come !!!!)

A big thanx to all that allowed this 'major event' to take place - and a big, big thanx to 'Cambo Headbangers Rock & Metal Society' for your continued support - and extra thanx to both Veasna (Cambo Headbangers) and Virak (Svang Dara Entertainments) for providing the acts !

Cheerz fellaz - it was our pleasure !

Ps. What about 'Cambo Headbangers Ball III' ??? Halloween ??? Friday The 13th ??

Watch your local press for details !! That's if you dare !!

Signed-out and knackered !

Dave The Punk

No comments:

Post a Comment