Friday, 4 March, 2011
A new band from Sihanoukville that auditioned for Sharkys, just prior to the opening of PENHSTOCK 2, impressed us with their professionalism, and strong playing of a wide variety of metal bands e.g. AC/DC, ZZ Top, to the Stones. Playing to a smaller than usual Friday night crowd, but more appreciative of their music, MUSIC BUDDIES (Yes, they are going to change their gay name), rocked for 3 hours almost non-stop.Led by the strong drumming of American Dave, and harmonies of the other Band members from U.S.,Australia and UK.
When it was time to stop playing at 11:30 pm, in accordance with local Sangkat Guidelines, the boisterous rock music loving Sharky crowd wouldn’t let them leave and shouted “More, More, More”!! And More hard metal music came and pleased the appreciative audience with more AC/DC’s “TNT” and ZZ Top’s “La Grange”…
Another cool, fun nite at Sharky’s…
Saturday, 5 March
Sharky’s favorite Band, Lost Highway, came back up from Sihanoukville ( No, not along with Music Buddies) and re-appeared with Lead Guitarist, Kenny, who was out sick for a few weeks and missed playing at PENHSTOCK 2. But Kenny showed that he lost none of his rhythm, talent for Rock Star lead guitar stage moves, and LH played together with re-invogorated energy, and song balance to the delight of a skeptical, but numerous, Bar crowd.
Lost Highway is back at Sharky’s soon so stop by to check out Chris, the Band’s new Bass Guitarist, a U.S. Expat who is also emerging from the Rock and Roll Closet to come out to newly found admiration and cheers for his talent at blending right into the rapidly building Phnom Penh Music Scene..
Sharky (Tiger Shark) Mike
Rock n Roll Highschool
Bum n Draze
Lost Highway
100's more photo's on our facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32580&id=100001455738238&l=3848d658f1
also...
Videos of Penhstock 2 on youtube
PENHSTOCK 2, 2011
Having concluded the biggest Music Festival in Cambodia with Sharky’s producing the 3 Day, 19 Bands PENHSTOCK 2 Music Festival this past weekend at Sharky Bar, hopefully a little piece of music history in Cambodia has just been created.
Based upon the legendary WOODSTOCK Music Festival, 3 Days of Peace, Love, and Music in 1969, when 500,000 music lovers walked up to 30 km to attend, WOODSTOCK has become the Icon of the 1960’s Hippie Counter Culture, and began the explosion in Rock, Blues, Folk, and Funk Music which continues to this day.
The Mission of Sharky’s PENHSTOCK Music Festival ( WOODSTOCK in Phnom Penh = PENHSTOCK ), is to develop and diversify Live Music in Cambodia through offering a Showcase Venue for the recent explosion in new Bands, as well as the few “older” Rock Bands. Sharky’s production of PENHSTOCK 1(2009/2010) and PENHSTOCK 2 Music Festivals are quickly acquiring a reputation as an Icon in Cambodia and Indochina for the promotion of Live Rock, Alternative, and World music.
As Sharky Bar is well known as the oldest Western Music Venue in IndoChina for the last 15 years, the 19 Bands and over 90 musicians who performed in PENHSTOCK 2, donated their time and talent, to make this year’s PENHSTOCK into a major artistic success.
The first PENHSTOCK Music Festival took place over the 2009/2010 New Year Weekend. As live music in Cambodia was viewed by Expats, Tourists, and local Khmers as pretty much an “anomaly”, we struggled to sign 8 Bands for the 3 Day Event. However, over the past year, Cambodia has experienced an explosion of new Bands, both Khmer and Expat, playing a huge music diversification ranging from Classic Cover Rock, Heavy Metal, Indie, Punk, Blues, Funk, Jazz, World, etc. Thank God the Era of Filipino Top Ten Hits Music is now the Standard for Hotel Lobbies and not for Rock Clubs anymore !,
With 6 Bands a night playing tight, short musical sets on both Friday and Saturday, 25/26 February , and 7 Bands playing on Sunday night, 27 February, the cooperation of all of the Musicians, working alongside Sharky Bar Management and Music Technical Teams to ensure pretty much faultless timing, great sounds, acoustics, and stage lighting, was brilliant. The work necessary to produce PENHSTOCK 2 weekend was a logistical nightmare for the Sharky Bar boys, as one can imagine. But with the Shark “Cage” being a private Rest Area (Green Room) for the Bands playing each evening, the Cage was well stocked with plenty of draught beer, whisky, food, and chairs so the various musicians could rest up, pre and post performance, and meet old and new music mates.
The Bar was still half jammed with dedicated music lovers way past midnight on the final Festival night, Sunday. The surprise Band of the night was a new French Band passing through Cambodia called “Octopus” - an all brass band with flawless musical and stage presence, and as Entertainment Manager Ross introduced them as “Cambodia’s first Chippendale style Music Band (they played with shirt off, girls – Your bad if you weren’t there to enjoy them), they literally, and pleasantly, knocked the socks off the late night partiers when NO ONE (even Sharky management) knew what to expect from them. Bravo to Octopus for an incredible set!
Sharky Bar, well known and respected as a pioneer in Live Music in Cambodia, and as the # 1 Music Venue in Indochina for new and old bands, wants to thank everyone who attended any/all of the 3 nights and helped PENHSTOCK become a legendary Music Fest in Indochina, and particularly in Cambodia. And a huge round of APPRECIATION AND THANK YOU’S to all of the Bands and Musicians who so generously donated their blood, sweat and tears to PENHSTOCK so that all of the attendees will always remember this Music Event as an enjoyable experience in Phnom Penh!!
We hired a Video Photographer who taped the entire PENHSTOCK 2 Event, so it can be viewed on YOU TUBE under the Title of PENHSTOCK 2
Here is a List of the Bands who participated in PENHSTOCK 2 :
The Teaner Terners, Soren Borch Band, Stiff Little Punks, Hot Strings, Captain Jack, Lost Highway, Bum ‘N Draze, Lazy Drunks, Little Duke and MMBB, Rock and Roll High School, The Fumes, The Uke Dudes, Squishy Band, The Choppers, Licked Western, Al-Ebib(?), Octopus, Captain Emo, Bluesberry Jam Band
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Stay tuned for news of PENHSTOCK 3 next year…. Should be bigger and grander than ever before.
THANK YOU, PHNOM PENH !! ROCK ON AND PEACE OUT, Brothers and Sisters!!
Sharky Bar Management
