AsiaLIFE

The Elsewhere First Friday Party might be officially dead, but the reincarnation party occurred at the Railway Station on Jun. 5.

 

The capital’s partygoers gathered at the half-derelict train station in eager anticipation. Local band Mekong Pirates opened the night, followed by DJs Dr WahWah and Paul, as well as newcomer Clockwork Soul, who is taking the Penh with storm. Apart from the music and general merrymaking, many in the crowd came to have a peek at the cathedral-like building and disused railway tracks. Check out our website’s events calendar, as the rumour mill says something special will happen on Bastille Day, Jul. 14.The following Friday (Jun. 12) saw the long-awaited launch of Superfly at Pontoon Lounge. With a mixture of funk, soul, disco, Latin, breaks, beats and treats, the night promised to be unlike anything seen or heard before in Phnom Penh. It didn’t disappoint. Superfly on the second Friday of each month promises to be the hottest night of the month, each month.

Elsewhere, the Penh was distinctly fashionable in June. Promesses launched its range of lingerie on Jun. 11 at an exclusive fashion show – all the guests were women. This was followed by Charlie’s Angels at Gasolina on Jun. 19. Although men were allowed in this time, the show was still tailored to a specific market ¬– rainwear. The following day (20) Cambodia’s top modelling agency opened its own designer range. IChing was the venue for Sapor’s entrance into the design-side of the world of fashion.

As always, Java Café was the centre of the art scene with the opening of Ouer Sokuntey’s latest exhibition on Jun. 5, although the unveiling of Maria Stott’s The Building Project (Jun. 11) at the Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre was just as eagerly anticipated. Rivalling these for the cultural highpoint of the month was the Nou Hatch Journal Poetry Festival (Jun. 16-19). Poets from Northern Europe and Cambodia exchanged ideas in a series of workshops and readings. Read next month’s AsiaLIFE Guide for the launch of a new Book Festival to be held in Phnom Penh in October.

Finally, what would life be like without some good old-fashioned frolicking? The end of May (30) saw Mamma Mia take to the FCC’s rooftop. Young and old alike showed that there is still a market for 70s disco, especially when the National Museum is the dance-floor’s backdrop. Keep abreast of the next show – Grease meets Saturday Night Fever is the word on the street. The previous evening saw the launch of the Green Vespa’s regular night. If the first event is anything to go by, this might become as regular a part of the Penh’s social calendar as the First Friday Part was.

Photos by Nathan Horton and Conor Wall. To see more visit the photo galleries at: www.asialifeguide.com. If you want your event to be covered by AsiaLIFE Guide’s photographers email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .