Cambodian Slum-dog Metal Band Doch Chkae

[CEOCambodiaNews]

Anyone seen this band playing in Cambodia ?

Slum-dog metal band Doch Chkae earns fame abroad
Roth Sochieata | Publication date 06 December 2020 | 21:10 ICT

At the live heavy metal music concert at Wacken Open Air 2019 in Germany, four members of a Cambodian band rocked the stage with songs that were mostly about their lives.

Though the audience did not understand the words, one of the songs, Jivit Doch Chkae or “Life is like a dog”, was about living in dump sites.

It was not strange for a member of this heavy metal band to perform shirtless, but what surprised the international audience at the end of their concert was that he covered his body with the Cambodian flag.

Sok Vichey, a Doch Chkae band member says: “That was one of the best moments in our lives because it was our first experience travelling overseas to perform.

“We didn’t think we had so much support or that people even knew us. We were very proud to be the ones to represent and lift our national flag on the international stage.”

Lives behind the scenes do not look as cool as compared to when they are performing on stage since all the band members are from slum areas.

From working as recycling collectors at rubbish dumps in Steung Meanchey, the band members formed Doch Chkae (or “Like a Dog”) in 2015.

Having neither proper education nor degrees from any music school did not deter the ambitions of this Cambodian heavy metal band from becoming performing artistes in their own right.

Guitarist Vichey, 22, tells The Post: “We are a group of four but we started as only three neighbours – Ouch Theara, Ouch Hing and myself.

“We were born in very poor families where our homes are located at the dumpsite itself. We picked the leftover food to eat and collected recyclable plastics to sell,” he says.

It took a while to realise their dream, but it was great to finally come to the point where they could rise above their social environment, he said.

“Once in a while, an NGO came with food for us. One day we met Moms Against Poverty. We were chosen to stay under their care and support, and that was when our lives truly changed,” says Theara, 22.

He says they were allowed to pursue whatever they wanted to learn. That was in 2011. Theara was 13 years old and felt he was too old to start going to school.

“I tried to do my best but I suppose not everyone can study. I gave up and told the NGO I wanted to learn a skill rather than enter a traditional education system. Thankfully they understood and supported my decision,” he says.

Soon, Vichey and Theara chose music and went to Music Art School in Beong Keng Kang. One hour a week was all they had.
Full article: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/arts-cult ... ame-abroad

[rozzieoz]

I sponsored a gig for them last year in Siem Reap, it was hugely successful.
Not my sort of music but Metal fans love them.

[Username Taken]

Anyone seen this band playing in Cambodia ?

Possibly @Captain Bonez
>>> post375346.html#p375346

[Jamie_Lambo]

Ive also posted about them a few times been following them on Facebook since they came out, unfortunately not been able to see them live yet, always in wrong place at wrong time


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[Brody]

Aaaaaaaaaaaand if punk is more your thing...........check out this band.......front woman is quite a minx, if I may be so bold.

[Username Taken]

^^^^ Strange name for a band, Vatey's Vagina.

[Jamie_Lambo]

Aaaaaaaaaaaand if punk is more your thing...........check out this band.......front woman is quite a minx, if I may be so bold.

haha yeah shes ace! got a few of her songs downloaded

[Jamie_Lambo]

Cambodia has only a small underground Metal scene but here are some of my other favourite Khmer Metal bands/songs











Zono is a pop singer but hes done a number of decent metal songs with Z5band...