Peggy Sue, The Social, London.

"Oh, I'm not going to be able to watch daytime Television, I miss those days", Shrieks Katy.
Welcome to the "busiest week in Peggy Sue's history, ever." A week in which they take to the stage 7 times, play instore's, appear on ITN news and release their debut EP 'Body Parts'.
"I said that not realising it was actually going to be true, I thought I was being over the top but apparently not."
Already today Peggy Sue, aka Rosa Rex and Katy Klaw, have sat through more interviews than they've ever had, which is probably why when 4or The Record turn up at The Social, a cabin-like hot box of a venue, the girls are nowhere to be seen.
You see, the promotion of a bands debut EP wouldn't normally warrant the kind of exposure and excitement that surrounds the latest release from Peggy Sue and the Pictures, so called because Peggy Sue have acquired the backing of Left Of Picture (veterans of the UK folk scene), but this is no ordinary release.
It's one that captures the sound of a scene that’s at the forefront of the industry's thoughts. As well as Peggy Sue, the likes of Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn, Noah and the Whale and Jeremy Warmsley are all flooding through the door Kate Nash and Jack Penaté spectacularly smashed down for them last summer.
It's something the girls are aware of and hugely excited about. During a whirlwind 12 months they were whisked off on tour with Kate Nash, an experience that went a long way in shaping and preparing the girls for what was to come. "Touring with Kate was fantastic but we hardly saw her" sighs Rosa. "She would be like, "I can see you for 5 minutes" and then she'd go off to do another photo shoot or interview. She'd come do her make up with us and then she'd go and that would be our quality time together, poor girl."

It's something they encountered again at SXSW when they hang out with fellow Anti-Folkists and good friends Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn. "Our normal day was a gig or two then we'd kick back, have a BBQ and hang out with Laura and Johnny and watch them go from gig to gig and interview to interview" remembers Rosa. So there must be a part of you that's enjoying the roles being reversed tonight? "Yeah it's amazing, we're so used to being the support and having busier people around us but tonight it feels like we've made the step up" says Katy. And the promotion plans for the EP would certainly back that statement up.




Tonight is just the first of four special gigs organised for what they call as the "4 corners of London". Tonight is West then they take on The Enterprise (North), The Betsy Trotwood (East) and The Windmill (South) Four venue's Time Out magazine cheekily described as central, central, central and central. Not that the girls mind. They just take it in their stride and even find it funny, a humour that’s apparent in their music and no wonder when you discover who their influences are. "Definitely Jeffrey Lewis in terms of Anti-Folk and The Moldy Peaches, we love them” and it's that humour and those influences that they take into 'Body Parts' a record that's an obvious departure from previous release 'Television', a Seven inch they released just after Christmas. "It's a chance for us to explore new instruments and new sounds" beams Katy and "It captures a folky side to us that's always been there despite the punky element that came with our first two singles 'Television' and 'New Song'" finishes Rosa. "The new instruments we brought in, the Banjo and Violin really helped us to bring out that Folk sound as did Left Of Picture. They're a band we've played with a couple a times and we just really love how folk they are. There's loads of Folk out there at the moment but it's all influenced by different genres. Left of Picture however are quite down the line folk and we really love it that we now have that injection in our music" she continues.
As well as the two previous very different releases, the girls had also released monthly incidental recordings that again captured their fun side but only cemented how hard it was to pin them down to a genre. Fully aware of this they realised just how important it is that they've put down on record four tracks that so undeniably spell out the direction they're heading in terms of sound. "Television and New song were at two ends of the spectrum, one being our punky side the other our prettier one. We knew that it never really came across as what we were really like. So with 'Body Parts' we're delighted it says a lot about us and what we do and what we sound like. It’s captured the real Peggy Sue in our opinion" and with that Rosa and Katy look at each other and share a smile that's still evident when they take to the stage in front of a packed out venue.




As each glistening track goes by a swooning audience falls that little bit more in love with Peggy Sue who captivatingly play with their untainted heart on their vintage sleeve and with a passion and exuberance that 4or The Record very rarely comes across. Each track off the EP sound life afirmingly joyous and only adds to the excitement of possible future releases. "We definitely feel ready to make an album but first we're gonna release another EP before the end of the year, Steven Ansell (Blood Red Shoe's) is going to produce it. Plus we may cover Be Your Own Pet for our next monthly recording but that’s only in the pipeline. We've got 30 to 40 songs at our disposal and at least half are good enough for an album" say's Katy "Plus bonus tracks", "Yeah, and Itune releases" giggles Rosa.
It's clear that tonight’s taste of being the busy band has left an impression on Peggy Sue that will only serve in propelling them into major Indie starlets. And with the thump of beating hearts and echo’s of admiration undoubtedly still ringing in their ears from tonight’s breathtaking show, Peggy Sue will be winning overeven more crowds not just over the next three nights but well into the foreseeable future.

Feature by Daniel Wade
Photos by Richard Anderson

1000 Robota. Hoxton Sq

When a bare chested Joe Lean of Jing Jang Jong fame and a wide-eyed Babyshamble pull shapes in amongst us mere mortals you’d expect even the most star-studded show to be stolen.
Tonight however, deep in the hub of scenester depravity all the Jagger-jiggery and inabition abandonment in the world, let alone Hoxton, couldn’t prize the most ‘Heat’ hardened eyes from the stage.
In what can only be described as a moment of seminality, 1000 Robota ripped through a set of the utmost ferocity that will only hasten their return to England and to an ever-growing fan base that was out in full-force this evening.
It’s hard to believe that a band so young and, well, so German (they sing in their mother tongue) could cause such a stir amongst fans and record labels alike but the sheer brutishness and urgency in which they play to an enthralled audience goes a long way to explaining it.
'Hamberg Brennt', their unhinged, powerhouse of a banger was as marvellous live as we all hoped it would be but it was 'Sachen Erleben' and 'Wir Bauen Eine Neue Stadt', particularly the latter that not only channelled the un-nerving, raw spirit of Gang of Four and Television but their pure fervour made John Lydon look like an ageing Tory (Oh hang on?).
Some may think a devoted audience and an Indie-elite fan club would be enough to suggest 1000 Robota are a shoe-in for further British dates. An opportunity to rest on their laurels? Not a chance. Set closer 'Mein Traum' is played with so much force guitar strings snap, fingers split and instruments get splattered with blood. It’s a thrilling finale that capturesthe pure brilliance of a band your just gonna have to get used to. Just make sure you’re neither squirmish nor star struck.

Review by Daniel Wade