Before then we will be standing loud and proud at the Camden Crawl on the weekend of May 1st and 2nd. Our friends up-the-stairs Club Fandango will be hosting shows at the Electric Ballroom on the Saturday and Dingwalls on Friday but if we tell you who is booked to play the Crawl organisers will kill us. So instead why not plan on relaxing into the panda bosom on the afternoon of Sunday May 2nd when Jim and John from Goldheart Assembly + The Molotovs + our cheery young friends The Crookes + The Neat will be playing a freeeeeeeeee daytime panda showcase at the Lock Tavern right in the b-b-b-beating heart of Camden Town?

Not enough for you? Ok then, how about we throw in Tarts On Decks spinning groovy tunes from 1.00pm onwards and then the mighty Hatcham Social taking over on the decks of bloomin hecks for the rest of the afternoon?

The Neat are first on at 2.30pm, which reminds us of an excellent Chinese dentist joke. And rest assured youll be hearing a lot more about THAT in the weeks ahead¦

As if that wasnt enough there is radio-related funnery to be had when those self same wondrous alt.indie.folk.rockers GOLDHEART ASSEMBLY (with full band this time) headline a very special Save 6 Music gig at 93 Feet East in Londons esteemed Brick Lane on Tuesday May 4th. Its a FREE show, which is nice to know, and among the eight-strong line-up there are other ghosts from pandas past and present, notably Southend punkstas REDTRACK, who are about to release the first ever album on Label Fandango, and our old sonic death muckers I LIKE TRAINS. Throw in a set by IAN MCNABB, the very first pop star Simon Panda interviewed in the mid-80s for his fanzine when the Icicle Works were even cooler than their name would suggest, and therell be weepy tears of emotion by closing time.

By then the 93 Feet Easts two rooms will have played host to (deeeep breath¦) Alexander Price (onstage 6.30pm); Isa & The Filthy Tongues (7.30pm); Ian McNabb (8.00pm); Shabby Rogue (8.30pm); I LIKE TRAINS (9.00pm); We Rock Like Girls Dont (9.30pm); Redtrack (10.00pm); Goldheart Assembly (10.30pm). Sweet.

Soon after that well be packing our trunks into our trunks and jolly well heading off to the seaside for The Great Escape. On the Thursday night (May 13th) there is double panda fun to be had with both THE WALKMEN (at Concorde 2) and your friends and ours GOLDHEART ASSEMBLY (at the Terraces) playing live. And then on Saturday May 15th we have our annual B-B-Q shindig at Brighton Electric Studios from midday onwards with Seerauber Jenny + Rob The Rich + Hoodlums + Grow Claws + Blood Red Shoes all playing in the afternoon.

Finally the panda makes its debut at the Stag & Dagger urban shindig this year. More specifically, the panda makes its debut at the excellent Stag & Dagger urban shindig on Friday May 21st when we take over the Underbelly in Hoxton Square to give you THE MOLOTOVS + MAZES + MEN all playing magically musical sets with lots of muscle, for sure for sure. For further reading, dive on in to here, here and there¦
www.thecamdencrawl.com
www.viceland.com/staganddagger/
www.escapegreat.com