You may have noticed through the New Year Fug that the news channels of the world were running with the delightful story of a pair of pandas being donated by China to Edinburgh Zoo. Much has been made of the fact that mighty Blighty has been bereft of pandas for fully seventeen years. Not so! For while Bao Bao and Ming Ming were banished for failing to extend the dynasty in 1994, in that very same year a very fierce panda was inadvertently launched to fill the furry void, ie us.

This means that the fierce panda label is 17 years old this year. And to celebrate this downright alarming statistic the fierce panda label is throwing a party. Panda People of a certain (r)age may recall some celebrations from the past - Death Cab For Cutie at ULU, Keane and then The Maccabees at the Bull & Gate and The Walkmen at The Scala are just four of the sixteen birthday gigs we've put on. Indeed, The Walkmen's gig was so entirely splendid for our next party we are going back to the same venue, and so that event looks like this:

fierce panda records presents: A SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAY PARTY starring:
GOLDHEART ASSEMBLY
+ THE CROOKES
+ KURRAN & TIM (WOLFNOTES)
+ DJ THE BOY
THURSDAY APRIL 7TH 2011
LONDON KINGS CROSS SCALA (275 Pentonville Road, London N1 9NL. 020 7833 2022)
THE DOORS 7.30PM - MIDNIGHT
THE DAMAGE £10.00
www.wegottickets.com/event/105892

GOLDHEART ASSEMBLY are playing their biggest London headline show thus far, a date which marks a whole year of big fun since they started promoting their 'Wolves & Thieves' album. That big year has seen them sell out the ICA and Bush Hall, play eighteen summertime festivals and support Band Of Horses on their new year tour. Not only that, but just before this show they hit the USA for SXSW and showcases in Los Angeles and then head for some bluesky recording in Switzerland. Expect crunchy new numbers snuggling down alongside live faves like the cheerily rocking 'King Of Rome' and the eerily sublime 'So Long St Christopher', not to mention top quality between-song-banter.
ONSTAGE 10.00PM
www.myspace.com/goldheartassembly

THE CROOKES are playing this as the London leg of a 40 date European tour which takes them from Glasgow King Tuts on March 22nd to the Nuits Botanique Festival in Brussels on May 29th. All of this gigging madness is in support of 'Chasing After Ghosts', the Sheffield shoe-shufflers' debut album which sees the blight of day on fierce panda on March 21st. Expect rogueish harmonies, raffish fringes and many thoroughly charming indie-licked riffs besides.
ONSTAGE 9.00PM
www.thecrookes.co.uk

KURRAN & TIM (WOLFNOTES) are special guest openers. As the names suggest they consist of Kurran and Tim from Kurran & The Wolfnotes. Normally the Wolfnotes number four and have been causing a stir in the industry's nether regions over the past year with their lush combination of alt.folk and indie derring do. Tonight Kurran and Tim will be bringing their guitars and voices to play a stripped down set which will no doubt feature the 'Whatabitch' and 'Your Four Limbs' singles.
ONSTAGE 8.10PM
www.myspace.com/kurranandthewolfnotes

www.scala-london.co.uk