Erudite NewPop dreamers THE CROOKES are poised to play the Kings Cross Scala in London on May 21st 2013. The Sheffield quartet, who spent a fair old chunk of February touring the country with Richard Hawley, play their biggest headline show thus far in the capital as part of the fierce panda label's 19th birthday celebrations. Yet more good news is that the special guest support act is their terrific NewPop cousins THE HEARTBREAKS, once again proving that less is Morecombe. The details look like this:

fierce panda & Club Fandango present FIERCE PANDAS 19TH BIRTHDAY SLAMDOWN
The Acts: THE CROOKES + very special guests THE HEARTBREAKS
The Date: TUESDAY MAY 21ST 2013
The Place: LONDON SCALA
(275-277 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, London N1 9NL. Tel 020 7833 2022)
Special £8.00 early bird tickets are available here: www.wegottickets.com/event/211316
Please note that this is a quite-a-lot-of-ages 16+ show
www.scala-london.co.uk

Not surprisingly, both combos have been hair-rufflingly busy of late: The Crookes will be releasing a single to coincide on May 27th, featuring the tracks 'Dance In Colour' and 'Bear's Blood'. As befits the true Crookesaholic working spirit, both tunes will be brand new and indeed never-released-anywhere-else-before. Rest assured that by the time this gig takes place the boys will have made a return trip to SXSW in Austin in March, toured the UK for the umpteenth occasion in April, this time in the company of Little Comets, and quite probably written and recorded the bulk of the follow-up to their current sophomore album 'Hold Fast' on any spare afternoons off.
www.the crookes.com

The Heartbreaks are welcomed back into the panda bosom with tonight's show rekindling memories of the excellent early days when they appeared on the 'Zip It Up' compilation EP and sneaked out 'I Didn't Think It Would Hurt To Think Of You' on sister label Giant Haystacks. One entire whirling album cycle later their key quote is this: "Having had a number one hit in Japan with their single 'Delay, Delay' from the album 'Funtimes', the band are close to completing the recording of their second album, with producer Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers, Nine Black Alps). It's fucking amazing."
www.theheartbreaks.net
www.facebook.com/theheartbreaks

fierce panda themselves are delighted to throw themselves back into the Scala's arms: previous panda anniversary hoedowns have seen The Walkmen and Goldheart Assembly thrill our birthdaying senses at this venue with the likes of Hatcham Social, The Molotovs and indeed The Crookes themselves in support. And so the furry wheels keep turning...