fierce panda bands old, new and even newer are helping this indiest of independent labels celebrate 20 years in The Business by playing special springtime shows in London Town. I Like Trains, Hatcham Social, Ultrasound and Goldheart Assembly will be joining forces with current signings such as The Hosts, Melanie Pain and The Crookes as well as a welter of up-and-coming starlets who will be scattered across the schedule like so many wondrous crisp packets in the breeze.

The lively little record company was invented in the Blue Posts pub on Tottenham Court Road purely to release the 'Shagging In The Streets' EP and then call it a day – you don’t call yourself something as bobbins as fierce panda if you intend to hang around for more than 20 minutes. And so on February 24th 1994 the riotous 'Shagging In The Streets' launch party took place at the Powerhaus in Islington, and that should have been that. But something went horribly wrong…

Nowadays that Blue Posts pub is a Boots chemist and the Powerhaus is the Halifax building society, yet somehow fierce panda is still going, 20 years and 286 singles and 86 albums later. To mark the occasion a presciently-titled compilation called ‘endangered: fierce panda 2004 – 2014’ is being compiled. It starts with ‘The Saddest Song In The World’ by Woodpigeon and then features the saddest songs from 18 of the finest fierce panda album releases over the past ten years. Some of those sad songs will be played at some of these shows here…

February 12th / Camden Jazz Café / Mama Presents
I LIKE TRAINS + HER NAME IS CALLA + LILY OAKES
Legendarily doomed alt.rockers I Like Trains - always more historical than hysterical - will play their classic fierce panda 'Progress Reform' mini-album in its entirety for the first time ever in London Town. Their mini-tour sees this mesmerically underrated band celebrate a birthday of their own, it being 10 years since they started playing venues like the Dublin Castle which is - quite literally - up the road.
Tickets £10 from www.seetickets.com/event/i-like-trains-10th-anniversary-tour/jazz-cafe/753815

February 18th / Kings Cross Lexington / Parallel Lines Present
HATCHAM SOCIAL + FELT TIP + DOG IN THE SNOW
Much loved indie tykes Hatcham Social ostensibly celebrate the release of their third 'Cutting Up The Present Leaks Out The Future' album on Ogenesis with this show, but keep an ear out for classic cuts from their previous panda albums, 'You Dig The Tunnel, I'll Hide The Soil' and 'About Girls'. Main support comes from gently jangling fierce panda management newbies Felt Tip, launching their 'Milk & Honey' single (out February 24th on Giant Haystacks).
Tickets £8 from www.seetickets.com/event/hatcham-social/the-lexington/740321

February 27th / Islington Old Queens Head / Club Fandango & Green Note Present
FELDSPAR + HOSHAL PATRICK + ALBERT GOLD + GEORGIA MASON
Genteel folkpopsters Feldspar launch their heroic 'Young & Invincible' single (Label Fandango February 24th) with support from chilled fierce panda management soul man Albert Gold playing his second ever show with his syhth-tastic new band.
Tickets £4 from www.wegottickets.com/event/259060

March 11th / Dalston Shacklewell Arms / fierce panda & Disorder present
I AM IN LOVE + EMILE BERNARD
Hectic electropoppers I Am In Love launch their 'Proposal' single (Label Fandango, March 3rd).
Tickets £5 from www.wegottickets.com/event/259937

March 6th / Camden Black Heart / Club Fandango presents 'Rising' (Supported by Music Week)
MANFLU + CUT + LONGFELLOW
A night of leftfield perambulations opened by fierce panda management melody seekers Longfellow, whose ‘Siamese Lover’ single has been creaking the BBC floorboards for the past couple of months.
Tickets £5 from www.wegottickets.com/event/259938

March 7th / Kings Cross Lexington / Club Fandango & fierce panda present
GOLDHEART ASSEMBLY + THE HOSTS
Genteel alt.pop.rocksters Goldheart return to their roots to play their debut fierce panda album 'Wolves & Thieves' in its entirety for the first time ever...ever...ever. Expect sad-faced hits and beaming harmonies hugging at the bar. Support from The Hosts, Sheffield's finest exponents of life-affirming retromantic tunes, as evinced by new debut album 'Softly, Softly' (out on fierce panda on February 10th).
Tickets £10 from www.wegottickets.com/event/256747

March 14th / Kings Cross Lexington / Disorder Presents
THE TRAPS + FELT TIP
Bold Birmingham quartet The Traps launch their Label Fandango single ‘My Grip’ (released March 17th), which makes like Scott Walker raining on New Order’s parade.
Tickets £6 from www.wegottickets.com/event/253377

March 20th / Oxford Street 100 Club
ULTRASOUND + FLASH BANG BAND
Epic progressive popsters Ultrasound showcase their imminent third album, ‘Blue Remembered Hills’, while playing highlights from 2012’s panda sophomore opus ‘Play For Today’.
Tickets £9 from www.wegottickets.com/100club/event/251537

March 29th / Charing Cross Borderline / DHP Presents
MELANIE PAIN + GUESTS
Sultry sometime Nouvelle Vague singer Melanie Pain plays sweet hits and mournful kisses from her ‘Bye Bye Manchester’ album, released on the panda in 2013.
Tickets £12.50 from www.seetickets.com/event/melanie-pain/borderline/741974

April 21st / Dalston Shacklewell Arms / fierce panda & disorder & Club Fandango present
CLUB FANDANGO 12TH BIRTHDAY PARTY ALL-DAYER
Felt Tip / Desperate Journalist / I Am In Love / Feldspar / Longfellow and more TBC It’s an all-day birthday party. Well, it starts at 4.00pm. But it’s still a birthday party, featuring as it does a great big hairy handful of bands who have released Label Fandango singles over the past year as part of the 12 x 12 singles club.
Tickets On Sale Soon!

April 29th / Camden Dingwalls / Kilimanjaro Presents
THE CROOKES + HIGH HAZELS + FELT TIP
Increasingly muscular indie Sheffield headliners get set to shout about their new album, 'Soapbox', thereby becoming the first band to release three longplayers on fierce panda since the hat-trick of Death Cab For Cutie releases fully ten years ago.
Tickets £7.50 from www.seetickets.com/event/the-crookes/dingwalls/762910

20 years of fierce pandamonium is supported using public funding by Arts Council England
www.artscouncil.org.uk