Curious duo are on track to woo crowd at Railway (From Basildon Recorder)

Curious duo are on track to woo crowd at Railway

7:00pm Thursday 12th July 2012 in Sound Check By Hannah Marsh

BEARDED and bow-decked, with an intoxicating blend of twee ukulele and a newly- added trumpet, Brighton band the Bobby McGees are a curious affair.

The ever-so-slightly-mad outfit will be wooing Southend fans with their dressing-up box chic and storytelling tweecore when they headline Culture As a Dare’s latest night this weekend.

“We’ve been playing together ten years,” says one-half of what started out as a duo Jimmy McGee.

“The bands been getting bigger and bigger. At the moment there’s six or seven of us. I’m not sure how many will be coming to Southend. Lots of them are in other bands and it’s the middle of festival season.

“Our music’s been described as domestic violence with ukuleles. More recently it’s been getting more swing and is being described as indie pop lindy hop. I also started playing trumpet about a year ago so I should have a trumpet in Southend.”

The trumpet threw up issues last year as the outfit prepared to release their latest album.

“We have a new album due out,” explains Jimmy. “It was due out about a year ago, but then I discovered the trumpet and decided every song needed to be re-recorded with lots of trumpet on. It’ll be out this year though for our tenth anniversary.”

Jimmy’s doll-faced, bow-sporting, but unafraid to scream partner El, makes up the other half of the original duo.

Jimmy says: “We’ve been together for ten years, which I think is a record for anyone under 40. I just tend to keep her in check with a few well placed shouts and swear words. I’m the talent and the looks, she’s just there for her voice really.”

The pair do a sideline in handmade clothes after setting up their own shop, Dig for Victory in Brighton.

Jimmy says: “We started making costumes for the band years ago. People started asking El for dresses. I remembered my mum was a tailoress and had taught me how to sew, so about three months ago we opened our shop.”

The Bobby McGees play with Maria and the Gay and Ten Tigers at a Culture As a Dare event at the Railway Hotel, Clifftown Road, Southend on July 14 from 8pm. Entry is £6 on the door.