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KENT PRESS Monday May 1st May 2013 4 Entertainment Kent girlband St ooshe back for more hits Stooshe stormed the charts last year with their number one single ‘Black Heart’, a Motown inspired track about a daddy’s girl falling for a bad boy. Stooshe’s new single Slip is released May 12 with their debut album coming May 25. This band enjoyed quick success with two top ve singles released in the same year they were scouted and launched. They’re the band that had to change the title of their song to ‘Love Me’ be - cause the original was too rude. But this local girl group have humble beginnings, bo rn and bred in Maidstone member Alexandra Buggs was discov- ered browsing the rails at Bluewater. “In my second year of uni I was shopping in Topshop in Bluewater and I was scouted and asked if I could sing, because they liked the way I looked. “I thought they were joking, but I gave them my details anyway and nev - er looked back.” The group are no strangers to Med- way. They supported group NDubz at Rochester castle back in July 2011. The singer remains humble but she has become something of Kentish celebrity in her hometown of Maidstone. “When I go back to the nail salon in Maidstone everybody knows that I’m in Stooshe and always ask me how it’s going. I love what I’m doing and wouldn’t change it for anything.” Shelby Fuller, 19, a Chatham resident, saw the band perform at Roches- ter before they were famous. “I’d never even heard of them at the time, me and my friends loved them immediately just because their songs we’re hilarious. “It’s great that local people have made it, it gives a positive image of Kent in the media and it gives hope to others KENT’S most outrageous girl band are back with their newest single ‘Slip’. Brace yourself; it’s time to catch up with Stooshe. By MOLLY PIKE hoping to make it. It’s nice to see, es- pecially when I’m at Uni with talented musicians who hope to and should make it into the industry themselves. Alexandra is a Kent girl through and through, she attended Sutton Vallance primary school and then later went to study at Invicta Grammar school, both in Maidstone, The singer is picky about the sort of success that Stooshe have. They turned down signing onto Simon Cowell’s ‘Syco’ label for fear that they would lose creative control over their music and chose to sign with Warner Music instead. Last summer they were a hot ticket at T4 on The Beach and previously supported Nicki Minaj. Alexandra has always wanted to sing, so her chance encounter with a record label scout was a dream come true. “In primary school I would sing, and I was in the school choir, but I never really took it seriously and hated the discipline.” “I would always sing at home but was too nervous to sing in front of people as I got older. That’s all changed now!” Alexandra comes from a musical family but previously decided to do a marketing degree after seeing her mother struggle to succeed in music. She is also decended from Ghanian royalty on her mother’s side of her- family. “I’m from the Ashanti line in West Africa. My mum’s mum was a queen,” she says. If you haven’t heard of Stooshe before now, Alexandra says there are plenty of reasons to check them out. If their raunchy lyrics aren’t enough, their uniqueness should draw you in. The word Stooshe is a made-up world that the girls claim means ‘to Local gigs Getting signed Storming the charts... Stooshe cause havoc’ and say it means Girl Power. Girl Power was made famous by the Spice Girls, a band Stooshe have been compared to for their similar bold at- titude and unique style. Just glancing at a picture of the trio is enough to almost make you colour- blind, Alexandra dresses like a pop princess that got lost in Chatham high- street. Think Rihanna meets Casinos nightclub. They have also been celebrated for their progressive lyrics, bandmate Courtney was able to reveal her sexu - alty in one of their songs. “We have a natural raw edge which I think people can relate to us. There’s nothing contrived about us and we have no rules. “We are three normal girls who have a lot of chemistry and fun with each other and I think that come across well in everything we do.” Something unique Maidstone girl... Alexandra A LOCAL man’s emotional music tribute to his mother has raised an amazing £1,479 for the Alzheimer’s society. Chatham resident Kim Craneld put on a one-day festival dubbed ‘Kim - bofest’ at the Tap ‘n’ Tin nightclub, Chatham, to raise money for the Alzhe- imer’s Society in honour of his mother who is in the later stages of the illness. Kim is something of a local celebrity, nicknamed Kimbo, he became a staple of the Chatham music hotspot work- ing as a cloakroom attendant and good friend to many music lovers. Kimbo said: “We had a great day; we managed to raise over £1300 on the door alone and the total is currently at £1479.” He arranged the festival to raise mon - ey for the charity that helps people like his mother that suffer fr om Alzheimer’s disease which can leave a person with long-term memory loss. “It was something I wanted to do, it won't help my mum now as she has had Alzheimer's for about eight years and three of them have been bed r idden. “She has spent most of the past three years curled up in a ball not knowing what’s going on. I wanted to do something and anything I can do to help I’m all for it.” All of the money spent by gig goers was donated to the charity. Entry was £6 for the whole day and Kim- bofest fundraisers collected donations throughout the night. The total is set to grow even bigger as the winner of the Kimbofest banner that was rafed on the night has given it up for auction and will donate the money to charity. 24 of Kent’s best local bands took to the stage to a bustling audience who stayed from 12pm until 3am to raise money for the cause. The bands had big shoes to ll as the nightclub has previously played host to several big names including The Liber - tines and The Mystery Jets. The local bands were playing in a place of rock history as The Libertines self-titled album cover was taken at the nightclub at their infamous ‘Freedom Gig’. The night got rave reviews from its music fans and musicians alike, with Kimbo himself telling us that it “rocked”. Rory Bell, the guitarist for headlining bank Wildfowl said: “It goes to show with a lot of work and dedication people can do great thi ngs. I’m so proud to have been a part of the day. “I'd like to thank everyone who came along, who donated money and had a good time.” Kimbo has been left overwhelmed by the massive success of the event and he is planning more shows like it. “I don’t think the event will ever be beaten but I’m hoping to make it an annual thing and might put on another show in the summer. “ Kimbofest raises £1479 for charity [email protected] By MOLLY PIKE

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