ESG began life when the mother of the Scroggins sisters, afraid of the life of crime and drugs that awaited them on the streets of 70s Bronx, NY, presented her daughters with some basic instruments and encouraged them to make music together to keep them busy. What followed, was quite simply, a musical revolution.
The Scroggins sisters’ unique sound as Emerald, Sapphire & Gold, or ESG, immediately spread right across Europe, with Tony Wilson’s FACTORY records releasing their debut EP in 1981. They played the opening night of the Hacienda nightclub, and their live shows have never been anything short of phenomenal.
They were welcomed into New York’s post-punk and new wave scene but in the end, they’d prove more influential than most of their peers. Their style—funky and minimalist with a punkish sense of urgency—would become a key influence on house and the dancey side of indie rock (think LCD Soundsystem and DFA).
This exclusive UK performance is a rare opportunity to catch one of the most important female/DIY acts of all time in their native environment, the live stage.