Jesse James began in June 2000 when Drag Queen and Dko met in a north London pub and got talking about music - The Clash, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, 60’s Soul - and cool shirts. Ben knew a guitarist, Rich; Dko knew a sax player, Pete and the first rehearsals started 3 days later. It took a few weeks but eventually the line-up was completed by Ben on trombone and Nez on trumpet.

Before any gigs were even booked, they persuaded Eugene from Big Cheese Magazine to be manager. The first gig was on December 7th at the underworld in Camden Town, London.

In the next few months they went on to support bands like Bombshell Rocks, The Smugglers, Link 80 at London shows. In May 2001 Jesse James recorded the first EP “Shoes”. The band played the first Smash It Up show in London with King Prawn, Capdown, 4ft Fingers and others and got great reviews in all the rock magazines. In August they went on their first proper tour, supporting Save Ferris and Lightyear and went down fantastically well. Nez returned to New York to go to University and was replaced by Dan. Ben left to study in New Mexico for 9 months and found a temporary replacement, his friend Ian - who they renamed Tucker.

The Shoes EP was released on Deck Cheese Records in October and the band went on a headline tour on thier own in November, supported by Adequate 7. Hardly anyone came but they had a great time. It was at the Deck Cheese Christmas party that everything began to change though. The audience went wild, the stage was invaded, equipment (and Dko’s tooth) was broken. People finally knew who they were! The band were then invited to support The Pogues on their UK reunion tour - playing to between 4000 and 10000 people a night.

By this time the band were being managed by Hall Or Nothing, had been offered a major deal (which came apart during negotiations - the label concerned didn’t like the band’s attitude apparently!). More touring followed - The Smash It Up Tour with Lightyear and 4ft Fingers - the last show of which was broadcast by Radio 1. Around the time of the next tour, with Suicide Machines, Kerrang TV began to play the video for Shoes. It received so many votes it shot up to number 3 in the Kerrang TV charts.

The band immediately went into the studio and recorded the Hotwired EP - a slightly more raw but better recorded CD. Hotwired was playlisted on XFM , the band recorded interviews and sessions for Steve Lamacq on Radio 1 and played the Fleadh in Finsbury Park. Then it was straight back on tour again, this time selling out venues up and down the UK. During days off on the tour the band started to record - the album “Punk Soul Brothers” for Golf records.

What seemed like a never ending tour finally finished up with storming performances to packed in audiences at the Reading and Leeds festivals.