Max Peston: ‘Dad is the first person I talk to when I get off stage’

It’s hard to picture ITV’s political editor Robert Peston not sitting behind a desk twirling a pen, but his son Max only thinks of him as standing at the back of a venue trying to get the best vantage point to watch The New Sticky. Max is The New Sticky frontman and a veteran, as he has been in a band since he was 11 and at Alexandra Palace School.

Unlike his father, post-school, Max chose to stay with music and his group, formerly known as Sticky, borrow from 80s bands that dressed up and had a quirky character in the mix. Think Devo with their energy domes, and that’s Max and his crew, who dress up as sailors as part of an aquatic theme with a character called Dr Squid.

“All the stuff we were implementing felt really easy and obvious,” says Max. “If you do that, it immediately makes you better than every other band on the bill because no one else is doing it. It’s about creating a visual spectacle as much as a musical one.”

The New Sticky started out with costumes à la Kid Creole and the Coconuts, but have since adopted various states of dress and undress. Max, 27, remains serious about his music and the skills each band member brings. “I love collaborating with those guys.”

Sticky did quite well with their first A-side/B-side but, let down by their first label, have released their debut album, Feel!, under their own steam. “It’s a good, straightforwardly fun record that you’d have to be really morose not to get some pleasure from. It might not be to someone’s taste, but it’s going to make them smile.”

It made Robert smile, much to Max’s delight. “When he listened to it, he said, ‘It’s brilliant’, and nothing critical whatsoever. I think it’s because it reminds him of records from when he was a kid.”

Max and his band are doing cabaret shows over the summer, blending the musical styles of George Gershwin and George Clinton, both of whom Max admires, along with Mel Brooks. “I love him for subverting norms and being totally anarchic in his approach to stage work. Everything’s a big joke, and if it’s Max hopes to do it right, especially if dad is there. “He is incredibly supportive and has attended 70 percent of my shows over the past four years. He’s come and then gone to prep for his show the next day or also on numerous times after the news at 10pm. He’s usually the first person I talk to when I get off stage and I love him coming down.”

@thenewsticky