Express & Star

Chas and Dave talk ahead of Christmas gig in Bilston

Hit makers Chas and Dave are returning to the Black Country for an exclusive Midlands show live at The Robin 2 tomorrow.

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Chas and Dave play the Robin 2 tomorrow

They will be performing all the classic hits, including Gercha, Rabbit, Margate, Ain’t No Pleasing You, London Girls and Snooker Loopy.

The duo have recently played bigger venues in the region – including Wolverhampton’s Civic Halls – and are looking forward to their intimate show at the nation’s number one r’n’b club.

Chas & Dave have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. In 2013, they marked the 50th anniversary of their friendship by signing a new record deal with Warner Music Entertainment and releasing their first new studio album in since 1987’s Flying.

That’s What Happens was recorded at Studio 2, Abbey Road – The Beatles Room – with Grammy-winning bluesman Joe Henry (Solomon Burke, Allen Toussaint, Elvis Costello & Bonnie Raitt) on production duties.

It saw Chas and Dave return to their roots with a collection of early R&B, skiffle and rock n’ roll classics alongside new takes on songs of their own. The album highlighted their finely-honed, versatile musicianship and intricate vocal harmonies and featured a crack team of musicians and special guests including guitarists Albert Lee and Martin Taylor, Buddy Holly and The Crickets’ drummer J. I Allison and on keys Jools Holland and Hugh Laurie.

Upon release the album quickly became a firm favourite with critics and fans alike and put Chas & Dave back in the upper reaches of the UK album charts for the first time in a generation.

They finished the year by not only appearing at the Royal Variety Performance for the first time, but providing the show’s finale piece – with the likes of Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams, Jessie J and many others joining them on stage to sing London Girls.

They confirmed their resurgence in 2014 by selling out their first ever headline show at the Royal Albert Hall.

And in 2015 they were invited to perform at the VE Day 70 concert at Royal Horseguards in front of 15,000 people and a live BBC 1 audience to commemorate the 70th anniversary of VE Day. Chas knows what fans want when the double act turn up to play. “They expect to hear all our hits... I know some acts – and I can understand why – don’t like doing their hits because they didn’t like doing them in the first place and were talked into it by the record company.

“They were tempted by the money side of it, to get it into the charts and earn a few bob, but they didn’t realise at the time that they’ve got to live with it and, quite rightfully, the fans want to hear those songs.

“That’s not the case with me and Dave. We had full control of what we wanted to put out as singles. If there was anything we didn’t like, we didn’t do it. So that’s why, to this day, we love doing all our hits.”

The double act have yet to record any more new material – though they loved getting back together for That’s What Happens.

Chas adds: “What came first was the phone call from Warner Bros, who said they wanted to put out a new Chas & Dave album, and we weren’t signed to anybody in particular, so we were free to do it. We enjoyed ourselves for the week and came out with an album we were pleased with.”