GuilFest 2006. The 3 Day Guildford Music Festival on 14th, 15th and 16th July 2006

About the bands
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Artist: Chas & Dave
Genre: Cockney Pop
Performing: 17th July 2005 /BBC Radio 2 main Stage
Website Address: [] ,
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Chas & Dave began writing and performing songs together in 1972, having been friends since the early sixties.

Chas Hodges had played bass guitar with The Outlaws, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Heads, Hands and Feet. Dave Peacock was guitarist with rock and roll revival and country bands. Together they decided to keep their American influences in rock and roll and country, but began writing material, drawing on different subjects as diverse as “TALKATIVE WOMEN” and “PIECES OF FURNITURE” and singing in their own English accents.

Their first record was “ONE FING AND ANUVVER” for Retreat, a label owned by Derek Lawrence and session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan. Adding drummer Mick Burt, the group signed to EMI in 1977. “STRUMMIN’” was a minor hit, but the group reached the top twenty in 1979 with “GERTCHA”, which became a nationwide catchphrase. Courage Beers used it for a TV advertising campaign and it was so successful they used another seven of their songs for consecutive ads; most of them winning the ‘Advert of the Year’ award. This was followed by “THE SIDEBOARD SONG” (GOT MY BEER IN THE SIDEBOARD HERE). They are no newcomers to festivals. They played the first Knebworth Festival in 1979 over two weekends with Led Zepplin.

In 1980 they formed their own Rockney label and hit the charts with “RABBIT”, which reached No. 8 in the charts. Another chart success was “STARS OVER 45” in 1981 and a No. 2 record in 1982 “AIN’T NO PLEASING YOU”. This was one of their biggest hit records for it also spent six months in the Australian charts. This was followed by further hits “ MARGATE ”, “LONDON GIRLS” and “MY MELANCHOLY BABY”.

In 1986 they had a top six record with “SNOOKER LOOPY” and then in 1987 “THE ROMFORD RAP” credited to the Matchroom Mob.

Their songs have been covered by many artistes, including Tom Jones, and they have also written title songs for TV shows ‘Till Death Do Us Part’ and children’s shows ‘Crackerjack’ and ‘Bangers & Mash’. Other shows using their material include ‘Only Fools & Horses’ and ‘The Two Ronnies’. Because of over thirty years of playing their special kind of music all over the world, Chas ‘n’ Dave have amassed a gigantic following, with fans from every age group.

The list of TV shows they have appeared on is endless and include ‘Ant & Dec’, ‘Skinner & Baddiel’, ‘Jools Holland’, ‘Big Brother’, ‘Des O’Connor’, ‘Jim Davidson’, numerous appearances on ‘Top of the Pops’ and the ultimate accolade appearing on ‘This Is Your Life’. As the years go on they gain more fans daily and today have a bigger following of young fans than they have ever had. Now in 2005 EMI are relesing on CD for the first time ever “The Best of Chas & Dave” and they have TV appearances on GMTV & The Paul O’Grady show to go with this and in addtion qa live performance on the BBC2 Jonathon Ross radio programme.This album is expected to chart.

Chas ‘n’ Dave are great musicians and know how to give an audience a good time. This is why they are still filling theatres and clubs and playing top festivals throughout the country and receiving great acclaim everywhere they appear.