Chas 'n' Dave...

venue:   Concorde 2 review date:   Wednesday, 7 December 2005

review

There's a fiddle/accordian duo playing as I walk in, an instrumental coupling that has limitations so the loss of amplification was gratefully covered by an accapella rendition of that old favourite What Do You Want To Live To Ninety Nine For? This sort of act is far more suited to a folkier environ or pub, which was the obvious home for Leonard & Bubba's Delicios Goo-Goo Cluster.

Enjoying a sort of cult following, (I think they'd brought the whole of The Albert with them!) the quasi Redneck/Hillbilly image and one-gag-songs about incestual relationships whilst killing Christians wore a bit thin after, well, er, one song! The funniest bit was when Bubba unintentionally decapitated the mic - "It just came off in my hand!" (keep it in!) Jon Banjovi did raise a smile though.

Their combined pedegree
reads like the who's who
of British rock'n'roll...

To be fair, not many people could've impressed where the bill-toppers are concerned. Their combined pedegree reads like the who's who of British rock'n'roll... from backing Gene Vincent through to The Outlaws, Cliff Bennett and the Rebelrousers, and Heads, Hands and Feet, years of pre-motorway Transit travel, Hamburg, The Blue Boar, ballrooms, bars and dives, until coming together some thirty odd years ago, our three heroes, yes three, Chas Hodges, Dave Peacock and Mick Burt, are real, Good 'Ol Boys.

True that, after the hits, they were thought of as some kind of novelty act (I actually joined a Gala Bingo Club because it was the only place in the town that booked them! ), the boys would always have an audience because they're bloody good! And so it was with a degree of curiosity, that I scanned the audience. There were four original Lady fans by me, bemused by not having a proper glass, but the rest were... young! And what's more, they knew the words! And... they Po-goed! (some a little too enthusiastically for my liking - you know who you are!)

Gercha, Rabbit, The Sideboard Song, London Girls, Margate, I won't list them all, were all delivered with the same enthusiasm with warmth and love. Next time, I hope they're given the opportunity to flex their considerable musical muscle a bit more, it's there, I've seen it! [Shut up, Baker - Ed] What more can I say, they were brilliant, it's just that there ain't no pleasing me!

about Concorde 2

Okay, so you may have to walk a bit to reach it... but that just makes it that little bit more exclusive doesn't it! Located along Madeira Drive, the Concorde 2 is a sizeable venue with a huge variety of clubnights and bands on each month. Some top names, some great festivals, World Music... you name it. If you can't find something to pique your interest then you might as well pack your bags and head for Eastbourne... The next Concorde 2 date for your diary: Saturday, 11th October The Datsuns Click for more info and complete listings for Concorde 2