 | | Chas & Dave |
Devoid of pretension and looking like just a couple of friends having a jam for old time’s sake, this was a duo completely at ease with the audience and each other. They sat on plastic chairs and explained the outline of the show: first half, just a bit of whatever came to their minds, old tunes that had inspired them and taking questions from whoever shouted out from the audience. Second half, all the old classics, no fuss, no filler. That audience were divided into two camps. There were grandmas and grandads, who remembered this mish mash of boogie-woogie and cockney dancehall when it first did the rounds, and a healthy amount of students there, representing the cult fan base that the pair have inadvertently acquired over the years. Yet both groups were united by a genuine, tangible love for Charles and David. Although you suspect the decision to attend the concert for a lot of the younger members was perhaps an ironic one, the duo have never slipped into that David Hasslehoff trap, whereby you are loved and ridiculed in equal measure, and that’s simply because they are great at what they do. Sounding tight and vibrant, they rattled through hits like Rabbit, Gertcha, Snooker Loopy and Sideboard Song with aplomb, each song receiving a whoop of delight from the audience as it kicked in. There’s no backing singers, no lights, no lasers, no pyrotechnics, no massive PA and definitely no dancers. Just Mr Hodges, Mr Peacock, their loyal drummer, a washboard and a collection of tunes that may not change the world, but make it a heck of a lot more enjoyable. |
