Andy Howells catches up with Chas Hodges of Chas n Dave for a quick “Rabbit”

It’s over a year since I last chatted to Chas Hodges but when we speak again to discuss Chas n Dave’s appearance at Newport Riverfront next week its like I’m chatting to an old friend.

There’s plenty to rabbit about too, in a year that has see the pair close the Royal Variety Show, release a new album and play the Royal Albert Hall. It must be great; I suggest that after 40 years together Chas n Dave are still busy?

“Busy ain't the word really,” says Chas, “more successful, because we aren’t 24 hours a day every day. Even though a lots happening its quite a relaxing time, it’s great.”

Both Chas and Dave have decided to take a more leisurely approach to touring this year, “This time we’ve spread the tour out rather than cram all the dates into two months,” Chas continues, “ we’ve spread them out into four or five months and doing two or three gigs a week. Its how we’ve always done it really, we did a condensed tour just over a year ago and it was great but it’s also nice to just do a more relaxing tour and spread the dates out.”

The schedule enables Chas and Dave to concentrate on other projects, last year, the pair entered Abbey Road Recording Studios to record their latest album entitled That’s What Happens. It was their first studio album in 27 years and saw them return to their musical roots of early R&B, rock n roll and skiffle.

“ I recorded at Abbey Road before The Beatles so its got a lot of memories for me,” says Chas, “ Then when I was with Cliff Bennett,(Chas was a member of The Rebel Rousers) Paul McCartney produced Got To Get you Into My Life for us there. I think it’s the only one of the big major studios left so it was an obvious choice.”

Chas and Dave were joined on the album by many of their musician friends including Albert Lee and Jerry Allison of The Crickets. “We did our bit in about five days and the producer Joe Henry went away and mixed it in Los Angeles. We were really pleased with it.”

Amongst the songs recorded for the album were a tribute to Lonnie Donegan entitled Lonnie D, Midnight Special and on Joe’s suggestion the pair revisited their biggest hit Ain’t No Pleasing You... “It’s like a night-club sort of version. It’s the proof of a good song when you do different arrangements and styles and it comes out good whichever way you do it, we were pleased with that.”

Fans can expect to hear songs from That’s What Happens along with classic Chas n Dave numbers such as “Gertcha”, “Rabbit” and “Billy Tyler” when the pair play Newport Riverfront on July 18. “We still do a 70s set because there’s all sorts of stuff Dave and I were doing when we first got together,” says Chas, “ we just grabbed songs out of the air and made them our own, the whole evening is like The Chas and Dave story from start to finish!”

Call 01633 656757 or visit nccsec.newport.gov.uk/tickets/ for ticket details.