Chas Hodges, of Chas and Dave fame, tells Tim Hughes how the duo got together, and why their unique brand of pub-pop still brings in the crowds

As a successful guitarist, Chas Hodges had it all. He was touring with some of the biggest names in rock & roll and travelling the world.

But something bothered him – and halfway through a tour of America in the 70s, he realised what it was.

“Most British people sang in an American accent, and I was tired of it,” says the native Londoner. “It seemed all right in England, but in America I felt like a fraud. I wanted to sing in my own accent and talk about things I knew about. So I started jotting a few things down.”

He confided in friend and fellow musician Dave Peacock.

“I rang up Dave and told him my idea. I told him I was ready to go on piano, write songs, sing in my own accent and be honest. And that was the start of Chas and Dave.”

The duo, who had already played alongside each other for more than a decade in bands and as session musicians, got off the ground in 1975.

Their brand of chirpy pub sing-along tunes, rock & roll and boogie-woogie has been labelled ‘Rockney’. But while proud of the pair’s London roots, Chas insists he’s no Cockney. “I’ve always loved London but I’m not a Cockney,” he says. “I’m a North Londoner.”

He is talking from a studio in Harlow – not far from his home in Stevenage. “Wherever I live, I like to know I can get into London quickly,” he says. “London’s in my blood.”

The duo’s no-nonsense image and catchy tunes stood out in sharp contrast against the prevailing tides of punk, new wave and new romanticism.

“I knew as soon as we started we were on the right track,” he says. “I knew we were going to enjoy doing it for the rest of our lives. And we are!”

Their first hit, 1975’s Gertcha reached number 20, and was followed by a further seven Top 40 hits, including Rabbit, a fast-paced tune about, he says “a woman who keeps on jawing”, which got to number eight in 1980; 1986’s Snooker Loopy, which hit number six; and two tunes dedicated to their beloved Tottenhem Hotspur – Ossie’s Dream (Spurs Are On Their Way To Wembley) and Tottenham Tottenham – performed with the dubious vocal assistance of the club’s FA Cup Final squad.

But it was a more heartfelt effort which stands out as a favourite. “I love doing Gertcha and the other fun ones, but I’m most proud of Ain’t No Pleasing You,” he says.

“As far as I knew, there were no serious songs sung in our accent before that, so it was a personal achievement.”

The song reached number two in 1982. If it seems heartfelt it’s because the subject matter was so close to home. “It was my brother’s situation when he was splitting up with his missus,” he says. “The words seem ordinary but seem to work.”

While the songs are rooted in a traditional world of pub knees-ups, Chas, whose son Nik plays drums in the band, insists there’s no nostalgia. “People harp on about the old days, but it’s cobblers,” he says. “Things change all the time, as, no doubt, they did 100 years ago.”

So has he changed much over the years? “I don’t think so,” he says.

So what is it about the songs which caught the public’s imagination? “It’s good, honest music,” he goes on. “We’ve worked at it and have learned to play our instruments. But there’s also a feeling that comes from the heart. If you haven’t got it, it’s not there. And we love entertaining. People say we look like we are enjoying ourselves, and we do.”

And so do the fans – whether they are in an intimate pub, a packed club or a festival field, such as Knebworth, where they opened for Led Zeppelin in 1979, or Glastonbury, where they made their debut in 2005.

“We fit in everywhere,” he says. “And new fans are being born all the time. People will still be listening to Chas and Dave in 100 years.”

On Saturday the pair play the O2 Academy Oxford, performing old hits and tunes from their new album That’s What Happens.

One of the duo’s best loved riffs won’t be getting an airing though. Eminem fans may be surprised to learn the hook from the rapper’s hit My Name Is, was actually created by Chas and Dave – being a sample of the Labi Siffre tune, I Got The, on which the pair played.

He recalls: “A few years ago my son Nik said ‘You’ll never guess what, you’re on a worldwide hit!’ Eminem had just nicked it off the record. I’d never heard of him before that. We didn’t get any money for it either.”

Their relationship with another group of young artists has proved more fruitful. The pair were delighted when The Libertines admitted they had been a formative influence.

Chas explains: “Pete Doherty and Carl Barât said we were a big inspiration to them when they were growing up, and asked us to support them. We’ve done it a few times. They are great, and it all helped to get the younger fans we’ve got now.

“Pete is great. He has been hounded as a ‘bad boy’ but he’s always behaved himself, and the last time he came to see us he sat backstage with a pint of Guinness and thoroughly enjoyed himself.”

So will they be joining Pete and Carl for their reunion in Hyde Park this summer? “I don’t know,” he says. “We could – but they’d better hurry up and ask soon because we’ve got a full book!”

CHECK IT OUT
Chas & Dave play the O2 Academy Oxford on Saturday.
Tickets are £22.50 from ticketweb.co.uk