Craig Charles live at Band On The Wall Manchester review

Image: Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club

It's been over 14 years since Craig Charles hosted his Funk and Soul Show on BBC Radio 6 music for the first time. It's gone on to become the longest running show on the station and every Saturday night a huge legion of listeners tune in to the funk.

The man whose cult icon status had already been secured by hosting Robot Wars, starring in Red Dwarf and adding hilarious commentary to Takeshi's Castle. He then entered into the hearts and minds of yet another fanbase by bringing some of the grooviest gems to the airwaves.

From there the seemingly jet propelled jockey has carved out a career as a dynamic, knowledgeable and frankly electric DJ, merging classic tracks with modern numbers.

At Manchester's Band On The Wall he has become a monthly resident and sees a non diminishing crowd get their groove on every time he visits. 

A sell out crowd greeted him once again this weekend where as well as his now infamous show, he also brought the brilliant Invisible Orchestra in support. 

In itself, the support slot is one of the best parts of Charles' show. By using his floor filling reputation to give groups the exposure they deserve, he is helping the ever popular funk and soul scene flourish.

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The 24 piece group from Nottingham were a treat to watch, blending straight up funk grooves with jazz, orchestral elements and world sounds. A truly unique experience saw a rotation of singers bring different elements to each and every number with former Natural Ites singer Percy Dread lending his vocals to 'Percy's Latin Tune' (listen above).

It didn't take them long to whip the crowd into a funkified frenzy and come the close of their slot, they were suitably in the mood for the appearance of Craig Charles.

Dressed to kill as always with a cowboy hat firmly atop his head, the soul selector brought the house down in the venue easily most suitable for a groovy get down.

Band On The Wall has been a key element of Manchester's cultural heritage for alomst a century, bringing artists from around the world to its hallowed stage.

Its old fashioned decor and carpeted floor make for an authentic throwback to raves gone by and within an instant, the likes of Rick James' 'Give It To Me Baby' and Deee-Lite's 'Groove Is In The Heart' cast their spell upon the dancefloor.

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Aside from such staples, there was also room for Hot 8 Brass Band's brilliant interpretation of 'Sexual Healing' which lent itself nicely to a heartfelt singalong from all. 

Naturally, Charles' depth of knowledge meant for deeper cuts, reworks and some brilliant mixing. Straight up classics like Grandmaster Flash's 'White Lines' (listen above) brought the house down before his mega mix of 'Uptown Funk', 'Living In America' and 'Seven Nation Army' topped everything off.

Charles, as ever, returns next month with the Family Ranks (find tickets below) where he will once again do his funky thing. In the mean time, he travels the country with his collection of records and the sole aim of unifying one nation under a groove.

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Craig Charles returns to Band on the Wall on Saturday 29th October - find tickets below.

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