AS ONE half of the country’s most exalted rockney duos, Chas Hodges, sharp-witted cockney mouthpiece of London throwbacks Chas & Dave, has fulfilled a life befit of someone with his “gift”.

His frenzied key bashing, rapid rhyming and all round satisfaction in life, will become clear as the rockney duo head to Basingstoke’s The Haymarket for new show The Full Story Live next month.

The Gazette caught up with Chas before the show to talk about music, money and whether northerners even really like them. For four decades, Chas & Dave have entertained, educated and supported local pubs, clubs, bars and music lovers for as long as our nation has let them.

Such is their influence over the general public, wherever Chas & Dave lay their hat, people always turn up. You’re guaranteed a party. And it’s this affection that Chas holds dearest.

“It’s life in it – you keep going until you burn out,” Chas told The Gazette. “I’ve made me own luck in my life and this music gig, I would have done it for free. I always knew I had a gift for music and I’d make money out of playing.

“I remember my first gig when I was 13 in a skiffle group. Most fantastic night of my life.

“Played well. But at the end of the night some old boy came over to me and gave me a pound note and I thought ‘this is the life for me’. And it was.

“I knew me and Dave would be in a band for life. Did we think about the hit records? No. We just loved getting out in the pubs and clubs and having a good time.”

The “good time” Chas talks about spawned a string of late 1970s and early 1980s public house anthems like ‘Rabbit’, ‘Gertcha’ and ‘Ain’t No Pleasing You’.

They were also an integral role in publicising Barry Hearn’s fabled Match Room Mob in the late eighties and their own Chas & Dave’s Knees Up chat show for ITV.

In recent years, the group has seen a revival of sorts. Thanks in part to indie rockers The Libertines, co-fronted by Basingstokeborn guitarist Carl Barat, during the mid-2000s, Chas & Dave were back on the road touring with them, a generation of new fans born and the adventure starts again.

But for a group built on cramming as much cockney rhyming slang words into a verse, how do they fare when going across the country?

Chas & Dave head to The Haymarket on Saturday, February 4 at 7.30pm.