The Funk 'N' Soul Club with presenter, DJ, actor and all round funkster Craig Charles manning the decks 'till 3am.

Craig's career began at the age of 12 when he won The Guardian Poetry Award. The runner up was 33 years old! He performed as a warm-up act for bands in Liverpool, and made his TV debut performing his poetry on Riverside and Wogan.

Craig is recognised the world over as Dave Lister - the curry-devouring, last-surviving human in BBC 2's hugely popular sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf. He has also been seen and heard as a performer or presenter on a whole host of programmes as diverse as Through The Keyhole, The Bill, Radio 4's Kaleidoscope and of course the irresistible carnage of Robot Wars.

In the past Craig has been a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, has toured his stand-up show and done panto (in Dick Whittington). He continues to front his own band, The Eye.

First record you ever bought?
 Led Zeppelin IV.

First gig?
Thin Lizzy at the Liverpool Empire.

Best Gig (who and where)?
Bootsy Collins in New York City.

Gig you wish you'd been at?
Any George Clinton show.

A record that reminds you of school or college discos?
Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water and Heatwave's Always And Forever.

Soundtrack for a long car journey?
Tower Of Power.

CD you'd rescue if your house was on fire?
Ain't That A Bitch by Johnny Guitar Watson.

PLUS: The Milk Live

'Pure Fire and Skill..................an immersive experience you don't want to end' The Guardian

'Flawless' Neon Gold

'.........mark my words this will be the band everyone is going to flip out about' BBC 6 Music

 

The Milk's contemporary twist on classic soul, hip-hop and ska has already won a wealth of support. With fans everywhere from NME, The Guardian and Neon Gold to Zane Lowe, Huey Morgan and The Sun, the band are sure to be one to watch throughout 2012. This massive twenty-eight date tour will see them preview songs from their forthcoming debut album, produced by celebrated DJ and remixer Brad Baloo (The Nextmen).

Having been friends since school, The Milk began life as a teenage punk band: after some disastrous efforts to act rock-and-roll, the group soon split, though lead-singer Rick’s belting soulful voice arguably benefited from these loud, formative years. Sometime later, the boys revisited the classic Motown, Stax and Trojan Records that had soundtracked their teens, intent on putting on a club night. Instead, they hit a creative breakthrough. Holed up in the shed at the bottom of their garden, all new songs and sounds were experimented with, which were written in-between and sometimes in response to a series of make-do jobs in Wickford, Essex. 

The Milk have since penned a deal with Sign Of The Times / Sony, and following their latest EP ('B-Roads & B-Sides', December 19), they will announce further plans for release shortly.

FOR MORE INFO: CLICK HERE!

PLUS: The Templebys Live

Preston's newest Funk sensation playing Live