The inimitable Craig Charles will be heading to Cirencester for a set of his finest funk 'n' soul tunes this Spring

An iconic actor, host, broadcaster, and now one most beloved DJs in the country, Craig's 'Funk & Soul Club Night' will see him bring his infamous "trunk of funk" to Cirencester's Bingham Hall on Friday, March 25.

From Robot Wars to Red Dwarf, Craig has now grounded himself as a Funk & Soul icon after nearly 20 years of broadcasting on BBC 6 Music with a primetime Saturday night show. As of October 2021, Craig has also settled into a mid-afternoon slot on the station which has already proven a massive hit with listeners nationwide.

"When BBC 6 Music asked me to do a radio show I only had one condition - it had to be a funk & soul show, otherwise I wasn't interested," says Craig, when he was first approached by the station. And so, the Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show was born in 2002.

Live every Saturday night since, it features an assortment of classic gems and emerging artists and has seen Craig garner global support as one of the UK's foremost Funk and Soul commentators, DJs and promoters of new music. The show has also become a European benchmark for artists who want to connect directly with their fans.

"Since its inception I have been interested in all varieties of soul and funk music, without imposing any barriers and I am just as enthusiastic about fresh new talent as I am about the classic artists from the golden age of the 60s and 70s."

The list of guests that have been on The Funk and Soul Show speaks for itself: Gil-Scott Heron, James Brown, Roy Ayers, Cymande, Marlena Shaw, Paul Weller, Primal Scream, Terry Callier, Candi Staton, Marva Whitney.

Hip Hop legends, The Roots and the Jungle Brothers, as well as the leading players of the new school Kokolo, Cut Chemist, Sharon Jones, Osaka Monaurail, Amp Fiddler, Amy Winehouse, The New Mastersounds, Smoove and Turrell, Quantic, The Apples, The Grits, JTQ, and The Fusion Experience.

Mr Charles and his trunk of funk DJs, every weekend throughout the UK - stopping regularly at Band on The Wall in Manchester for his monthly residency. A night of soul-hitting funk, 'can you dig it' attitude and dance-floor jivin'. 

The monthly stop off is currently one of the most anticipated nights in Manchester's scene, with an array of guests from the funky depths such as, Maceo Parker, The BlackByrds, Smoove & Turrell, New Mastersounds, The Perceptions, Speedometer, Lack of Afro and Funkshone.

Craig Charles has captivated crowds throughout the UK - the Maestro of funk has played at numerous festivals such as, Love Box, Park Life, Festival no 6, Wychwood Festival, Common People, Mostly Jazz funk and soul festival to name but a few. Highlighting 2016, Craig played to over 10,000 people at the world famous Arcadia and Shangri-La stage in Glastonbury.

With a jam-packed year in the making, the funk and soul train keeps movin' along without a stop in sight - in the words of the soulful don himself, 'No Sleep till bedtime'.

Tickets for Craig's Bingham Hall gig are priced at £18.00 (plus booking fee) and available at https://www.binghamhall.co.uk/whats-on/2022/3/25/the-craig-charles-funk-amp-soul-club