Here's a glowing review from the Chip Hawkes & Brian Poole Me & My Life show that took place in Tamworth.

Special thanks to Michael Clenton for sending it to me!

2010 Concert Tickets

**Update: We sadly have to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances (not due to low ticket sales as the rumor says), The Father & Son Tour with Chip & Chesney has been cancelled. 

We are sorry to disappoint & hope to have news of this tour being rescheduled in 2011.

THE CHIP HAWKES DUO : HOCKLEY ESSEX : JANUARY 23rd 

Review by: Lesley Dunn 

 What a great evening for the folks of Essex when they went to see THE CHIP HAWKES DUO at Hockley on January 23rd. Chip Hawkes was accompanied by Richard Marsh and during the two sets they played the audience loved them.

As a duo it is far more intimate to see Chip's skills and charisma shine through.

He sung several of The Tremeloes songs, the band he was lead singer/songwriter with for many years but he also sung a selection of other artists songs and boy did he do them proud. It seems that Chip Hawkes can turn his voice to any song and perform it with great passion. Richard Marsh complemented Chip during many of these songs and during 'The Wonder Of You' the crowd were on their feet.

It was a brilliant evening, very refreshing and showcased just what Chip Hawkes is capable of.

Note: Check out Lesley's photo in the Gigging 2010 photo album

Photos Needed!!!!

Hi all, Chip & I are trying to gather up some photos to add to the site.  If any of you have photos you have had taken with Chip at a gig or an event & would like to share them, please email full size photos to me along with your name & the date they were taken to ChipChat64@comcast.net . Thanks!!

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

Here's another great review on the Back To The Cavern Tour from the December 2009 issue of Beat Magazine!

Thanks to Lesley Dunn for sharing this clipping from the June 2008 issue of Beat Magazine!

A glowing review of the Back to the Cavern Tour shows in Scotland AND Chip's new song from the November 2009 issue of The Beat Magazine:

Here's a great review of Chip's new CD from the October 2009 issue of The Beat Magazine:

Big News from Chesney & Keely Hawkes!

Ladies, Mice and Men,

We are insanely proud to present our 1st release: "Me, My Mouse & I", a 3 song EP, which is the start of a series of releases from us where all proceeds go to Amnesty International.

Support us supporting Amnesty, and buy it here:

http://www.artonearth.com/mmm

The songs are "When In Rome", "Safe House" and "Let..s Misbehave".

€3 for the complete album, or 1.50€ pr song. Just do it, you know you want to :-) The loading time might be a little long, so please hang in there. We think you will find the music worth the wait.

lots of mousey Love from Chesney, Keely and Jon-Willy (AKA Marv, Mouse and Mech) x

http://www.myspace.com/marvelousmechanicalmouse

http://www.amnesty.org

Let’s Misbehave with Marvellous Mechanical Mouse

London, 22 September 2009.  Marvelous Mechanical Mouse makes a heroic dash for the download chart on September 22nd.  The generous one is spoiling us with an EP entitled  'Me, My Mouse & I'  featuring gems 'When In Rome,' Let's Misbehave' and 'Safehouse.' Mouse lovers: move your mouse over this

http://www.artonearth.com/marvelousmechanicalmouse

All proceeds going to Amnesty International

Born between the glaciers and geysers of Iceland, MMM is a triumvirate of musicians based in Oslo, Los Angeles and London.  (Marv)ellous is no stranger to the top 40 having graced the UK number one when he was a mere lad of 19. (Mech)anical is the maestro of the trio drawing on his experience in musical production and orchestration.  Mouse is the irreverent sparkly one, throwing in lyrical and melodic inspiration when it’s needed.  They are not one of those bands who are defined by roles of lyricist, writer and producer, this is a true meeting of musical mouse magic that has to be listened to. 

MMM describe themselves as sharing a grounding in lunacy which produces a therapeutic and unforced creation of enjoyable, de-numbing soundscapes.  It’s taken two glorious years for the sound to evolve into the weird and wonderful tangled tapestry you see and hear today.

Hot on the six-inch heels of ‘Me, My Mouse & I’ will follow ‘Dark Side of the Mouse’ on 19^th October 2009. Don’t second guess this mouse, it has scintillating sensations up its sleeve for the Autumn.

For further information please visit http://www.myspace.com/marvelousmechanicalmouse 

From The Beat Magazine September 2009 Issue

 

CHIP HAWKES & RICHARD MARSH ~ AUGUST 30, 2009

 

 

Here is a review written by Lesley Dunn for October issue of The Beat Magazine.

 

The Chip Hawkes Duo, Penhurst Kent ~ 30th, August, 2009

By: Lesley Dunn

 

What a way to spend a Sunday afternoon, listening to the Chip Hawkes duo, in the sunshine while enjoying a drink.

 

That's what happened to us when Chip Hawkes and Richard Marsh played an outdoor concert in the grounds of 'The Spotted Dog', in Kent.

 

The sun came out as the guys came on and they delighted the audience with an outstanding performance, producing such an amazing sound in an undeniably perfect setting.

 

Over 140 people had their Sunday lunch in this beautiful old pub then the audience joined in as Chip and Richard sang their hearts out with powerful vocals and superb melodies singing numbers by Smokie, The Beatles, The Everly Bros, The Drifters, Creedence and of course The Tremeloes -the band Chip was singer/songwriter with for many years.

 

After a well deserved break, the guys returned to the stage to loud cheers and blew the audience away with an astounding version of Elvis, 'The Wonder Of You'.  It took everyone by surprise.  Any doubts they had that an outdoor concert would not have the quality and sound were dispelled the moment Chip started to sing, what a voice, what a sound resonating around Kent, anyone that heard it must have wished they were there.

 

Chip and Richard’s harmonies were excellent and the song that had the audience most delighted vocally was 'Silence is Golden', Chip’s number one hit with The Tremeloes in 1967.

 

There were people of all ages in The Spotted Dog that afternoon but I would challenge anyone to say they had not enjoyed themselves.  Even after an encore of 'Suddenly You Love Me', they shouted for more.  The consensus was by all.... brilliant.  Look out for the 'Chip Hawkes Duo' - these guys are remarkable and refreshingly good.

 

****Special thanks to Jack Marsh for sending me the review & the photos!  Much appreciated Jack!****

A BRILLIANT review from the May 2009 Beat Magazine:

The March of The Mods has started....

'Wellalive'
'Small Fakers'

Chip has asked me to share a new project he's working on with his friend, Johnny Mason.  He is really excited about it! 

The 'March of the Mods' Tour is all about celebrating the original 60's Mods and the 70's Revival. Much of the culture of those original Mods was based around bands such as the 'Small Faces' and Paul Weller's 'The Jam'.

Please join them to celebrate these great times and why not dress the part to really complete the atmosphere. 

Check out their website & tourdates at http://www.wellalive.co.uk/ 

Go out & see a show (or two). You'll not be disappointed!

From Barking & Dagenham Post:

Chip off the old block

14 January 2009

TWO POP stars with Dagenham roots will be giving a charity concert later this month in neighbouring Havering.

Chip Hawkes, former lead singer of the 60s pop group The Tremeloes, and Rubettes singer Mick Clarke, will be at Chevaliers in Havering Bowls Club on Wednesday, January 28 in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Tesco charity organiser, Lesley Dunn from the Roneo Corner store has been following the bands for years and saw the opportunity to raise money for Marie Curie, the Tesco charity of the year.

She said: "Mick said he and Chip were thinking of doing a gig together, so I jumped at the chance to get them to do something for our charity.

"Mick has raised more than £10,000 for Tesco charities over the years and has performed in my store at Roneo Corner."

The lads have been behind such hits as 'Silence is Golden, and 'Sugar Baby Love' and are rehearsing for the evening.

Chip joined Brian Poole and the Tremeloes in 1966 for the vacancy created after Mick Clarke left the band. He later went on to join the Rubettes, one of the top bands in the 1970s.

"Chip auditioned for the Tremeloes in Porters Avenue, so there is a huge Dagenham connection," said Lesley.

Mick Clarke, who now lives in Havering said: "I was so pleased when Chip agreed to join me for this gig.

"As a duo we will have a lot to offer the audience with songs old and new.

"It should be great evening."

Tickets are only £10 and available from Chevaliers on 01708 454822, which is inside the Havering Bowls Club, in Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch.

Dave Dee

December 17, 1941 - January 9, 2009

All our thoughts & prayers go out to Dave & to Dave's family & friends at this sad time.

Rest in Peace Dave.

WEBSITE UPDATE!

You may have noticed the name change on the site.  We decided it was time for an update! 

Another bit of news is that we also have another web address in addition to the one you all are already familiar with. 

You can also find our site by going to http://www.chiphawkes.net .  Shorter address ~ same great site!

Chip Hawkes

‘The Beat’ / ‘Reviewbeat’

Skegness 18^th August 2007

 

CLASS OF 64

 

by: John Dunn

 

On a recent visit to Skegness we noticed ‘The Class of 64’ were playing at the Embassy Theatre. As this is our kind of music we decided to go and see them, and boy, what a good decision it was.

 

As soon as the band enthusiastically bounded onto the stage they captivated the audience with their unique show, one of the best we have ever seen.

The opening number was Smokie’s ‘Lay Back in the Arms’ followed by ‘Here Comes my Baby’. The charismatic Chip Hawkes, instantly recognisable from the Tremeloes, fronted the band singing many of the numbers. With his versatile voice he made every song his own.

 

He introduced the rest of the band. Alan Lovell of the Swinging Blue Jeans, Mick Clarke of the Rubettes and drummer Pete Spencer from Smokie.

What a fantastic idea creating a band of this calibre. The selection of their songs was really impressive showing how amazingly talented these guys are. Hit after hit, including ‘Oh Carol’, ‘Me and My Life’, ‘Call Me Number One’, ‘I Shall Be Released’, plus many more.

 

Mick took over as lead singer on The Rubettes internationally known hits “Sugar Baby Love”, “I Can Do It” and “Baby I Know”. It was a fantastic opportunity to hear another exhilarating singer.

 

Alan, a very cheeky chappie, performed the highly successful “Hippy Hippy Shake”. His guitar playing was electrifying during the whole show.

 

After the interval, a string of more hits were well received. ‘Helule Helule’, ‘Don’t Play your Rock and Roll’, ‘Suddenly You Love Me’, ‘Living Next Door to Alice’, ‘My Little Lady’.

 

Pete, on drums, had kept the band tight all night. He then came forward to join the boys on the close harmonies of The Tremeloes hit “Silence Is Golden”. We could not believe what we were hearing, it sounded fantastic.

We were catapulted into a superb trip down memory lane, with unstoppable top ten hits.

 

The guys clearly were enjoying themselves as much as we were. They had a great sense of humour and rapport with the audience, who in turn showed their appreciation with rapturous applause. When Chip had sung their last number ‘Even The Bad Times Are Good’, the crowd weren’t going to let them go that easily. They starting cheering and stamping their feet and were delighted when the band came back to do an encore of a Rock ‘n’ Roll medley which had the audience jumping to their feet and dancing in the aisles.

 

What a brilliant evening, if you get a chance, go and see them, you will not be sorry.

 

We will certainly be looking out for more dates of ‘THE CLASS OF 64’.

I recently saw this review on the Class of ‘64’s German website.  It is so well written & spot on, I had to post it here to share it as well.  Way to go guys!!!!

 

THE CLASS OF 64 @ THE DOME MORECAMBE 25/05/07

By Carol Borrington

In May 2004, I treated myself to a ticket to see The Animals at Nottingham Concert Hall and not only was I knocked backwards by their performance but also by their support act The Class of 64. This started three interesting years of watching a band in its infancy up to the present day for me. Not only musically superb, The Class Of 64 offered the chance of seeing the development of a new 60's band in the 21st Century, something at that point that made them unique.
In a market, holding at present at least five generations of musicians, all fighting for that elusive success, with it revivalism, reunions and in the case of a few of the Classic artists, a renewed interest in the experimentalism, that we saw in the 60's once again, rather than being retro looking, The Class Of 64 had undertaken a hard road. It was thrilling to see them take-up the challenge step-by- step and knowing the deck was stacked against them. This became especially true with the added fetter of the over-zealous and unacceptable competition that I have witnessed via false idealism that belongs not to music but with commercialism, ego and the pathetic hang-overs from the 60's, a decade now gone. The resulting effect being, 64 having to run in complex changes of personnel for the first part of 2007 and as we all now know, leading to the division of its original members into two bands, not one.
My review though is about the 5 musicians I saw in Morecambe a few weeks ago under the collective name of The Class Of 64 and their performance on the night. This is the only true way of judging music by looking constructively at what you have in front of you, in the moment, in a gig or a CD. We are far too happy today, to allow artists to get away with bad recordings or gigs on their past reputations and living off past laurels or harping back for an era that can never return, rather than judging them on the present and the real.
What I saw at Morecambe was five musicians walk on a stage give their hearts and souls for their music and rise above all that surrounded them, to produce an excellent evening's entertainment of one thing and one thing alone, music and in the present! This is the thing that we the punter actually pay for, we have governments to play politics with!
64 set off an with an up-tempo opening, which set the pace for the rest of the evening with 'Here Comes My Baby' and you instinctively got the feel that they were out to raise The Dome roof and they did. Good guitar riffs, especially the solo on this and pulled together and held tight by Mick on drums and Jeff on bass imprinted a vision of what was to follow. It was the vocal harmonies on this number that had me sitting up and listening most intensely than anything else on this occasion. The harmonies throughout much of the evening were four part, rather than the three, I've got used to 64 doing and even though these were always first class, this was a different take on the sound and songs for me.
Hardly surprising, Chip's probably one of best of 60's lead vocalists of this genre left on the circuit, which I have said from the start and I will stand by this observation. Jeff Brown has been a lead singer in his own right and is still to me far too underrated as a bass guitarist and lead vocalist. Alan, not only lead guitarist and harmony with 'The Swinging Blue Jeans' but also takes part in lead vocals with 'The Jeans' and Ted as well a mean lead guitarist in own right has a great lower vocal harmony to set off the rest. Put together in this format at Morecambe, the result was a unique and top class combination.
This vocal combination showed itself in a more refined way on the next song, 'Just One Look', with not only some exquisite harmonies but all so some good cross vocals. This was a good version by this combination and did it feel fresh and lively, despite its 40+ years as a song and not as rusty as some are beginning to sound with this stubborn determination to hold them in their original 60's format, rather than allow them to be experimented with and thus continuing to grow as a piece of music into the 21st Century.
'Waterloo Sunset', too is celebrating its 40th year as song out there in the musical ether. The drumming on this was classic and Mick Avory always drums to maximum potential but did I hear just a little something of pride and satisfaction in his drumming at Morecambe, that this song had not only lasted the test of time but others have held it in such high respect, that they wanted to play it still in 21st Century and continue it on well beyond its inception.
'Long Cool Woman' and the guitar work on this by Ted and Alan had me scribbling rapid notes. I know Ted's a top guitarist in this genre but my exposure to Alan's play has been slightly more limited. These two between them gave this song the real 'hard edge rock' sound that it truly deserves, it had instrumental grit and teeth. There was some good heavy bass on this by Jeff underlining the work being done by the others, bit of that 'Sweet' clout drifting through and lifting the song just another notch and of course master drummer Mick, cracking it up with rest. Chip's vocal on this is had the macho drive and grit that the song demands and with the harmonies, take or leave with this observation folks, that was one hell of rendition boys!
Alan treated us to lead vocal on 64's offering of 'The Hippy Hippy Shake' and this was a very driven version that had the audience clapping and singing. Again, I was picking up this Power Rock undertones from bass and drums. Which comes from combining the drummer who instrumentally is credited with producing one of the first Rock songs as opposed to R'n'R and from a bass guitarist used to playing Glam Rock and it's fusion of Metal and Pop. It rocked!
'Air' and 'Silence' could have been exclusively written for the vocal range of Chip Hawkes but again that combined harmony at Morecambe, lifted both songs to a new dimensions for me and there were some great instrumental coming through from all musicians on that stage. I have also enjoyed the recent addition of the two Creedence songs into 64 set. They showcase the extended range of musicianship in the band and Chips' vocal again, is well suited to these song and we had some good Country style finger picking by Alan on these. Showing another side of his guitar skills, rather than his standard R'n'R playing.
What more can I say, the audience enjoyed it, the band put a hole in The Dome roof, and it was great value for money and a damn good night out! That's what the punter pays for at the end of day! My best wishes to all I have seen play under the old mantel of The Class Of 64. It was three good years of music boys and that's what it's all about. To the New Class Of 64 and The Legends of the 60's, go knock'em dead boys and I won't be far away from either of you, so Let's Rock, live!