Actor, poet, comedian author, presenter and DJ, Craig Charles has curated, compered and DJ’d at every Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul festival, and this year he will be treating Mostly audiences to two full sets: the first on the festival’s Yardbird Stage, and then later again at the Hare and Hounds after party.
One of the foremost champions of Funk and Soul music in the UK, Craig Charles’ 6 Music show has showcased people like Amy Winehouse, Sharon Jones, and Smoove and Turrell at early stages in their careers. The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show has also featured heavyweight artists such as last year’s Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul-headliner Booker T and George Clinton, who will bring down the curtains on the festival this year.
Before finding fame through music, Craig Charles was famous throughout the UK for his acting roles on Red Dwarf, where he has played the character Dave Lister for more than half of his life, and Coronation Street. He also presented popular shows like Robot Wars and toured the country as a comedian, with the Time Out praising his shows for containing “ruthless social observations, emotive poetry, and the best one-liners in the business”.
Nowadays, Craig Charles regularly takes his trunk of funk records on the road, DJ-ing regularly at venues up and down the country. His Funk and Soul DJ set was voted one of the highlights of the 2009 Glastonbury festival, and proved that alongside his sharp wit and acting talent, the one thing he knows best is how to get an audience dancing.
