The Blockheads are heading to East Lancashire on May 29 to headline the Darwen Live Festival. We spoke to founder member Chaz Jankel.

IF you were asked to book the ideal band to headline an open air festival, the chances are that The Blockheads would feature in the list.

Now East Lancashire will get the chance to experience one of the truly great live bands on Monday when they round off Darwen Live.

"To be honest we can't wait," said Chaz Jankel, a founder member of the Blockheads, who are perhaps best known for their work with the late Ian Dury.

"There is something special about a festival crowd because the majority of them have just come for a good time rather than to see a particular band which immediately creates that party atmosphere."

Visitors to the free festival in Darwen town centre can look forward to hearing all the Blockheads' classic hits including Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll and Sweet Gene Vincent.

"When you have been playing for as long as we have," said Chaz, "the set is a bit like a menu at a restaurant. It does change slightly but the main dishes are always there. We may vary where we put them in the set and that can have a huger impact on the pace of the set and the reaction of the crowd."

Ian Dury, the Blockheads' iconic frontman and Chaz's songwriting partner for many of the hits died in 2000 but his presence lives on.

"The first gig we played after Ian died I was really nervous," said Chaz. "I think we were all wondering if we could carry on without Ian but from the opening bars of the first song the crowd were with us and we knew we were doing the right thing.

"When Ian was singing with us he never overstayed his welcome as lead singer and was quite happy to let the band vamp it out on stage.

"A lot of our songs have developed over the years and have evolved. I often think that we should have recorded some of them later than we did because they have got better with time."

As well as a key member of the Blockheads and co-writer of many of their hits Chaz is also a very successful songwriter, session musician and film score composer. He co-wrote Ai No Corrida for Quincy Jones and has worked on more than a dozen films.

But it is playing live with the Blockheads that Chaz is most at home.

"When you play live and sharing the experience with an audience, that is really what it is about.

"The shared energy that you get really is second to none."

Chaz said that since Ian's death he has written songs for the Blockheads with fellow band member Derek Hussey.

"When Ian was alive he was the lyricist," said Chaz. "He was so good at it there was really no point anyone else even trying. But now it's like Derek embodies the spirit of Ian.

"A lot of Ian's lyrics evolved from jokes. Derek who was a really close mate would make an observation, Ian would laugh and make a note of it and he'd turn it into a lyric.

"Now, there is more chance for others in the band to write lyrics for our songs."

Darwen Live will be a novel experience for the Blockheads as the band will actually be staying in East Lancashire after the gig.

"We are going to take the rare opportunity to actually stay overnight," said Chaz. "Normally you'll find us rushing back to London from wherever we have been playing."

The Blockheads play the main stage at Darwen Live on Monday, May 29. Admission is free.