Chic, the New York disco pioneers and a seminal influence on hip hop and modern r’n’b, will take to the stage of the Galway Arts Festival Big Top this summer.
The show, which is a ‘Róisín Dubh and Galway Arts Festival present...’ event, takes place on Thursday July 19. Chic will be led by long time member, guitarist, songwriter, and respected producer Nile Rodgers.
The band is best known for one of the greatest songs of the disco era - ‘Le Freak’ - and for one of the most influential songs of the last 35 years - ‘Good Times’. The bass riff on ‘Good Times’, created by Chic bassist, the late Bernard Edwards, was later used by The Sugar Hill Gang for their song ‘Rapper’s Delight’, the first rap single, in 1979. Queen bassist John Deacon also happened to be in the studio, watching Chic record the song and it later inspired his own composition ‘Another One Bites The Dust’.
As well as creating classic songs, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards became much admired producers and songwriters for other artists. In 1978 they wrote ‘We Are Family’ and ‘He’s The Greatest Dancer’ for Sister Sledge.
The 1980s saw Rodgers and Edwards move more into production work. In 1980 they wrote and produced the album Diana for Diana Ross, yielding the hits ‘Upside Down’ and ‘I’m Coming Out’. The pair also produced Madonna’s Material Girl album and David Bowie’s Let’s Dance.
Nile Rodgers now leads the latest line-up of Chic which tours to great acclaim.
Tickets for the concert go on sale at 9am tomorrow through galwayartsfestival.com and roisindubh.net Tickets are €35/3.00. A limited number of Early Bird tickets will be available for €30.
