Hotly anticipated gig by disco legends sold out

Nile Rodgers (second from right) brought the current incarnation of disco legends Chic to Londonderry. He wrote much of the disco canon.

Celtronic, with Chibuku, Liverpool, are hosting the concert at The Venue in Ebrington this Sunday, July 28.

The Millennium forum, who have been handling ticket sales, confirmed the event - sure to be a highlight of the Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013 calendar, is already sold out.

And it’s no surprise. If you’ve ever spent an evening dancing to disco tunes; it was Rodgers who wrote them.

This summer Chic have been wowing audiences across Europe with their disco classics including ‘Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah),’ ‘Everybody Dance,’ ‘Le Freak,’ ‘I Want Your Love’ and Good Times.’

Add to that the stuff he wrote for Sister Sledge - ‘He’s the Greatest Dancer,’ ‘We Are Family’ and ‘Lost in Music’ - and Diana Ross - ‘Upside Down’ and ‘I’m Coming Out’ - and you’ve a large part of the disco canon exhausted.

Such is the stature of the back catalogue that Rodgers has joked with audiences: “We’re not actually a cover band.”

Rodgers also went on to pen or produce some of the biggest hits of the 1980s, reviving David Bowie’s career with ‘Let’s Dance,’ producing ‘Why?’ for Carly Simon, ‘Like a Virgin’ for Madonna, and ‘Notorious’ for Duran Duran.

He’s also behind this summer’s biggest hit, Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ featuring Pharrell Williams. That’s him on guitar.

According to the promoters: “With hits like Le Freak, Good Times and Dance Dance Dance, Chic helped define the sound of the 70’s.

“Nile Rodgers has also produced some of the biggest hits of the 80s for acts like Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna and Duran Duran and recently completed work on the new Daft Punk album.”