A FUNKY soul band will provide a real party atmosphere at this year’s Cheshire Business Awards.

Chester-based, eight-piece professional outfit, The Funky Doctors, one of the UK’s finest funk and soul bands, will deliver their signature stage show – a mix of classic soul, funk and disco tunes – at the awards ceremony.

Band leader, and session drummer, Liam Hardwick, 23, said: “We are an eight-piece funk, soul, party band using some of the best musicians from the local area and across the UK. I started The Funky Doctors about three years ago and we have never been busier.”

Following the success of The Funky Doctors, Liam started two other bands, The Speakers, a six-piece party band, and The Celebrities which is a Rat Pak-style big band.

The Speakers entertained an audience of 10,000 at the Lions Fireworks night on Chester’s Roodee earlier this month. They will be playing at the Trinity Mirror Confetti Wedding Show in Liverpool in January.

You can catch The Celebrities at Alexander’s in Rufus Court on December 11.

“I’ve now got the three bands gigging all over the UK on a regular basis. The bands are mad busy all year round with many weddings, university balls and private events,” Liam added.

“The three bands have completely different shows and set-lists. We are constantly recording new songs for demos and writing new arrangements to expand the repertoires of the bands and to enhance the shows.

Liam, who gained a first class honours degree in music from Salford University, has been drumming for about 12 years and first started playing with the Catholic High School, Chester, Swing Band.

He said: “I started playing in the school swing band, then along with friends we formed a band called The Mustangs, and it went on from there.

“I met a lot of the musicians that I use for the bands on various gigs over the years, at jam sessions and gigging at university, not just with fellow students but with the tutors.

“Working on top productions with my tutors opened a lot of doors for me and I met a lot of very talented musicians.”

Multi-talented Liam, who is also a musical director, is playing drums at the Stiwt Theatre in Wrexham this week for a Welsh language version of High School Musical.

The Funky Doctors are available for weddings, private parties, corporate and charity, festivals, theatre tours and university balls.

For further information email info@thefunkydoctors.co.uk, telephone 07737 390834 or visit the website www.thefunkydoctors.co.uk.