The 1970s band Showaddywaddy will be shaking the rafters at Dorchester Abbey at the end of this month to help raise funds for the Nasio Trust, a Christian charity formed in 2003 to help care for HIV orphans in Kenya.

“We were asked to do this gig, and we just couldn’t say no,” says drummer Romeo Challenger (far left above). “We need to support that sort of thing as much as possible. People coming to the Abbey will be endorsing that, and seeing a good show at the same time.”

Showaddywaddy was formed in 1973, and over the next decade they notched up 23 Top 40 hits, including Hey Rock and Roll, Three Steps to Heaven, Heartbeat, Under the Moon of Love and When. All these, and more, are likely to be on the menu at Dorchester Abbey.

“The show is about an hour, so we’ll try to get as many hits in as possible,” says Romeo. “There’ll be an explosion of colour onstage, because that’s what the band’s all about — fun and colourful costumes while playing 50s music.”

The gig comes just ahead of a 30-date Greatest Hits tour, and is the first without lead singer Dave Bartram, who retired at the end of 2011 and is now the band’s manager. Romeo and bassist Rod Deas are now the only original members left — “last two standing!” chuckles Romeo — but several line-up changes haven’t stopped the band from constant gigging over nearly four decades.

“It’s like being in this bubble where time doesn’t exist,” says Romeo. “We just keep going and going!”

The Dorchester Abbey gig, though, clearly means a lot to the band. “I would urge people to come and support the Trust,” says Romeo. “They’re sending some teenagers over to visit the children in Kenya at the end of March, so they need funds to make that happen.”

Showaddywaddy are at Dorchester Abbey on January 28. For booking information, visit www.dorchester-abbey. org.uk/showaddywaddy.html