THE original Cockney Rebel will perform a special charity gig in North Wales next month.

Steve Harley, who penned the ’70s anthem Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) is to return to Portmeirion, a place he claims to have had an affinity with since the early years of his career. The London-born musician admits he was hooked on the 1967 series The Prisoner, which was filmed on location in Portmeirion, so much so that he recorded it on VHS.

A couple of years after the series ended, he had the opportunity to visit the village itself, and is now excited to finally be able to perform there: "It’s fantastic - it’s an amazing and ridiculous concept, the idea of going down there to perform."

The concert, which also features Show of Hands and Australian musician Chloe Hall, aims to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. , a cause which Harley fully supports, although he is fortunate not to have experienced the affects of the devastating brain disease himself. "Thank heavens, there is no-one in my family I know that suffers from Alzheimer’s," he said. "My dad is nearly 84, and he’s incredibly forgetful, but looking back, he always has been, and forgetfulness comes with age. But Alzheimer’s is horrible. I have to try and imagine the frustration of losing the communication skills you’ve had since infancy, and losing your sense of time.

"I’m happy the promoters want to ensure that as much awareness is raised about it as possible."

Only 120 tickets are available for the gig, which Harley believes could prove to be more daunting than performing before thousands of fans: "I haven’t played anywhere that small since 1972, before I was in a band. I play to more than that at my house!

"I’m really looking forward to it, but it’s more scary than playing a bigger venue.

People like me get used to the spotlight. "You get used to the light in your face and communicating with people on a grand scale."

"I’ve often stood up and performed a few songs with some friends in a pub, but I do that for fun. Performing an intimate concert, on the other hand, is pretty scary, the people are in your face, and at your feet."

The band has toured frequently over the years, however, their upcoming tour will be their first acoustic one in seven years, and this charity performance will be a taster of the acoustic tour. He said: "Musically, it will be steaming because we’ve done 60 shows this year."

He also has a great admiration for his fellow performers at the concert.

"Show of Hands are good friends of mine, and they are sensational. I’ve known Steve Knightley for many years." He also hopes to perform Make Me Smile with Chloe Hall, who helped organise the event.

What remains to be the band’s biggest hit never fails to receive a rapturous applause. But does Harley still get the same buzz from performing it 35 years on? Apparently so.

"It never goes, it never leaves you," he said. "Just the other day we were playing to 8,000 people, and to see that sea of bodies jumping up and down and singing and clapping with you, it’s phenomenal. Performing is something I want to carry on doing; it’s so important to me. After my family, that’s the most important thing."

The Portmeirion charity concert in aid of Alzheimer’s disease takes place on Wednesday, September 8. Tickets are £30 each; to book, contact (01766) 772337 or for further details, visit www.portmeirion-village.com. For information on Steve Harley’s November tour, visit www.steveharley.com

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