Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans describes them as ‘one of the great live bands” . . . and they’re coming back to Fontwell. Barnstorming Irish rock band The Saw Doctors will be flying in from Galway to play after the racing on October 2, 2010.

This is the third time that the band has visited Sussex to support Southern Water’s Charity Race Day. It continues their association with sporting events, having played at the Champion’s League cup tie between Celtic and Manchester Utd. 

With three No 1 hits in Ireland, including their 2008 cover of The Sugababes’ ‘About You Now’, their music is also well known from a multi-million pound advertising campaign for Harp lager.

But it is their sparkling live concerts that have brought them international renown and they’re bound to attract a big following at Fontwell.

Their UK and US tours are constantly sold out and the band has long been a favourite at festivals such as Glastonbury. They are also big in Australia, where they toured earlier this year, headlining at the Port Fairy Festival in Victoria where ‘The Age’ newspaper reported: “The most popular act of the Port Fairy Festival was hard-driving Irish band The Saw Doctors, with their infectious songs about love, soccer, and small town life."

In October 2008 ‘About You Now’ charted higher in Ireland than Pink and Kings of Leon. Proving this was no fluke, their next release ‘She Loves Me’ went straight into the charts at No 2 without any major radio air play. And last year their compilation album went platinum within weeks of release.

It was named 'To Win Just Once – the best of The Saw Doctors' – an appropriate title considering keyboard player Tony Lambert, living in a converted bus, won nearly £1 million on the lottery shortly before the original release of ‘To Win Just Once’. He subsequently left the band and built a recording studio.

Geoff Loader, Southern Water’s Director of Communications, is one of the many who is looking forward to The Saw Doctors' return to Fontwell. He said: “It will be great to have The Saw Doctors with us again. They played at our Charity Race Day two years ago when there was a record crowd of 5,000. It will be fantastic if another record crowd enjoy the day this year, especially as a £1 donation is made to seven charities for everyone who comes through the gate on the day.”

Entrance for those under the age of 16 is free and discounted price advance tickets for the October 2 concert can be purchased by clicking here. More information about The Saw Doctors is available on their website.