“My dad’s famous - he’s on TV!”

That was the reaction of Huw James’ son Dugie to seeing his father in a video for his band Penny Rebels’ debut single Bad Man on YouTube.

Penny Rebels are a five-piece blues-rock band from Farnham whose members are having a second stab at the music business after those years when work, life and children took priority.

The Herald spoke to drummer Huw and guitarist Eng Wei Chua about the group and being a celebrity in your own home.

Eng Wei said: “We started as a band quite a while back. I met Huw a couple of years ago. We were all in bands when we were younger. Then we had kids and that got in the way.

“Then the pandemic happened and I had more time on my hands. I wanted to get back into music so I put the band together. I met Huw, we both lived in Farnham and were into similar music, and we needed a drummer.

“We’ve written and rehearsed some music and now we’re getting ready to present it. We want to get back into playing live and release some music on streaming platforms now we’ve got a bit more time.”

Huw said: “It’s the same with me. My kids are a little bit older now and they’re a bit more independent.

“It’s nice having your kids seeing you in a band because they become your biggest fans. It’s nice for them - my son Dugie thinks I’m famous now because I’ve been on TV for three seconds!”

Penny Rebels’ line-up is completed by James Burns (vocals), Adam Wright (keyboards) and Rahul Kabra (bass).

They record in Farnham and will play their first gig on the West End Centre stage at the Picnic and Pop Family Festival at Manor Park in Aldershot on July 26.