Duke Special

How times have changed. The last time I saw Duke Special, it was at Global at Newcastle University, and there were around twenty-five people in attendance. Fast forward ten months, and The Cluny is packed out. What a difference a little radio play makes. Unlike previously though, tonight we were treated to the full band performance, and it added a whole new dynamic to the sound of Duke Special, as opposed to the more regular lineup of Peter Wilson and the incomparable Chip Bailey. In many ways the full band adds to the sound, but I can't help but wish it was just Wilson and Bailey again, as the intimacy and camaraderie which this offered previously does not seem to be as apparent.



Jaunty opener 'Brixton Leaves' drew us in gently, and then it was easy to tell those who had been dragged along by their other halves - the dropped jaws at the sounds coming out of this shy gothic bloke's mouth were evidence enough of an unfamiliarity with the work of Duke Special. I spoke to a few people who had come along simply because of a track heard on Radio 1, and for that alone they must feel that this year's license fee was well spent. The rest of the night continues in the same vein, with song after song of staggering beauty, the standard of which sets Peter Wilson head and shoulders above the ten- a-penny singer-songwriters currently playing the 'I'm dead sensitive, honest' card (yes, I mean you James Blunt).

A wonderful touch came when Wilson dedicated a cover of Roy Orbison's 'You Got It' to a woman in the audience who was celebrating both her birthday and wedding anniversary, he claimed to have read about it on his Myspace page, and this exemplifies the close relationship that the band share with their fans. The only sad thing is that this kind of willingness to make a little effort to ensure that the fans go home happy comes as a surprise - surely this should be the norm?

The highlight of any Duke Special show is when it becomes the Chip Bailey show. The percussionist is a natural born entertainer, and can't resist the temptation to take centre stage at any given opportunity.



Tonight that chance came during the glorious 'I Let You Down', the highly complicated percussion part that involves the use of a cheese grater, a whisk, and a cymbal. Taking up a position at the front of the stage for the quiet parts (those involving a steady rhythm laid down using the cheese grater and whisk), Bailey took to diving over the piano and amplifier in order to bring his cheese grater smashing down onto the ride cymbal signalling the chorus. Everything is performed with the joy and gusto of a man half his age, and it is clear that he loves his job, and who can blame him when this is what he does for a living? The Chip Bailey show continued into 'John Lennon Love', where he took to conducting the crowd during the deafening chorus sections, and by this point there was not a person in the room that wasn't grinning from ear to ear.

This is what live music should be about - talented musicians doing their all to ensure that their fans have a good night. Duke Special may make some very sad music at times, but they can also create euphoria in equal measure. Earlier tonight Wilson sang "I wanna be a John Lennon, wanna be something more", but on this showing he may not need to wish for much longer, as there have been few songwriters since the late Beatle that have been able to merge such a diverse range of styles into something of such beauty, and that is high praise indeed.

FUTURE GIGS

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