The opening act: Duke Special

I enjoyed Duke Special too.

Kinda like Emitt Rhodes meets Jellyfish...

Regards

Jim

Yes they were good bit like Hothouse Flowers??

I know it sounds obvious, but they do remind me of Split Enz. I saw them in Dublin and they were excellent.

I was really disappointed that I missed them in Nottingham because I misread the start time on my tickets. I got in just in time to hear their last song.

I highly recommend everyone to check them out. One of the best supports I've ever seen.

A few days ago I decided to check them out on youtube and was hooked straight away. I bought the CD on itunes and have been listening to it in my car. I'm looking forward to seeing them (or him) in Bournemouth and Brighton.

Love the CD and for once am looking forward to a support act.

Sound = Badly Drawn Boy's Irish cousin meets Eastern European Musical with a bit of woodwind thrown in for good measure

Here he is described as "vaudeville meets boho".

Totally unique.

I love his songs. He was an inspired choice for a support act. (Actually it was my 3rd time seeing him this year... and he gets better all the time.) I even wore my Duke Special t-shirt to the Belfast gig.

What you find about his songs is that they get into your head and stay there.. .and stay there...and stay there. He toured not so long ago with Divine Comedy, that may give you another angle on what he's like - in fact his latest single was co-written with Neil Hannon. (The one where the audience have to say NO!)

When I first heard that Duke Special was the support I had a mooch round the net to see what he was like. I found a legal download on the official website and was sufficiently impressed to go out and buy his full album. After seeing him live at the MEN I'm looking forward to the prospect of a new album from him and hopefully getting to one of his own gigs. If you arrive late for the Crowded House gigs you will be missing out on a very good act that to all intents and purposes you are getting to see for free!
I'm not sure that the Badly Drawn Boy comparisons hold water TBH I'm more inclined to suggest somewhere along the lines of The Divine Comedy/Waterboys/Rufus Wainwright/Ben Folds Five.

I was really impressed with Duke Special.

They were really good together and the drummer was very funny.

My husband has just asked me what I wanted for Christmas so I've told him I would like their CD. Looking forward to getting that!

I picked up the Duke's album this week.

Note: anyone looking for this should get the limited double CD because, not only does it contain a live orchestral performance but, more importantly, it features the closing track from their set - the one where he asks the audience to shout NO!

I agree that he sounds more like The Divine Comedy (with a hint of the Enz) but maybe that's because Neil Hannon appears on it!

I do feel that the songs sounded better live, but there are still several keepers on it, including Freewheel (wonderful) and Our Love Goes Deeper Than This (ready: "NO!").

quote:

Originally posted by suzanne:
Saw Duke Special in Glasgow on Friday. When they started the hall was more than half empty... filled up pretty quickly though.

They are/ he is really good! I have been thinking of a way to describe his music, but I can't. But I was very impressed!

So, all I am saying is, don't miss Duke Special! You are in for a treat, I think, so don't miss him! He is a great opening act for the Crowdies, much better than the last one. Of which I can't even remember the name now, and I gladly missed them the second time I went to see CH. But it would be a pity if I didn't get to see Duke next time. Just sayin'



When i did my MEN visit thing i said i too Loved Duke Special i think he has raw talent and is getting a LOT of interest i have his album plus the EPs hes cool and he jelled well with crowdie music in MHO I would pay to go see him in his own right and I so love the irish Broage


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My friend and I were so impressed with Duke Special after seeing him on Tuesday in Cardiff (I also saw him in Birmingham on Monday), that we booked tickets for his own concert in the Thekla in Bristol next Monday, 10th.

I had also searched around before the concerts to have a listen and then bought the album so was singing along on both nights.

I'm also pleased to say that I got the CD signed by Duke himself along with the drummer and guitarist in Cardiff.

They were absolutely fantastic, quite rare I thought for me to see a support band whos music I don't know and love it instantly. My copy of the album with the bonus orchestra disc came this morning and I'm thrilled with it.And, yes the drummer was very funny. Wonderful.

I will definitely try and get the CD. I have been listening to the songs on MySpace a few times, and the more I listen, the more I like.



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Apologies if this has been posted before but in case you've not seen it, there's a full concert available online of Duke Special (video):

http://www.fabchannel.com/duke_special_concert

It's brilliant.

quote:

Originally posted by Dawn S:
Apologies if this has been posted before but in case you've not seen it, there's a full concert available online of Duke Special (video):

http://www.fabchannel.com/duke_special_concert

It's brilliant.

WOW thanks
Look on YOUTUBE too hes got quite a fan following on there too some good videos and songs I also had heard his name as a "strong" posibility of being the support so searched him out and LOVED what i heard, wow you were lucky enough to meet him/them what theyre like?

Hi Angie

Thanks for the information. I'll have a look at YouTube over the weekend. I probably need to get some sleep now (still haven't recovered from travelling to and from Birmingham and Cardiff) and being back at work.

I wouldn't exactly call it "meeting" him/them as there were a lot of people queuing up to get their CDs signed at the end of Duke Special's set and before Crowded House. It was more a case of me saying "I thought you were brilliant both tonight and yesterday in Birmingham" to which Duke's reply was something along the lines of "you went to Birmingham too?" and "thanks". He then signed my CD. From my brief encounter I thought they all seemed very friendly. What I found was funny though was that three of them came out to sign CDs (unfortunately not multi-instrumentalist Ben Castle) but they only had two pens between them!

I still need to post my thoughts on Crowded House in Cardiff in the "Cardiff" thread but will have to do it tomorrow now as not enough time.

For those interested enough there's a free (legitimate) download available through the Duke Special official website

http://www.v2digital.net/uk/dukespecial/

I was deeply impressed by DS at the Bmth & Brighton gigs & now can't stop listening to his album! I actually think it contains more attractive melodies than TOE...

Just a quick post to say that Duke Special at the Thekla in Bristol on Monday was amazing. Duke and his band played for about 2 hours and my friend and I were lucky enough to be right at the front by the stage. Special mention goes to Duke's amazing voice and Ben Castle's mesmerising clarinet/sax/piccolo playing.

Like Minty I now can't stop listening to the album. I'll definitely be following Duke Special very closely in the future and look forward to new material and any future tours.

My friend has posted a few videos on YouTube from Monday - search for Duke Special and Thekla and you should find them.

Someone managed to get them to play in their front room!?

link

Where can you get this double album?

(I can't download on my lo-tech computer set up.)

you can order the special edition with the live belfast concert from amazon but it says delivery 1-3 weeks now.

they must have had a rush of orders over the past few weeks!

Thanks.
I don't mind waiting.
I'm delighted to see the Duke gaining so many more new fans.

Hmmm, I just had a look - it doesn't show "No" on the track listing.

I already have the album Songs from the Deep Forest so I may just see if I can get the single.

If I get stuck it just so happens I have a friend of a friend...

Celtic Tig - the "NO!" song's official title is "Our Love Goes Deeper Than This" and is on the reissued CD.

- while we're on the subject, when I search for Beth Rowley (she of Transit Lounge fame) on Amazon, it brings up Duke Special CD details.

I can't be bothered to get my CD notes out to see whether she sang on "Songs From The Deep Forest" but from googling, looks like she supported Duke Special on their last tour.

Not a lot of people know that.........well, I didn't!

Thanks Bart

I will probably get it after Christmas unless I can bring plan A into operation...

It was released as a single so there were probably promotion copies made and sent round to radio stations.

I just happen to know one of his tour promoters (who gets me free tix when Duke plays in my city) so I might ask him if there are any of those available.

Actually... there was one of those "moments" last night when I was shopping.

I went in to a record shop and asked the guy "Do you have Duke Special's last single"?

He said NO!

Hi all,

Isn't the link with Beth Rowley that Ben Castle (sax etc.) works with both? I think Neil mentioned this on the Ken Bruce Show the other day and that was how Duke Special ended up with the support slot.

Cheers,

Chris