Duke Special '05
10pm at the Barfly and after an extremely weird first part you get quite scared as you have no idea of what to expect next. Then Duke Special arrives on stage. When you aren't familiar with the artist you don't really know what to expect (all the more when you see this tiny man and his dreadlocks); if it is going to be a reggae or a punk or whatever concert.
Well nothing of the above. It is just a beautiful, classical pop sound.
For the first two songs, it is just him and his keyboard and of course what makes his trademark, a gramophone. One of those two songs is a cover version of Blondie's "Hanging on the telephone", and I must admit better than the original! His voice is clear and pure (if you wanted to compare it you would probably think of Elton John in his early days) and pierces your whole body. After those two excellent tunes, his two musicians arrive, one at the trumpet and one at the guitar. And then a return in the past operates: you are back in the 20's and 30's with lively titles. One second afterwards you are back in the 21st century with his pure pop sound.
The mix of all those different instruments creates an original sound making you wonder how he came up with this idea of using a gramophone. During the whole gig you feel different kinds of emotions, ranging from melancholy to happiness and surprise (I don't know many artists who use a gramophone on stage!) all this thanks to the purity of his voice. You rarely hear this kind of tone.
At the end of the show he can't help coming back and singing another song, and another one. At that moment I thought it would never end! This guy just loves being on stage! But you just enjoy it as he is really good in what he is doing. He is also one of the nicest people on earth, interacting with the crowd, chatting with people, just like if you were in a very intimate gig between friends. He was also very available after the show, chatting with everyone, shaking hands and taking the time to talk to everyone and sign autographs.
Overall a very good show, putting you in a very good mood, these Northern Irish guys are definitely ones you should follow and see next time they are in England!