The last time Duke Special played in this venue, it was to a less than packed house, so it’s a measure of how much his star is in the ascent that tonight the entire place is rammed, upstairs and down. It’s also entirely justified, as the Belfast troubador and band provide nothing short of a great night’s entertainment. Unlike many artists currently doing the rounds, particularly singer-songwriters, Duke Special realises that playing live isn’t just about hitting the right notes or being in time – it’s also about giving the punters value for money and sending them home with smiles on their faces. This the Duke does in spades.
He’s also lucky to have the most entertaining drummer/percussionist in the world, who goes by the name of Chip, and at various points throughout the show plays a cheese-grater, a walking stick with various shakers, cymbals and accoutrements, and even gives the audience an impromptu oral percussion lesson. Add in all manner of gramophones, comic asides and duets with both Juliet Turner and Turn’s Ollie Cole and the end result is a wonderful gig with a carnival atmosphere.
Of course, this would all count for nothing if Duke didn’t have the songs to back up the performance, but this is no mere novelty act. He has the tunes, the talent and the charisma to carry it all off. He’s also possessed of one of the most gorgeous voices in Ireland, and he’s not afraid to use it to its full potential. Refreshingly, he doesn’t feel the need to dilute his natural accent, which turns ‘down’ into ‘dine’ but thankfully stops short of the Northern harshness that makes ‘fashion chops’ out of fish ‘n’ chips.
Highlights include the beautiful ‘I Let You Down’, the deliciously catchy ‘Last Night I Nearly Died (But Woke Up Just In Time)’, which sets the capacity crowd a whoopin’ and a hollerin’, the stunning ‘Freewheel’ (apparently a forthcoming single) and his wonderfully cheesy take on The Buggles’ ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ for the second encore, which leaves the entire venue beaming from eave to eave. Judging by this performance, the Special one won’t be content with his Dukedom for long: his performance has all the hallmarks of a man who would be king.