Venue:
Nottingham Glee Club
Date: 12/03/2015
Yet another great evening in the company of Belfast’s Duke Special on the beginning of a tour to promote his soon to be released new album Look Out Machines (out 6 April). Songs from the new album were interspersed with some old favourites (Last Night I Nearly Died, Freewheel, Brixton Leaves, Wanda) and an eclectic selection of covers (Ash’s Shining Light, The Smiths There is a Light, a Lemonheads song, some Harry Nilsson songs and a couple by Ivor Cutler). Well supported by Paul Cook and the Chronicles.
The audience:
From 20 to 70 year olds, me fitting perfectly in the middle of the range. A decent turn out with most of 200 odd seats taken, although I cannot let the opportunity pass to remark that they were perhaps the hardest, most uncomfortable seats my bony backside has even had the misfortune to sit on.
It made me think..
Is taking a cushion into a gig the done thing these days? Thought not.
I was there. It was wonderful!
I bought a copy of his Mother Courage album on vinyl (for a bargain £8.00). Bumped into him on the stairs the way out and asked him to sign it. No one could find a pen so he used his eyeliner stick!! It seemed appropriate, but now I’ve got to find a way of preventing it from smudging. Another first world problem!
Seeing him on Thursday in Bristol, always a fantastic performer.
The support act (Paul Cook and The Chronicles) is good as well.
From his Facebook page re the Nottingham gig: “Duke Special is amazing. We were talking about how much we love Ash earlier. I said my fave is ‘shining light’. He just played it tonight no practice. Amazing. And now he’s playing ‘living without you’ by Randy Newman which is my fave song ever. I’m officially wowed.”
I saw him playing live when he was operating under the “Booley” guise (in 1999). The album he did under that name “Bathroom Floor” has some great tracks on it. Worth digging out if you enjoy his current stuff.
I’ll get that.
It’s no secret I’m a great fan, in fact I’d have been there had I not been in mexico.
Roll on Leeds.