The Divine Comedy / Duke Special

I confess - I'm here for the support act, Duke Special! Be warned that Duke Special live is highly addictive - the main man, Peter Wilson, has the most pure and melodious voice I've ever heard and is usually accompanied by the fine percussionist, Chip Bailey.

Tonight he’s also backed with guitars, clarinet and sax, as well as Chip's drums and other percussion accoutrements (stumpf fiddle, cheese grater and whisk). The songs range from the jaunty ‘Portrait’ to the beautiful and contemplative ‘No Cover Up’, and ‘This Could Be My Last Day’ stands out, especially as Foy Vance is on backing vocals enhancing the sweet, sad lyrics. Their vaudevillian set perfectly complements The Divine Comedy's grandiose, theatrical one and Duke Special receives a warm and enthusiastic response from the audience.

	As a lyricist, Neil is awe-inspiring and the storytelling in the lyrics is wonderfully vivid and often humorous.

The impressive space of the Roundhouse is ideal for The Divine Comedy's grand songs and majestic arrangements which they perform incredibly tonight. The set is a mixture of old and new, encompassing albums dating back to Liberation, which Neil Hannon reminds us was 13 years ago, as well as some impromptu moments. As a lyricist, Neil is awe-inspiring and the storytelling in the lyrics is wonderfully vivid and often humorous. My favourite from the current album ‘Lady of a Certain Age’ is full of nostalgia and melancholy. Other highlights are ‘Our Mutual Friend’, ‘Mastermind’, the Prince song ‘Raspberry Beret’ and ‘Light of Day’ with its sense of yearning.

The dramatic ‘Plough’ comes to life in this setting and could have been written for a theatre musical. Neil uses a cigarette as a prop during this song - he's just being naughty as the venue is non-smoking! He's very playful tonight, unbuttoning his shirt and flicking his hair a lot - an ironic sex symbol! He asks for requests at one point and is inundated, of course, but plays ‘Lost Property’ and ‘Sweden’. The front row of the crowd had to help him out with the first few lines to ‘Lost Property’.

The encore consists of ‘To Die A Virgin’ and ‘National Express’, which everyone dances to. They then return for a second time to play the Doors song ‘Touch Me’, dedicated to Neil’s wife, and in homage to the Doors’ legendary show at the Roundhouse in 1968, which was their first and only UK date. ‘Touch Me’ sounded incredible and The Divine Comedy finally close the set with the rousing and hope-filled ‘Sunrise’.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.