I am both daunted and exhilarated by the week ahead. It promises to pose a series of interesting and stretching challenges to my creativity, self-belief (exchange belief with doubt as you see fit), stamina and will power.  Today I leave on the half six flight to Gatwick firstly to make a couple of videos with my good friend the creative dynamo who is David Ford.  Performer, song-writer, expert carpenter and maker of superb short films, he will be directing and filming videos for a number of the songs from “I never thought this day would come”.  You can see a number of his self made videos here:
go to hell - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RZjXu6uxjAM
go to hell - live vid - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NVky7hwuebU
i don’t care what you call me - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybt26QmzZ6Uee

On Thursday I have the pleasure of recording a song with Aqualung for an upcoming release of theirs - a song I have loved for a number of years now.  It constantly amazes me to be working with people I once admired and thought I would never collaborate with.  Later that day sees a bunch of us rehearsing for Friday when I will be recording 4 songs directly to vinyl, a process which hasn’t been done for 30 years.  Basically, rather than taking time between the various stages of the recording process we are going to speed the whole thing up as in the days when the band played live and cut loads of tracks in a single session!  Yikes!!  My new lable in the UK - UCJ will be there so there is the added nerve wrecker/fun of being aware of them all checking me out for the first time! 

On saturday I might do some writing with Paul Pilot or we might do some work on the making of DVD for the UK release of “I never thought this day would come” which is on April 20th. 

taxi!  More to follow

I heard on the radio this morning that today is supposed to be one of the most stressful xdays of the year - it’s cold and grey; it’s the first Monday morning of the New Year, back to work/school and people are worried about the much publicised financial difficulties.  I have to say though, I am feeling decidedly chipper today!  I managed to get some “closure” with 2 succesful shows of the silhouette Old Time Mystery Radio show at the Black Box in Belfast on saturday past.  It was a reprise of sorts of a show I curated as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival last september.  suffice to say it was everything I had hoped for this time.  My friend Pete Nobak from Chicago wrote the script, edited by stephen Beggs and performed by stephen, rachel McCabe and Chris Palmer.  Paul Currie played Tom Pickle the voice of our sponsors and Cian “Fonty” Boylan headed up the house band which included Gary Hughes on upright bass, Conor Brady on guitar, Guy Rickerby on drums and percussion and David Howell on sax, flute and clarinet.  Karen Torley assisted ickle Duke and audiences were introduced to some amazing guest vocalists.  The song list was as follows:
“Theme from Poirot” - House band
“Watching the Detectives” -  specular Choir
“Crow Jane” - Robyn G shiels
“I fought the law” - Paul Noonan (Bell X 1)
“First of the gang to die” - Duke special
“I hung my head” - Matt Lunson (One Day International)
“As time goes by” - May Kay (Fight Like Apes)
“Theme from Magnum” - House band
“Little drop of Poison” - Kyron Bourke (Kyron and the strangels)
“streets of Loreda” - Paul Noonan and Duke special
“We are detective” - Duke special and specular Choir
“Pistol Packin Papa” - Robyn G shiels
“Henry Lee” - Duke special and May Kay
“Miss Otis Regrets” - Matt Lunson
“Jockey Club (a bitch called Wanda) - Duke special
“You’ll be detective” - Duke special
“smooth Criminal” - specular Choir

I loved the whole show and it has definitely reinvigorated my desire to go further in exploring where music meets theatre.  The Menagerie was great after where David Homes and stephen Hackett were DJing.  In less than a week I will be in Birmingham for rehearsals for my 2 man show with Temperance society Chip Bailey in a UK tour.  I loved the huge array of textures and impact of the 7 strong line up I had in Ireland but I am excited about re-interpreting the new songs in a more basic way.  The UK tour is immediately followed by some solo shows in New York which will be fun I reckon.  I feel optimistic about this year.  It feels like a year many of us will have to think outside of the box in order to get by but like a powercut I hope it reminds us of some important things like basic communication, a sense of adventure and a renewed sense of wonder.  Here’s to a great year everyone

Duke xx

I heard on the radio this morning that today is supposed to be one of the most stressful xdays of the year.

Well, Christmas is almost upon us and I am sitting listening to Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads and planning for the silhouette Old Time Mystery Radio show which takes place on January 3rd in Belfast.  I recently completed over 2 weeks of concerts in Ireland with the most amazing band - Detective Phil Wilkinson on drums; Undertaker simon Little on Bass; The Invisible Birdman Mark Edwards on piano and hammond; Paul Pilot on guitar; Temperance society Chip Bailey on percussion and Matador Ben Castle on clarinet, saxes, flute and piccolo.  The shows went amazingly and my only complaint was that it was over all too soon.  Thank you to everyone who came along.  Part of the purpose of this tour was to present the new songs as well as possible.  It’s a strange feeling to be playing so many brand new songs when the older songs were so well known to so many of you.  I hope the new ones are making sense and you are beginning to connect with some of them. 

Thanks also to all the artists who opened the shows across the country, it was a great way to discover some cool new music.  Also, a massive thanks to Paul Pilot for guesting on the tour, I think a lot of people ended up loving his bones!? 

I have a few days off for Christmas (Whoo hoo!) and then I need to get ready for the silhouette Old Time Mystery Radio show which is going to come around so quickly.  I have something to prove after its’ first outing at the spiegel Tent in Dublin back in September.  It went fine but there were definitely a few lessons to be learned from it, the least of which is to perform the thing sober :(

Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads and planning for the silhouette

Been a pretty busy week. spent a few days with Dave Lynch in Belfast working on tracks for the tour and recording a couple of B-sides for No cover up (the final single from sftdf). We had to pull an all nighter at the end to get everything finished and even then there is still loads to do!

Played the first live performance of I feel for you by Chaka Khan on Today FM which went really well (great relief there!) before going on The Cafe on RTE where we were treated to a very memorable version of stairway to heaven by Big Brother contestant - Carol….. yikes! (though she was going to give a copy of my CD to Vanessa Felts the next day).

Just back from rehearsing in Dundalk with soundman Oran. I am playing a warm up gig at the spirit store tomorrow night and am BRICKING IT!! Mind you the point of the show is to be able to run the set in front of an audience and learn from what happens so I suppose it’s normal to feel a bit freaked out!?

Been a pretty busy week. spent a few days with Dave Lynch in Belfast working on tracks for the tour and recording a couple of B-sides for No cover up (the final single from sftdf). We had to pull an all nighter at the end to get everything finished and even then there is still loads to do!

Played the first live performance of I feel for you by Chaka Khan on Today FM which went really well (great relief there!) before going on The Cafe on RTE where we were treated to a very memorable version of stairway to heaven by Big Brother contestant - Carol….. yikes! (though she was going to give a copy of my CD to Vanessa Felts the next day).

Just back from rehearsing in Dundalk with soundman Oran. I am playing a warm up gig at the spirit store tomorrow night and am BRICKING IT!! Mind you the point of the show is to be able to run the set in front of an audience and learn from what happens so I suppose it’s normal to feel a bit freaked out!?

Another late one. Played an instore in HMV in Belfast today. I was worried no-one would show but the audience were great and it was a pleasure having Ursula Burns along for the fun. Hectic day of interviews and running around though have finally got into thinking through the upcoming tour. I have sooooo much to do for it and just the small matter of an art exhibition and a song book to be created before that! Chaka Khan is coming along nicely though!

started working with Dave Lynch today. We are working on some stuff for the up-coming Irish tour as well as for the in-store in HMV Belfast tomorrow, B-sides for the next single and a song I am intending to cover by Chaka Khan!! Its great to get back in my wee studio despite it needing about a fortnight of tidying and sprucing up….... roll on January thanks to the Outlaw and his brother for giving Dave a bed for these nights. Also to Ursula Burns for playing with me tomorrow.

Ds xx

started working with Dave Lynch today. We are working on some stuff for the up-coming Irish tour as well as for the in-store in HMV Belfast tomorrow,

Just back from 2 days in Wales and England to promote Our love goes deeper than this and the reissue of the album. The lovely Neil Adams from V2 picked me up from Cardiff airport yesterday morning at some ungodly hour and off to the first interview of the day. We met up with Chip and Ben Castle in a small venue in Cardiff, near the Point venue over at Cardiff bay. so began 2 full on days of sessions and interviews. I know we were tired as the last 2 sessions had the 3 of us stifling giggles in that school boy in class way!

Got to hear some of Ray Davies’ new album which sounded great. Also loved hearing silversun pickups and Brendan Benson. Met Clint Boon of Inspiral Carpets fame in Manchester radio session today when the fire alarm went off and we all had to ‘muster’ in the car-park…. very school playground!

Dave Lynch arrives on sunday to work with me on some stuff for the Irish tour as well as B-sides and a cover of a Chaka Khan song, should be fun. Also working on a couple of songs for playing at HMV on Monday in Belfast to mark the reissue of the album. Hoping Ursula Burns will join me on stage there.

Anyways, knackered prevails as the silversun pickups guide me to my bed…... laters xx

Just back from 2 days in Wales and England to promote Our love goes deeper than this and the reissue of the album.

Blue Remembered Hills
Went to see a play tonight at the Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast. It was called Blue Remembered Hills by Dennis Potter performed by a theatre company managed by a guy who performed at the Vaudeville night at the Empire I did recently from Pigeon and Plum’s Vaudeville Circus. It was mostly set in a forest and told the story of a group of children living through in England during the second world war. It reminded in a way of reading Black swan Green by David Mitchell, the ficklness of loyalties in order to survive, the cruelty and innocence of childhood.

I am in awe of actors! On the few occasions I have tried I feel distinctly average, believe me, I am the first to admit it! Tonight again I was blown away by the actors’ ability to make me believe them and to feel what they were feeling.

Today have been listening to Arab strap (The Red Thread) and some great, new Paul Pilot songs.

Blue Remembered Hills
Went to see a play tonight at the Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast.

Pretty manic day starting with a radio session in Oldham where DJs include Mani (ex stone Roses), Mike Joyce (ex The Smiths) and Martin Coogan (brother of Steve and ex Mock Turtles!). Local TV show followed then the gig at Matt and Phreds a cool little jazz club. The night ended well with pizzas and watching Ivo sit in with the late night jazz trio!
Duke x

Pretty manic day starting with a readio session in Oldham

Saw the amazing Dresden Dolls last night at the Limelight (Slimeshite! - affectionately known as), Belfast. They blew me away I have to say. Both of them were equally captivating and they managed to pull off Black Sabbath into the bargain. Punk Cabaret kinda captures their spirit best I think and I recommend them to anyone who hasn’t seen them yet. Thomas Truax who is my special guest on much of the UK tour is actually supporting them in London in May and on their European dates too.

I should also say that I am about to sign a deal with the Record label V2. I am very excited about this as they were the first label to really get what I am about and have already been very supportive and shown that they are not afraid to take risks and think outside the normal way of doing things. For example the new album is coming out as a limited edition vinyl box set of 6 singles! They are also commissioning a short film about Duke Special as opposed to the usual pop video type thing. So thanks to everyone who has hung in there for me in regard of labels. Not that signing a recording deal suddenly makes everything easy or means you don’t still have to dig deep for inspiration - God forbid that I ever go into automatic pilot.

Well, I really hope to meet some of you over the next few weeks, please spread the word about the shows, I am nervous no one will come! See ya soon

Love Duke…

So the blogging hasn’t happened for some time, sorry bout that.