Little has been heard of London alternative rockers The Duke Spirit since dust settled on 2008's Neptune. The band have been on an extended sojourn in the US, gigging and working on forthcoming long player Bruiser, but are now back in Blighty, showcasing new material on a tour of smaller venues.
Having recently played just up the road in Southampton I hadn't expected to see 'sold out' on the door, even so I'm surprised to find the Wedge a shave under half full. It's still a good crowd for a band who've been away awhile though.
Before Liela and chums entertain us we've the support act to enjoy/endure. Going by the moniker of The Computers they're an unknown quantity. Neither I nor my gigging buddies have heard of them but already we've come to the same conclusion; that''s a crap name for a band, it fails the all important "Good Evening Springfield" test for a start.
We're further perturbed when, sporting Mark Lamarr-style 50's throwback quiffs, they take the stage. "Oh crap", one of my chums mutters, "they're a Rockabilly band". Collectively we make the decision to point feet toward the bar and hide out there. Too late, there go the lights. We realise our mistake in judging them on their name and look up almost immediately; a sonic assault of indie powered punk, all loud guitars and throat ripping vocals, hits us amidships.
Short spikey songs, powered with rage and delivered with attitude, fire out from the stage. Between tunes the lead singer hawks another gob of spit on the floor and shakes the quiff out of his eyes. That guy down the front, you know the one, yells something we can't quite hear (but can catch the gist of); too much talking between songs. He gets a volley of expletives for his trouble as the band launches into another rocket-powered opus.
As the set progresses the lead singer/guitarist keeps moving his mic stand ever closer to the edge of the stage, into the gap by the barrier, then into the audience. He finishes up at the rear of the room, doubled-over in guitar-gasm, next to three 40ish year old blokes with jaws dropped open (guess who).
Unfortunately, after this debauched display, it pains me to admit that the headline act pale by comparison. Yes, The Duke Spirit can rock. They can roll. They can do both at the same time even but, after The Computers' energetic performance, their static stage presence seems tired.
Tracks from the first two albums sound as good as ever and new song Villain, available as a free download from the band's website, entertains. But they don't grab me, shake me, throw me to the floor and pick me back up again. I've been broken by The Computers and The Duke Spirit can't fix me.
We hear the end of the headliners' set from the relative comfort of the foyer where, as fate would have it, The Computers' lead singer is manning the Merch desk. Like the drunken fanboys we are we gush over their performance, handing over cash for CDs and coloured vinyl.
But, we tell him, that really is a crap name for a band.
