Five Ways Duke Special Took A Risk In Music And Won

ONE stage, a few band members, a decent PA and a collection of eager audience members. Collect these together in a venue and this is more than enough to satisfy most musicians.

Duke Special is not like most musicians.

Over his career, Duke Special has played in a variety of original places, dreamt up unique events and collaborated with a fascinating group of fellow artists. Good enough has never been good enough for Duke Special.

A perfect venue for the latest Duke Special collaboration is the upcoming Holywood Harmony Festival.

Now in its third year, the County Down festival is a family-friendly event, guaranteed to further enhance what was successful enough last year to be shortlisted for the Best Tourism Event at the North Down Business Awards. The festival is a non-profit organisation, and to help make 2017 even better at the festival there is a crowd-funding campaign to lay on other events, including free ones for children, families and the elderly.

Ulaid & Duke Special will open the festival, playing songs from their collaborative show ‘The Belfast Suite’ which draws on their influences from the traditional music world and pre-rock and roll song writing. Playing to their strengths, the collaboration allows the stunning musicianship of Ulaid and Duke Special’s curiosity in story to shine which delivers a unique and compelling new sound.

Ahead of this exciting new collaboration, we take a look at five times Duke Special explored incredible soundscapes with others in the past:

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Duke Special vs Neil Hannon

On Easter Monday 2009, ‘The View’ became a one-night host to an historic moment, when Duke Special and Neil Hannon went head-to-head in a televised musical duel on RTÉ 1.

Hosted by John Kelly, the show saw the artists perform songs from their own back catalogues, as well as tackling some of each others’ tracks, including ‘Songs Of Love’, ‘Diggin An Early Grave’ and ‘Our Love Goes Deeper Than This’.

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During this tongue-in-cheek battle, the pair also played a duet together, and answered questions from Kelly.

‘Silent Night’ with Foy Vance

Duke Special and Foy Vance have worked together a number of times but it’s this hauntingly beautiful rendition of the timeless Austrian Christmas Carol that stands as one of their most memorable.

‘Lon Dubh Loch Lao’ with Ulaid

Here’s a taster from the sublime ‘Belfast Suite’ with Ulaid. This was recorded as part of a BBC NI music special in 2016.

‘Our Love Goes Deeper Than This’ with Tim Minchin

No you aren’t seeing double. ‘Duke-alike’ Tim Minchin joined Duke Special on stage in Belfast on December 2008 for a rousing rendition of ‘Our Love Goes Deeper Than This’. Perhaps Tim can stand in for Duke as a doppelgänger sometime?

‘Brave Enough’ – Clannad featuring Duke Special

When worlds collide. Some argue that if you cut Ireland like a stick of rock it would say Clannad through the middle, such is the influence they have had on Irish music for decades. This welcome collaboration produced a power house of a song in ‘Brave Enough’. The official music video is available online but this live version on RTE really captures the electricity between Duke Special and Clannad.

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