2003)

Added by a Guest Author on 1 October 2003

On September 30, I was all geared up to pay homage to my homeland by sweating it out to NYC’s The Rapture and their punky, funky, bluesy rock.

I arrived early so that I could settle down in a dark corner, nurse a cold brew and mentally prepare myself for the long night of rocking out ahead of me, but when I entered the club, my ears were beckoned to the front of the stage by the orgy-astic, fierce voice of a boyish singer with long blonde hair. She sang her songs to “you” – a lover, friend, enemy, or perhaps, me? Whatever the case, it was clear the melodies she spun came from the dark bowels of human experience dominated by desire. She provocatively fingered the top button of her jeans as she followed the rhythm by aggressively tapping the heel of a cowboy boot and thrusting her hips. I was hypnotized. Looking behind me, I saw that I wasn’t the only one held captive by this woman, Liela Moss, and this band, The Duke Spirit. Everyone within viewing distance was also swaying along to the movement of Moss’s pelvis. The crowd further behind nodded their heads along with the pulse of the bass and drums and were made to shiver by the band’s slinky guitar progressions.

The Duke Spirit – Moss on vocals, Luke Ford on guitar, Dan Higgins on guitar and organ, Toby Butler on bass, and Olly “the Kid” Betts on drums – officially formed in September 2002 and are still relatively new to the British rock scene, having played a total of around 20 gigs. They form a focused rock force that never falls flat. Between Moss’s moody verses, they save plenty of room for good old rock ‘n’ roll noodling, which happens in distorted breakouts, à la the Velvet Underground. Their songs are like spiteful messages to a loved (or lusted after) one. From Moss’s eager voice, I can guess the sex at least was good. But we are not meant to feel like we are intruding upon bedroom musings. Despite the intimacy of their lyrics, the Duke Spirit wants their music to promote a positive, sexy, regal attitude, as evidenced by their name, which “makes you think of how you feel when you make rock ‘n’ roll,” says Moss.

Their web site (www.dukespirit.com) boasts “the Duke’s Alphabet,” an erudite library of musical and other cultural influences, ranging from Roberta Flack to the Pixies and even saving room for Truman Capote. But the band sees their sound as embarking upon new territory. While the influences are important, guitarist Luke says, “We’re just a band with loud guitars and a real soulful singer. We’re just doing what we know how to do.” And what they know how to do is sexy rock ‘n’ roll.

October 6 saw the release of their second recording, entitled roll, Spirit, roll. This six-track album follows a double EP released in April 2003. Says Moss, “It has been seen as raw; our very first offering and building up to an album. People are getting the idea that we’re a loud rock ‘n’ roll band but with a stripped-down, melodic but dark sound.” After wrapping up a tour with the 22-20’s, which ended only a few weeks ago with a gig at ULU, they are embarking again on a seven-gig headlining tour. They are currently working on a full-length album to be released early summer 2004. A band to catch now while you can still get up-close and personal. N.Harren