I’ve had Neptune on rotation in my car for several months at a time throughout the year of 2008. So I’ve been familiar with UK indie/pop band The Duke Spirit for some time now. That album, which was released in February 2008, contained tracks which I found highly addictive; I would walk around with those songs in my head for days and weeks on end but, unlike many other occassions where that had happened, I didn’t want to shoot myself in the head.

Come 2009 and, sure, I’ve been listening to a lot more music since then, but I still considered myself to be a Duke Spirit fan. So, needless to say, when I heard that the band were playing in Brisbane, I made sure I would be in attendance. Thinking back to the time where I once thrashed that album, I pulled it out from it’s three-month hibernation and had a listen to get myself excited for the show. It didn’t have the same impact it once did on me, but the sexy vocals of Leila Moss still enthrawled me, and the tasteful simplicity of the album still captivated me. The production… Ace.

The Zoo is one of my favourite live venues in Brisbane, but being a Wednesday night, the crowd that my 2008 discovery band pulled wasn’t exactly inspiring. I was a little disheartened that not that many others had hopped on the Duke Spirit express with me, but I took it in stride and embraced the intimate crowd.

I had taken a few friends with me, so when the show started I had confidence that they would be blown away by the show they were about to watch, but I’m afraid to say that the show never ended up making that impact. I’m not sure what it was, I waited a song or two, waiting for the band to accurately portray some of the sounds that were put together so well on their album, but it never happened. Instead, I watched one of my favourite bands (to listen to on CD), play a pub rock gig.

Frustrated, I watched as the bass player and one of the guitarists stood in front of vocal mics but didn’t use them to fill out the harmonies on the record. They did use them, to sing simple octave harmonies for the choruses in ONE song, which just seemed like a waste of equipment setup to me. Leila did have amazing showmanship, but it wasn’t supported by any of the other band members (some conversation or interaction wouldn’t have gone astray, considering there WERE two unused microphones set up on stage between five members!) All in all, I was a little devastated that my UK indie band had come across as a simple pub rock band with a British accent.

I still love the album, but it has been a little tainted by it’s ’live’ counterpart.

- Sarah Hickey