Last time King Dude hit London his set was cut remarkably short by an injury he’d sustained to his hand in a bar fight. After struggling through a gruelling 30 minutes, it was obvious the pain was becoming too much and he was forced to depart from the stage with the future uncertain as to whether he’d ever be able to play again, due to needing surgery that could potentially leave him unable to play guitar. For many, that sombre evening was considered the last chance they’d have to witness the American gothic vibes of The Dude ever again. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and Old Empire brought him over once more, to play a full set unhindered by a cut hand, in the intimate surrounds of the Black Heart.
Opening guitar duo, Markers, are certainly aiming high, considering this is their first ever live show. They don’t possess a vocalist or a rhythm section, instead relying entirely on sucking the life out of every note they play and their rich use of tone. This stripped down approach, although complex in theory, when put into practice leaves the pairing extremely exposed. This is the kind of music that would work wonderfully if used in a film score, however, as a live spectacle the crowd grow restless and it’s obvious that this isn’t to everyone’s tastes.
Receiving a much better reception, The Death Letter are up next, and much like the opening act these guys prefer to keep it simple with just a vocalist and acoustic guitarist. Their rough around the edges brand of mournful folk is easy on the ears and packs an already sweaty room, as they croon out a more than adequate cover of Tom Waits’ ‘Dirt in the Ground’. Their seated demeanour throughout lends an air of “lounge doom” to their performance, however, it’s more than enough to keep their spectators enthralled.
All breathing space leaves the room as King Dude takes the stage, and people are clambering atop bar furniture to get a better glimpse. This is his first ever UK performance without back-up artists, meaning it’s just him, his guitar, a few candles and a dusty, antiquated keyboard at the side of the stage. There certainly doesn’t seem to be anything missing, however, as he plays through gorgeous renditions of songs such as ‘Jesus in the Courtyard’ and ‘Born in Blood’ as well as brand new material, stopping occasionally to swig bourbon straight from the bottle. Despite King Dude’s notoriety, he retains an air of humility and is gracious enough to partake in banter with the crowd, including passing his bourbon bottle along the front row and indulging his audience by playing ‘Barbara Anne’ after it is loudly requested by several members of the crowd. He handles situations such as accidentally singing the wrong lyrics to a song with good humour, and is eager for everyone to get involved with a bawdy sing-a-long of ‘Lucifer’s The Light of The World’. Not a single song is played from latest album ‘Fear’, and although there is the odd grumble about this here and there, it’s completely outshone by how refreshing it is to hear older material. King Dude flourishes when up on a stage by himself; his voice is flawless and his guitar playing both rich and powerful. For those that have been a fan since the ‘My Beloved Ghost’ era, this will be a night that is not soon forgotten.
Review by Angela Davey
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