Duke Special joining forces with BellXI in Arts Festival

Date Published: 19-May-2011

Duke Special will bring his inimitable live show to Galway Arts Festival Big Top when he joins the music bill headlined by Bell X1 on Saturday 16th July.

The dreadlocked Duke – real name Peter Wilson – is a musically ambitious and bracingly eccentric performer who matches his lyrics with swirling pop, rock and symphony orchestras.

The Belfast based singer’s critically acclaimed album Songs from the Deep Forest achieved platinum status in Ireland in 2006 and received plaudits across the board. It was followed up in 2008 by the album I Never Thought This Day Would Come, a more immediate and visceral collection with moments of beauty and hope juxtaposed with a dark, brooding edge – the trademark twist of the Duke.

When he’s not busy in the recording studio, Duke Special is on the road bringing his unique live show to audiences worldwide.

Performance highlights of the past few years include curating and headlining his very own one-day festival, DUKEBOX in Belfast, performing his songs accompanied by 60-piece orchestras.

His numerous festival appearances include Glastonbury, Latitude, Greenbelt, Electric Picnic and Oxygen. He has also played shows in New York, Washington and Dubai, and supported Paolo Nutini in Paris, Duffy in Copenhagen and Snow Patrol in Belfast.

This show is being presented by Galway Arts Festival and Róisín Dubh live at the Festival Big Top on Saturday July 16. The Big Top will again be located in Fisheries Field with this year’s Festival running from July 11th to 24th.

Tickets at €35.00 and on sale through www.galwayartsfestival.com

Galway Arts Festival’s 2011 Programme will be announced on June 2. See www.galwayartsfestival.com for further details.