Buy your copy direct from ffruk.com IN UK + EUROPE:
U.K. ROCKERS THE DUEL KEEP THE RAUCOUS
SPIRIT OF CLASSIC PUNK ALIVE IN THE 2000’S
WITH THEIR FULL LENGTH DIY DEBUT
‘LETS FINISH WHAT WE STARTED’
Driven by the high-impact vocals of Tara Rez and the exciting melodies, grooves and riffs of bassist / keyboardist Andy Theirum, the London based band The Duel is keeping the spirit of punk rock alive and thriving in the 2000s.
Building upon their rabid following on myspace—their page www.myspace.com/theduel has received over 100,000 hits—The Duel is releasing their highly anticipated full-length debut Let’s Finish What We Started, a totally self-financed DIY indie album which, in a sly nod to the legacy of late 70s punk, was produced by ex-Vibrator Pat Collier. Already being promoted extensively by the U.K. underground fanzine www.ffruk.com, the album will be available via iTunes and other major online sites soon.
Among the 15 tracks are three fiery songs that have already received thousands of plays on the myspace page: “Future revolation,” “better bombs better drugs” (which questions whether we’ve evolved at all, despite the improvements in technologies) and “Right To Exist.”
In addition to their thirteen original songs, Tara and Andy pay homage to several influential and legendary punk bands via infectious covers of The Ramones’ “Pet Semetary” and The Deadboys’ “Ain’t It Fun.” They also recorded the track “The Duel” with The Vibrators singer Knox. The leadoff track is the opening track “Camden Town,” a smart, tough look at the strange dualities of modern day life.
Over the past few years, The Duel’s incisive, socially conscious songwriting and explosive onstage energy have brilliantly bridged past and present as the band has gigged with many of the legends who inspired them: The Vibrators, UK Subs, Vice Squad, Chelsea, Vic Goddard (formerly of Subway Sect), Slaughter & The Dogs and The Slits. Joined by Peppe Senefonte on guitars--and, in an ode to The Plasmatics, a series of rotating drummers--Tara and Andy have toured in Finland, Switzerland and Holland; played The British Invasion Festival in Los Angeles; and performed at New York’s legendary CBGB’s and The Continental just before they shuttered for good.
In August, they are slated to perform the first night of the four-day Rebellion Festival at Blackpool.
Let’s Finish What We Started, which also features the fiery guitar blasts of King Kurt founder Paul Lavanthol, follows the release of a handful of rough EP’s and demos over the past few years. In 2003, just after Tara and Andy evolved into The Duel from their original band, the more electronic hybrid oriented Twisted Corporation, they released the song “No Fury”; the track was playlisted on the BBC World Service, which went out to armed forces around the world.
“The cool thing about punk is that it’s supposed to mean freedom,” says Tara. “That means, if we want to write a slow song that sounds bluesy, we can work it in. We called the album Let’s Finish What We Started not only because it’s the culmination of a lot of years of playing, writing and recording, but as a way to pay respect to the great artists that came before us. Heroes of ours like John Lydon and The Ramones had a powerful message, but it got cut short due to drugs, industry problems, whatever. The Duel is carrying on that spirit borne all those years ago and seeing where it goes. We see ourselves as a punk band because we have that spirit in our music, lyrics and attitudes. Punk is a style of writing songs, but it’s also about being honest and pure and loving what you do.”
