The Duckworth Lewis Method – Brudenell Social Club,  27/09/13.

How’s that? Missing off, missing leg and hitting half way up middle.

Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy and Thomas Walsh of Pugwash initially met up for what they assumed would be a jovial attempt to make a demo of songs focusing on the game of Cricket. Little did they know they would go on to successfully release two albums and embark on a UK Tour under the name of ‘The Duckworth Lewis Method.’

It was fitting then that the band visited Yorkshire, a county renowned for cricketing history, to play a corker of a gig at The Brudenell Social club last Friday. The boys in white opened up with the title track of the second album, ‘Sticky Wickets’, carried by Hannon’s rock and roll guitar work.

The next track was the groovy ‘Age of Revolution’, a song cheerfully mocking the established tradition of English Test Match Cricket. The wit carried on throughout the whole set, perhaps best captured by the band getting out their umbrellas for the track ‘Rain Stopped Play.’

Although much of the gig was indeed defined by light heartedness, outstanding attire and a joke a minute; there were however moments of genuine poignancy. Hannon’s atmospheric voice caught every audience member’s ear with a firm hold when he sang ‘The Umpire.’ It was almost as if the audience has been transported into a serious gig.

But this was the beauty behind the performance. At first the audience could assume what they were listening to was silly, funny and foolish; yet in reality the band really had something meaningful to say.

Stand Out Song – Out In The Middle

Willougby Jones.

photo: dlmmedia