Marmaduke Duke

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Marmaduke Duke
Origin Ayrshire, Scotland
Genre(s) Alternative Rock
Years active 2003 – present
Label(s) Captains of Industry
Website Official site
Members
JP Reid
Simon Neil

Marmaduke Duke are a conceptual rock duo from Ayrshire, Scotland. It is the side project of the two leading members of Scottish Alternative Rock bands, JP Reid of Sucioperro and Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro.

Reportedly, the duo formed sometime in 2003, but because of being busy with their own bands, from releasing and recording albums and touring, it took until 2005 for the bands first album (in a trio of concept albums) to be released. This album was named 'The Magnificent Duke' and is an immense 18 tracks in length. It is to be followed by Duke Pandemonium, a release date has not yet being confirmed, and finally Death of the Duke with an unknown recording or release date.

The band are known to have blisteringly crazy live shows. The band have so far only played two small tours, in which they played in Dundee, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff and Birmingham.

[edit] Duke Pandemonium

The second installment of the trio of concept albums, this album seems to be taking more of a dancey or funk styled stance, with two new tracks on their websites, named 'Silhouttes' and 'Everybody Dance' but the band has also said some other tracks on the new album, which they played live will be 'Erotic Robotic', 'Music Show' and 'Heartburn'. The tracks seem to have 80s funk basslines and incorporate disco, prog and even dance music, signifying a radical new direction for the band.

According to a spokeman from their record label, Captains Of Industry, Duke Pandemonium will be released "when the sun severs the clouds and strikes a silver beam upon the sinners". This is interpreted as meaning the album will be worked around the busy schedules of Biffy Clyro and Sucioperro and will be available in 2008.

In early 2007 the core of the band continues to revolve around JP Reid (aka The Dragon) and Simon Neil (aka The Atmosphere) and augmented live by a pool of friends and musicians, including a cloaked/masked onstage figure known only as 'The Duke' - the band's own version of Public Enemy's Flavor Flav or the Happy Mondays' Bez.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums