We are delighted to announce that we will be making our first appearance in Switzerland as part of 2010’s Imagine Festival.

Located in the heart of Basle, the festival takes place on June 11 - June 12, with our performance being on the first day. The festival should give chance to perform some new material from the forthcoming Duels III.

More details to follow soon…

After enjoying the free download you may wish to own the releases in physical format. “The Barbarians Move In” is on CD and is available with the 7″ vinyl format of single “Regeneration” (b/w “When The Sea Comes”.

To order your copy visit the Fake DiY Store

Bonfire is, as we know, adapted from the French “Good fire”.

It is believed to come from an exchange between Martin “Guy” Fawkes and Robert Catesby. When Catesby enquired as to whether levels of gunpowder lying beneath the House of Parliament would be sufficient to successfully deliver their plot, Fawkes is said to have replied “Aye, their tyts will ne’er been seen, twill be a good fire fo sho”.

But what constitute a good fire, dear reader? Is it how hot or how long it burns? Is it indeed better to burn out or fade away or maybe go whizz-pop followed by a group of people going “oooo” and “aaahhh”? As another fire from our past extinguished recently (RIP The Rakes) it sure does get you thinking.

I went to see Wilco this week with Mr. Whiskas. A band that’s career has never created a commercial inferno, and who’s embers have appeared to have burnt out on more than one occasion, but for me their colossal set plucked from their slow-burn career was truly inspiring and has reignited something. Just in time too, I hasten to add, as we now ending our hiatus and preparing for the Work.

with the baffling nonsense of Nick Griffin still ringing in the ears, no better time to listen to ‘There Won’t Always Be An England’ by Leeds heroes The Wind Up Birds;

Paul’s writing some of the best lyrics I’ve heard.

Duels reconvene for drinks and snacks soon to discuss getting down to it. Hopefully more news on that soon. Some song titles for those who wait patiently;

CALD WAETER (played with Katherine at Live At Leeds)

THE PIG AND THE PYTHON

EEL SLEEP

FINGERPRINTS

MAELSTROM

WAVEBREAKER

EUROPA

I’ll be playing the electric guitar and using my throat / mouth / lungs with Fran Rodgers and her band on Saturday 31st October at the Brudenell Social Club as part of the Brainwash Festival. Come down and say hello if you’re in the vicinity.

Jonathan F

DUELS’ own Whiskas has been busy working on a project he, and now everyone else, calls “Honour Before Glory”.

To hear the first crop of material, featuring help from various friends including Jon Foulger visit the HBG myspace. He talks about the project a bit on his blog, and there are words from the horses mouth as it were on the Honour Before Glory twitter page.

He’s also off to foreign soil to perform the new material all acoustic and solo-like. Being at these places, at these times should put you in earshot:

Let us know what you think

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To keep up with the local recommendations - try Spectrals, very special….

www.myspace.com/spectralspectral

Dear Reader, I hope the summer is treating you well

We’ve downed tools recently as we’ve been busy hatching and matching. Though before the hiatus began, we managed to squeeze in a live demo recording session to assess how the first batch are developing.

Above are some snaps of the session, expertly engineered by Whiskas

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Chipping away at the rockface

Bart Pettman’s photos of Live at Leeds and from the Vibrations feaure are added to our Photos page.

For more of Bart’s work, peruse>

I’m personally delighted to finally see the fruition of many years of endeavour from the guys. In a previous life, early incarnations of our respective bands crossed paths/shared bills, as some of the dedicated may have witnessed, whilst behind the scenes: trials, tribulations, learning curves, call them what you will - the most important fact is that now, finally, there is a proper record to hold in your hands. And it’s a bloody good one n’ all.

“Love Technology” is a pop record, no diggity, but as with all great pop it’s at the darker edge. Tales of seediness and loneliness are played out over a Daft Punk meets the Pet Shop Boys soundtrack, which all makes for a very ambitious record. I would wager too ambitious for some palettes, but for me: if a job’s worth doing it’s worth doing right. And it’s never more right than on “My Heart Is Set On You”, a parallel universe number 1 to be sure.

Check it out