Dukes Of Windsor & Trial Kennedy’s @ The Zoo, 8 August 2009
By José Eduardo Cruz

Tonight, The Trial Kennedy displayed a level of professionalism that made them the shining star of the night. Firstly, they had to temporarily replace their drummer due to the fact that their original drummer had contracted chicken pox a few days prior. The fill in drummer learnt an entire 45 minute set within one day which, was an amazing achievement given the structure of their songs. He powered Trial Kennedy through their set with 20 inch crashes and an Australian made drum set. Secondly, after their first song their bass amp blew up and had to be fixed on stage before they could proceed. In the interim, their vocalist proceeded with an acoustic song until the amp could be fixed and they could proceed. Even with a shorten set; Trial Kennedy worked their every bit of energy to showcase their music. These guys are in the process of recording their second release and this should see them headline their own set of shows in the not so distant future.

Dukes Of Windsor have had some notable success following the release of The Others and since then have received mixed reviews for their work both live and on record. They jump on stage to an explosion of applauses and cheers to immediately launch into a set that was well received by all the punters. The formula is very simple, four on the floor, heavy bass lines and high pitched vocals. These guys operate within a genre that has served them well and they have been able to fully take advantage of the simplicity that is this genre to achieve national success. The performance is polished and executed with precision, but there is just something missing, no anima and no genuine expression. In fact, the lead singer’s cockiness throughout the entire night was evidence of why they appeal to such a young generation. Probably not their best show tonight as it all seems rather rehearsed with no room for spontaneous reactions.