When Spike from The Quireboys comes onstage to sing “A Stone’s Throw”, he calls Soho Dukes the best band to come out of London in a long, long time.
He’s right. Anyone who heard Nighthawks, Acrobats And Everything Under The Moon would know that – not least me. Any band that sits somewhere between The Quireboys, The Dogs D’Amour, The Kinks and The Faces is always going to be near the top of my list.
Yet Spike is right about the London part, too, because Soho Dukes are a product of their environment. Don’t Spare The Horses was recorded at Bedford Esquires on the final night of their tour with The Quireboys, but it begins at home with “Home Sweet Camden Town”.
“Angel Walk” is another rooted firmly in the capital, while “Elaine” is so very British. Johnny Barracuda can’t keep up with a girl because she went to university, leaving him with a sizeable dose of working-class guilt. Phrases like “you don’t know the half” make it feel like listening to an episode of Minder.
“Should Know Better” continues the theme before “Think Of England” offers another wonderfully parochial anthem.
“Suited & Booted” explains why Soho Dukes are among the most dapper bands you’ll find. They say clothes make the man. I wonder what they’d think of me writing this in an SLF T-shirt and combat trousers, but I digress.
“Eyeball Tattoo” takes a swipe at people who collect things they never listen to. “I’ve got an LP of Aladdin Sane, signed by somebody else,” sings Barracuda with trademark wit.
“Bovver Boys” contains so many English colloquialisms that it might only work in this country, while “Excited” earns bonus points for including the phrase “we hate Leeds United”. Anyone who witnessed Stoke losing 6-1 there on an Easter Monday will understand. Not me, obviously. My team would never lose 5-0 by half-time or anything.
“Johnny Domino” is another example of Barracuda’s tremendous storytelling, while “Analogue Man” celebrates music and a way of life that refuses to disappear. Perhaps Soho Dukes are simply men of a certain age playing the music they love. That is surely to be applauded.
Spike’s appearance on the glorious ballad “A Stone’s Throw” provides the emotional peak. It could almost be a Quireboys song, but “Sunday Magazines” underlines what sets Soho Dukes apart. Gritty and genuinely punky, it is unlike anything those formative influences would have attempted.
Don’t Spare The Horses is a joyous celebration of Soho Dukes, British music and glorious rock ’n’ roll eccentricity. Perhaps it preaches to the converted, but that’s fine. Soho Dukes are brilliant, and more people need to find that out.
Rating: 9/10
