Crispy Duck Combo

Live at The Unicorn Marden, Saturday 12th May 2012

Poor old Crispy Duck, this combo were on a hiding to nothing as the gig that followed Morrison and Walker at the Unicorn, but in all fairness they made for a decent night’s entertainment.

The main criticism, made by more than just myself, was that the instruments overpowered the voice to the point that several of the songs might just as well have been instrumentals because not a word could be deciphered. The lead singer and guitarist, the blond hair giving a Rick Parfitt look, was both Mr Crispy and Mr Duck as the impression was that the group was assembled to showcase his talent. There was an electric piano player who on the odd occasion that he got a bit of a solo sounded very accomplished; the bass guitarist was the archetypal bassist, enigmatic I believe is the word; plus a drummer who also showed his worth when the opportunity arose.

The Crispy Duck Combo are a principally covers band that draw especially on the Rolling Stones, but at the end of the evening they got another packed Unicorn audience up and dancing to the Beatles Can’t Buy Me Love and the Monkees I’m A Believer. Overall their set is based on 70s hits and lends itself to a party atmosphere. Nothing wrong with that at all, but as most of us know the words and it would have been good to have heard them sung.