Live Review: Mighty Duke & The Lords, The ReChords

The abundance of plastic flower decorations disguise The Gasometer Hotel as an outrageous tiki bar. TheReChords draw people onto the dancefloor as easily as they would’ve charmed teenage hearts back in the '50s, with their slicked-back hair and button-up shirts. Fringes, flair, and some serious rockabilly kick make the trio of a double bass, acoustic and electric guitar produce some seriously catchy, foot-tapping tunes.

Mighty Duke & The Lords parade onto the stage with their instruments, all wearing clean white uniforms with sailor hats and aviators to match.  A horn-like screech from the trombone signals the start of the voyage, as the sailors lead into the samba-infused beats of Duke It Out. It isn’t until after the first few songs that we realise these aren’t just sailors we’re dealing with here… but also members of the magical breed of multi-instrumentalists. The saxophonist is now playing the electric guitar, while the other saxophonist is now the new lead singer, because the old lead singer is somehow the trombonist, frequently interchanging into a harmonicist.

The beat and energy of Mama Rogee is infectious enough to make it everyone’s soul intention to prove their hips don’t lie. The song Beyonce celebrates some musical moments from Queen B, featuring a few catchy hooks that make everyone whip their ring fingers around. At this point, being among the crowd is like being in the tropics — things are pretty heated, beach balls are flying everywhere, and faces are glistening with sweat. Just when we thought anything couldn’t get any crazier, out pop three flamboyant human flamingos (as the band play The Flamingo).

The last few songs have everyone hyped enough to randomly grab each other’s hips, creating the world’s most confusing conga line. The festive chants of Werewolf Calypso are followed by the last roaring screech of the trombone, signalling the halt of the ship. With a cannon of glitter, the sailors do one last salute before marching off stage. The voyage is now over…and what a party it was!