Sunday, August 31, 2008

31 Aug: Duffy Live@Hydro Connect Festival, Argyll, Scotland

If you have Duffy's setlist or any photos, videos or reviews please leave a comment.

31 Aug: Is Duffy with Jon Green?

News of The World think so.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

30 Aug: Duffy Live@ Electric Picnic Festival,Stradbally Estate, Laois

If you have Duffy's setlist or any pics,vids,reviews please leave a comment.

31 Aug: 5 x HQ pics from Virgin radio set@ V Festival

Duffy in the Virgin Radio VIP backstage area of the 2008 V Festival, 2008-08-16

Thursday, August 28, 2008

28 Aug: LISTEN Stepping Stone B-Side CLIPS

Here we go folks - get your first listen of the Stepping Stone B-sides. These are just clips. Buy the singles (7inch and cd) from hmv right now (official release date 1st Sept).


Big Flame~ http://www.box.net/shared/9vedg6va67


Frame Me~ http://www.box.net/shared/47jmafttfp

Friday, August 22, 2008

22 Aug: Duffy Live@ Notting Hill: Capitalive gig

Thanks to the friend who went to this gig who emailed me the setlist. :-)

Syrup and Honey

Rockferry

Serious

Hanging On Too Long

Warwick Avenue

Breaking My Own Heart

Delayed Devotion

Stepping Stone

Tomorrow

Mercy


Capital Radio are apparently going to broadcast some tracks from this gig sometime on Tues 26th but who knows when and if they will appear on their website. If someone caps them please let me know.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

17 Aug: Duffy Live@ V Festival, Weston Park , Staffordshire

If you have Duffy's setlist or any pics, vids or reviews please leave a comment.

17 Aug: Duffy on the cover of Sunday Telegraph Mag.




Saturday, August 16, 2008

16 Aug: Virgin Radio Exclusive set@V Festival

'VIP session performance' by Duffy

16 Aug: Daily Mirror Article

Click the photos for larger readable text.


Click the photos for larger readable text.

16 Aug: New Tour Dates confirmed on Duffy's Myspace.

16 Aug 2008 12:00
V Festival, Hylands Park Chelmsford
17 Aug 2008 20:00
V Festival, Weston Park Staffordshire
30 Aug 2008 18:30
Electric Picnic Festival Stradbally Estate, Laois
31 Aug 2008 20:00
Hydro Connect Festival Argyll, Scotland
9 Oct 2008 20:00
Humphreys San Diego
10 Oct 2008 20:00
Orpheum LA
20 Oct 2008 20:00
The Riviera Chicago
21 Oct 2008 20:00
Quicken Loans Arena (supporting Coldplay) Cleveland
22 Oct 2008 20:00
Webster Hall New York
25 Oct 2008 20:00
MGM Grand Foxwoods Mashantucket
26 Oct 2008 20:00
IZOD Center (supporting Coldplay) New Jersey
27 Oct 2008 20:00
IZOD Center (supporting Coldplay) New Jersey
29 Oct 2008 20:00
TD Banknorth Garden (supporting Coldplay) Boston
31 Oct 2008 20:00
Verizon Center (supporting Coldplay) Washington
1 Nov 2008 20:00
Wachiova Center (supporting Coldplay) Philadelphia
13 Nov 2008 19:00
Rolling Stone (Rescheduled Date) Milan
24 Nov 2008 19:00
Olympia Dublin
25 Nov 2008 20:00
George’s Market Belfast
28 Nov 2008 20:00
Academy Leeds
29 Nov 2008 20:00
Apollo Manchester
30 Nov 2008 20:00
Apollo Manchester
2 Dec 2008 20:00
Academy Glasgow
3 Dec 2008 20:00
Academy Newcastle
4 Dec 2008 20:00
Wolves Civic Wolverhampton
5 Dec 2008 20:00
Wolves Civic Wolverhampton
7 Dec 2008 20:00
Newport Centre Newport
8 Dec 2008 20:00
Brixton Academy London
9 Dec 2008 20:00
Brixton Academy London

Friday, August 15, 2008

15 Aug: Duffy UK Tour announced

Duffy will tour the UK later this year, as she looks to seal a triumphant 12 months on the pop scene.

The Welsh songbird will play a string of shows in November and December, kicking-off with dates in Dublin and Belfast.

The rest of the tour includes gigs in Scotland and a pair of concerts at Brixton Academy in London.

The tour calls at:

November 2008

24 Dublin Olympia
25 Belfast George's Market
28 Leeds Academy
29+30 Manchester, Apollo

December

02 Glasgow Academy
03 Newcastle Academy
04+05 Wolverhampton Civic Hall
07 Newport Centre
08+09 London Brixton Academy

Duffy plays the V Festival in Essex and Staffordshire this weekend.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

14 Aug: Vote For Duffy At The VMAs

Vote For Duffy At The VMAs

14/08/2008

Duffy's intensely moving video for 'Warwick Avenue' has just been nominated for Best UK Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.

Click here now to head over to the MTV website and place your votes for Duffy - you can even watch the video and leave your very own comments of support.

duffy.forumotion.net

New Duffy Forum!
http://duffy.forumotion.net

Stefan has created a fab new Duffy forum, somewhere to collect live performances to download and photos,lyrics and general Duffy info.

This is a fab looking site already and just needs some more members to offer input and post Duffy stuff. Feel free anybody to post on the forum what I have posted here on my blog, whether it be info, downloads or photos. I'm a mod on the new forum so I'll see you over there!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

9 Aug: Duffy Live@ Vigin Mobile Festival (Baltimore)

The setlist (thanks BG):
Delayed Devotion
Serious
Hanging On Too Long
Breaking My Own Heart
Warwick Avenue
Tomorrow
Mercy

HQ Pics (Click the thumbs to see them).

09 Aug: Duffy&Rihanna shop in Barney's NYC


3 Pics x HQ


Taken on August 8th 2008



JustJared has more:
Rihanna-duffy rihanna-duffy-shopping-01
Rihanna-duffy rihanna-duffy-shopping-02
Rihanna-duffy rihanna-duffy-shopping-03
Rihanna-duffy rihanna-duffy-shopping-04
Rihanna-duffy rihanna-duffy-shopping-05
Rihanna-duffy rihanna-duffy-shopping-06
Rihanna-duffy rihanna-duffy-shopping-07
Rihanna-duffy rihanna-duffy-shopping-08

Friday, August 8, 2008

8 Aug: Duffy Live@All Points West Festival, New Jersey

If you have the setlist or any pics/vids/reviews please leave a comment.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

07 Aug: Duffy performs on US Early Show tomorrow

CATCH DUFFY ON THE CBS EARLY SHOW TOMORROW!!!!

DON'T MISS DUFFY PERFORMING "MERCY" AND "WARWICK AVE." ON THE CBS EARLY SHOW!!!!
AUGUST 8, 2008 7:00 AM EST

Because the site redlasso has been taken down because of a lawsuit then I can't watch this or put it up here for others to watch. Therefore I am really hoping someone has capped it.... please post a comment if you have it. Thanks.

EDIT: CBS posted Warwick Ave on youtube:


Wednesday, August 6, 2008

6 Aug: Duffy Live@The Fillmore at TLA, Philadelphia



Thanks to Howard for the setlist:

Syrup & Honey
Rockferry
Hanging on Too Long
Serious
Breaking My Own Heart
Warwich Avenue
Cry To Me
Delayed Devotion
Stepping Stone
Oh Boy
Tomorrow
Mercy

Scared
Distant Dreamer


Snippet of Tomorrow:

duffy at the tla

Tiffany | MySpace Video



[Photos by JONATHAN VALANIA]
If you have pics, vids, reviews please leave a comment.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

5 Aug: WA vid up for award

Contact Music say:
Welsh soul star DUFFY will compete against the likes of ESTELLE and LEONA LEWIS for the Best U.K. Video category at next month's (Sep08) MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). Duffy's WARWICK AVENUE is nominated for the award, alongside Estelle's AMERICAN BOY, Lewis' BLEEDING LOVE, COLDPLAY'S VIOLET HILL, and TING TINGS' SHUT UP AND LET ME GO.

05 Aug: Duffy Live@Boston

UPDATE 10/10/08: sweetjulz67 has kindly made a playlist of their videos from this gig! Watch all the videos at this youtube playlist below:



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today, before her main concert event, Duffy performed live on rooftop of the Colonnade Hotel in Boston as a special event for Mix 98.5 listeners. Whether this website will put Duffy's set up in their "Mix Lounge" archive is anyone's guess. Perhaps we should email them to show our interest.

Anyway if if you have the audio please let me know. I know the set included "Stepping Stone" and "Mercy" and probably that was the entire set, but I can't be sure.

EDIT: Colonnade Hotel have confirmed that Duffy also played "Warwick Avenue". Also Mix 98.5 have now put up photos from this event here.


Later today Duffy performed at the Wilbur Theatre, Boston.

If you have the setlist/pics/vids then please leave a comment.


There are various reviews out there.

The review below is from the Boston Herald here:

Duffy’s Wilbur performance a ‘Stepping Stone’ to success

By Lauren Carter

Her name might make you think of Hilary Duff (so might her picture), and her musical style might draw comparisons to Amy Winehouse. She looks a little bit like a mini-Jessica Simpson, and she’s also been likened to Dusty Springfield.

But Duffy - Welsh singer-songwriter Aimee Duffy doesn’t really warrant comparisons to anyone else; musically, she’s about as distinctive as they come. On her first trip to Boston last night, she played to a moderately packed house at the Wilbur Theatre for its inauguration as a rock venue and made a host of new friends in the process; it’s always a good sign when you announce that you’re about to delve into your last song of the night and fans let out desperate cries of “No!”

But if the crowd was charmed by the petite 24-year-old, there was good reason.


Duffy opened with “Syrup & Honey,” backed by a single guitar, encapsulating what was in store for the next hour: liberal use of vibrato, unique pronunciation techniques, and vocals that range from cute to sultry.

Her music is as distinctive as her voice, ranging from soul to rock, and her lush, layered melodies would suit everyone from Anita Baker and Sade to The Supremes.

She performed several grooveworthy songs off her major label debut, “Rockferry,” including “Hanging On Too Long,” and “Serious.”

She also included “Breaking My Own Heart,” which doesn’t appear on her album, and the b-side “Tomorrow,” which brought some disco flavor into the mix.

Along with a number of songs that sound like they came from the ’60s, she worked in one that actually did - Solomon Burke’s “Cry To Me” (remember it from the “Dirty Dancing” seduction scene?).

After a perfect “Stepping Stone,” Duffy said, “Enough with the melodrama,” and moved onto lighter fare, but melodrama is something she - like most soul singers - is quite good at.

With her blond updo, belted, polka-dot short suit and small repertoire of dance moves, Duffy is hardly the picture of a typical soul singer. But while some people want to bring color into the equation, the truth is that soul belongs to anyone who has it.

With strong opening support from local soul man Eli “Paperboy” Reed & The True Loves, it was a winning inauguration for the Wilbur as a concert spot. The venue’s only seats are located in the balcony section, and the multiple, standing-room only sections downstairs form ready-made mosh pits, offering more intimacy than the typical Hub venue and a hip kind of vibe. Plus, the easy access to the bar doesn’t hurt.


The below review is from the Boston Globe (their photo is from the earlier rooftop event on the same day):

Wales, by way of Motown: Duffy belts out soulful refrains



With significant poise and an even more impressive set of pipes, Welsh soul singer Duffy delighted a sold-out crowd in her first Boston gig last night.

Already a hot commodity at home, where her debut "Rockferry" has reaped critical plaudits and passed the million sales mark, Duffy has proven to be a standout among the recent wave of female R&B singers from across the pond.

Fronting a six-piece band at the Wilbur Theatre, Duffy sang her Motown and Stax-flavored throwbacks with a power that belied her petite frame, dressed up in an adorable polka-dot jumper.

While a bit strident in her highest belt, the 24-year-old had great command, lending a tender ache in the high registers and a stirring vibrato in the low.

Whether playing victimized - the wounded "Hanging On Too Long" - or saucy - the Al Green-evoking "Delayed Devotion" - or both - "Stepping Stone" - she relished working the shades and contours of the melodies.

The Amy Winehouse comparison that dogs her is less a matter of sound than style. Duffy's more girlish voice hews closer to the Lulu-Ronnie Spector school with an emotionally controlled delivery, and her stage presence - complete with elegant Supremes-cum-spokesmodel arm gestures - more mannered.

A cover of Solomon Burke's "Cry to Me" may not have retained much of the rawness of the original but it was a nice nod to history, and "Rockferry" soared with equal parts romantic melancholy and girl group melodrama.

With just one album and a few B-sides to draw from, Duffy brought the night to a close at the hour mark with thedramatic crescendos of "Distant Dreamer."

The songs weren't always up to the quality of her voice but as Duffy matures, the songwriter will perhaps catch up to the singer.

Local R&B outfit Eli "Paperboy" Reed & the True Loves were a thematically sensible fit for the gig as the barking Reed and his hot band work from a similar vintage soul baseline.

In its first major test-run as a temporary nightclub substitute during the Avalon-to-House of Blues transition, the grand little theater offered great sightlines with graded general admission areas and reserved seating in the mezzanine and balcony.

The mix was a little bass heavy and the volume perhaps a few notches too loud for the space. Depending on the show, the promoters might want to reconsider the decision to remove the floor seats. Many of those who waited the entire 50 minutes for Duffy to take the stage last night looked as if they might have been grateful for a place to sit.

05 Aug: Stepping Stone Single Details

Watch The Video For 'Stepping Stone'

The next single from Duffy will be the haunting 'Stepping Stone', released on September 1.


Click here to check out the accompanying video now.

You'll be able to pick up the single on CD and 7" single, both coming complete with their own previously unreleased b-sides. Here's the full tracklisting details:

CD Single
1. 'Stepping Stone'
2. 'Frame Me'

7" Vinyl Single
A. 'Stepping Stone'
B. 'Big Flame'

Monday, August 4, 2008

4 Aug: Boston Herald Interview Duffy

This article is from the Boston Herald.

Duffy set for first Hub gig

By Christopher John Treacy

Let’s face it: Calling Duffy the next Amy Winehouse isn’t much of a compliment.

While Winehouse struggles with drug addiction, Britain’s latest white soul sensation is into clean living. Ten years ago, the Wales-born Aimee Duffy was placed in a safe home when police learned her stepdad’s alcoholic ex-wife had hired a hit man to kill him. The murder plot was foiled, but witnessing that sort of madness has kept Duffy, who ditched her first name five years ago, scared straight.

The only comparison that holds water is between the delectable soul-pop of Winehouse’s “Back to Black” and that of Duffy’s major label debut, “Rockferry,” which brings her to the Wilbur Theatre tomorrow night for her Boston premiere. But even then, Winehouse’s retro-soul is steeped in reggae, ska, beat-box and jazz, while Duffy’s sound is considerably less splintered.

We caught up with 24-year-old Duffy during a phone call from London.

Boston Herald: Hip-hop sister Estelle mouthed off about you and other white soul singers in the British press not long ago, but then you sang at Harlem’s Apollo Theater - a classic soul venue. Was that vindicating?

Duffy: I felt no sense of judgment in that room. It was one of the most spectacular moments in my life, actually. No one can ever take that away from me. When the lights went up and the show started, I thought, ‘This is how it’s meant to be.’ I didn’t put out this record to then sit back and be judged. The bottom line is, you can’t help what color you’re born; every person has emotion, and that’s what soul music is - emotion.

BH: Rumor has it that a game plan existed to groom you and your CD to produce a retro sound; is there any truth to this?

Duffy: Not really, no. And I don’t much like the word ‘retro’ - I’m not sure what that is, actually. I made loads of songs over three and a half years, and at the end of the recording process, these are the ones that fit together best. I felt like a curator for an art gallery.

BH: Coming from humble beginnings, does success feel strange?

Duffy: Success is very personal to me. I felt a degree of success in making a friend cry when I played her one of my songs, it was such a real emotional response. The rest is all dollars, dates and diaries.

BH: Is it unnerving to be repeatedly compared to a singer who, despite being talented, is thought of as a train wreck in progress?

Duffy: It’s like anything else. A young boy may crash his car somewhere or a baby dies choking, but you can’t waste energy worrying if you’ll meet the same fate because of some similarity between you and them. We have control over our own lives and what we do with them, but bad decisions can rob us of those very freedoms. I’ve seen it happen to other people. You learn from watching.

BH: What’s next for Duffy? Do you feel the pressure of expectation?

Duffy: Plans fail. It’s best to just go with what’s in front of you. Life has a funny way of making us feel like we have to adhere to rules and schedules - but all that’s just etiquette and social boundaries. I can’t concern myself with what anyone expects of me. I’ve got to just listen to my heart.

04 Aug: Duffy Live@Osheaga Festival

If you have any info please leave a comment!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

03 Aug: Stepping Stone Music Video!



There was a message posted a couple of days ago on the official Duffy website saying that aol would air the Stepping Stone video today. The link off the website is not direct but I tracked in down in the music section of aol here. AOL's Duffy Gallery is quite nice with a couple of pics we haven't seen much of before (I posted a couple of them).

AOL say:

Duffy’s new single Stepping Stone from her widely acclaimed, phenomenally successful debut album Rockferry will be released on September 1st and we’ve got the exclusive to this amazing new video.

- Watch Stepping Stone
- Duffy pictures

Stepping Stone is one of the many album highlights, it is a song about self-possession, strength and restraint . The music is dramatic, pulsating yet sparse, compelling the listener to focus on Duffy’s remarkable vocals and evocative lyrics.

Duffy is soon to embark on a string of U.S. dates, before returning to the UK next month for three festival dates - V Festival (August 16th, 17th) and Hydro Connect (August 31st) - having already demonstrated her festival credentials with a stunning debut performance at Glastonbury.

Since the release of Rockferry in March this year, Duffy has gone on to sell over a million albums in the UK making her the year’s biggest selling artist to date. Rockferry has sold in excess of 2.5 million copies worldwide, and is now certified gold in fifteen countries (including the U.S.) and platinum in a further ten.

See Duffy live this summer:
August 16th V Festival, Chelmsford
August 17th V Festival, Staffordshire
August 31st Hydro Connect Festival, Argyll ( Buy tickets )

The new video on youtube:


Saturday, August 2, 2008

02 Aug: Duffy Live@ the Phoenix in Toronto

Well who knows how she did it (was the last gig at Lollopolooza Festival on 1st or 2nd of Aug as the "live" webcast suggested?) but Duffy did actualy make it to the Toronoto gig.

If you know the setlist, have any pics/vids/reviews then please leave a comment.

I found the below review from here.

Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto - August 2, 2008

Aimee Duffy has soul
By -- Sun Media


When Amy Winehouse came onto the scene she had her share of comparisons.

So it only seems natural that any young British female performer who has a style along the lines of the soulful lady continuously in and out of rehab would face a similar comparison.

One of the new British soul singers is wee Welsh lass Aimee Duffy, known simply to all as Duffy. And as she showed Saturday night at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre, she could hold her own against Winehouse.

Well, at times she could.

Touring behind her debut self-titled record, Duffy took the first few numbers of her hour-long, 13-song set to fine her voice literally among her six-piece group. Wearing a short red dress and initially seeming a bit stiff on stage, Duffy sounded rather shrill than soulful on Syrup & Honey as she stopped the song to say "Good evening Toronto!"

This shrill was even more evident and more irritating during Rockferry, the title track off her album that had her swaying while twirling her microphone the way a stripper would twirl a skimpy undergarment.

After thanking the crowd for coming out, Duffy rounded into shape vocally during the light R 'n B tune Hanging On Too Long which had her hitting the high notes far better than earlier.

It also demonstrated that while a performer like Winehouse seems to hit those soulful notes easily, Duffy has to work a bit hard to get there as was the case on the funky Serious. "I must apologize before I begin, I can't dance," she said prior to the song before getting some semblance of a moderate groove on.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was the quality of material she performed that somehow didn't find its way on the album. The first of these was Breaking My Own Heart, a dark, sassy tune that Duffy deftly delivered despite rarely working the stage or interacting with the crowd.

And by the time she started the retro-soul nugget Warwick Avenue a cappella, she definitely felt more in her realm, standing on the drum riser and holding the long notes perfectly. If there was one minor drawback, it might be the fact she could've done the whole song a cappella for an even better result.

Stating the audience "might know this one," Duffy and company revamped Cry To Me to suit her retro-soul style, a track previously done by Solomon Burke and the Rolling Stones.

Following Stepping Stone which got a great response but wasn't a huge highlight, the singer again tossed out "another song that you don't know" in Tomorrow (no, not the song from the musical Annie). Rooted in a thick groove and far more up-tempo than most of the other dozen tunes performed, the song was easily one of the more memorable moments.

Unfortunately with just the one album to her name, Duffy closed the main portion off with the Motown-oriented Mercy while turning the microphone towards the crowd for them to finish off a few lyrics.

The encore ended with Duffy leaving on a high note in Distant Dreamer, a slow-building song that had a big and somewhat bombastic coda.

Duffy may not be the next Amy Winehouse but given Winehouse's dramatic, drug-induced demise, who would want to be?



There is a review by the Toronto Star below:
Duffy off to a soulful start

Photo by VINCE TALOTTA/TORONTO STAR
Diva-in-the-making Duffy's awkward charm and lack of polish is a perfect foil to fellow U.K. soulster Amy Winehouse, a Betty to Winehouse's Veronica. Duffy played the Phoenix Aug. 2, 2008.


Welsh singer could use a few more songs under her belt, but shows promise in hour-long set

Pop Music Critic

Although Duffy is officially the biggest pop star of the year in the U.K., where she's sold a million copies of her debut album, Rockferry, the Welsh R&B belter still comes across as a charmingly unformed talent onstage.

Playing to a packed house at the Phoenix on Saturday night, the petite, blonde vocal powerhouse was a delight to watch even when the set dipped into filler, just because one could see her physically grappling with the mechanics of performance.

She's got the singing part down – that voice is effortlessly enormous well before Duffy really lets it rip – but her giggly, self-deprecating stage banter and self-consciously stiff attempts at such standard diva functions as moving in time to the music and twirling the microphone on its cable betrayed a young starlet not yet flush with the ironclad confidence usually attributed to pop phenoms.

No, small-town gal Aimee Anne Duffy seems a very real sort. Endearingly nerdy, she has little of the stylized poise and ineffable cool of her neo-soul foil Amy Winehouse – who's come to play Veronica to Duffy's squeaky clean Betty in the hyperactive U.K. press – and only seems truly at ease onstage when she's got a song to sing.

We mentioned she can sing, though, right? Duffy made that clear from the start on Saturday, kicking off her brisk, hour-long show by roaring into a sultry, a cappella verse from "Syrup & Honey" that had the fawning crowd on side immediately.

That crowd was mostly composed of women in packs or with tolerant husbands and boyfriends by their sides, joined by a large, loud contingent of super-fans from nearby Boystown. She might hate the Dusty Springfield comparisons, but Duffy's husky, flint-edged vocal theatrics appear to have earned her an early lock on the same gay audience.

"This is a gay man's dream," my girlfriend marvelled when the room erupted in noticeably un-girlish squeals for "Mercy." "This is Bette Midler at the bathhouses." She might be onto something.

True, with only the uneven Rockferry to pull from, the 24-year-old singer is still a little light on material to construct a totally satisfying set list.

There was a noticeable increase in chatter in the room between surefire hits like "Rockferry" and the delightful "Serious," although Duffy could usually shut the room up when a tune like "Hanging on Too Long" hung on too long by letting loose into the mike.

Nevertheless, it's going to take another album or two and, perhaps, a few more songs that rise above the mid-tempo doldrums – the Philly-soul glide of "Tomorrow," a lesser-known B-side dropped at the end of her set, is a good start – before Duffy truly comes into her own as a live performer. When she gets there, though, it should be good.
The below photo is from the paper version of the Toronto Star. Click it to see a larger image.

02 Aug: Duffy: 'My life is so glam now - but it means nothing to me'

This article appeared in the Sunday Mirror today:

Duffy: 'My life is so glam now - but it means nothing to me'

Welsh singer Duffy, 24, talks about her new jetset lifestyle, her love of vintage handbags, and why a glass of Merlot is better than a man…

Aimee Anne Duffy is one hard girl to track down. A flurry of festival performances and a diary of ‘shoots, interviews and gigs’ means she’s hot property. As we start chatting she gives us a rundown of her über-hectic schedule, in the next breath reminding us she’s ‘just this kid from Wales who’s done a few songs’.


Yes, she’s still the same girl who grew up in a small Welsh seaside village with her twin sister Katy and older sister Kelly. But with a chart-topping album that’s sold millions, catapulting her to superstardom and earning her a Mojo Song Of The Year award, it’s clear Duffy is more than just some kid.

When we meet the 24-year-old she’s looking hot to trot. With her wispy blonde hair, big eyes, and bee-stung lips, it’s clear where the Brigette Bardot comparisons come from. Interspersing her soft Welsh lilt with girly giggles, Duffy is as un-divaish as they come.

But while her start in life may have been very un-showbiz – she was brought up in the remote Welsh wilderness of Nefyn, and her first experience of music was watching a video tape of Mick Jagger singing Jumpin’ Jack Flash – these days when she’s not picking up music awards, she’s recording the soundtrack for the new James Bond film and fitting in her job as Dolce & Gabbana’s new muse.

And it’s about time she enjoyed herself. After a childhood plagued by family drama (her step-dad was the target of an attempted murder), Duffy is now rocking the world.

The fame game

There’s no denying Duffy’s life has changed dramatically since watching music videos as a teen. These days she’s hanging out with the jetaratti, and when she’s not playing gigs in Paris and Milan, she’s performing in New York. She admits, ‘I guess my life is a lot more glamorous than it used to be in terms of the things I wear, the places I go, the places I stay, the places I eat at and the people I meet. Everything is just wonderful, it’s really fantastic – but I don’t get too caught up in it. I do nice things, but, to be honest, they’re not important. I’m not after a big house in the city, or anything like that.’

Oh, and she recently became the first Welsh woman to have a UK No1 hit in 25 years. She says, ‘It’s cool, it makes me feel really proud to have done that. I think Bonnie Tyler was the last Welsh lady at No1 with Total Eclipse Of The Heart, so yeah, it’s great. When I go home to Wales everyone is so happy for me. It’s really lovely.’

Although she admits it can be over-whelming at times. ‘Can you imagine everyone you’ve ever known suddenly wanting to come and say hello to you and congratulating you for the record? It’s all quite mad, really. But it’s lovely too because everyone’s been so supportive.’

Pop Idol

Her new-found fame has seen Duffy mixing backstage with none other than Justin Trousersnake, and taking advantage of guestlists at London’s hottest clubs. But when asked about her favourite celeb meeting, her answer is, well, rather unexpected.

‘I met Roger Daltrey from The Who, and that was really special, because I used to adore him when I was growing up. He’s gorgeous, with the most amazing blue eyes. I really enjoyed meeting him because he’s such a lovely guy and also very genuine. He gave me some really sound advice, which made me feel like what I’m doing is worthwhile and important.’

She’s also about as far removed from the sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll image of certain fellow singers as you can get (even her beehive is more Bardot than Winehouse), but that hasn’t stopped her being compared to a songstress with whom she happens to share a first name.

She says, ‘It makes me mad that people keep comparing me to Amy Winehouse and Dusty Springfield. It’s just labelling me as something else, without any respect for the struggle, the determination, focus or artistic vision I have. It’s like, "Whoa, what’s that about? Why would I want to be someone else?" Because I really don’t. I just want to be me. It’s kind of strange and disheartening to be constantly told who I look like, or who I sound like.’

She adds, ‘Saying that, you do get some people who hit slightly closer to where I’m coming from. I got compared to Diana Ross the other day, which was a real compliment. And someone also wrote that I was the female Otis Redding, which really made me feel good because he’s a hero of mine.’

‘Complicated’ love life

Duffy’s been single for the past two years, and says she’s not interested in complicated relationships – all she wants is to be able to be herself. ‘My music is the most honest thing I have. Actually, it’s the only thing I can be honest in, because everything else in life – like love and friendship – is so complex.’

Perhaps it’s a case of once bitten twice shy, as she reveals she’s not got the best track record in romance. Her five-year relationship with Mark Durston, who she met while she was studying A-levels at college, ended when she discovered he’d cheated on her. ‘I always meet rogues,’ she says. And although she’s admitted a current platonic relationship looks like it might be turning into something more, Duffy says she’s not looking for anything serious. ‘I’m a bit of a commitment-phobe. Why? I don’t know… It’s the only thing I’m afraid of. And besides, I’m really happy on my own. Because, that way, no one can hurt you.’

Although if she ever was to be in a position to have a relationship, she knows what she’d be looking for. ‘I want a man who’s charismatic and funny and intriguing and dresses well. And I like a guy who’s good with his hands, a real man.’

She's got the look

After being signed up as Dolce & Gabbana’s clothes horse earlier this year (like you do), Duffy’s not been short of designer frocks. But like most songbirds around, she loves a bit of vintage in her wardrobe. She says, ‘I like to wear vintage designer clothes, you can never go wrong with that. At the moment I’m wearing vintage Chanel and I also like vintage Gucci, especially little handbags that are battered and have been around for 40 years. I love wearing things that have been around longer than I have, and seen more than me.’

But when she’s not dressing up, she loves to, erm, undress. ‘I like getting home after a day’s work, taking everything off, slipping into my bathrobe, pouring a glass of red wine, having the radio on in the background, then calling my friends and family and gassing on the phone all night. I like to hang out in my bathrobe a lot, and just kick back. Sometimes I’ll stay like that the whole weekend.’

At 5ft 4in, Duffy is petite and slim, even her shoe size is a super tiny two and a half (yes, really). But her small frame has less to do with starving herself and more to do with good genes and clean living – she certainly isn’t the type to nibble on lettuce leaves and carrot sticks. ‘I can’t resist seafood because I was raised on it, growing up by the sea in Wales. I love lobster linguini – that’s my favourite dish at the moment. I love red wine too, especially Merlot. I can’t resist that either, but I can only have a glass or two otherwise I get tipsy.’

• Duffy performs at V Festival on 16-17 August. Her next single, Stepping Stone, is out on 1 September

02 Aug: Duffy Live@Lollapalooza Festival, Chicago

OK so did Duffy do this live on 1st August (as her myspace schedule suggests coupled with the fact that reviews of her set are dated as the first day of the festival), or did she perform on 2nd August as shown on the "live" webcast and get on a plane straight afterwards to appear in Toronto the same evening?! LOL It's looking likely that this was actually performed on 1st Aug!


SETLIST
Syrup&Honey
Rockferry
Hanging On Too Long
Serious
Warwick Avenue
Cry To Me
Breaking My Own Heart
Delayed Devotion
Tomorrow
Mercy

Download mp3 audio here.

Watch the entire set again right below. This is a playlist of youtube vids:


Watch the interview by 93XRT:

REVIEWS

Duffy doesn't seem to have got the best reviews for this one.

The below comment is from here:
The one major Lolla letdown was Duffy, the 24-year-old Welsh singer who's on the cover of the new Spin. She's being hyped as the next Amy Winehouse, but Duffy's thin, shrill voice makes Ms. Winehouse sound like Aretha Franklin.

The below review is from here:

Lolla Day One - Sweaty Bordello, Disappointing Duffy

Piet Levy

The New York Gypsy punk band played to the point of exhaustion, as usual.
There's a reason why Gogol Bordello is christened as one of the best live acts out there. You don't have to own a Bordello album, or have even heard their stuff, to get caught up in those legendary, all-out gigs.

What's not to love, between the solid rocking, mosh-worthy sounds, the outstanding fiddle and accordion work, and of course, leading man Eugene Hutz, always a tempest on stage with his leaping and twirling and throaty vocals.

Heat be damned, because the folks at the Bordello gig rocked like there was no tomorrow. There were the sweat soaked guys smashed in the front, nevertheless pounding their fists as they seemingly gasped for air. Two women, covered in sweat, had to seek refuge on the sidelines.

And even Hutz, during "American Wedding" seemingly collapsed on stage. Lying down during a slow part of the song, the man was such a mess, breathing deeply like a dying fish, his hair soaked. But then, suddenly, he was up on his feet, leaping about again. I don't know how he does it.

This was an incredible show, but I'd never expect anything less from Bordello. Of course, being a Lolla gig, and not a club gig, it was a bit more restrained. Hutz didn't crowd surf, or stand atop a bass drum hoisted by folks in the mosh pit, as he's done in past shows. If you loved what you saw, and you want to rock even harder, you definitely need to check them out when they come back and headline a Chicago venue.

Duffy, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Slow music. Little showmanship. In other words, a bit boring. Yeah, she's the Spin cover girl, and her single "Mercy" is terrific. The Welsh singer is drawing obvious comparisons to Dusty Springfield, but also Amy Winehouse, who has a similar Motown style.

But Duffy didn't really have the charisma to seize the moment. Her voice was pretty, but not heartbreakingly beautiful. She struck the same poses again and again when going through her sleepy set. It was monotonous.

Admittedly, I only saw the first few songs. Maybe it got better. But the beginning was underwhelming.


The below review and photo is from here:


Lollapalooza 2008 Day 1: Duffy, Black Keys, Cat Power, CSS

Many moons ago, Lollapalooza was the Battlestar of alternative culture, carrying all manner of tattooed freaks, noise, metal and rap outcasts to the galaxy of the mainstream. Oh so many years later, Lolla acts and the Lolla crowd are much closer to the center. Raucous histrionics (and thank you Lord, nu metal) are somewhat out of fashion—and soul has insinuated itself into the boutique music culture.

Take Aimee Duffy for instance, a small woman from a small Welsh town who sings light soul tunes inspired by the hits and classics of the ’60s. Surrounded by grown folks and dancing girls in bikinis—and one guy who says “I work at Barnes and Noble and we’ve been playing Duffy eight times a day for the last month”—a slick and soulful set from Duffy and her oh-so-pro backing band feels an odd way to ease into the fest. But brother can the lady sing—up, down and all around that microphone—and as it turns out, she’s written most of the tunes herself. Who knew? She gives us intros to “Warwick Avenue” and “Delayed Devotion” and explains the inspiration for both. Despite the acoustic guitar player with a faux hawk, her band’s competency proves an asset. And her red, white and blue sailor suit makes a good focal point as she shimmies away between verses. She pulls out Solomon Burke’s “Cry for Me” and a free download b-side called “Breaking My Own Heart” to enliven the set—ending with “Mercy.”



PHOTOS
11 x Large Photos (credit: Jeremy_Farmer)

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

2 x large pictures by 93XRT
Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

More pics from Time Out Chicago (click photo for larger image):





Another review, this one by Rolling Stone:
Duffy Burns Through the Blues During Lollapalooza Afternoon

The heat was definitely getting to Duffy. Midway through the Welsh songstress’ Friday afternoon set at Lollapalooza, she had to dab her melting makeup with a towel. “I’m not used to this heat, Chicago,” she said. But she didn’t let what she called “Welsh melodrama” get in the way of a groovy performance that seemed to have a cooling effect on the crowd. Dressed in a sexy sailor outfit, Duffy wrapped her soulful, feathery voice around blues-soaked tunes like “Syrup and Honey.” She even dropped in a rocksteady cover of Solomon Burke’s “Cry to Me.” “I don’t normally do covers, but it’s a festival, so fuck it,” she joked. It was an excellent attitude to adopt as a way to kick off a long and rocking weekend.

[Photo: Rory O’Connor for Rolling Stone]