There are at least two groups called Duck Soup.
1. Duck Soup is a danish ska band. They play 2 tone ska, and are clearly inspired by bands as the Specials, The Selecter and The (English) Beat. The band kicked off back in 1982, during the punk- and mod revival movement in Denmark. The band broke up in 1984, but decided to reestablish it again 9 years after. Since then they have played a loadful of concerts, released one full-length album (Planet Ska, 1998) and starred on a couple of compilations as well. The band is still playing live, and a new album is said to be on it's way.
Duck Soup was founded in September 1981 as a union of artists from various underground Copenhagen punk bands - all tired of the total lack of joy and elegance in punk music. Soon Duck Soup became an important catalyzing live band of the different youth cult
ures of central Copenhagen. In the late 70’s Punks, Mods, Skins and New-Wavers gathered on Gammeltorv - a medieval Copenhagen square. They had no other place to meet, and to avoid the increasing conflicts between the youngsters and the authorities the lord mayor of Copenhagen gave them “Ungdomshuset” - an abandoned trade union dancehall - where they could built up a place of their own. On the opening night in 1982 Duck Soup were playing a legendary concert that lasted for more than 3 hours. From that moment Duck Soup were synonymous with youth and underground and Duck Soup played more than 30 concerts through out the next couple of years - mostly at “Ungdomshuset” and ”Statens HF” a place which parties staged upcoming bands like D.A.D (and Duck Soup). In spite of the original and well performed compositions no Danish Record company were willing to sign a recording contract with the leading band of the hardcore Copenhagen underground scene and in 1984 the band broke up.
In late autumn 1993 the original members of Duck Soup met again. No one had left Copenhagen. No one was dead from drug abuse or had committed suicide. No Hare Krishna or middleclass manners stood in the way of a reunion. The old songs were rehearsed, new ones written and after a month Duck Soup were ready to get back on stage. Though Duck Soup now concentrate on special selected quality gigs, they have achieved to put up more than 70 gigs - all over Denmark concentrating on Copenhagen. Duck Soup has also been abroad playing for enthusiastic crowds in Germany, Norway and Sweden.
At November 1st 1997 Duck Soup were the headliner of the “Ungdomshuset” 15 years birthday party. A Trans-Øresundsk brotherhood is established with the Swedish ska bands Liberator and Skalatones and soon Duck Soup would release “Planet Ska” - their first and only album in almost 20 years on the leading Swedish Ska-label Burning Heart / Sidekicks in Örebro.
2004 sees Duck Soup back in the studio recording their next CD. However not fully satisfied with the result Duck Soup has taken 2005 in for remixing the songs and hopefully, dear fan, it will soon be ringing your ears.
Like noble wine Duck Soup have matured through the years. You can hear and feel the dept and perspective in the original songs of the Copenhagen Kings of Ska - soon at a dance floor near you.
2. Duck soup is an English folk group who bring together a multitude of influences to make classic English music.
Their sound is based around the melodeon and vocals of Dan Quinn (Gas Mark 5, Flowers & Frolics), aided and abetted by Adam Bushell (Stocai, Tacet Ensemble) on marimba, percussion and occasional strings and Ian Kearey (Oysterband, Blue Aeroplanes, Sussex Pistols) on piano, Dobro, mandolin and mouth organ. The result is a cross between an English tune session in your favourite pub and a collision in an instrument shop.
They started playing together in 2005. "We thought we were rehearsing a couple of tracks for Dan's long-awaited solo album, but we had too much fun and pretty soon we had released our eponymous debut album ("Oh Yes!" - Rod Stradling) featuring a unique choice of tunes and songs, and a truly bizarre instrumentation.
We've kept developing since then (though hopefully not "maturing") and our repertoire ranges from English dance music to Border ballads, and French Canadian marches to 1920s novelty hits, played on everything from melodeon to musical saw - all of which is to be found on the new album Open on Sundays (check the Blog for full info)
And just in case you're wondering, we're not named after Duck Soup the Marx Brothers film from 1933 - we're named after Duck Soup the Laurel & Hardy film from 1927. So now you know!"
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