Dead Mans Uke // Live @ UFO, Bavaria Review
- Live Reviews
- 1st July 2018
- Joe Robinson
I’m not going to lie to you, Dead Mans Uke are one of the coolest acts that I’ve ever seen. Their description defies imagination. Just image a ukulele / double bass duo that play both originals and ukulele-ed up cover versions. We were lucky enough to catch them for the first time at the Ukulele Festival Obermörmoosen in Bayern, Germany on the second of June. Funnily enough, that’s my birthday. Nice.
The duo’s set began with a cover of “Anything For Love” and dropped various other belters throughout, including – wait for it – the Spiderman Theme. The actual Spiderman theme. How suave can you get? Frontman / ukulele maestro Tim showed off some fantastic showmanship that oozed confidence throughout. If my descriptions of Dead Mans Uke still don’t form a clear picture for you, below is a video of them playing “Uptown Funk” in a lift. That’s the general kind of thing to expect.
While their covers were fantastic for reeling in the crowd, the father-son duo wowed the Bavarians with their side splitting original track “Do The Don’t” (my personal favourite track of theirs, please drop a recorded version soon guys!) and their cover of “Let Me Play With Your Poodle” by 40’s hokum singer Tamp Red. Dead Mans Uke had the crowds stomping along from the start with their concoction of smooth vocals, sleek licks on the ukulele and dirty swing grooves on the double bass. It’s strange how such a high pitched instrument can sit so happily alongside a booming double bass.
The finale of the set saw Dead Mans Uke be joined on stage by all the other ukulele based acts from the day to the slick grooves of “Mamma Don’t Like”. Dead Mans Uke blend their unique brand of ukulele madness with jazz and swing, and project it all into a show that is not only perfectly juxtaposed in it’s concept, but also formidably entertaining.
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