Duffy announces first live show in 15 years after kidnapping ordeal

Duffy has announced her first live show in 15 years, marking her return after her harrowing kidnapping ordeal.

The Welsh singer has not played a full gig since 2011, the year in which she withdrew from public life for reasons she went on to share in 2020.

On Friday, however, she told fans on her Instagram Stories that she would be playing a balloted gig in a “secret intimate” venue in London on July 5. “I would love nothing more than for some of you to attend,” she said.

“It’s only small capacity so we can only select a few, but really looking forward to it, I will sing some new songs.”

She did not reveal where the show would take place, but fans were urged to sign up for the chance to attend via a free ballot here. You will be asked for your date of birth, location and contact details, and those who apply will receive an email from the artist explaining that “winners will be notified via email on June 15th”.

In 2020, Duffy opened up about the reason for her continued absence from recording and touring, explaining that she had been “raped and drugged and held captive over some days” and that her subsequent recovery “took time”.

“You wonder why I did not choose to use my voice to express my pain?” she continued. “I did not want to show the world the sadness in my eyes. I asked myself, how can I sing from the heart if it is broken? And slowly it unbroke.”

Shortly afterwards, she called rape a “weapon of war” in a painful account of her experience shared on her website. She then went on to encourage fans to speak out about their personal struggles, adding that she felt “liberated” after sharing her story.

Duffy also hit out at Netflix that same year, calling them “irresponsible” for “glamourising the brutal reality of sex trafficking, kidnapping and rape” in the film 365 Days.

An upcoming Disney+ documentary will tell Duffy’s story, from her upbringing in Wales to her rise to fame, to her subsequent withdrawal, including interviews with family, friends and peers in the industry. The doc was announced in March but has not yet been given a release date.

After signing a record deal in 2007, Duffy’s 2008 debut album ‘Rockferry’ became the best-selling record in the UK that year. She released her second album, ‘Endlessly’, in 2010, and in 2020 she returned with the singles ‘Something Beautiful’ and ‘River In The Sky’.

Last month, she posted a photo of herself in a recording studio, writing: “If only I could find the right words to explain how much I’ve missed you all. Working on coming back to you.”

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