GIG REVIEW: Duran Duran
- Posted on December 4, 2007 3:32 PM
- 1 comment
Band: Duran Duran
Tour: Red Carpet Massacre
Venue: Lyceum Centre, London
Date: 3rd December 2007
Rating: 5/5
Review by Andrew Whitehead
What's a good lifespan for a band these days? A year, or maybe a couple. In an industry where success can be achieved or stripped away on pretty much monthly basis, it's rare these days for groups to succeed for five years, ten years, let alone 25 years; but that's exactly what Duran Duran have been doing, rocking generation after generation. Since 1981, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor have been performing to generation after generation of adoring fans.
Being born in 1982, a year after they formed, I grew up knowing of Duran Duran, but never really listening to or experiencing most of their music; so it seems odd that in the current era for revival that's seen the likes of Take That and The Spice Girls returning back into the mainstream, that these 80s heart-throbs have come into my field of vision.
Approaching last nights gig at the Lyceum Theatre, hordes of middle aged housewife types flooded the streets, waiting for the arrival of the band. Finally, an hour after the doors were scheduled to open, they emerged from the theatre to greet the masses and do numerous press interviews. The noise was intense. The screaming consistent. The anticipation heightening of this special one-off performance; one of their first in almost a decade.
Once we'd all piled in, it wasn't long until the band came on-stage to rapturous applause and hoards of screaming fans. For the next two hours, the Duran Duran boys blitzed us with a collection of their new songs, showing their change in direction from their 'new romantic' roots, dropping in an occasional classic like Rio, Wild Boys and the slightly newer Ordinary World.
I have never in my life seen a 50 year old guy (which incidentally I find frankly unbelievable) make women of literally all ages (including my 24 year old girlfriend) weak at the knees; but I'll hand it to Simon, he put on a hell of a show. It must be something about people born on October 27th (a date that Simon and I share, and interestingly and weirdly I've just discovered that my girlfriend shares a birthday with Nick Rhodes). I didn't spend a single minute in my seat, and this morning my feet still ache from the constant dancing, jumping up and down joining the masses right in front of the stage.
Being at such a small and intimate venue was fabulous for such a big band which such a huge fan-base and the atmosphere was constantly electric. The tunes were loud, expertly played and perfectly sung by a band that have quite obviously been playing together for decades. A truly amazing and inspired performance all around and one that I feel privileged to have been able to attend.
I have no choice but to give this show a perfect 5/5 and will be going out to buy the new album Red Carpet Massacre in the very near future
Related links:
Official website - http://www.duranduran.com
Gig tickets - http://www.seatwave.com/duran-duran-tickets/season
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duran_duran
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Comments (1)
undervale
I see Duran Duran in Birmingham in 2005 ..
Posted on December 6, 2007 12:43 AM
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