Apologies to the Bloom Twins who were on far too early
for us late arrivals so I can’t comment on the Ukrainian twins but we did catch
the end of Seal. I’m not a fan but I will say he was professional, amenable,
popular and has a good voice. I just find him rather dull. Sorry mate. I was though
impressed with the arena sound which was far better than the last time I was
here, which bodes well for what is to come.
Duran Duran on the other hand are anything but dull. They open
their set with ‘Paper Gods’, the title track from their latest album, and it’s
an impressive opener played for effect with good visuals on the screen behind
them. This is already far more glitzy than my usual gig nights.
After which they launch into a trio of crowd pleasers with
‘Wild Boys’, ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’ and ‘A View To A Kill’ back to back. With
the excellent ‘Come Undone’ following close behind you can’t help thinking that
the band have perhaps shot their load (can I say that?) a bit too soon.
From this point onwards the band regularly dip into their 14th
and newest album, which again visits the electro-dance sound that they started experimenting
with as long ago as 1988 on ‘Big Thing’. I’m not sure a lot of the audience were
ready for that.
Some of the new album is very good although they perhaps didn’t
play some of the most accessible stuff on it. Alongside the new material they play
the likes of minor hit ‘I Don't Want Your Love’ from the aforementioned ‘Big
Thing’, and a slightly obscure album track in ‘Love Voodoo’ from 1993’s
‘Wedding Album’ the album that rescued them from near obscurity and which contributes
four tracks tonight, which is more than any other bar the new one.
Then there’s their bizarre version of Grandmaster Flash and
Melle Mel’s ‘White Lines (Don’t Do It)’ which they covered way back in 1995 to
much derision and yet it still seems an integral part of their set ahead of
their own material.
Clearly this is a band doing it for themselves as much as
for the fans, a band who are not content to simply work the nostalgia circuit. They
have some balls too, as it’s interesting to note they do not play either of
their two UK number ones tonight. Oooo controversial.
They look good on it and at 57, Simon Le Bon’s voice is as
good as ever, if not better. While Le Bon and bass player John Taylor bounce
around the stage, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes hide behind their drums and
keyboards respectively. Rhodes it has to be said plays the enigmatic keyboard
wizard so well that all he needs is the toothbrush moustache (in white
preferably) to complete the transformation into Ron Mael from Sparks.
When ‘Planet Earth’ arrives the crowd are back on more solid
ground, this is followed by the brilliant ‘Ordinary World’ and their 2004 hit ‘(Reach
Up for the) Sunrise’ which pays homage to ‘New Moon on Monday’ mid-song for no
apparent reason.
As paper cannons shower the arena with confetti presumably
delivered from the Paper Gods, the finale approaches where they blend three
songs together. Starting with the all new ‘Danceophobia’, into the mid-career
‘Too Much Information’ before finally arriving at the oldie ‘Girls on Film’
before they leave the stage to rapturous applause.
Returning for an encore, Le Bon turns uncharacteristically
serious for a moment. Explaining that the band had performed ‘Save A Prayer’ with
the Eagles of Death Metal not long before the Bataclan shootings in Paris. The Eagles
of Death Metal’s version is now re-released and all proceeds will go to good causes.
He then asks for everyone to turn the lights on on their mobile
phones and wave them in the air. This is despite me screaming and pleading at
him ‘no’, I hate that sort of thing! They then of course played the song itself before
closing an entertaining evening on a more upbeat note with ‘Rio’.
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