Top five live shows of 2025

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, which hasn’t released a new album in over seven years and has played live only sporadically for the past few years, at last returned to the stage for a headlining tour to mark the 20-year anniversary of their third LP, Howl.

BRMC played the album in full, followed by some of their hardest rock songs, lighting up a crowd packed “like sardines” into the Summit Music Hall in Denver on Sept. 28.

The band, singers and multi-instrumentalists Robert Levon Been and Peter Hayes and drummer Leah Shapiro, impressed at every turn. 

Read more: BRMC return with a 'Howl'

The Damned

The Damned brought their “Black Album tour” to Dallas for an exhilarating show at the Granada Theater on May 18.

Although they did not play their 1980 masterwork in its entirety, they had all four members from the album’s lineup on board, including drummer Rat Scabies, who recently rejoined the band after too long a time away.

The Damned, along with TV Smith’s The Adverts, transported concertgoers back to the early days of UK punk. 

Read more: The Damned go back to ‘Black’ in Dallas

The Faint with Plack Blague and Jeff in Leather

The Faint, a band instrumental in putting Omaha on the musical map, swung through the Midwest to close out their first US headlining tour in years with a show at Wooly’s in Des Moines on April 5.

They had also played other select cities, including their hometown, where they put on a sold-out concert at the Waiting Room on April 3. They capped a roster that also included fellow Nebraskans Plack Blague and Jeff in Leather.

Although the Omaha show was a sight to behold, the Des Moines concert was the best of the two. Later in the year, the band was back at it, playing Omaha again, with a standout gig at the Admiral on Nov. 9.

Read more: The Faint bring homegrown tour to Des Moines

Cold Cave 

I finally got the chance to see one of the newer bands I have been obsessed with the last five years, Cold Cave, and they didn’t disappoint with their show March 28 at the Gothic Theatre in Denver.

The opening artists, Buzz Kull and Kontravoid, helped build up the intensity with their heavy EDM beats. Then Cold Cave took the stage and played fan favorites from throughout their discography, like “Glory,” “Confetti” and “Underworld USA.” They leaned heavily on their latest album, Passion Depression, playing songs like “Shadow Dance” and “Blackberries” as well as tracks from the EP Fate In Seven Lessons in the encore with “Prayer From Nowhere” and the powerful show-ender “Promised Land.”

Be sure to check out Cold Cave, a band that records and distributes their own records and CDs via their label, Heartworm. —Christopher Windle

The Effigies

I was lucky to see The Effigies, a fantastic punk band out of Chicago, on May 16 at the Slowdown in Omaha. I have been a huge fan of theirs for a long time. 

While their lead singer, John Kezdy, passed away in 2023, their current singer, the energetic Geoff Sabin, helped make the show not only powerful but also a straight-out blast. The band played crowd favorites like “Below The Drop,” “Quota,” “Haunted Town” and “We’ll Be Here Tomorrow.”

If you’re a fan of punk music and have not heard of The Effigies, do yourself a favor and listen to them. Out of the many great Chicago punk bands, they’re one of the best. —Christopher Windle

Honorable mentions: ABC and Howard Jones, Clan of Xymox, Front Line Assembly, Laetherstrip

Photos by Christopher Windle and Karen Duran Windle

Duran Duran's top moments of 2025

While 2025 wasn’t a huge year for Duran Duran, there were still a number of happenings that kept the Duranie flame alive.

‘Owning’ Halloween

Duran continued to lean in to Halloween, with an elaborate concert on the holiday in Manchester and a reimagined new version of ‘Shadows On Your Side.’ The Halloween festivities followed a summer European tour as well as other live shows throughout the year.

Global anti-hunger anthem

Duran Duran took part in ‘The Next Verse’ for the 100 Billion Meals Challenge on Dec. 16, along with Stevie Wonder, Dr. Dre and others. Their name even appeared on the list of musical artists above superstar Janet Jackson, a longtime collaborator of producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who helmed the new recording. ‘Someday Has Begun, Part 1’ was released on Christmas Day. The spirt of the recording harks back to the UK Christmas number one charity single by Band Aid, ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

‘Duran Duran On Track’

The band joined the extensive list of musical acts covered in the On Track series when my contribution was published in July in the UK. A US release followed on Halloween, and it has continued to appear on a key music book sales chart on Amazon UK through the end of the year.

I was honored to cover all of Duran’s studio output from a fan’s perspective and have been humbled by readers’ responses to the book. I have especially enjoyed chatting with fans online and in person before signing a copy for them. There was even a book release party, where family, friends and other area Duranies gathered together. The event was held at Vive Le Rock! Lounge and Record Store, which treated guests to a playlist of Duran Duran songs and also served a signature cocktail, Girls On Film, which was created for the occasion and remains on the menu. (If you’re ever in Omaha, be sure to check out this rock ‘n’ roll-themed lounge!)

Rio-themed cake designed by Alexandra E. Andersen.
Photo by Michelle Napoli

The Power Station reissue and more to come in 2026

The Power Station’s debut album will get a deluxe reissue treatment in January. Also that month, Duran are set to film a video with director Jonas Åkerlund, presumably for their spring/summer single with Nile Rodgers. 

As for other unreleased music, three out of four members recently confirmed that the ‘lost’ album Reportage could finally see the light of day.

‘I really want to finish working on REPORTAGE. There are some great tracks on it, and I am ready to get it out,’ singer Simon Le Bon said in his year-end list on DuranDuran.com. Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes also suggested that the LP could be released, possibly next year.

At top: Duran Duran in Omaha in 2024. Photo by Karen Duran Windle

'Duran Duran On Track': 'Danse Macabre'—the Halloween gift that keeps on giving

It’s Halloween, and the US release date of Duran Duran On Track has finally arrived! It’s also the perfect time to look back at the band’s last studio album, Danse Macabre.

Duran Duran’s Halloween-themed LP didn’t make the cover of Duran Duran On Track, which features Rio, Seven And The Ragged Tiger, The Wedding Album and Paper Gods, with Future Past on the back cover. In this series, I’ve also covered All You Need Is Now (along with the preceding Red Carpet Massacre), as well as taking a look back over the years at some of the band’s other albums, including Duran Duran and Notorious.

In my original review of Danse Macabre, I called it a joyful gift for Duranies. The band have resurrected the album each Halloween season in the form of deluxe editions, special concerts, and this year, a reboot of one of their most beloved tracks, “Shadows On Your Side,” which has gotten mixed reviews from fans, to say the least. (Despite this, I still stand by my original assessment of the entire project.)

The album shone a spotlight on Duran Duran in the wake of their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and proved that they were capable of turning around a studio LP in under a year—and mature enough to invite both former guitarists back into the fold.

The ambitious LP managed to make a collection of new songs and cover versions of their own tracks and others sound surprisingly cohesive—and arguably put to rest the legacy of the ill-fated Thank You. In addition to the original 13-track album, 2024 saw the release of a De Luxe version with new songs, including a disco-inflected cover of ELO’s “Evil Woman.” And this year’s “Shadows On Your Side” works fine as a remix, though any new version could never top the original.

Whether the band decides to get back into the Halloween spirit every year is still in question. Last year’s sold-out show at Madison Square Garden in New York is being followed with one in Manchester, in their home country.

Duran Duran On Track is available now in the UK and the US. Check out Linktree for order links. I also have a limited number of author-signed copies available for purchase via PayPal.

And if you’re already enjoying the book, please leave a review on Amazon or wherever you purchased your copy.

'Duran Duran On Track': 'All You Need Is Now' reignites fans' passion

As the new US release date of Duran Duran On Track approaches, I’ll revisit one of my favorite albums, All You Need Is Now.

Duran Duran’s Mark Ronson-produced masterstroke didn’t make the cover of Duran Duran On Track, which features Rio, Seven And The Ragged Tiger, The Wedding Album and Paper Gods, with Future Past on the back cover. 

The sales of All You Need Is Now were likely affected by the fact that it was released via an independent label, Nick Rhodes’ and Stephen Duffy’s Tape Modern, during a time when downloads had greatly affected album sales in general. But the LP, on which the band returned to their musical roots, remains a fan favorite.

I had lost touch with my Duran Duran fandom after the release of their last album on Epic Records, Red Carpet Massacre. The decision to work with Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and Nate ‘Danja’ Hills was a polarizing one (which is detailed in the book), and the band was aware that it was a risk in terms of what Duranies would like. I bought the album and listened to it extensively, of course, but that era marked the first time I didn’t attend a single show on a tour to promote a new LP since I had become a fan.

All You Need Is Now, on the other hand, was just what I needed to reignite my passion, and I’m likely not the only such fan. I bought the digital download, followed by the expanded album three months later, attended three shows on the tour and, at a friend’s suggestion, started writing in a professional capacity about the band for a news website. That eventually morphed into this blog, and then the book. 

Duran Duran On Track is available now in the UK and will be released on October 31 in the US. While the book’s US release date was delayed from September 26, I have a limited number of UK import copies available for purchase via PayPal.

Or check out Linktree for preorder links. And if you’re already enjoying the book, please leave a review on Amazon or wherever you purchased your copy.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club return with a ‘Howl’

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, which hasn’t released a new album in over seven years and has played live only sporadically for the past few years, at last returned to the stage for a headlining tour to mark the 20-year anniversary of their third LP, Howl.

BRMC played the album in full, followed by some of their hardest rock songs, lighting up a crowd packed “like sardines” into the Summit Music Hall in Denver on Sept. 28. Although Howl has been described as an “acoustic gospel album,” its roots are more in folk music. 

Indeed, BRMC took the stage as the labor union folk song “Which Side Are You On?” played. Then they launched into the gospel-tinged “Devil’s Waitin’” before playing the rest of the LP’s tracks mostly in order, including the stand-out singles “Shuffle Your Feet,” “Ain’t No Easy Way” and “Weight Of The World.”

Been (top) and Hayes, with trombone.
All photos by Christopher Windle

The band, singers and multi-instrumentalists Robert Levon Been and Peter Hayes and drummer Leah Shapiro, impressed at every turn. That included stints at a seemingly taped-together upright piano by Been and the trombone by Hayes. They didn’t miss a beat until Been flubbed the opening lines to “The Line,” after which the apologetic singer restarted the song and sang it to perfection along with Hayes.

Howl straddles the line between folk, blues and old-time country, with some gospel for good measure. The angelic voices of Been and Hayes keep the music from sounding like that “twangy cowboy shit” that Been recently said he hates “so much,” according to Spin magazine. Been’s songs definitely sounded the least like country music in the setlist, including “Weight Of The World” and the gentle “Promise.”

Hayes had the stage to himself for a few songs, including “Complicated Situation” and “Fault Line.” The rest of the band returned to close out the Howl tracks strong with “Sympathetic Noose,” “Gospel Song” and “The Line.”

Then they truly went electric, storming through some of their biggest songs, including “Beat The Devil's Tattoo,” “Whatever Happened To My Rock ‘n’ Roll (Punk Song)” and “Spread Your Love.” Been teetered at the edge of the stage, at times holding his bass guitar like a shotgun. Hayes, his face obscured by a mop of gray curls, was a whirlwind on guitar, and Shapiro pounded the drums, attuned to every move by her bandmates.

BRMC closed out the concert with the highlight of the evening, a roaring, extended jam of “Shadow’s Keeper,” then circled back to Howl, winding down the anniversary show with “Open Invitation,” the LP’s “hidden” closing track.

One hopes that BRMC gets to a point at which they want to record a new album together again. But in the meantime, a tour revisiting one of their best LPs is just as welcome.

‘Duran Duran On Track’: ‘Seven And The Ragged Tiger’ creates a sensation

As the US release date of Duran Duran On Track draws closer, I’ll revisit the last album spotlighted on the book’s cover: Seven And The Ragged Tiger.

The front cover of Duran Duran On Track features Seven And The Ragged Tiger as well as Rio, The Wedding Album and Paper Gods, with Future Past on the back cover.

Though Duran Duran had their first taste of widespread international success with Rio, Seven was a juggernaut. It debuted at Number 1 in their native UK and in the top 10 in multiple countries and included three top 10 singles in both the UK and the US.

The album, named for the five band members and their two managers, with the “Ragged Tiger” being success, couldn’t have arrived at a more opportune time. The marketing of the album and the band’s music that followed appealed greatly to younger listeners, especially females. The new music was accompanied by a wide range of products bearing the band members’ image that even included a board game, Into The Arena, for ages 7-plus.

That Duran Duran’s rise during that era rivaled Beatlemania is no overstatement. There are simply few rock bands that have ever reached the level of teen hysteria brought on by the Fab Four and the duly named Fab Five.

Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant acknowledged that in 1982 on MTV, calling them “enormous teen heroes” in England who have carried on “The Beatle tradition from way back. It’s remarkable to see so much style and class suddenly becoming apparent in video.”

Duran Duran On Track is available now in the UK and will be released on October 31 in the US. (The shipping date for preorders was originally September 26.) I’ll continue this occasional series up until the new US release date, ending with Danse Macabre on Halloween.

Check out Linktree for preorder links. And if you’re already enjoying the book, please leave a review on Amazon or wherever you purchased your copy.

‘Duran Duran On Track’: ‘Paper Gods’ helps write a new chapter for the band

As Duran Duran On Track makes it into the hands of more readers, I’ll revisit Paper Gods, the band’s 14th studio album, which is fast approaching its 10th anniversary.

The front cover of Duran Duran On Track features Paper Gods, as well as Rio, Seven And The Ragged Tiger and The Wedding Album, with Future Past on the back cover.

Upon release, Paper Gods reached the top five in the UK and the Billboard top 10 in the US, the band’s first LP to do so in that country since The Wedding Album. Duran Duran started playing larger venues, especially in the US, and more critics began reassessing the band’s musical legacy.

The album itself was hit or miss. Its artwork harkened back to the band’s biggest records with the “stickers” featured on its cover, but several tracks on the LP embraced EDM, which dates the album a bit. Still, there are several solid musical statements: the upbeat energy of “Pressure Off,” the swirling synths of “Face For Today,” the sublime balladry of “What Are The Chances?” and the apocalyptic beauty of “The Universe Alone.”

On the Paper Gods tour, the band played large arenas like Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. When they visited that arena on the Astronaut tour in 2005, many seats were empty, but in 2016, official attendance for their show at the venue was over 10,000.

The band has been proving to doubters that they’re the real deal ever since. Even though they’ve collected just about every honor in the music world, critics today sometimes seem astounded by just what they’ve achieved. A review of Duran Duran On Track in The Afterword, a UK pop culture blog, offers praise for the book as well as the band.

“The book covers all sixteen studio albums, a number that took me by surprise,” the review states. “They have certainly transcended their original genre by far and show no signs of stopping.”

Being reviewed alongside books about more traditional rock bands like Aerosmith and Foo Fighters and an expanded edition on punk icons The Clash certainly puts Duran Duran in good company.

Duran Duran On Track is available now in the UK and will be released September 26 in the US.

Check out Linktree for preorder links. And if you’re already enjoying the book, please leave a review on Amazon or wherever you purchased your copy!