Getting ready for DuranLive

In almost a month, Duran Duran will kick off its 2016 North American tour.

All photos by Christopher Windle.

I was reminded of this while I watched Duran Duran on MTV World Stage, the 2015 concert from Milan that recently aired in the U.S. for the first time on MTV Live (formerly Palladia). The hit fest, with an added dose of cool from special guest Mark Ronson, will reair at 10 p.m. Central time Thursday on MTV Live and at 11 p.m. Friday on VH1 Classic.

An impending tour always has Duranies wondering what's in store. Nick Rhodes recently told Billboard that Duran is taking out the stage production it used in the U.K. last year. If the set lists are similar, the band could play gems like "Only In Dreams," "Love Voodoo," "I Don't Want Your Love" and "New Moon On Monday."

Even for a band with so many hits, there are a lot of certainties. "The Wild Boys," "Notorious," "Girls On Film" (in some form) and "Ordinary World" are live staples. Everyone expects "Rio." I was at a show once at which the band didn't play it, and it wasn't a pretty view.

That makes up a good quarter of the set list. Expect a handful of new songs, minor hit "Pressure Off" key among them, to make up another quarter. After that is where the surprises could come in.

Some fans are clamoring for Duran to drop "White Lines" from the live show, though the 1995 cover always gets a good reception from the audience as a whole. Still, axing that song means a chance for one more Duran original. Here's a shoutout for "Union Of The Snake," for my husband.

The chance is ripe for a cover of a different kind. A tribute to David Bowie in the form of "Starman," "Fame" or a new song (maybe off the Nile Rodger's produced "Let's Dance") would be fitting. A recent poster on the Duran Duran message board said they'd like to hear John Taylor play the baseline to "Ashes to Ashes."

The time also might be right for new arrangements of old standards. I'm always partial to the Unplugged-era reworkings. Throw a little more of Bowie's "TVC15" onto "Hungry Like The Wolf" and I will totally never say I could take or leave that song live again.


But I'm accustomed to present-day Duran not getting too wild with the set list. I'm happy with the little surprises.

What songs would you like to hear?

Duran Duran cohorts loom large at Grammys

Duran Duran may have missed out on a nomination for "Paper Gods," but the band's influence still could be heard at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 15.

Most notably, Duran producer and fan Mark Ronson walked away with a well-deserved record of the year award for "Uptown Funk." Ronson cut his teeth on 1980s Duran, even playing "Wild Boys" in a grade school talent show.

Earlier, Lady Gaga stole the show with her David Bowie tribute, sharing the stage with another key Duran producer, Nile Rodgers.

Of Bowie, "he really made the blueprint for what Duran Duran have always strived to do, stretching the boundaries and working with artists in different fields," Nick Rhodes told Billboard magazine before the show. "He's a constant inspiration."

An inspiration. Duran Duran is what Gaga once told Rolling Stone magazine was her "major harmony inspiration -- all signs point to Duran Duran."

At the Grammys, Gaga grooved beside Rodgers, with the Chic founder at center stage playing his riffs on "Let's Dance." Gaga sang snippets from nine Bowie songs, including one she was born to sing ("Fashion"), a couple of Duran-covered hits ("Rebel, Rebel" and "Fame") and ending with the obligatory "Heroes."

It was easily the highlight of the three-and-a-half-hour broadcast that ranged from the mundane (Adele's nervous snooze-fest) to the classless (Pitbull's unceremonious closing number).

It was Ronson's big win moments beforehand that shows real music and still alive and well. Along with Ronson's trio of awards for the undeniable "Uptown Funk," bands like Muse and the soulful Alabama Shakes also picked up awards, which suggested an artist doesn't need 10 or more producers to succeed in the industry today.