Duran Duran's 'Sing Blue Silver' still a classic

Duran Duran capitalized on its success as both a video and a live band with the concert documentary "Sing Blue Silver."

Directed by Michael Collins, with concert footage by Russell Mulcahy, "Sing Blue Silver" follows the band on its first major U.S. tour.

Now, at a time when reality TV is commonplace, "Sing Blue Silver" is as relevant as it was in 1984.

The press conference early in the film is something one could imagine featuring boy bands today, and it was the same treatment given the Fab Four when The Beatles visited the United States.

At the time of its release, the documentary gave the band's young fans an inside look at the biggest thing since sliced Beatles (to steal a line from the excellent glam-rock film "Velvet Goldmine").

Indeed, "Sing Blue Silver" offered a polished view of the band, some of whose members sometimes enjoyed cocaine and groupies, bassist John Taylor wrote in his memoir, "In the Pleasure Groove. He even said the book is "for people who have never played the Oakland Coliseum ... on drugs."

That's where the closing concert of "Sing Blue Silver" was filmed.

From the opening montage of big rigs in motion, set to the strains of "Tiger Tiger," to those closing scenes, the documentary also shows the behind-the-scenes work that goes into a touring production.

"Sing Blue Silver" is a fan favorite, and it launched its share of tributes. Spy Matthews, tour production manager, inspired a band name, and singer Simon Le Bon's plea of "Gimme a wristband," a website.

Released on DVD in the past decade, copies of "Sing Blue Silver" can be found used or on Amazon.com. It's definitely worth watching again, and again.

Adapted from original post from Nov. 2, 2012

The Buttertones prove they're the next big thing

The Buttertones, a sharp-dressed five-piece with a ton of musical talent, brought their riveting live show to Omaha's Slowdown on Aug. 8.

The Buttertones have a distinct look and sound that's rounded out by saxophone. The members ooze confidence onstage and have adoring female followers, at least in the band's home base of Los Angeles. Does any of this remind you of a certain band in the '80s?

But instead of Duran Duran's amalgam of Chic, Roxy Music, and the Sex Pistols, The Buttertones' musical style has been described as Johnny Kidd and the Pirates meets The Gun Club.

In Omaha, the Buttertones got an assist from opener Ron Gallo, an afro-coiffed rocker channelling the MC5 and backed by a bassist and drummer (Ron Gallo and the Gallos, as The Buttertones' frontman Richard Araiza called them). Ever wanted to hear a garage rock version of Des'ree's "Love Will Save the Day? Ever wonder what a guitar played with a suitcase sounds like? Then look no further than Ron Gallo.

London Guzman, Dakota Bottcher and Richard Araiza. All photos by Christopher Windle.

But The Buttertones were the main event, playing a slick and energetic set of songs off current album "Gravedigging" as well as tracks from further back in the band's six-year career. Despite an appearance earlier this year on "Last Call With Carson Daly," The Buttertones are largely unknown outside LA. Band members endearingly sell their own merchandise before and after the show, writing the night's set list in lulls between customers. They mill about the crowd, Araiza wearing glasses as a sort of offstage Clark Kent-type disguise. But the buzz around the band's must-see live show and aforementioned TV appearance, especially, are paying off, according to guitarist Dakota Böttcher.

Araiza has proper frontman swagger.

Onstage, The Buttertones wasted no time whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Especially well-received were songs off the new album like "Sadie's a Sadist," "Matador," and "Gravediggin.'" The trio of songs are solid tracks backed by Quentin Tarantino-esque videos.

The band veered from raucous rockabilly and surf to vintage-flavored rock ballads like "Geisha's Gaze." As for the older material, it has more of a doo-wop flavor, as evidenced on ballads like "Baby Doll."

After listening to the band's previous album, "American Brunch," it's clear that The Buttertones have come into their own with "Gravedigging." Whether singing about falling "over in love" ("Geisha's Gaze"), about a bullfighter past his prime ("Matador"), or about a houseguest who overstays his welcome ("Two-Headed Shark") the band covers timeless topics with a sometimes-devious twist.

The Buttertones showed they're a band that could achieve big things. It will be exciting to see what's next.

MTV debuted 36 years ago. Duran Duran was there for the ride

MTV hit the airwaves 36 years ago August 1. Perhaps no band is more synonymous with MTV than Duran Duran.

Original MTV VJ Martha Quinn has described the union of MTV and Duran as "a confluence of fate and meeting each other at the right time."

"Everyone says, 'MTV made Duran Duran,'" Quinn once said. "But you know what, Duran Duran made MTV, too."

From the channel's ban on early video "Girls On Film" to the band's Lifetime Achievement Award, Duran has a storied history with MTV:

• "Girls On Film," directed by Godley & Crème, was banned by MTV in 1981. The move only fueled the success of the band's third single, as well as the racy clip's place in music video lore.

• "Hungry Like the Wolf," along with "Rio," helped change the face of music television in 1982-83. Instead of relying on a soundstage, director Russell Mulcahy took the band on location to Sri Lanka and Antigua. The resulting videos resembled short films and garnered the band a pair of Grammy awards.

• Duran's Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon did a stint as guest VJs on MTV for the first time in 1983, playing videos from the likes of David Bowie and Talking Heads. They returned in 1985, the year John and Andy Taylor also stopped by.

• Live Aid was aired on MTV live, of course, in 1985. The concert featured Duran's final performance as the Fab Five until its reunion in the 2000s, as well as a set by side project The Power Station.

• On "MTV Unplugged," Duran remade its early and current hits with an acoustic flair in a comeback performance on the popular show.

• MTV compiled its definitive list of 100 Greatest Videos of All Time in 1999, playing the clips at a time when the channel had mostly abandoned videos. "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Girls On Film" both made the list.

• MTV surprised the original members of Duran with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. The band had been nominated for several Video Music Awards, in 1984, 1985 and 1993, and won in 1988 for innovation for "All She Wants Is."

Photo by Christopher Windle. Adapted from original post from August 2013.