Duran Duran’s top moments of 2017 ... and a look ahead

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The Duran Duran touring juggernaut rolled on in 2017, with the band hitting places like Asia and North America for scattered dates extending the “Paper Gods” tour. The band performed in Hawaii for the first time and also played before huge crowds at Lollapalooza in South America, a highlight especially for singer Simon Le Bon. Two of the highest-profile shows were once again in the United States, with the band playing a Sirius XM concert in Miami that could be heard on the excellent First Wave satellite radio station and a New Year’s weekend gig in Las Vegas.

Projects

With tour dates limited for the foreseeable future, it’s likely Duran’s attention will turn toward to the studio. Though new Duran music is likely a ways off, in 2017, there were cryptic hints of a “top secret project” involving members of the band and performers like Izzy Bizu, Vanessa White, Aled Phillips, and John Taylor (of Young Guns). The possibility that the TSP is John Taylor (that JT) and Nick Rhodes’ long-talked about musical is good; John recently said the project is “really starting to come together.” Nick went as far as saying it’s nearly done.

Cultural impact

Duran popped up several places in pop culture in 2017. Patrick Nagel's "Rio" cover emblazoned an Urban Decay lipstick palette that sold out almost as soon as it was available. Duran was also the go-to shirt for a quick change in the latest "Thor" movie and the TV series "The Goldbergs." And Duran music finally appeared in the 1980s-set "Stranger Things" in the form of "Girls on Film."

Anniversaries

It was a big year for Duran album anniversaries, with “Rio” hitting its 35th, “Notorious” its 30th, and “Medazzaland” its 20th, among others. It was a good reminder of the lasting impact of “Rio,” the Nile Rodgers-produced grooves of “Notorious," and the groundbreaking “Medazzaland,” which heralded the future of the music industry with the first digitally sold single. More milestones loom: a 25th anniversary next year for “The Wedding Album,” and in 2019-20, Duran itself will celebrate its 40-year mark. Nick says the band will "start some new recordings in the studio" in 2018 and has "a lot of things we are planning" for Duran's 40th.

Photo by Christopher Windle