Duran Duran's top moments of 2023

Duran Duran dansed into 2023 energized by the band’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame the previous year, connecting with old friends and its fans alike with live shows and a new album.

It all started with a promotional radio channel, the announcement of a North American tour with Chic and Bastille, and rumblings about a Halloween-themed project.

Future Past Radio

Duran added yet another accolade to its collection of honors with the debut of a radio channel dedicated solely to the band on Sirius XM. Duran Duran Future Past Radio started streaming on the Sirius app in May and was briefly part of the satellite station’s on-air lineup. The channel, meant to promote the Future Past U.S. tour, was extended into July after a campaign by Duranies to make it a permanent fixture.

DuranLive

In late August, Duran’s tour landed at Red Rocks Amphitheater outside Denver, which singer Simon Le Bon calls his favorite concert venue in the world. Monday’s show was fantastic and a true feat given the weather—rain followed by a drop in temperatures and fierce wind. Tuesday’s concert was very much a repeat performance, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind that the set list was the same. Read the review here.

‘Danse Macabre’

Two months later, there were plenty of surprises in store with the release of the album “Danse Macabre,” which arrived about two years after previous release “Future Past.” The band held listening parties across the U.S. for the album, which debuted at No. 4 in the the U.K. The new album features a confident-sounding band—one mature enough to invite both former guitarists back into the fold. The ambitious effort, featuring Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo, manages to make a collection of covers, reworkings of Duran classics, and new songs sound surprisingly cohesive. Read the review here. 

The Future

As another new year dawns, more new Duran releases loom, though it’s likely they’ll be from the vaults. Chief among them is “Reportage,” the lost Duran album shelved in favor of what became “Red Carpet Massacre.” Talk of finally releasing the band’s last full studio album with Taylor has been bandied about since he came back into the picture after Duran’s Rock Hall induction. A deluxe reissue of “The Wedding Album” and unreleased songs from the ’80s have also been mentioned. 

Amid the holiday season, Duran demos from 1980 surfaced online, suggesting that if the band doesn’t release the old music itself, there are always unofficial channels available.

At top, Duran wowed at Red Rocks in Denver 
on its Future Past U.S. tour.
Photo by Christopher Windle

At Red Rocks, Duran Duran lights up a majestic venue

As Duran Duran steered the mothership (let’s call it the HMS Night Boat) into Red Rocks, a venue that’s been likened to an ancient alien spaceship, the excitement was palpable for the two-night stand ahead.

Already, Nile Rodgers and Chic had masterfully navigated through its standard, though no less thrilling, set list. The Chic Organization is always a class act, even in pouring rain. On Monday, the band added one of Rodgers’ latest successes, Beyoncé’s “Cuff It,” to its string of hits by Chic and others who’ve been aided by the super-producer.

Storm clouds loomed over Red Rocks on Monday,
but Duran held back the rain for its set.
All photos by Christopher Windle.

Bastille followed, with singer Dan Smith seemingly humbled by the band’s spot on the bill between two legendary acts. The group had been sidelined for the previous show in Las Vegas but managed to admirably perform its dance-rock hits at a venue it had headlined a few years ago.

Then, there was Duran, landing at the amphitheater outside Denver, Colorado, that singer Simon Le Bon calls his favorite concert venue in the world. The band took the stage amid adoring roars from the crowd as “Velvet Newton” played, along with a video of their avatars controlling a spaceship landing in a “Bladerunner”-esque world. The opening song, a sublime reworking of “Night Boat,” couldn’t have been more perfect and gave Le Bon a chance to warm up his voice.

“The Wild Boys,” a spectacular opener for last year’s U.S. tour, followed, and then an array of huge hits: “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “A View to a Kill,” and “Notorious.” On this “Future Past” tour, only two songs from the album made the cut, “Give It All Up” and “Anniversary,” which sounded surprisingly good, even as the band bundled up against the cold wind and Le Bon swathed his neck in a scarf.

Looming amid all the excitement of the Red Rocks shows was the pending announcement of Duran’s new studio album, a Halloween-flavored effort titled “Danse Macabre.” The first single of the same name had just enjoyed its premier days after most fans had already heard the prematurely released/leaked song. Duran teased the opening of the song between bands and was even selling “Danse Macabre” T-shirts. 

But the new song wasn’t played live. Aside from “Night Boat,” the only song from the forthcoming album was “Super Lonely Freak.” The creepy singing doll and freaky dancing skeleton visuals certainly set a Halloween-time mood (and the weather was a bit fall-like, too).

The reworked “Rio”-era ballad ushered in the highlights of the show. “Is There Something I Should Know?” made its triumphant return to the set list, with teen magazine visuals to match. The aforementioned “Anniversary” was followed by “Friends of Mine” and “Careless Memories,” two of Duran’s best live songs, hands down.

Le Bon dedicated “Ordinary World” to the people of Ukraine and Maui, which was followed by fellow “Wedding Album” smash “Come Undone.” Then it was “Planet Earth” and “White Lines” (or for me, a chance to beat the line to the restroom). “The Reflex” and “Girls on Film” closed out the main set list. So many hits, so little time.

During the encore, thousands of cellphones lit up the majestic venue for “Save a Prayer,” a sight to behold. And “Rio” was the closing number that the vast majority of concertgoers came for.

Le Bon in silhouette. At top, “Save a Prayer.”

Monday’s show was fantastic and a true feat given the weather, rain followed by a drop in temperatures and fierce wind. I’d imagine that few in the crowd left unsatisfied.

And on Tuesday, it was a case of deja vu. There were a few differences. Chic and Bastille switched slots. Le Bon, bassist John Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor wore different shirts. Keyboardist Nick Rhodes went all out, dressed in a sparkly suit and donning a shiny conductor’s cap for the encore.

But the set list was exactly the same as at Monday’s show. There were a lot of repeat customers who likely noticed the similarities, too. It was the first time I opted to leave a Duran show early, joining the others who also wanted to beat traffic out of the venue. 

If there was any way to make two shows in a standout venue even more special, adding or swapping out a song would have done the trick.

It seems the only surprises in store will be those in the new music: a madcap single featuring guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, of all people. An album release two years after the last (Durantime be damned!). And the re-emergence of Andy Taylor in the Duraniverse. 

Still, it would have been nice to hear a new song.

Duran Duran Future Past Radio’s run extended. Are Duranies making a difference?

Duran Duran Future Past Radio will be available for at least another month on the Sirius XM app.

The channel was originally slated to end its run on the app on June 2 and had also been added to the satellite radio station’s on-air lineup for a week in May. Future Past Radio will now be available on the SXM App through July 4.

The channel is a celebration of Duran’s ongoing U.S. tour. Highlights so far have included three episodes of “Celeb Fan Takeover,” featuring Nile Rodgers, “The Goldbergs” actress Wendi McLendon Covey, and Bastille, an opening act on Duran’s summer tour along with Rodger’s Chic. The streaming channel has also been playing a mix of band and fan favorites, hits, and remixes, including Erol Alkan’s reworking of “All Of You.”

It’s not known whether further episodes of “Celeb Fan Takeover” are planned. And it’s also unclear whether a grassroots campaign by Duranies played a role in the monthlong extension for the channel. Fans have been clamoring for Sirius to make Future Past Radio a permanent part of its lineup.

Sirius subscribers can send feedback directly via the app. Or send your positive feedback via the link here! There are handy drop-down menu options. Just select “Music,” Rock,” and “Duran Duran Future Past” before submitting your message.

Photo by Christopher Windle