Duran Duran puts on a true celebration for Steelhouse Omaha's anniversary—and Duranies alike

More than 35 years after Duran Duran last played Omaha (and over 13 years since my last general-admission Duran show), the band returned for an electrifying concert to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Steelhouse Omaha on May 17.

The show, from the atmospheric opening song “Night Boat” to the obligatory closer “Rio,” was indeed a celebration for everyone. This included the contingent of Duranies who had waited outside the venue through blazing sun and fierce wind for over 12 hours and the well-heeled Omahans who filled the balcony (which was closed to the public for a private party).

Though the private event was likely the reason that Duran had finally returned to the city, the public jumped at the chance to see the band in a small venue and filled the floor entirely. Around noon, we joined the queue outside, which included a couple of dozen fans, some who had lined up at 6 a.m. Before the doors opened at 7 p.m., the line had snaked around the building. 

Once the doors opened, just like in that famous scene from “Sing Blue Silver,” fans ran up to the stage, where they formed a barrier of sorts—the most pleasant spot to take in a Duran concert. The die-hards, having spent the major part of a day holding their places in the queue and sparking up conversations with each other, made sure that everyone’s area was secure near the stage. Until the band began playing, the crowd even parted to make a pathway for fans to come and go through the growing throng of concertgoers. (You could say it’s a union of sorts.)

Yet once the show started, it was only about Duran Duran. The band, fresh off headlining the Cruel World festival, chose to open again with “Night Boat,” reworked for last year’s Danse Macabre album. Then there were favorites like “The Wild Boys,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” and “Notorious,” which managed to get the people seated in the balcony onto their feet. 

But it was “Black Moonlight,” a single off the latest album, which started the heart of the show. Singer Simon Le Bon donned sunglasses as the occult-tinged video played on the screen above him. The band then launched into the classic track “Lonely in Your Nightmare” mixed with Rick James’ “Superfreak” (also from Danse Macabre). The Future Past single “Invisible” followed, reintroduced to the set list after young Metal Gear Solid fans gave the track new life on streaming services nearly three years after its official release. “Friends of Mine” and “Careless Memories,” perhaps Duran’s best live songs, closed out the exhilarating run.

Le Bon got serious for just a moment to dedicate “Ordinary World” to victims of war, whether Palestinians, Israelis, or Ukrainians. From there, the set list was mostly familiar territory for the average Duranie, filled with crowd-pleasers like “Planet Earth,” “White Lines,” and “The Reflex.” For me, it was a chance to admire John Taylor’s proficiency on bass and Nick Rhodes’ suit, black flecked with a yellow design—as stylish as ever. Duran added a too-short snippet of its disco-esque cover of “Psycho Killer” to “Girls on Film” to close out the main set list. By the time the band performed its now-standard encore of “Save a Prayer” and “Rio,” it was clear that the show had it all: Big hits for the casual fans and special moments for the Duranies (including a chant of “Roger! Roger! ... ” for Roger Taylor, the man behind the kit).

But what was most special: seeing and hearing my favorite band, once more close and clear—a real rarity for a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame act.

All photos by Karen Duran and Christopher Windle

Duran Duran’s ‘spontaneous’ new project starts to take shape

Duran Duran’s latest studio effort, described as a Halloween-themed project, is taking shape.

Members of the band say the project will include old and new Duran songs, as well as covers, according to recent media interviews. The idea for the project was sparked by the band’s successful show last Halloween.

In Las Vegas on Oct. 31, the Durans donned costumes and played songs a bit on the spooky side, including “Night Boat,” “Secret Oktober,” and a medley of “Lonely In Your Nightmare” and “Super Freak.” The band has since added the latter to its set list.

Duran also played covers at the show, including the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” and Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Spellbound.” In a short interview on Duran Duran Future Past Radio, Nick Rhodes revealed that the band has recorded a version of “Spellbound” that would be out in a bit. Guitarist Andy Taylor, who features on the project, has called the Siouxie cover “particularly great.”

Other covers reportedly in the mix: the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black,” The Specials’ “Ghost Town,” and Cerrone’s “Supernature.”

Also on the band’s Sirius XM channel, producer Nile Rodgers said he and Duran had just wrote a couple of songs together. In addition, the band spent time in the studio with “Paper Gods” producer Mr. Hudson, John Taylor says. The new songs, three in total, may or may not make the finished product, according to Taylor.

The project is “spontaneous,” Simon Le Bon told the NME, and the Halloween theme behind the new music is one that the singer says he had to be talked into.

Le Bon also spoke about his working relationship with Andy Taylor. Le Bon traveled to Ibiza this year to work with the guitarist, who has Stage 4 cancer. “Music is the king” in the room when the two are together, Le Bon said.

The fact that the band booked studio time before heading out on a summer tour bodes well for a planned Halloween 2023 release—though the specter of “Durantime” always looms.

The band’s North American tour kicks off this week in California with a performance at BottleRock Napa Valley and runs through September. Highlights along the way include two nights at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, and a closing show at Forest Hills Stadium in New York.

At top: Le Bon wore a “Queen Sioux” T-shirt onstage in Dallas last year. Now, Duran Duran has recorded a cover of a Siouxsie and the Banshees song.

Photo by Christopher Windle

Duran Duran Future Past Radio takes Sirius XM by storm

Duran Duran added yet another accolade to its collection with the debut of a radio channel dedicated solely to the band on Sirius XM.

Duran Duran Future Past Radio has been streaming on the Sirius app for a couple of weeks, but it was officially added to the satellite radio airwaves on May 18.

In honor of the channel’s first day on the air, Duran producer and superfan Nile Rodgers staged a celeb fan takeover. Rodgers, who described himself as “like the other dude in Duran Duran,” got the party started by playing Duran favorites and sharing stories from his more than 40 years as a friend of the band.

The streaming channel has been playing a slew of Duran fan favorites and rarities, songs as varied as “Winter Marches On” (played by its producer, Rodgers), “Ball of Confusion,” and even “Fragment” (a “Pop Trash” instrumental). Duran members’ faves are played as well; an atmospheric remix of Tame Impala’s “Is It True” worked particularly well before Duran’s own “Mediterranea.” Of course, all of the band’s biggest hits are represented, too.

Meantime, a grassroots campaign is brewing to make Future Past Radio a permanent fixture on Sirius. If you’re a Sirius subscriber, you can send feedback directly via the app. 

As one longtime Duranie says, “Let’s do a RRHOF fan vote and tell Sirius to make Future Past Radio permanent.” Last year, Duranies made a huge difference by scoring Duran a decisive first-place finish in the fan poll and helping propel the band into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame.

So send your positive feedback via the app or the link here!

Review: Duran Duran leans in to future, past in Fort Worth

 

As Duran Duran took the stage to the strains of "Velvet Newton" and launched into "The Wild Boys" in Texas on Aug. 30, it was a culmination of a more than six-year wait between live shows.

For me, the "Future Past" tour opener was how it was supposed to start. A week and a half prior, the ill-fated show in my home state of Minnesota was canceled at the last minute due to storms. The show at Dickie's Arena in Fort Worth was a pivot, and one that definitely proved to be worthwhile.

Chic opened the show masterfully, drawing the solidly numbered crowd to their spots in the 14,000-seat arena. Nile Rodgers and his band of skilled musicians put on a tour de force of Chic songs and assorted hits from the songwriter/superproducer's past. Everything from Diana Ross, Madonna, Bowie and Daft Punk was played. Rodgers always gets the party started for his brothers in Duran Duran.

Duran also rarely disappoints live, but there was something different this time. There seemed to be a new energy behind the band, now soon-to-be-inducted members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"The Wild Boys" was a commanding burst of energy, aided by video-game like onscreen graphics in which the band members seemed to dance in and out of the fire. New graphics were also employed during "Hungry Like the Wolf" before the band played its first two songs off "Future Past." "Invisible" is always a solid live track, and “All of You" a pleasant add to the set list (though Simon Le Bon flubbed the first line of the chorus).

Le Bon sounded mostly in top form, only straining a bit on some high notes during "All of You" and "A View to a Kill." Le Bon, wearing a "Queen Sioux" T-shirt from Punk Masters and the beginnings of "Le Beard," was an energetic presence onstage. Between songs, he joked about how the neighboring city of Dallas was "booted and suited," while Fort Worth was more laid-back, though he was willing to give Dallas a shout-out later in the show.

Duran also played "Notorious," but this time without Rodgers, who joined the band onstage at prior shows. "Come Undone" was a showcase for backup singer Anna Ross, while Rachael O'Connor shined on the "Future Past" single "Give It All Up."

But the show really took off as Duran leaned in to nostalgia, playing a few "old friends" that compelled the crowd to dance and sing along. "Union of the Snake," "Friends of Mine" and the cracking "Careless Memories" may be the holy trinity of the "Future Past" tour. "Union" is a recent welcome addition to the set list, a song that's too often overlooked. "Friends of Mine" pointed to the band's upcoming Halloween shows in Las Vegas with clips from Hammer's "Dracula" playing on the screen above.

The band slowed things down with "Ordinary World" and a heartfelt dedication to the people of Ukraine. It was well-received in Fort Worth, where Duran seemingly could do no wrong with the audience, even when playing its newest and perhaps weakest single off "Future Past," "Tonight United."

"Planet Earth" led into "Hold Back the Rain" as images from Duran's early days flashed onscreen. The sound and vision brought fans back to when the Fab Five "were a gang, a SWAT team, best friends," as Nick Rhodes writes in the "Future Past" tour book. "Nothing seemed out of reach." 

As expected, Duran saved its biggest hits and a crowd-pleaser for last. "The Reflex" had the audience singing and dancing with abandon, and it made no difference that "White Lines" wasn't a Duran song. The band and an impressive Dom Brown made the song their own, on this night, at least.

"Girl on Film" closed the main set with a batch of fresh graphics and a segue into the Calvin Harris hit "Acceptable in the '80s." The encore of "Save a Prayer" and "Rio" delivered what the crowd wanted. Those songs may seem a bit stale to some diehard Duranies, but seeing them performed live restored faith in this band.

Over the past decade, Duran Duran has evolved into a Hall of Fame-caliber act whose music now belongs to a wider audience than the band enjoyed even during its heyday. Duran must continually straddle the line between its future and its past, its best-known songs and its fan favorites. The band manages to accomplish all that, and does it exceedingly well. See it, and believe it.

All photos by Christopher Windle

It means so much: Duran Duran is in at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The wait is over: Duran Duran will finally be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year.

And at least one former member will be present at the ceremony: Andy Taylor, the guitarist has confirmed.

After passing the 25-year mark of eligibility more than 15 years ago, Duran scored its first nomination in February. The band then proceeded to dominate the fan vote, ultimately finishing with 934,880 votes, more than 250,000 ahead of second-place finisher Eminem.

On Nov. 5, Duran will join the hall along with Eminem, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics, Dolly Parton, Lionel Ritchie, and Carly Simon, along with others in the honorary award categories, including fellow performer nominee Judas Priest.

And now another wait begins: to see how Duran present themselves on the big night. Former guitarists Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo are to be inducted along with the core four Durans. 

In an interview with Rolling Stone, frontman Simon Le Bon said that he “already had a definite yes from Andy” and that “I'm pretty sure Warren will want to do it.” 

The original band will reunite “for one night only (& what a night it will be),” Taylor shared on social media. “I had a brief chat with SLB the other day, everyone is genuinely thrilled & excited.”

The band members will have to let any bygones be bygones on the night, but a performance from all six could be a big moment for Duran and its legacy.

And it's clear that the band members are elated about their pending induction.

After Duran's decisive win in the fan vote, keyboardist Nick Rhodes said that “it's a real thrill that we've won this vote and it will mean equally as much to us as if we make it through to the award.” 

Le Bon also weighed in on the massive outpouring from the fans. “I think it just kept the attention on us,” he told Rolling Stone. “I think that probably had some kind of sway when it came to the actual votes.” 

Indeed, the top five finishers in the fan vote will be inducted this year. Save for Eminem, the ceremony will definitely have an '80s flavor, with the other five nominees arguably having their biggest impact during that decade.

But it was Duran that ruled them all in the fan vote. The ceremony will be another chance to prove any doubters wrong.

The battle for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fan vote: Duran Duran dominance, allegations of stolen votes and fan alliances

Duran Duran took the lead in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fan vote, topping rapper Eminem a day after his high-profile Super Bowl halftime show performance, no less, and it didn't take long for things to get ugly.

After overcoming a 20,000-vote deficit, Duran fell behind again. Apparently, Eminem fans were starting to get angry (his music skews angry, after all). Some Duran fans reported being unable to log their daily votes after a list of emails was gleaned from a Facebook group. But Duranies rocked on: They started voting at 12:01 a.m. each day.

Then came the allegations against Duranies: that fans were forming alliances with the fan bases of acts like BTS, Taylor Swift, and One Direction. Twitter posts indicate there is a small movement to support a pop/rock band over a rapper for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but it's unclear if Duranies played any role in encouraging those fan bases.

Now, Eminem fans, or "Stans," as they call themselves, are calling out Duran fans for using multiple email addresses to cast votes. But the rules seem clear: "Enter a valid email address" to "cast one ballot per day." Email addresses must be verified, a rule likely aimed at preventing bots from voting. Using more than a few different email addresses to vote daily is possible. However, the potential for one person to vote from multiple emails is likely why the fan vote counts for so little in the overall scheme of things.

If there's one thing that's clear, it's that Duranies are loyal. They ask their families, friends, and others to vote for the band daily. They remind their fellow fans to vote daily. 

The honor of even being nominated to the rock hall has been a long time coming: Duran has been eligible for several years. Duranies are going to make this nomination count, even if we play just a small role in its outcome.

The battle is moving past Eminem, though it was never about him. It's about showing the world how much Duran Duran matters. The next goal: getting the most votes. We're at nearly half a million with about two months to go. Let's continue to rock the vote: 

https://vote.rockhall.com/en/.

Duran Duran leads Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fan vote after scoring first nomination

Duran Duran has finally been nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, more than 40 years after the band's debut album. 

And a sweet side note on Valentine’s Day: Duran has taken the lead in the fan vote.

Duran long ago crossed the 25-year threshold of eligibility, as it was deemed a "mascara" band, doomed to be passed over by the hall (something I wrote about in 2016). But times have changed. In addition to Duran's 2022 nomination, other overlooked '80s bands like Depeche Mode and the Cure have been inducted, along with Duran heroes Roxy Music, who Simon Le Bon and John Taylor inducted themselves. 

Duran has also continued to stay relevant, releasing a critically praised new album, “Future Past,” last year.

If Duran makes the cut as a first-time nominee, Le Bon, Taylor, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor, as well as departed guitarists Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo, are to be inducted, according to Rolling Stone magazine.

A turning of the tide at the rock hall may have taken place when Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner stepped aside as the hall's chairman and was replaced by MTV co-founder John Sykes. Since then, the influence of Duranies like Nile Rodgers and Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield has also risen. 

Duran's "army of fans" is making a difference in the fan voting. After the band's nomination, Le Bon thanked fans from "around the world" for their unwavering support over four decades.

Fans can vote once a day, and their top five favorites will make up a fans' ballot that will count toward a vote in the overall contest.

Duranies, instead of feeling resignation over the band being passed over another year, are now speculating whether Andy Taylor and/or Cuccurullo will join their old bandmates if they are indeed inducted. But that may be a better discussion for another day. For now, Duranies can continue to make a small difference in the outcome by taking a moment each day to vote for their favorite band.

So keep voting, now until April 29, here.

Duran Duran and Roxy Music

There is perhaps no band on planet Earth that has influenced Duran Duran as much as Roxy Music.

Nick Rhodes and John Taylor were Roxy fan boys before they formed a band themselves. Taylor wrote about those heady days of glam-rock fandom in his autobiography, "In the Pleasure Groove," telling readers how he once kept hold of a Champagne cork that Roxy's driver fetched for him from the band's limo.

Therefore, it's quite fitting that Taylor and Simon Le Bon will induct Roxy Music into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 29. Though the news hasn't been confirmed by the hall, Taylor spilled the beans on a recent episode of "Jonesy's Jukebox."

Taylor's love for the band is longstanding: In 1999, he spearheaded a Roxy tribute album, "Dream Home Heartaches: Remaking/Remodeling Roxy Music." The album featured Taylor performing "Just Another High" (a song he was born to sing), David Gahan of Depeche Mode covering "A Song for Europe," and Melissa Etheridge singing backing vocals.

Roxy's original members, including Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno, were true glam-rock innovators. It's high time that the band was inducted into the rock hall.

Roxy was a band before its time, sounding a lot like Duran would sound a decade or more later. The influence on Duran can be heard on tracks like "Both Ends Burning." It's all there: the affected vocals, the galloping bass, the keyboards, the sax.

It's hard to believe that Duran only covered Roxy once, playing "Virginia Plain" live to segue into "Rio." Maybe Roxy is just that untouchable.

At month's end, Taylor and Le Bon will be there as their influencers are finally recognized. Though Duran has also been overlooked by the rock hall, it makes sense that the musicians that had the biggest impact on the band get their due before Duran itself.

Duran's biggest champion, Nile Rodgers, no doubt played a role in the decision to induct Roxy Music, and Duran could follow soon.

In the meantime, Duranies can enjoy seeing Taylor and Le Bon share in the joy of honoring their musical heroes with the rest of the rock community.

At top: Duran Duran takes a Roxy Music stance in an "Astronaut"-era photo. (Epic)

Duran Duran and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

I truly believe Duran Duran deserves a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But as year after year passes since the band gained eligibility, Duran doesn’t seem to be on a fast track to get in. And I have my doubts about the importance of being inducted at all.

But the tide may have started turning in Duran's favor with the recent nomination of Depeche Mode. There is no guarantee that the group will get in, but nevertheless, Depeche is a Duran contemporary who also makes synth music. There has been the thought that overlooked bands like Depeche, The Cure, and Duran would continue to be overlooked. But now there is a glimmer of hope.

I believe Duran should be inducted based on its contribution to music video alone. But Duran doesn't make the kind of music favored for a quick induction. Duran is perceived as a pop band that has a mostly female fan base. The rock hall clearly prefers "manly," meat-and potatoes rock 'n' roll.

Some of the groups that inspired Duran's music, Roxy Music, Kraftwerk, and Chic among them, aren't even in the hall. (Though Kraftwerk and Chic did make the list of nominees this year.)

Duran has seemingly garnered every other honor over the years: Grammys, VMAs, EMAs, Brit Awards, Ivor Novello awards, Q Icon and lifetime achievement awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But a spot in the hall of fame seems illusive.

So why even bother worrying about it? Duran’s beloved Sex Pistols rejected the band’s induction, with Johnny Rotten calling the hall of fame a “piss stain.” The Pistols also criticized the hall’s practice of requesting a five-figure fee for attending the ceremony. Needless to say, the punk legends didn’t show up on induction night.

It would be a pleasant surprise if Duran someday gets inducted. I’m sure the band members would be proud to share that honor with idols like David Bowie, The Beatles, and Lou Reed, who was inducted posthumously as a solo artist. 

Recently, there were a number of old-school members of the rock hall nominating committee who were dismissed. Duran champion Rob Sheffield is a voting member. Maybe now is the time for the “mascara bands” to be given a shot at induction. 

At top: Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf" is listed among the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll in a flier given to visitors at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the band has yet to be nominated despite crossing the 25-year mark of eligibility.