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.

Duran Duran and David Bowie

It has been a week since the death of David Bowie, and tributes to the musical icon keep pouring in. So I thought I would add mine to the mix, filtered through the eyes of a Duran Duran fan.

Duran Duran would not exist without Bowie. Nick Rhodes himself said it last week.

Duran would cover Bowie numerous times over the years: "Fame," "Diamond Dogs," "Rebel Rebel," "Boys Keep Swinging," "Starman" (above) and "TVC 15.” Duran, already a well-established musical act at that time, even opened for Bowie on the 1987 Glass Spider tour.

Bowie, along with Roxy Music, is one of Duran's cited idols whose influence can be heard strongly in the music. Duran always name drops the Sex Pistols and Chic. Nile Rodgers of Chic would produce and even tour with Duran over the years, and he produced Bowie, as well. But aside from the Sex Pistols' punk aesthetic of picking up an instrument and playing it even without formal training or Chic's four-on-the-floor rhythm section, there aren't as many similarities among Duran and the two bands.

There are shades of Bowie on the first Duran album ("Fame" was a B-side to "Careless Memories"), in Simon Le Bon's sublime vocal on "New Moon On Monday" and in lyrics on Duran releases up to "Paper Gods."

Bowie's focus on image and reinvention is a big part of Duran's legacy as well. While Duran's changes haven't been as spectacular as Bowie's, the band's musical styles have shifted from New Romantic to new wave to funk to electronic and more over the years.

Bowie's influence was echoed this week by superfans Rhodes and John Taylor. As the band gets ready for a North American tour with Chic (who performed "Let's Dance" during the 2015 U.S. shows), fans already are anticipating a Duran/Rodgers tribute to Bowie during the next round of concerts. It would be a fitting goodbye from Duranies.

Duran Duran's top moments of 2015

Duran Duran returned with a vengeance in 2015, releasing a new album, touring the U.S. and U.K., and raking in the awards. Here are the band's top moments from the past year:

 

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Bow to the 'Paper Gods'

Duran released "Paper Gods" in September, and the album would debut at No. 10 on the Billboard albums chart, the biggest chart entry for Duran since 1993's "The Wedding Album." The album also received some great reviews, mine among them, as I was honored to receive a digital copy from Warner Brothers weeks before its official release. Duran collected the Q ICON Award and an EMA Visionary Award following the "Paper Gods" success.

 

'Pressure Off' single and video

For the song "Pressure Off," released as a single in June, Nile Rodgers and Mark Ronson put a modern spin on Duran Duran, bringing in R&B's Janelle Monae to share the vocal with Simon Le Bon. Later in the year, the band followed up with a classy black and white video directed by Nick Egan. For every new face Duran brought into the fold, there were longtime collaborators like Rodgers, Ronson and Egan there to remind fans this was still classic Duran.

 

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New recording contract

Amidst all the excitement about the new music, Duran had once again signed to a major label, reuniting with its back catalog after learning that Warner Brothers UK had bought those rights. With that comes the exciting prospect that Warner could release some gems from the DD vault. There was another rerelease of the "Rio" album in 2015, but many fans are hoping to see rereleases of more recent albums like "The Wedding Album."

 

Photo by Christopher Windle

Tour dates in the U.S. and U.K.

Duran completed only a minitour of the United States in 2015, but the band made it count, playing high-profile festival dates and large venues such as Hollywood Bowl and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. I was there for the majesty of Red Rocks, and it was a show that topped all other Duran shows for someone who has seen the band 18 times in different iterations over the years. In the U.K., a pre-Christmas tour wowed fans. The band pulled out surprises such as "Only In Dreams," "Love Voodoo" and "New Moon On Monday."

More tour dates loom next year, as Duran brought the year to a close by announcing North American dates next spring and summer. Reviews of the St. Paul and Kansas City shows will be among those appearing here next year!

 

TFI Friday

'Save A Prayer' for Paris

One of the great moments of 2015 was Duran's response to a tragedy. After terrorists attacked Paris, including a concert by the band Eagles of Death Metal, fans rallied with a campaign to get the band's cover version of Duran's "Save A Prayer" to the top of the U.K. charts. As sales of the digital song climbed, Duran announced that all proceeds would go to charity. Now, when Duran plays the song in its live encore, Le Bon dedicates the track to the victims of the attacks.

 

The influenced and the influencers

Duran Duran has influenced quite a few bands and artists over the years. One is Portland-Oregon's The Dandy Warhols. I could hear Duran's influence all over the band's "The Dandy Warhols Come Down" when I first heard it in 1997. In 2001, the Dandys released "Welcome to the Monkey House," produced by Duran's Nick Rhodes, and the circle was complete.

(All photos by Christopher Windle)

The Nov. 20 show in Iowa City was my fourth time seeing the Dandys, and the band always puts on a great show. It was the Dandys' first show in Iowa, and it was during a snowstorm no less, as singer Courtney Taylor asked the crowd, "Are we snowed in?"

The Dandys still managed to warm up the crowd with classics like "The Last High," "Bohemian Like You" and "Godless." Other highlights included the haunting ballads "And Then I Dreamt of Yes" and "Well They're Gone." Taylor livened up the slow burn of the show with the solo "Welcome to the Monkey House" and "Everyday Should be a Holiday," with the crowd singing along to both.

The band put a spin on "Monkey House's" "Plan A," with multi-instrumentalist Zia McCabe abandoning the keyboards for bass guitar. It was a totally different take on the synth-heavy album cut that featured vocals by Duran's Simon Le Bon. The Dandys closed with "Come Down's" "Boys Better," an excellent bookend to the opener, "Be In," off the same album.

And then there are the influencers. When Duran formed in 1978, there were a few musicians almost always mentioned as influences: David Bowie, Roxy Music, Chic...and the Sex Pistols. The members of Duran and the Sex Pistols' paths have crossed over the years. Most notably, guitarist Steve Jones formed the band Neurotic Outsiders with Duran bassist John Taylor and even played on most recent album "Paper Gods." Recently, both Duran and Sex Pistol's singer John Lydon's Public Image Ltd. shared the stage at "Later...with Jools Holland."

We caught PiL on tour in Nebraska the day before traveling to see the Dandys. PiL kept the show short and sweet in the smallest venue on its current tour. There was no opener for the show at Knickerbockers in Lincoln. Despite the relatively short set list, PiL played songs off most of its albums, and Lydon commanded the crowd despite feeling under the weather.

Recap: Oktober

Duran finally takes the “Pressure Off”

At long last, Duran Duran released the video for “Pressure Off” on Oct. 21, and it was worth the wait. Video director and longtime collaborator Nick Egan took to the Duran Duran Message Board to answer fans’ questions about the arty clip. Egan revealed that the video was inspired by Philippe Halsman’s photographs (hence all the jumping around) and that the logistics of getting the members of Duran, Nile Rodgers and Janelle Monae all in one place was a reason the release was delayed. What’s clear from the clip is that Simon, John, Roger and even Nick are having fun, their smiles shining bright even in black and white. The impact of the video remains to be seen. The stark, modern imagery and the fact that “Pressure Off” features faces more recently seen on music television (Monae and Rodgers, with Daft Punk) bode well.

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Awards roll in...again

Remember before and after the “Astronaut” album was released, when a newly reunited Duran couldn’t seem to not win a lifetime achievement award? Well, so far this year, Duran has both a Q ICON Award and an EMA Visionary Award under its collective belts. Duran co-conspirator Mark Ronson made an appearance with the band at the EMAs, and Charli XCX (she of “The Hunger Games” duet with Simon) presented the band with the Q honor. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is advertising “Paper Gods” for Grammy consideration. Hopefully, it’s a sign the awards rush won’t stop.

Duran Duran at Red Rocks, where they debuted
“What Are the Chances?” live. Photo by Christopher Windle.

Duran amps up Euro promotion

As Duran gears up for a pre-Christmas tour of the U.K., the band is in TV promotion mode, with recent appearances on “X Factor Italia” and “Later...With Jools Holland.” The live showcase the latter provides meant the band performed more than just “Pressure Off,” as live standout “What Are the Chances?” and classics “Notorious” and “Wild Boys” also were on display. U.S. fans can tune in to watch the show Nov. 5 on Palladia.

Duran Duran at Red Rocks

There are concerts that become touchstones in a person's life. When Duran Duran performed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre for the first time in its career on Sept. 20, it was clear that the show meant that much to both concertgoers and the band. Singer Simon Le Bon was moved to post to duranduran.com about the majesty of the venue, which he described as looking like the inside of some ancient alien spacecraft, and just what it was like to kick off the band's minitour in support of new album "Paper Gods" in such a place.

Besides the scenic, windswept backdrop for the show, there was more that made the night a special one. Chic featuring Nile Rodgers opened for Duran, easily becoming the best opening act in Duran's long career. Rodgers is not only a studio mastermind but a showman with a fantastic backing band. He kicked off the party with a number of the band's and his hits, from "Le Freak" and "Good Times" to David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and Chic's latest dance chart-topper, "I'll Be There."

Nile Rodgers snaps photos of opener Clean Bandit. (All of these awesome photos were taken by my wonderful husband, Christopher Windle.)

Cellphones lit up the night sky during Chic's cover of Rodgers' and Daft Punk's "Get Lucky."

Duran took the stage with aplomb, performing the opening title track "Paper Gods." It was one of five new songs the band played, including the live debut of the beautiful "What Are the Chances?" After "PG," Duran broke out hit after hit: "Hungry Like the Wolf," "A View to a Kill," "The Reflex," and "Come Undone," before playing the new ballad following "Last Night In the City."

Rodgers joined the band on stage for two of Duran's hits he had a hand in, "Notorious" and latest single "Pressure Off." Duran has another hit album on its hands, as Le Bon shared the news that "Paper Gods" debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard albums chart, the biggest chart entry for Duran since 1993's "The Wedding Album."

The hits kept coming: "Planet Earth," "Ordinary World" (even more moving in the setting of Red Rocks), "(Reach Up for the) Sunrise," and "Wild Boys." Duran made the new song "Dancephobia" better than the studio version by jumping straight into electro-fied versions of rare live track "Too Much Information" and "Girls On Film."

Duran came back for an encore of "White Lines," "Save a Prayer" and "Rio," closing out the show before an extremely appreciative crowd in a nearly full venue that fits more than 9,000 people. As Simon Le Bon said, Red Rocks "is a truly magical place," and Duran Duran proved to be the perfect fit.