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's top moments of 2021

Duran Duran came back from its pandemic-induced hiatus in a big way in 2021 with a new album, a smattering of live shows, and some of its best reviews in years.

The return of this list, a year-end tradition, was doubtful when the year started quietly for the band. There was new music, a cover of David Bowie's "Five Years," but not original music.

But come May, the band's 15th studio album was in view, with a fresh new single and television appearances.

"Future Past" finally materialized in October. The album boasts four of five original members, a pedigreed guitarist in Graham Coxon of Blur, and a curated selection of musical guests. The album’s three singles, "Invisible," "Anniversary," and "Give It All Up," all made the BBC Radio 2 A-list. But those weren’t the standout tracks on “Future Past.” Just some of the highlights: the effervescent "All Of You," the majestic "Wing," and the funky "Hammerhead." Read the review.

U.K. love: Radio 2 had a field day with Duran in 2021. In addition to the playlisted singles and naming "Future Past" its album of the week, the station also aired a two-part "Duran 40" radio show in the spring. Radio 2 and Duran seemed in lockstep, the station's support fueling sales. Then, after "Future Past" debuted at No. 3 on the U.K. Billboard chart, Radio 2 featured the band on "In Concert." The album has lingered in the U.K. charts since.

DuranLive: There weren't a ton of live shows during 2021, but Duran played when it could. The band went on a mini-tour of the U.K., performing at the Scarborough Open Air Theatre, at the Isle of Wight Festival, and in their hometown of Birmingham over two nights at the O2 Institute. The band also played the Austin City Limits Festival in the U.S. 

On the agenda so far for next year: a 40th-anniversary bash in Ibiza, Rock in Rio Lisboa, and the pandemic-delayed Hyde Park gig, among others.

At top, band member portraits from the deluxe edition of "Future Past."

The Fixx rocks Omaha ahead of tour postponement

British new wave icons the Fixx delivered a set list of highlights from its 40-plus-year career at the Waiting Room in Omaha on Nov. 16, and the crowd showed up to party like it was 2019. 

The people in attendance were luckier than they knew, it turns out. The band has since postponed its remaining tour dates due to "unforeseen circumstances."

The last show reviewed for this blog came exactly one year and nine months ago. Since then, of course, a pandemic has wracked the globe and the touring industry. Bands have started touring again, but in fits and starts. Just days ago, Fixx contemporaries the Psychedelic Furs canceled a tour due to "unforeseen circumstances," which ended up being COVID-19. 

The Fixx had been taking novel precautions against COVID, telling NPR that the band members would forgo a green room and sequester on the tour bus, with no visitors allowed, when playing venues that didn't require proof of vaccination or masks.

In Omaha, the venue appeared packed to capacity, with nary a mask in sight and no vaccination checks.

Still, the Fixx were there to show that it's a real-deal rock band that sounds as good as ever. After opening with "Touch," the band launched into its early '90s top 40 hit, "How Much is Enough?" The crowd sang along to songs like "Are We Ourselves?" and "Deeper and Deeper."

The Fixx were making socially conscious music before it became fashionable in the mid-'80s. But the band always delivered its whip-smart lyrics with a catchy hook and a danceable beat. 

The Fixx exists in its classic lineup more than four decades into its career, and that's a rarity. Frontman Cy Curnin, the rock star face of the band, sounds terrific. Guitarist Jamie West-Oram and Rupert Greenwall on keyboards are backed by the fantastic rhythm section of Adam Woods and Dan K. Brown.

There's a confidence in a band that's played together so long. The Fixx unleashed its top five hit "One Thing Leads to Another" just two-thirds of the way into its set list. More '80s radio staples followed: "Stand or Fall," "Driven Out" and "Red Skies," before the band gathered at the front of the stage for a triumphant bow.

For the encore, two more hits, "Saved by Zero" and "Secret Separation," were paired with a new song, the timely "Wake Up." That song was well-received by the crowd, but one couldn't help but notice that a nasty concert habit has survived the pandemic. Maybe it's an outdated belief, but there was a time when talking loudly throughout a performance was disrespectful and rude. Thankfully, the band's playing and appreciative crowd members singing along drowned out the chatter most of the time.

It's something to be thankful for: A rock show that goes on during this fraught time. As the Fixx says, stay safe out there.

All photos by Christopher Windle

New record review: Duran Duran 'Future Past'

Forty years passed: It's a time to reflect, and Duran Duran's anniversary effort, "Future Past," finds the ever forward-looking band willing to embrace just a bit of nostalgia.

Duran Duran means a lot to its fans. And it means different things to different Duranies, whether they prefer the original Fab Five and its first three studio masterstrokes, or the early '90s hitmakers propelled by a new guitarist and new energy.

But what does Duran Duran mean in 2021? Its music is definitely electronic. And the band is definitely still reaching for a hit, but perhaps not so obviously as in recent incarnations. 

The band's 15th studio album, "Future Past" (Tape Modern/BMG), boasts four of five original members, a pedigreed guitarist in Graham Coxon of Blur, and a curated selection of musical guests.

"Future Past" opens with "Invisible," the album's first release, a funk-pop jam that may be its strongest single. From there, the lyrical love letter "All Of You" gives way to the album's best track featuring a guest artist, "Give It All Up," with its swirling synths and singer Tove Lo's voice melding seamlessly with Simon Le Bon's.

The celebratory mood of the album truly kicks in with "Anniversary," a musically infectious single befitting of a 40th-anniversary bash. Le Bon almost spoils the party by over-singing the chorus. While Le Bon has still got it vocally four decades in, he shines in a lower register, as on the title track, a ballad that warms like a fireplace on a cold winter day.

Despite some killer John Taylor bass lines, Roger Taylor's best drumming in years, and Coxon's contributions, the album is nearly as electronic as its predecessor. But "Future Past" has a welcome warmness that's missing from "Paper Gods," likely thanks to Nick Rhodes' analog synths and Le Bon's ever-recognizable vocals. 

The exception may be the tracks produced by Giorgio Moroder. "Beautiful Lies" and "Tonight United" have Moroder's fingerprints all over them. "Beautiful Lies" is the better effort; "Tonight United" is an unapologetic grab for the pop music masses with its basic but unifying lyrics, and not a lick of guitar. 

The album veers back into pop-rock territory with "Wing," a darkly gorgeous ballad featuring Mark Ronson on guitar. Ronson's production talents are sadly missing from the album. But Erol Alkan competently steers the ship, even encouraging the band to take chances without alienating its core fanbase.

The album winds down with a couple such surprises. "Hammerhead" includes a brief and subtle rap by Ivorian Doll; "More Joy" features Japanese punk group Chai adding a dash of chanting to a piece of pure Duran pop. The album closes in classic Duran fashion with a dreamy ballad, "Falling," featuring Bowie keyboardist Mike Garson on piano and some funky bass.

"Future Past" is a consistent and pleasing effort, and like its singles, is sure to pay off in repeated listens. Years in the making, the album may have benefited from a pandemic-induced break in recording. Rhodes recently discussed how the band revisited the material with fresh ears after that time away. The album then seemed to materialize quickly, at least in the scope of Durantime. 

Whether all Duranies will enjoy "Future Past" will be a matter for debate. But as Le Bon sings on "All Of You": "We are music lovers, this much we've learnt." And for most Duranies, there should be a lot to love on "Future Past."

Duran Duran Appreciation Day points to big things ahead

This year, Duran Duran Appreciation Day is focused on the future, namely the band’s 15th studio album, “Future Past.”

The annual holiday celebrating Duran Duran was bookended with big pieces of album news. The band released the second single from the album, “More Joy,” last week, as well as revealing the album’s track listing. On Thursday, a video for “More Joy” is due to be released.

In addition to first single “Invisible,” “More Joy,” and “Give It All Up” (which was performed by the band on “Today,” minus the vocals of singer Tove Lo), the album’s 12 tracks include some surprises. 

“Hammerhead” features a rapper, Ivorian Doll. The song with Bowie pianist Mike Garson is called “Falling.” And the contribution of Mark Ronson, save for possible collaborations on forthcoming bonus tracks, is limited to “Wing,” on which he co-writes and plays.

As for “More Joy,” the response has been positive. The curious inclusion of all-girl Japanese punk group Chai, in the end, seems spot on for the song. “More Joy” turns out to be a slice of pure Duran pop with just a sprinkle of Chai’s chants in the background. 

In addition to the “More Joy” video out this week, Duran posted a “Behind the Scenes” montage for DDAD. The short video includes clips of the band, guitarist Graham Coxon, and producer Erol Alkan in the studio, plus commentary from Coxon and Nick Rhodes. 

“It’s always good to give Duran Duran deadlines,” Rhodes says in the video. Indeed it is. “Future Past” is due out Oct. 22.