OK, sorry this is a little late. Today at work has been the day from hell, and operating on about 6 hours sleep over the last 48 hours isn't helping.
Here are the details of the Duran Duran show. First time in something like 18 years that all five original members have played on stage together. I think Live Aid (which celebrated its 18th anniversary on Sunday) may have been the last time. Anyway, it has also been about 18 years since I remember begging my parents to let me see DD in concert only to be told "no" again and again. There were several times last night when I wanted to stick my tongue out at the mental image of my parents and say, "So there! I finally got to see them!"
Anyway, here's the set list.
FRIENDS OF MINE (I missed half of this due to the fucking terrible LA traffic. It took me 90 minutes to drive 30 miles!)
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF
PLANET EARTH
COME UNDONE
WHAT HAPPENS TOMORROW (new)
NEW RELIGION
VIRUS
WHITE LINES
WAITING FOR THE NIGHT BOAT
STILL BREATHING
IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW
SAVE A PRAYER
ORDINARY WORLD
VIEW TO A KILL
REACH UP FOR THE SUNRISE (new)
NOTORIOUS
WILD BOYS
CARELESS MEMORIES
RIO
I swear there wasn't a single person who sat down at any time during the concert. The last two times I saw DD (with Warren - who frankly always gave me the creeps) were inside GA venues. I was front row and third row those times, but there's nothing like looking out over an outdoor arena and seeing thousands of people all clapping, waving or dancing together. I enjoyed watching the crowd when the lights were up. There's also something very intense about being with thousands of people who are all singing "And you wanted to dance, so I asked you to dance..." together. It just gave such a great atmosphere. Anyway....
Here's a few notes on the band and show.
Simon looks like he's lost weight since I saw them two years ago. His little belly roll is gone. John, on the other hand, should eat a cheeseburger or six. His arms are skinnier than mine. But he looks darn good. Great hair. Roger looks more like Corey Heart (Sunglasses at Night) than he ever did. Andy, hmmmmm, he never did much for me back in the day, and he still doesn't.He wore dark glasses and I swear he looked like Roy Orbison. An old Roy Orbison. I was always more of a Simon and Nick girl, so it's nice to see that they still look good.
Simon's voice was a little sharp sometimes. Not the best I've heard his voice. But honestly, I don't think any of the fans cared. The vibe, knowing that all five were together, was electric.
Very simple set/stage. Had some images or swirling lights on a big screen behind them for a couple of songs. During Careless Memories they played quick clips of all their old videos and it was very cool.
During Come Undone they had the female verses pre-programmed and the sound was very shrill. It set my teeth on edge. Remember Scream? Think shriller. Kind of ruined a beautiful song.
I'd say that Wild Boys got the crowd going the most crazy. I was surprised at that. It's a good song, but I didn't realize it was so beloved. But, I know that most DD fans hate hearing the same old Rio, Reflex, etc. just like some of us could do without Fields of Gold for the umpteenth time.
Careless Memories rocked. It was amazing.
The band seemed to be having fun, especially John.
The new songs are good, especially Reach Up for the Sunrise, which could be a hit, given half a chance, which it won't be given in today's radio.
During Rio, I think, a girl from the audience jumped on stage and ran full steam at Simon. She looked like she was going to tackle him. It reminded me of when my 120 pound dog runs right for my legs at 55 MPH when she knows I'm going to take her for a walk. I always pray "Just don't take my knees out." Anyway, this girl weighed more than 120, and she was reaching out to grab Simon in a huge bear hug. OUT OF NOWHERE, a security guard runs for her and grabs her around the waist in mid-air as she was jumping for Simon. It was an incredible catch. He swung her around and ran off stage. The crowd went wild. It was like a fingertip catch in the end zone with 5 seconds left in the Super Bowl. It was that kind of nab.
The whole concert was high energy. I think some of the songs had a little harder edge. More bass and guitar.
God, I hope they add some more dates. I did some incredibly stupid things to see this show (spent way too much money, took too many hours off work at a time when I REALLY shouldn't have, spent too many hours on the road, got too little sleep, and stayed in a icky hotel room that reeked of smoke). But I would do it all again. It was two hours of joy. I think because it was a teenage dream finally come true. I go to a lot of concerts, but there was something special about this one for me.
Maggie
