03 June 2016 (gig)
09 June 2016
We're here at the Eden Project to watch Duran Duran's contribution to BBC Music Day.
Izzy Bizu and Laura Mvula have warmed up the anxious and excited crowd beautifully but it's the Wild Boys we're all waiting to see!
Duran Duran kicked off with new song Paper Gods which was very catchy, they had a great backdrop video with a black and white wood which felt like you were moving through it.
Simon Le Bon and the rest of the band do not look that much different than they did from the 80's, Simon was wearing white jeans with black and white biker style leather jacket and a t-shirt underneath with a big mouth and scary teeth. They all look like have taken care of themselves looking trim and fit! It's a shame Andy Taylor has parted company with the band he was replaced by a younger guitarist. Simon and John Taylor had a great connection while they were preforming clearly enjoying themselves, Nick Rhodes on keyboards and Roger Taylor on drums were in the background slightly but on a higher stage. Simon's voice was effortless and is just as good as it ever was in the 80's.
The backing singers were extremely energetic, John got more energetic as the night went on.
The majority of the crowd were in their 40's and 50's obviously fans from back in the day! There was not very much interaction with the crowd but this could have been due to filming the show for the BBC.
The Wild Boys track had fire bursting upwards from the stage on each chorus which was dramatic with a big freaky face behind the band on the screen. They mixed up their 80's hits with new songs. The cover version of White Lines got the crowd jumping it was a good cover although I would have liked to have heard Please Please Tell Me Now, a huge hit from the 80's for them, rather than a cover. New song Pressure Off was a great song especially with the backing singers.
The crowds loved tributes to David Bowie and Prince, a section of Space Oddity was played during Planet Earth (with David Bowie looking down from the back screen behind them), they did a great job of it. The stage lit up purple during Save A Prayer for Prince and reference was made to Little Red Corvette at the end of the song. Save A Prayer was my highlight of the night, absolutely phenomenal, and with everyone's lights on their mobiles like little stars in the crowd it was beautiful, and great to see it on the big screen on the stage. It would have been good to have large side screens showing the stage for those of us near the back instead of the words Duran Duran on screens at each side.
Simon had a wardrobe change for the last two songs, snazzy union jack design jacket and a t-shirt with 1978 on it, the year Duran Duran were formed.
To finish off was Rio which the crowd lapped up.
We are very very lucky to have Duran Duran still together (almost, aside from Andy Taylor) and performing and sounding magnificent. I was blown away by the old 80's songs and the new songs were great too. The Eden Project as a venue was fantastic, with the biomes in the background lit up, it was beautiful!
SETLIST
Paper Gods
The Wild Boys
Hungry Like the Wolf
A View to a Kill
Come Undone
Last Night in the City
What Are the Chances?
Notorious
Pressure Off
Planet Earth/Space Oddity
Ordinary World
I Don't Want Your Love
White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)
(Reach Up for the) Sunrise / New Moon on Monday
Danceophobia
Too Much Information
Girls on Film
Save a Prayer [Dedicated to Prince Little Red Corvette snippet]
Rio
