And Now For Something Completely Different!

I grew up in the 80s. I love the 80s. I am unashamed to still listen to Def Leppard, Rick Astley, A-Ha. My favorite tv shows were Webster, Charles in Charge, the Fraggles, Mr. Belvedere. I still adore John Hughes and especially "16 Candles". I wore Jelly bracelets and plastic charm bracelets. The 80s rocked.

So when I heard that Duran Duran (whom I affectionally call Duran Squared or Duran^2, no disrespect to "Barbarella") was reunited and coming to my hometown, I was stoked. Now granted, when the band had their first hit, I was only 5-6 and I didn't know them from the Care Bears. I wasn't allowed to listen to rock n' roll until 5th grade and I didn't have the older brother or sister who listened to them. The album that really got me into them was their Wedding Alblum (or Duran Duran 2), which came out when I was in high school.

I knew this would be a fun concert. But this was one of the best concerts I've ever seen. It was WICKED AWESOME! As much as I hate to say it, it was better even than the Annie Lennox & Sting concert last year (Annie I love you!). There was so much energy - so much love between the band and the crowd. I have never heard a crowd so loud in this stadium. I've never seen so many people on their feet, dancing the entire time. There are some who will smirk, but I have to say Duran^2 has only gotten better with age. I mean a couple of the songs they played, I didn't like until I heard them live. (However, I still don't care if I ever hear Rio again, even if it did sound alright. Bleck!) The one mar on the evening is that they didn't sing my James Bond song! I guess every concert I go to the band must ignore one song I really love.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

I shall start from the beginning..

Promptly at 8 p.m., some opening band came out to play. No-one in my row knew who they were. Some d-grade punk mixed with new wave mixed with English wannabes. Their beats were great, probably because they reminded me of classic beats from the Clash and other 80s bands. I sincerely hope they weren't from around here. I actually felt bad because the biggest cheer they got was when the spastic lead singer (my friend thinks he was high on something...it's totally possible in this city) said they were playing their last song. Enough of them....

While they roadies got the stage ready for the main attraction, my friend and I chit-chatted away. Amazingly soon, I heard the crowd near the stage start roaring, so I jammed my binoculars to my eyes and start scanning. I see nothing.... Something has to be happening. Are they coming?!?!?!?! The roar grows.

A faint heart-beat starts. Finally, the lights go down...the stage is lightly illuminated with blue along the edges of the walkways. For minutes we are yelling and clapping and I'm scanning the darkness for the band. Any sign of movement yet?! Wait, someone's walking on stage...dang...just a roadie. Where are they?! My friend, the crowd and I are screaming.

Then, from the black murk to the rear of the stage, I sense movement. Yes, there is movement! Several sets of lower legs walk to the front of the stage and pose there. For another minute, the legs stand there in the dark. All I can see is legs. All of us in the crowd are immediately on our feet, screaming, clapping, jumping, going bonkers. I giddily jump up and am screaming like a 13-year old banshee. I understand now how Beatles' fans must have felt. (yes, I know it's for DD, but this is a visceral experience not a spiritual one). Then the legs break away and go to their various parts of the still darkened stage.

Duran^2 started with a new song. Then went into one of their recognizable 80s tunes. Then into an hit (don't ask me which, I can't remember, too hyper and too much stimulation). Then another classic. Then into another new one...maybe the one about the alien sex. That song was okay. I bet it's humorous if I could actually understand the lyrics. But then it was back to a classic Duran^2 song. Another new song. That was pretty good, I will have to get the new album. Oh yeah! - My favorite! "Come Undone" - ahh, high school memories of unrequited love. And more...and more...new, old, new, old.

One song took me 5 minutes to realize what it was because Simon was trying to get the crowd to sing in response to him...but I couldn't understand or recognize the song so I just screamed. Again, I've forgotten the title...maybe it was "notorious" or "big thing". Not sure. Of course, I loved "Ordinary World" too! During another song they showed this awesomely funny, anime with the band kicking ninja's and Godzilla's butts (not to mention the Music Industry). That was totally cute.

The music was awesome, although sometimes too loud and typical of that arena the acoustics weren't always great. Sometimes we couldn't understand what they were saying or singing. And the crowd was so loud that made it harder to hear too.

For once in my life I actually remembered to bring my binoculars and I did not squander any opportunity to check out the band. I mean I just had to know how they looked. My friend and I took turns scoping them out.

By the late 80s, I had pictures of the keyboardist, drat this brain of mine, I can't remember his name...NICK? Yeah that's it. Nick!!! I even kissed the posters, leaving lip gloss imprints (bear in mind I was around 10! ; >) Okay, that's still a little embarrassing but oh well, I am not ashamed to be a dork. Around the same time, I also had pictures of the keyboardest from A-Ha (I do remember his name because of the unusual spelling - Pal!). I had a thing for slender, blond keyboardists at the time.

My first impression was that Nick looks totally freaky. His hair is different shades of blond and poofy. Maybe all those years of dye and hairspray have taken their toll. His angular face has filled out some and is more round. He still wears the most make-up of any of the guys. Although he was wearing this kick-ass sparkly tie with his all black suit. He didn't smile much; he would looked better if he smiled more. He looked rather humourless. I mean, it doesn't look like you're doing that much over there....your hands aren't flying like Ray Charles...can't you smile and play your keyboard?!

He was totally creeping me out (and yet mystified me). Probably because it means I also am getting older. But then at the end, when Simon introduced the band...when on the screen behind them they show the handheld video Simon is taking of him and he does this thing with his eye and his eyebrows. Oh. My. My old crush is back. And wait, is he smirking? Oh yeah! There's the hotty that I had plastered on my bedroom walls!

Simon's gained a little weight in the face too. But it suits him. He's still hot. But now he's a pretty man, not a pretty boy. And he's totally funny. He takes the stage and owns it. He too looks like he's put way too many chemicals in his hair. From where I was it looked almost spotted. Wait a minute, for this song, he's. Got. On. A. Black. Police/Chaffeur's. Hat. I get excited when a man wears a hat. (I think that's one fashion style that should come back!) Um Hmmmm... ... ...

And last but never least, is John Taylor. I also had a crush on him. No doubt about it, I still do. He's totally dreamy. Tall, dark and handsome. He has the slender, artistic, Englishman aesthetic. He definitely looks the best, IMHO, in the band. He was wearing leather pants (grrrrr : >) topped with a black jacket and a red/white shirt underneath. He Rocks. He rocks... he rocks... No, He really rocks...he and the other guitarist would sometimes battle (in hard rock terms, I think it's called, grind the axe?) and he'd sometimes groove with the drummer, the back-up singer with legs second only to Tina and the sexy go-go boots, and Simon. Oh, that smile! .

Whoa! John looked even hotter when he came out for the encore without the jacket and wearing a long black scarf!!! over his red/white shirt. And now, as Simon is introducing him, he's... Stalking (from stage left). Stalking. Stalking. Stalking. Over. To. The Camera (which Nick is holding). Pant, Pant, Pant!!!! : >

So, my friend will take Simon. I will take John. We share Nick. ; > Yes, we have a healthy appreciation for the men in Duran^2. We are going to run away and stalk the band during the world tour. Well, maybe I'll just put a picture of them on my computer background and dream. And I'm definitely getting their new album when I have some money.

Thank you Simon, Nick, John, Roger and Andy for coming to my town!!! You rock!!!