Friday, February 25, 2005

The Review

Duran Duran, it is!

Here's the set list:

SUNRISE
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF
HOLD BACK THE RAIN
ASTRONAUT
UNION OF THE SNAKE
COME UNDONE
I DON’T WANT YOUR LOVE
CHAINS
WHAT HAPPENS TOMORROW
PLANET EARTH
TIGER TIGER
NIGHTBOAT
ORDINARY WORLD
SAVE A PRAYER
NICE
NOTORIOUS
REFLEX
CARELESS MEMORIES
WILD BOYS

WHITE LINES
GIRLS ON FILM
RIO

What an amazing show. I'd seen them last year when they came to Texas for a pre-Superbowl show in San Antonio (they were playing one of the gigs in Houston and came a couple of days early for this show). Last year, it was a 90 minute tease for approximately $80 plus the hotel room, gas, etc. They were good. Really good. I left the show last year with a smile, and a spring in my step.

BUT HOLY FUCKING SHIT. This year blew all other concerts out of the freaking stratosphere. Simon, Nick, John, Roger and Andy were in rare form. They played solidly for OVER two hours and twenty minutes. My friends, or fellow Durannies, and I stood the entire time, screaming at the top of our lungs. Half way through the show, I got hit with a migraine, and spent the rest of the show trying to ignore it. Yea, you try ignoring a migraine with flashing lights meant to give you a seizure and realizing you forgot your meds in the car. No re-entry, sorry! GRRR

So, I pinched the webbing between my pointy finger and thumb the rest of the night. That kept the worst of it at bay while I just stood in awe balancing on my cute open toed mules (pink leather with 4" heels). It was held in the concert hall on the University of Texas campus. I felt positively ancient walking to the show, but once I got there, you couldn't get me to tell you my name, let alone how old I felt.

So, back to the show. Thats why you're reading this review, after all.

The show began with Sunrise, and took off from there. Simon was as bouncy as ever. And wearing no underwear, as usual. John was amazing. He and Roger kept the beat going for each and every song. Even when Simon took a break during their instrumental, Tiger Tiger, there they were still going. Nick was hilarious. He's got this subtle way about him, but if you know the band well, you would have been laughing, too.

Andy had just come out of rehab a couple of weeks prior, so it was interesting to see how they handled him. No embellishing. A couple of times he tried to travel down the "MEMEMEMEME" road, and the sound guys lowered the guitar and the band played on.

My favorite songs had to have been the encore. They really made us work for it, keeping us clapping and screaming for about 10 minutes, but it was definitely worth it. Nick had a video camera on stage and during Rio, when Simon was introducing the band to the audience, Nick was the camera man. The guys were making faces into the camera and being all around goofs.

Even though they are all well into their 40's, they showed energy and enthusiasm for what they were doing. Many bands I've seen don't have this, and I guess thats why Duran Duran is back and being so well received. They like what they're doing. You can tell that they are just like a family. Even though they may love each other, they all have the ability to drive each other insane.

The songs were incredible. Take a look at the set list. They played songs that haven't seen the light of day in over a decade. What an incredible event. I was hoping that they'd be pulling some of these gems out of storage, and they sure delievered! Nightboat and Hold Back the Rain were amazing ... especially since the rain forcasted for that evening did hold back from drenching us until the next morning.

By the time the show was over it was well after eleven. I'd been on my feet for over three hours, wearing heels, no less. My throat felt like I'd swallowed sand paper, and my head was throbbing in time to the beat. I managed somehow to get home and in bed by midnight.

My ears rang for the next 5 days. The ticket stub is on my bulletin board in my office at work.

The opening band sucked. Big time. If you hear of a band named Clear Static, be prepared to be diappointed. We were. But then again, look who they warmed the crowd up for. A bunch of 30 something slightly drunk durannies. HA!

They're actually doing a world tour, and you can find the tour and ticket information posted at: www.duranduran.com. Its worth the price, trust me.

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