Duran Duran are better heard than seen these days. In 1982 they were practically the biggest band in the world, hawking a clutch of radio singles whose catchiness caused otherwise sane people to ignore the fact that they looked and behaved like a bunch of clowns. An eon later, Duran’s influence lives on in La Roux, The Feeling and other quasi-funky pop goons, but sufficient time has passed for their image to become thoroughly ridiculous.
Tread carefully with this concert-plus-videos DVD, because it sounds great but looks arse-clenchingly silly. John Taylor’s shoulderpads, and his bass hoisted way up high; Simon Le Bon’s sixth-form stage moves; Nik Rhodes’ eminently slappable pout; Andy Taylor’s hair, a big blobby mullet atop his tiny body… It all adds up to severe fashion failure.
Punters of a certain age will find the songs irresistible, while many of them still raise a chill. Live, Save A Prayer was boosted by Andy Taylor’s chorused arpeggios, while Duran’s excellent piano-driven cover of Steve Harley’s Come Up & See Me makes you wonder why their later covers album, Thank You, was so poor. Add in the usual crowd-pleasers (Rio, Hungry Like The Wolf, New Religion) and what was a world-class show back then is still a nostalgic pleasure now.
