The rhythm section sounded just as accomplished on the pulsating reckless abandon with which they tore through "Careless Memories" as they did on all those highlights that relied more on their understanding - and total command - of the groove. They brought a twitchy post-punk urgency to "Friends of Mine" as scenes from vintage horror films played out behind them, yet they somehow found a way to crank it up a notch for "Careless Memories." It was practically punk - but, you know, within reason. Le Bon was in amazing voice throughout, from those high notes on "The Wild Boys," "Anniversary" and "Ordinary World" to the personality he brought to sputtering the truly animated vocals on two highlights of their first self-titled album, "Friends of Mine" and "Careless Memories." Rhodes has gently aged into the quintessential New Romantic elder statesman in his day-glo yellow suit while dusting off so many of the keyboard parts that did so much to shape not only their sound but the sound of the '80s in general. You certainly couldn’t accuse them of phoning it in. “Hold Back the Rain,” one of several highlights from the “Rio” album, featured a video montage from back in the day, which was fabulous.Īnd yet, it never really felt like a nostalgia tour, in part because what they were doing in the ‘80s feels more relevant today than what a lot of bands were doing in the ‘80s and in part because those songs felt somehow reinvigorated by the sheer vitality of their performance. With the exception of the songs they played from “Future Past,” the hits from 1993’s “Duran Duran” (more often thought of as “The Wedding Album”) and their alt-rock cover of Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel’s “White Lines (Don’t Do It),” they spent the night revisiting the ‘80s. Their ranks were fleshed out on this tour by Dominic Brown on guitar, Simon Willescroft on saxophone and backup singers Rachael O’Connor and Anna Ross. Guitarist Andy Taylor left Duran Duran a second time in 2006, although he will reportedly rejoin them for that Hall of Fame induction on Nov. leg of their “Future Past”/40th Anniversary Tour, which features four-fifths of the classic lineup – Le Bon on lead vocals, the perpetually stylish Nick Rhodes on keyboards, John Taylor on bass and Roger Taylor on drums. It’s been a little more than two weeks since they launched the U.S. There’s also a handful of really good ballads on that album, from the title track to the Bowie-in-Berlin vibe they manage on “Wing."īut the songs they played from “Future Past” in the course of their nearly two-hour performance in Phoenix were clearly chosen to accentuate the club vibe that defined so many of their greatest hits.
There’s a heavy dance vibe to the new release, which only added to the sense that they "came here to celebrate," as Simon Le Bon announced by way of introducing "Anniversary.” Then Jessie's girl walked in Duran Duran came to celebrate at Phoenix Rick Springfield didn't think he'd ever get a record deal. That may be why the set list flowed so seamlessly into “Invincible” and “Anniversary,” the first of four selections they performed from “Future Past" after taking the stage to a recording of a track from the special edition of the album.
They called their latest album “Future Past” because it finds them looking to the future while embracing a bit of both the sound and spirit of their early work. You could see what Taylor meant at what appeared to be a nearly sold-out Footprint Center, from the time they hit the stage and set the controls for the heart of the ‘80s with “The Wild Boys” and their U.S.
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