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Duran Duran Pout, Strut and thrill at UK reunion
London, Oct 15: Pop icons Duran Duran recreated the sound of the 1980s for an ecstatic home crowd on Tuesday at a gig that saw the band`s original line-up perform together for the first time in Britain in 18 years.
London, Oct 15: Pop icons Duran Duran recreated the sound of the 1980s for an ecstatic home crowd on Tuesday at a gig that saw the band's original line-up perform together for the first time in Britain in 18 years.
Now in their 40s, the five former pin-ups thrilled the London audience with classics from the band's chart-topping heyday like "Rio," "Save a Prayer" and "Wild Boys" with a verve reminiscent of their younger days.
Lead singer Simon Le Bon -- unashamedly revealing a slight paunch -- cavorted, jumped from the stage and leaped in the air, albeit in a less adventurous fashion than two decades ago. He swung his microphone stand and even pulled his tambourine apart to one song.
The group, a champion of the "New Romantic" wave that made eye-liner, teased blond hair and the moody look all the rage, wound up with an encore of "Girls on Film" as glitter descended on the waving crowd of predominantly 30-somethings.
Fans belted out old favorites such as "Hungry like a wolf" and sang along with the odd cover version from the same era but were less confident when it came to the band's newer tunes, some written since the group reformed a few years ago.
The surprise gig, which follows a series of concerts in Japan and the United States, sparked a rush by fans that saw all 2,000 tickets sell out in less than five minutes, the band's publicist said.
They were changing hands on the Internet for 200 pounds ($330 each). The band has played gigs in Britain in past years but never with the complete original line-up.
The show was hastily arranged ahead of the band's appearance on Wednesday at the charity "Fashion Rocks" event in London with a host of stars including Robbie Williams and Ozzy Osbourne.
Duran Duran will later accompany Williams on an Australian tour.
Bureau Report
Lead singer Simon Le Bon -- unashamedly revealing a slight paunch -- cavorted, jumped from the stage and leaped in the air, albeit in a less adventurous fashion than two decades ago. He swung his microphone stand and even pulled his tambourine apart to one song.
The group, a champion of the "New Romantic" wave that made eye-liner, teased blond hair and the moody look all the rage, wound up with an encore of "Girls on Film" as glitter descended on the waving crowd of predominantly 30-somethings.
Fans belted out old favorites such as "Hungry like a wolf" and sang along with the odd cover version from the same era but were less confident when it came to the band's newer tunes, some written since the group reformed a few years ago.
The surprise gig, which follows a series of concerts in Japan and the United States, sparked a rush by fans that saw all 2,000 tickets sell out in less than five minutes, the band's publicist said.
They were changing hands on the Internet for 200 pounds ($330 each). The band has played gigs in Britain in past years but never with the complete original line-up.
The show was hastily arranged ahead of the band's appearance on Wednesday at the charity "Fashion Rocks" event in London with a host of stars including Robbie Williams and Ozzy Osbourne.
Duran Duran will later accompany Williams on an Australian tour.
Bureau Report