Duran Duran flub tour opener in New Zealand

Posted March 27th, 2008 by eric

After its latest album, the Timbaland-produced Red Carpet Massacre, plummeted into obscurity the moment it was released in the US last November, Duran Duran has been the victim of yet another stretch of bad luck. The latest gaffe occurring at the opening show in New Zealand for its current world tour. Evidently, lead singer Simon Le Bon forgot the lyrics to “Hungry Like the Wolf”, one of the band’s defining singles, after which Le Bon acknowledged with the quip, “Duran Duran fucking up in style.” Indeed. But more dramatically, bassist John Taylor stormed off stage in reaction to the band’s playful, matching-suits-behind-keyboards Kraftwerk tribute, claiming, “I could not dance to that. These people came here to dance.” Ironically, I find the band’s Kraftwerk tribute to be a highlight of its current incarnation. It sure as hell beats watching the band warble through this half-assed retread. 

Tags: news

3 responses so far ↓

  • 1 eduardo // Mar 28, 2008 at 3:58 pm

    The electro set of they, it is one of better that I have seen and if it is a high point in the show, and it is dance … I do not deal because John Taylor has to call the attention publicly and leave the stage; If in 90s they did totally acoustic and not dance concerts that they all did not like, and missing this electronic, experimental sound without limits with which DD became an acquaintance, because now John Taylor bothers….

    Well DD is the best band of all times, and Red Carpet Masacre one of the best albumes to that I have listened

    Simon forget of the letter it is a proof that he really sings and does not do playbacks jajajajajajaja but the next time that one reminds of everything

  • 2 Kate // Mar 28, 2008 at 4:56 pm

    Although John had a point that the band was screwing up, I think it was pretty immature for him to walk off stage like that. Simon had an off-day…so be it. Unfortunately it was at the opening of their tour. There is way too much publicity on this one…Duran Duran will always be my favorite band regardless of whether a few lyrics or forgotten or not.

  • 3 Bridget // Mar 31, 2008 at 6:40 pm

    Im still surprised that such a non-event has spread across the world…yes, the band had a couple of technical issues, Nick’s laptop crashed halfway through the set, and he had to reboot it – thats technology for you. And as for John storming off the stage – what a fallacy. I was second row at the performance and John was all smiles the whole time – is a little humour lost on the masses these days????? It was the first date of their world tour; there were bound to be some minor glitches, and Simon has siad that they didn’t have quite enough rehersal time – but it frustrates me that a performance that was FANTASTIC to say the least has been torn to shreds. Red Carpet Massacre is in it’s element live, and anyone trying to create a scandal out of last week’s performance in Auckland should seriously consider getting a life.