Duran Duran: Still hungry

  • By Jackson Holtz Herald Writer
  • Friday, September 23, 2011 12:01am
  • LifeEverett

The Pacific Northwest is filled with memories of Duran Duran, the iconic ’80s band that became the second British invasion following The Beatles.

Echoes of a Seattle concert nearly three decades ago still reverberate: The March 1984 show at the Seattle Center Coliseum — today’s KeyArena — was the moment Duran Duran transformed from club band to phenomenon.

A packed arena met the band with shrieks and screams.

“It’s really locked in our memories,” said John Taylor, the band’s bass player. “That was when it became apparent that Duranmania had hit America.”

Duranmania returns to the region tonight at Comcast Arena Everett, kicking off Duran Duran’s latest U.S. tour.

The concert is expected to be a multimedia spectacle and will blend songs from “All You Need is Now,” the band’s critically acclaimed recent release, and their hits.

“This is probably the most integrated show we’ve done,” Taylor said.

Several screens will show film material synchronized to the music, he said.

“You’re always trying to put the material out there in a way that is fresh. You’re always trying to change the lights on it,” he said. “The gig is like a retrospective.”

Taylor, 51, started Duran Duran in the clubs of Birmingham, England, in the late ’70s. The band became an international sensation with hits like “Rio” and “Hungry Like the Wolf.”

Touring today isn’t like it was 30 years ago, Taylor said.

It’s not about meeting girls and partying anymore.

“We’re on tour because we love to play live,” he said.

Earlier this year, Simon Lebon, the band’s lead singer, had serious problems with his voice. The band canceled several shows.

“We were all asking ourselves the question, ‘What if?'” Taylor said. “None of us expected it to become as big a problem as it became.”

After undergoing therapy and treatment, Lebon’s voice is back in full form, Taylor said.

“It’s been quite a lesson in mortality,” he said.

Duran Duran makes albums, songs and shows, Taylor said. That’s what helped him maintain the enthusiasm he has for the music and the performing.

“I’m a searcher, constantly looking for new things to turn me on,” he said.

Duran Duran plays at 7:30 tonight at Comcast Arena Everett. The Neon Trees is the opening act.

Tickets are $49.50 to $75. Buy them at 866-332-8499 or comcastarenaeverett.com.

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3447; jholtz@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.