Review of Duran Duran at The O2, Dublin on December 20th 2011
Review: Aidan Cuffe
Photos: Natalie Byrne
The venue was literally shaking as the drums kicked in and the crowd let up a deafening roar. I was late but I hadn’t missed anything just yet. As I made my ways around the inner sanctum of The O2 attempting to find my seat I could hear most of ‘Before The Rain‘ playing and made it to my seat for ‘Planet Earth‘. A visual spectacle lay before me, befitting the glitz and glamour of a Duran Duran concert. New romantic/Synth pop heaven lay before me and it was about time. A long time fan of Duran Duran it wasn’t a question of if this gig would be good, but how good.
I’ve barely settled into my seat and I’m back on my feet again as ‘View To A Kill‘ receives an early airing, a killer tune given a flawless performance. Simon bleats out some well rehearsed Irish “Dia Dhiabh a Baile Atha Cliath”, fair play, pre-prepared or not you went to the effort. The show’s slow tempo start continues with All You Need Is Now and Blames The Machines from their latest album ‘All You Need Is Now‘ before whipping back into one of their classics in Come Undone which receives a belting vocal from not just this reviewer but the crowd alike.
The show was like the velocity graph incline of a Ferrari, it started with ease but as it continued it blazed its way through Duran Duran’s unbelievable back catalogue of incredible synth driven songs. Kevin from the crowd started the “Dana Nana Danana Danana” for The Reflex which is another get up and dance super hit. Track after track including a video monologue for The Man Who Stole A Leopard, Girl Panic, Tiger Tiger and the rocking riffage of White Lines had the crowd bouncing, as they band hit full stride. Le Bon called for remembering the legends we have lost this and any year including Amy Winehouse and Christopher Hitchens among those he dedicated Ordinary World to. An emotional and powerful rendition sang back to him by his adoring crowd.
The gig was now about to hit full speed as the band put the foot on the throttle and roared out Notorious with an amazing sing and response from the crowd, introducing the band before calling for another round of “No… No… NOTORIOUS”. Hungry Like a Wolf is everything you hoped it would be live before they finished their set with Le Bon holding a massive silver dish and all the lights shining on him as he used it to reflect light out around The O2 arena as a prelude to Sunrise as the band took their bows and left the stage.
It’s at this point that I get an answer to a question that has plagued me the entire gig, what are the four plastic shaped faces hanging from the roof for. The answer was quite ingenious, they have mounted these faces as a way of almost speaking to the crowd from off stage, they engage in banter about whether they will or won’t come back out, checking to see how loud the crowd can be, the response from the crowd was immense.
Next was possibly the greatest encore I have ever had the pleasure to witness as Duran Duran found their way back to the stage. Kicking back in with a royal roasting of Wild Boys which effortlessly slips into Frankie Goes To Hollywoods ‘Relax’ as the crowd sing every word loud and proud. Girls On Film puts the crowd into pure Durandemonium, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen dancing like it from the surrounding decided older patrons, rocking out to one of their favourite bands from their youth.
The gig finished with pure Duran Duranarchy as the crowd chants for Rio. They are taking a bow but they couldn’t possibly leave without playing it. Could they? The answer of course was no, as they assumed the positions and for the most part let the crowd in full voice roar back this classic hit word for word. A phenomenal finish as the crowd chant for another, unfortunately the band are done for now, off to enjoy their Christmas but not one person could complain they were short-changed. An all encompassing and rip-roaring performance from the glam gods of the 80s. There’s life in these old dogs yet.
Setlist
Before The Rain
Planet Earth
View to a kill
All You Need Is Now
Blame The Machines
Come undone
Safe
The Reflex
The Man Who Stole a Leopard
Girl Panic
Is The Something
Tiger Tiger
Please Tell Me Now
White Lines
Careless Memories
Ordinary world
Notorious
Hungry like a wolf
Sunrise
*******Encore********
Wild boys into relax
Girls on film
Rio
