Clear Channel Entertainment, SJM & DF Concerts
Present - Duran Duran In Concert
DURAN DURAN ANNOUNCE FIRST UK TOUR IN 18 YEARS WITH ORIGINAL LINE-UP
BAND PROMISE SENSATIONALHOMECOMING SHOWS
Pop legends DURAN DURAN today announced their first run of UK tour dates together in 18 years with the original line-up of SIMON LEBON, NICK RHODES, ROGER TAYLOR, JOHN TAYLOR and ANDY TAYLOR. The four, much anticipated Homecoming shows, in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, will launch the bands 2004 World Tour in April of next year, just prior to the release of their new album.
Duran Duran have celebrated their 25th anniversary and the reunion of the five founding band members this year with a run of tremendously successful shows in Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and a sold-out US tour that made headline news in every market across the States. They have also been honoured with lifetime achievement awards from both MTV and the Qs, while the start of the New Year will see them accepting the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award in the UK, from the BPI, at Februarys Brits ceremony. These highly anticipated shows will mark the first time that the original band members have toured the UK together since they performed at Live Aid in 1985 and promise to be one of the biggest concert events of 2004.
The tour dates confirmed so far are:
Londons WEMBLEY ARENA - Tuesday April 13th
GLASGOW SECC - Thursday April 15th
MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS ARENA - Saturday April 17th BIRMINGHAM NEC ARENA Monday April 19th
For all shows, members of DuranDuranMusic.com - the bands official fan community - will have access to an exclusive 24 hour Pre-Sale on all tickets, as well as the chance to purchase special VIP Ticket and Travel Packages that will include priority booking, high-end pre-show parties and opportunities to meet the band, as well as early access to those venues where at least some sections will be general admission. The fan community Pre-sale will begin at 9am GMT on Wednesday December 10th and will end at 9am GMT on Thursday December 11th. For more details, please visit DuranDuranMusic.com.
Tickets for the general public go on sale at 9am this Friday 12th December 2003, priced at £40.00, £30.00 and £27.50 and are available from the box offices at Wembley Arena (tel: 0870 733 1027/ 0870 060 0870), Glasgow SECC (tel: 0870 040 4000), Manchester Evening News Arena (tel: 0161 930 8000) and Birmingham NEC Arena (tel: 0870 909 4133). Tickets can also be obtained through other outlets including www.ticketmaster.com, www.gigsandtours.com and www.cclive.co.uk or by calling 0870 400 0688 or 0871 2200 260.
The 2004 UK concerts come after an extraordinary year for Duran Duran, which included an electrifying performance at the London Forum in October, which sold out 2,000 tickets in a staggering 4 minutes, making it the fastest selling gig in the UK this year! The show garnered rave reviews and critical acclaim.
The Sun succinctly summed up the mood of fans by saying "Duran Duran appeared on stage for the first time since 1985 last night and seemed out to prove they were still the hottest band on planet earth! They burst with energy from the start. Simons voice is as powerful as ever. The crowd went wild. Anyone who saw their last UK stage show at Live Aid 18 years ago, would think not a day had passed."
The Daily Mirror was also brimming with tributes to the band: "Duran Duran no joke, these guys may well be Britains next Rolling Stones! A bunch of lads from Birmingham came of age last night. When they brought down the curtain with a rousing encore of White Lines and Girls On Film, I have never seen scenes like it!"
The London Evening Standard wrote: "Their entrance was magnificent. They lined up at the front of the stage, stroked their suits, milked the applause and peeled off one by one to play Friends Of Mine. Rio, Planet Earth, Careless Memories and Wild Boys were rattled out with abandon that groups 20 years their junior would struggle to muster!"
The Daily Express said: "Pop idols Duran Duran showed theyve still got what it takes to drive their fans wild with a storming UK comeback gig last."
Equally the Daily Star could find no fault with their performance: "Duran Duran proved after 18 years away from a stage theyve still got what it takes to move the crowd."
Duran Duran is currently touring Australia and New Zealand - flying the British flag after the UK teams triumphant victory in the Rugby World Cup. While over there, the band are playing a series of intimate 2,000-seat shows, as well as four stadium dates to more than 200,000 fans with fellow Brit ROBBIE WILLIAMS. On December 15th they will fly to Singapore for a final 2003 show, before returning to the UK for Christmas, where they will be finishing up their new album.
Clear Channel Entertainment, SJM & DF Concerts
Present
DURAN DURAN
THE HOMECOMING
13th April - WEMBLEY ARENA
Box Office: 0870 733 1027/ 0870 060 0870
15th April - GLASGOW SECC
Box Office: 0870 040 4000
17th April - MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS ARENA
Box Office: 0161 930 8000
19th April - BIRMINGHAM NEC ARENA
Box Office: 0870 909 4133
Tickets on sale 9am Friday 12th December 2003
Tickets are also available through:
www.ticketmaster.co.uk / www.cclive.co.uk / www.gigsandtours.com
0870 400 0688 or 0871 2200 260
