Press release For Immediate Release
8th October 2003 - ENGLAND
DURAN DURAN ORIGINAL LINE-UP TO PLAY FIRST UK SHOW
IN 18 YEARS
TUESDAY OCTOBER 14TH AT LONDONS FORUM
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Band join host of other superstar acts at the Royal Albert Hall on October 15th for HRHs historic Fashion Rocks event
New Duran Duran album slated for 2004 release
On Tuesday October 14th, pop icons DURAN DURAN will return to the UK to play their first British show together in eighteen years with the original line-up of SIMON LE BON (vocals), NICK RHODES (keyboards), JOHN TAYLOR (bass), ROGER TAYLOR (drums) and ANDY TAYLOR (guitars). The Forum in Kentish Town, London will host this much-anticipated event, tickets for which will go on sale to the public on Friday October 10th.
The unexpected announcement of Tuesday nights show came today after the band confirmed their participation in Fashion Rocks, which is slated to take place on October 15th at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Duran Duran will join a host of other superstar acts, including: Robbie Williams, Beyonce Knowles, Bjork, Jamiroquai and Ozzy Osbourne, for this one-off Princes Trust fundraiser, that will bring together the worlds of fashion and music in an historical televised event, attended by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.
The band will be flying in from the United States for the show at The Forum on Tuesday, where they have already made a triumphant and critically acclaimed return to the stage, in celebration of their 25th anniversary this year.
In mid-July, following a record-breaking run of sold-out arena shows in Japan, Duran Duran left crowds of fans and critics breathless when they kicked off a series of special US dates with a concert at LAs world-famous Roxy Theatre, in front of a star-studded crowd that included No Doubts Gwen Stefani, Beck, Gavin Rossdale from Bush, Nicolas Cage, Christina Applegate, and Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray. Marking the bands return to the first venue they ever played on Americas West Coast, the Roxy date became the hottest ticket of the summer as fans camped outside the venue for days to buy tickets to the show.
Weeks later, the Fab Five hit New Yorks Ritz ballroom for another spectacular performance, on the eve of the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards (where they were honored with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award), and were greeted by a sold out crowd of screaming fans, paparazzi and celebrities. Those in attendance included Moby, The Donnas, Ed Burns, Christy Turlington, Chloe Sevigny, Famke Janssen, Tatum ONeal and Debbie Harry.
The New York Post said of this momentous show, "the hungry crowd ... went nuts even before the band played the first notes...As [Duran Duran] tore through hit singles ... raw rock guitars punctuated their signature dance-pop keyboards.... Together, the songs displayed Duran Durans finesse in creating music broadly influenced by funk, rap and rock."
Newsday called the show; "powerful [and] inventive."
The Village Voice said on behalf of the audience "[Duran Duran] swooned us to altitudes ecclesiastic."
Next Tuesday nights gig in London will follow hot on the heels of Duran Durans appearance on British television last weekend, when they were seen by millions of viewers accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award from Q Magazine.
Following the Fashion Rocks event, the band will return to the United States to complete a run of 16 additional shows across the country, before flying to Australia to play stadium shows with Robbie Williams.
Duran Duran will return to the studio in late December to finish up their new album set for release summer 2004.
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Tickets for the show at Londons Forum will go on sale to the public Friday 10th October, 2003
LONDON FORUM
9-17 Highgate Road, Kentish Town, London NW5
Doors Open 7pm
Tickets Priced at £25.00 in advance and available from
CC Hotline: 0870 602 1101 (24hrs)
(tickets subject to usual booking fee)
Or book online at www.meanfiddler.com
No booking fee when paying in cash from the Astoria Box office INFOLINE: 0208 963 0940
