LeBon almost quit Duran Duran!
As they prepare to embark on yet another sell-out UK tour, Duran Duran vocalist Simon LeBon has revealed how close he came to quitting music altogether not that long ago.
Duran had already gone through a tricky period after all the '80s teen adulation finally died down, but Simon really hit a wall when bassist John Taylor decided to leave the group towards the end of the '90s.
"Around 'Pop Trash' was a hard time for me, I struggled to get myself into the studio," Simon told us. "That was probably the worst time because we'd had dips in popularity before but I just didn't know where to go from there."
Many expected LeBon to go solo after Duran's '80s heyday but that's something that never interested him. "A lot of people said that but I'm not a solo artist, I need a band of friends to support me, I'd miss the camaraderie."
It's a good job he didn't quit too because Duran are arguably bigger today than they were 20 years ago, but at least one important element has changed. "I can hear myself nowadays," Simon added, referring to the hysterical volume of screaming that used to accompany their shows. "There's still a constant level of noise from the audience but the pitch is a little lower and more subdued than it was in the '80s. But the underwear still gets thrown."
Duran hit the road for a series of UK arena shows and he's promised a visual treat, even if his tongue was firmly in its cheek.
"It's going to be about pure light mostly. The simplicity of light can look stunning if u get it right. We're not gonna have giant inflatable lips on stage or anything like that, although it might be fun to have five giant penises squirting on stage, don't quote me on that, I can see the headlines now." Too late!
Duran Duran are currently working on a follow-up to last year's Astronaut album and play the following dates across Britain in December:
SECC - Glasgow (16), Birmingham NEC Arena (17), Manchester Evening News Arena (18), London Earls Court Olympia (21 & 22).
A new live DVD Duran Duran Live From London is also currently available.
Courtesy NTL.com
