Duran Duran to give virtual gigs

British band Duran Duran are to create a virtual island within online game Second Life, on which they will perform actual live concerts. The band is the first major group to announce a virtual world presence in the game.

Second Life is an online 3D digital world, which is imagined, created and owned by the residents.

More than 370,000 people have Second Life characters, called Avatars, who exist in the world.

Earlier this year BBC Radio 1 rented a virtual island in Second Life where it held music festivals and BBC Two's Newsnight hosted an interview inside the game.

One Big Weekend

In May Radio 1 recreated the One Big Weekend event - which took place in Dundee in reality - inside the game so people could participate virtually.

Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes said of the project: "Second Life has brought a third dimension to the internet; it is the new frontier where dreams have become reality. When the video revolution began we instantly saw the opportunity to experiment and explore a new form of expression to enhance the musical experience. Second Life is the future right now, offering endless possibilities for artists."

Rhodes said he hoped the Duran Duran community would help develop the island into a "fully functional, futuristic utopia".

He said the band was "thrilled to become citizens of Second Life".

Duran Duran retain a large fan base more than 20 years after they became one of the biggest bands in the world, thanks to songs such as Wild Boys and Girls on Film.

Three-dimension versions of the band members - called Avatars - have been commissioned - but not yet revealed - so that the band will be able to be seen performing inside the game next month.

The digital continent of Second Life covered an area equivalent to 64 acres three years ago but now is more than 20,000 acres in size and growing rapidly.

Courtesy BBC NEWS