DURAN DURAN “THE DUKE SPIRIT & THE REAL PEOPLE” TO JOIN DURAN DURAN FOR THEIR FORTHCOMING UK ARENA SHOWS
THE DUKE SPIRIT TO PERFORM AT LONDON 02, NOTTINGHAM TRENT FM ARENA & BIRMINGHAM NIA
THE REAL PEOPLE TO PERFORM AT LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA
THE DUKE SPIRIT and THE REAL PEOPLE will join DURAN DURAN as special guests for their forthcoming UK arena shows, which kick off this week. THE DUKE SPIRIT will perform in London at the O2 Arena on Thursday July 3rd, Nottingham Trent FM Arena on Sunday 6th July and Birmingham’s NIA on Monday July 7t. THE REAL PEOPLE will perform at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on Saturday 5th July.
THE DUKE SPIRIT will replace THE LONG BLONDES who have now cancelled all of their live appearances for July after guitarist Dorian Cox was taken ill.
THE DUKE SPIRIT and THE REAL PEOPLE are the latest artists to open for DURAN DURAN on their RED CARPET MASSACRE WORLD TOUR, which started in March of this year in New Zealand and has so far taken in Australia, the Far East, Japan and the US.
Influenced by both noise rock and grunge, darkly seductive garage rockers THE DUKE SPIRIT, have already made their mark, garnering comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and The Pixies, with guest spots on a number of high profile tours from Razorlight and Kasabian to Queens of the Stone Age, Mercury Rev and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Formed by singer Liela Moss and guitarist Luke Ford when they were at Cheltenham Art College, The Duke Spirit have rapidly gained a cult following for their live performances. The five-piece London-based outfit are just about to embark upon an extensive festival tour of the US to promote their new single “My Sunken Treasure” taken from their latest album NEPTUNE, which is already gaining critical acclaim for its unique sound, combining bombastic rock ’n’ roll with beautiful tender lullabies.
Influenced by the Stone Roses and Inspiral Carpets and cited by Oasis brothers, Liam and Noel Gallagher, as one of their major musical and songwriting influences, Liverpudlian locals THE REAL PEOPLE are seasoned performers, having supported such luminaries as David Bowie, Nelly Furtado, Simple Minds and Ocean Colour Scene. Formed by brothers Chris and Richard Griffiths, the pair have enjoyed chart success with THE REAL PEOPLE alongside writing credits on a recent string of Top 40 hits for a number of artists, including Tunde (Lighthouse Family), Ocean Colour Scene, Rooster, ex-Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton and Icelandic band Nylon.
Keyboardist Nick Rhodes said “We were obviously very disappointed that the Long Blondes couldn’t join us, but we are delighted that The Duke Spirit and The Real People were able to fill their shoes - as we know that both bands are amazing live and will be a real treat for our fans.”
With their RED CARPET MASSACRE WORLD TOUR now well underway, to rave reviews from both critics and fans alike, DURAN DURAN are currently enjoying their European summer run, which will take in eleven countries in just under a month and a half. The 02 show in London, which comes two weeks into this leg of the tour, will be the band’s first in this venue and falls the day after a special collaborative one-off date that they have put together with long-time Duran-fan Mark Ronson, as part of the Smirnoff Experience series in France.
The four original members of Duran Duran: Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor and John Taylor, will be bringing a spectacular new production to British shores that will showcase their latest record, alongside all of the fan-favorites from their vast catalogue of hits. This will be not only the first time that the band have performed at the O2 Arena in London, but also their first outing at both the Liverpool Echo Arena and the NIA in Birmingham.
The four UK shows are:
3 July O2 Arena, London
5 July Liverpool Echo Arena
6 July Nottingham Trent FM Arena
7 July Birmingham NIA
This current leg of the tour will see the group’s first performances in the UK since the release of Red Carpet Massacre (Epic Records), which the band launched late last year with an unprecedented two-week Broadway residency in New York, and a one-night-only engagement, that was filmed for television at the Lyceum Theatre in London. In a bold move, Duran Duran performed their new record in its entirety to sold-out houses in both the UK and US, prior to the album’s global launch. Encouraged by the enthusiastic response from fans and critics alike, the band are now taking a specially tailored version of this three-act show on the road around the world.
RED CARPET MASSACRE marks an all-time creative high for the band members, who wrote and recorded this ground-breaking new album with producers Timbaland and Nate ‘Danja’ Hills, alongside today’s reigning king of pop, Justin Timberlake.
Garnering them some of their most impressive reviews to date, RCM has been described as “… their best album since Notorious” by British dance music bible, MIXMAG; and “another promising sign of the creative and commercial rebirth in the 21st Century of Duran Duran… without doubt the strongest thing they have put out since their 1992 comeback (The Wedding Album)” by the Sunday Times Culture. Writing for the Saturday Times Magazine, revered music critic Craig Mclean remarked: “’Red Carpet Massacre’ is a collection of super catchy tunes that deftly marry the band’s proven way with a melody, with edgy hip hop and R&B influenced production from Timbaland.” Marie Claire magazine adds that it’s “a guilty pleasure indeed”.
During an illustrious career spanning three decades, Duran Duran have remained at the forefront of popular music, consistently pushing the creative envelope and breaking new ground. Since their inception, the band have sold over 70 million records, released countless hits, received numerous accolades, and have been presented with no fewer than five prestigious “Lifetime Achievement” awards (MTV Video Music Award, Q Magazine, The BRITS, Ivor Novello, Spanish Ondas).
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3 July London O2 Arena 08444 775 775 or www.aeglive.co.uk
5 July Liverpool Echo Arena 08448 000 400 or www.accliverpool.com
6 July Nottingham Arena 08444 775 775 or www.aeglive.co.uk
7 July Birmingham NIA 08444 775 775 or www.aeglive.co.uk
Check local venue websites and www.duranduran.com for up-to-the-minute general public on-sale information.
