Duran Duran begin All You Need Is Now tour in Newcastle

Following in the footsteps of Take That, 80's pop band Duran Duran have chosen the north-east of England to kick off their next tour. Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor will play at Newcastle Arena on Wednesday 18 May, 2011. The 11-date All You Need Is Now arena tour will take place all over the UK through May and June, 2011.

This is the first tour for the band for seven years and tickets will go on sale on Friday, 28 January at 9.30am.

The only band member who is missing from the line-up that rose to fame in the 1980s is guitarist Andy Taylor (originally from Cullercoats in Northumberland) who left the band in 2006.

A statement on behalf of the group after Andy departed described the relationship as unworkable and one that could not be resolved.

Rio

Throughout their years of performing in many different line-ups, the band have never had any trouble selling out arenas all over the world even 30 years after their very first single in February 1981.

In November 2010 they released All You Need Is Now which is their 13th studio album.
It has already been dubbed by its producer as the "imaginary follow up to Rio that never was."
It was released digitally in December 2010 and topped the iTunes UK Album Chart. The physical release of the album is scheduled for March 2011.

Reforming

Although the band never really split up, as Simon and Nick carried on using the name Duran Duran during their quieter years, the group reforming in 2001 were arguably the pioneers of the reforming trend.

Other bands and groups who hit the headlines by reforming in the noughties included Queen, The Spice Girls, Take That, The Police, The Verve, Pixies, Spandau Ballet, The Specials and Boyzone among many others.

Throughout their outstanding career Duran Duran has sold more than 80 million records, with 30 chart toppers in the UK.

Courtesy BBC