“There’s a generation of people out there who never experienced ‘Top of the Pops.’ Some of the comments we’re getting from younger fans are, ‘What is this show the video is based on?’ I never thought I’d see the day when we looked at (“TOTP”) so fondly and we genuinely do," Rhodes says. “This was a show that actually brought together an entire country of TV viewers at 7 p.m. on a Friday, a whole family glued to a TV. There is something rather wonderful about that, which certainly disappeared with the advent of the internet.”
John Taylor shares why band chemistry still matters in the AI age
For the past several years, Taylor recorded online tutorials dubbed “Stone Love Bass Odyssey,” in which he walked fans through some of his fluid bass techniques on Duran Duran songs while also talking about music theory and showcasing his funk influences.
He hopes that showing people – musicians or not – the organic origins of music will underscore the magic of collaboration.
“Technology allows individuals to create music, but it’s not the same as the negotiation that takes place in a collaboration between like-minded soulmates. If you’re a bass player, you’ve got to be working with others,” he says. “More and more music is being programmed and less and less is being performed and we’re fighting against that … I want to see the fingerprints all over the work. I want to feel the fingerprints of the band. Don’t even try getting into a conversation with Simon about AI and lyrics. It’s his craft – it’s all of our crafts – so we’re sort of vying with the times.”
Andy Taylor is ‘holding in there’
When Duran Duran stood on stage for their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction speeches in 2022, they shocked fans when they read a letter from original guitarist Andy Taylor – who left the band in 1986, returned from 2001-2006 and contributed to 2023’s “Danse Macabre” album.
Taylor revealed that four years prior, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and his treatments prevented him from traveling from Europe to Los Angeles to be with his bandmates for the ceremony.
While Rhodes didn’t have an extensive update on Taylor’s condition, he sounded upbeat as he shared that, “from the last reports, (Andy’s) holding in there with new treatments. So far, so good. Fingers crossed. It’s not gone away, but it’s being managed.”
Will Duran Duran play more U.S. shows in 2026?
The band wrapped its current round of U.S. dates that included a few shows in California and Phoenix early in the year, a performance at the BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, and their four-show stint in Las Vegas – which will have to sate fans for a bit.
"Not this year," Taylor says when asked if more North American dates are planned after a spate of summer shows overseas. "I'm looking forward to next year for more touring."
Both Taylor and Rhodes, though, appreciate the band's frequent stops in Las Vegas.
“It’s changed so much,” Taylor says. “Oh my God, there are so many great places to eat and shop. The first time we went there was in 1988 and no (musicians) were going before that and it was all, like, Wayne Newton. I remember we played the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel (in 1995) and that changed the game. Vegas was chasing a different kind of crowd, maybe people who don’t gamble at all. (Playing the city) regularly has been really good for us.”
Rhodes agrees Vegas’ reputation as a musical haven for lounge singers and “when it was one giant shopping mall and junk food” previously conjured a negative image of a city that now boasts a parade of top artists nightly.
“Vegas has become so much more sophisticated,” he says. “There are great people there who really understand entertainment. Not just the shows, but the restaurants. You can play as often as you want and you’ll get a different crowd every night. It’s become a destination for so many artists to play. We’re big fans.”
By Melissa Ruggieri
Courtesy USA TODAY
