Duran Duran celebrates the 25th anniversary of the formation of the band in 1978.

The Devils featuring Stephen Duffy and Nick Rhodes perform at The Live Music Hall, in Cologne, Germany. The show is taped for the Music Planet 2Nite show for Arte TV. It is the only full performance they have done thus far.

Capitol/EMI Records re-issue a re-mastered version of the album Rio.

In April, Duran Duran announces their first tour dates together in eighteen years with the original line up of Simon, Andy, Nick, John and Roger. The first shows (in Japan) go on sale and the renowned 8,000 capacity Budokan Arena in Tokyo sells out in a staggering 30 minutes! A second sell out show at the Budokan is added to the five other dates.

The Dandy Warhols release Welcome to the Monkey House. The album receives critical acclaim and rave reviews for its Duran/Bowie-esque influences – brought to the project by Rhodes’ finely tuned production skills.

June sees EMI Records release re-mastered versions of Duran Duran and Seven and the Ragged Tiger.

EMI Records release a 13 CD Box Set of the band’s singles from the period ‘81-‘85 to coincide with the 25th Anniversary. The band members announce their first American dates in eighteen years, including a night at the legendary Roxy Theatre on Sunset in Los Angeles (the first West Coast venue they played some 20 plus years earlier). The show is announced by the band on LA’s KROQ radio. Fans sleep outside the venue for nights in order to secure tickets to the show. A star-studded audience includes Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani, fellow No Doubt’ers Tony Kanal and Adrien Young, actor Nicolas Cage, Christina Applegate, Beck, Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray and Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols.

Duran Duran announces more US dates, including The Joint at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas which sells out in less than 10 minutes, with a second date being quickly added. Another celebrity-packed audience attends the concert and after-party, hosted by Hard Rock founder Peter Morton. Guests include singer Macy Gray, comedian Jimmy Fallon and Oscar-winner Adrien Brody amongst others.

Famed photographer Mario Testino does a photo session with the band for British Vogue, which becomes the first magazine to publish a photo of the reunited band.

The band records their five Japanese shows, one of their Las Vegas dates and their first show in Orange County, to release both individually and as a box set. Available through the Internet only, these are part of the Encore Series distributed by TheMusic.com.

Duran mania spreads to New York in August when the band plays their first date in eighteen years on the East Coast at Webster Hall (formerly The Ritz). All 1,500 tickets sell out in a mind blowing 2 minutes – crashing the Ticketmaster website for at least 30 minutes.

The show and after party celebration is attended by many New Yorkers happy to see the band back together including Christie Turlington, Edward Burns, Chloe Sevigny, Debbie Harry, Tatum O’Neal, Famke Janssen, Michael Musto The Donnas and film director Brett Ratner.

The band members attend the MTV Video Music Awards in New York the night after their show at the Ritz and are surprised with a presentation of a “Lifetime Achievement Award.”

EMI Records release a 2-DVD Greatest Hits compilation containing all of the band’s seminal videos.

Duran Duran plays to 45,000 people at KROQ’s (CA) Inland Invasion show. The event becomes the fastest selling date ever at Devore’s Glen Helen Pavilion.

The band headlines other radio shows in San Francisco and Boston during September and early October.

Q Magazine – the UK’s most prestigious music magazine – presents the band with the Lifetime Achievement Award at their 2003 ceremony in London. Nile Rodgers presents the accolade and the event is televised around the world.

The band plays their first UK show since 1984 as the original lineup to an ecstatic sold out crowd. Fans camp out at The Forum, in Kentish Town, London and Sky News reports that there were over 200,000 requests for tickets for a venue that could only hold 2,000 people.

Duran Duran is invited to participate in the Princes Trust Fundraiser at the Royal Albert Hall, entitled “Fashion Rocks.” As the band performs “Girls on Film,” models – including Yasmin LeBon – strut the catwalk dressed in Donna Karan. The televised event raises over One Million Pounds for charity.

The band joins pop star Robbie Williams as the special guests on his tour of Australia and New Zealand (December 2003). The first stadium concert in Sydney sells 50,000 tickets in one hour and a second Sydney date is added because of the demand.

After a successful stint “Down Under” with Robbie Williams – where the band adds solo shows to cope with fan demand – they finish 2003 with a sold out show in Singapore.

Throughout the year, alongside their extensive touring and promotional commitments, the band manages to convene regularly in London for further writing and recording sessions.

“All She Wants Is” is featured in the Oscar nominated film Monster starring Charlize Theron. The band later finds out Director Patty Jenkins is a fan.

Simon is featured in the Vanity Fair all music issue doing a Q&A with George Wayne in New York, the day after the band wins their surprise MTV Award.

Simon is a presenter with Lisa Maffia (So Solid Crew) at this year’s MOBO Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Duran Duran launches their paid Fan Community at www.duranduranmusic.com, making concert tickets available to members first, as well as showcasing exclusive photos, footage and content.

Power Station lead singer Robert Palmer dies suddenly in France and Powerstation drummer Tony Thompson dies of cancer a few months later. All members of Duran Duran are deeply saddened by both deaths.

Duran Duran teams up with Amnesty International, participating in their “Second Annual Music for Humanity” Auction. The band auctions off concert tickets, backstage passes and a signed skateboard on EBay to raise money and awareness for Amnesty International.