Messed!Up
Hamburg, get ready for a night of pure pop spectacle. On 5 October, Duran Duran will take over Barclays Arena as part of their new UK and European autumn arena tour, bringing four decades of hits, glamour, futuristic visuals and unmistakable New Romantic swagger to the city.
Few bands have had such a lasting impact on the sound and visual language of pop. Formed in Birmingham in 1978, Duran Duran emerged from the post-punk scene with a sophisticated cocktail of synthesizers, funk, disco, rock and new wave. With Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor, they created a sound that was as stylish as it was adventurous, and turned themselves into global icons in the process.
Their breakthrough came with 1981’s Duran Duran, before 1982’s Rio sent them into the stratosphere. “Hungry Like the Wolf”, “Save a Prayer” and “Rio” became defining tracks of the New Romantic era, while the band’s cinematic music videos helped establish MTV as a cultural force. Seven and the Ragged Tiger followed with “The Reflex” and “Union of the Snake”, while “A View to a Kill” gave Duran Duran a Bond theme and another worldwide smash.
Their story didn’t end with the 1980s. The Wedding Album produced the enduring classics “Ordinary World” and “Come Undone”, while later releases saw the band continually embrace new sounds and collaborators. Their recent albums Future Past and Danse Macabre prove that Duran Duran remain creatively restless while staying true to the identity that made them famous.
With more than 100 million records sold worldwide and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Duran Duran arrive in Hamburg with an extraordinary catalogue behind them, and a spectacular live show still ahead.
On 5 October, Barclays Arena becomes Duran Duran territory. Expect the hits, the hooks, the glamour and the visuals. Four decades on, the party is very much still alive.
