Post by bass_echo on Apr 12, 2008 2:02:20 GMT -5
old.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20080412.T01&irec=0
Duran Duran burst onto the popular music scene in the 1980s when rock bands were revolting against the aesthetic values of the old, progressive rock styles of the 1970s, musically and culturally shunning the nostalgic "cult" of an aging hippie sub-culture.
They came out as part of the New Wave movement in music, with their synthetic tone colors and their eccentrically flamboyant suits, fair haircuts and eyeliner -- a stylistic distinction from the classic, outlandish anti-establishment costumes worn by long-haired rockers.
Duran Duran were indeed pop culture trendsetters in the 1980s.
On Tuesday night at the Plenary Hall of the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), more than two decades after the release of their self-titled debut album, Duran Duran hit the stage, conscious that some of their nostalgic fans were anxious to see if this was the same band they remembered from two decades ago, while the band members themselves were eager to show they had more than just a glorious past.
The concert, titled Evening with Duran-Duran -- a poor title indeed as it makes them sound like an aging boyband -- was part of the band's world tour to promote their new album, Red Carpet Massacre (released in late 2007), on which they collaborated with current pop icons like Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.
The album proves that Duran Duran, as when they first came out with new sounds produced by the then most advanced digital synthesizers, always keeps up with changes and therefore, as the band's bassist, John Taylor, said, "can change every year" if they want to.
They began their concert with the first single off Red Carpet Massacre, "The Valley". The song's distinctively repetitive disco rhythm, supported by impressive lighting arrangements, set the mood for the concertgoers, many of whom had arrived at the venue an hour before the show started.
Most of those present, mostly in their 30s and 40s, had probably never heard the song before, but they all seemed to recognize Nick Rhodes' idiosyncratically stunning electro sound, which appears to more dominant on the new album.
The younger audience members, most probably born after the band was formed in 1978, were obviously oblivious to which songs came from which albums. There were few teenagers at the concert, which recreated the youthful, disco atmosphere of the New Romantic bands of the 1980s.
The English rock band -- now consisting of Rhodes (keyboards), John Taylor (bass), Roger Taylor (drums) and Simon Le Bon (vocals) -- played five songs off the new album, including "Falling Down", which on the album features Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, "Nite Runner" and "Skin Divers".
The old pieces performed early in the concert were "Hungry Like a Wolf" and "Planet Earth", but not until the band played "Come Undone" did the audience really roar to life.
The cheering grew louder when the band played "Ordinary World" and "Save a Prayer".
It appeared that most concertgoers, more familiar with the band's earlier albums, were expecting more nostalgia than new stuff, and the band understood that.
"People like to hear songs that become part of their lives. I have them and I'm sure you have them too. I got songs that I heard when I was 10 years old that I really like. Sure, if I meet David Bowie I'd like to hear some of those songs," Rhodes said.
"But, of course, I am also open-minded enough to be interested in what happens, what's new, what he's doing. And I think as an artist, if you have a fairly large audience, it's only fair to try to balance what you're doing with new things and things that people would want to hear," he said.
The band also played such '80s hits as "Union of the Snake", "The Reflex", "Wild Boys," "Notorious" and "A View to a Kill", much to the delight of the audience.
Rhodes said he was aware that Red Carpet Massacre is still in its early days and that more people are likely to have and be familiar with Duran Duran's earlier albums.
"But as people start to discover it, it really is the strongest album we have made in many, many years. There are a lot of songs there that we're going to be playing for a lot of years too," he said.
However, the band seems to care less about the fate of the album in the market than the way they feel about being able to produce and perform new songs worldwide.
"It's not whether you're on top of the world or whatever. It's about being confident and how you feel about yourself and your band. I think we were a lot more insecure. We're a lot cooler now. We are a lot more secure and comfortable.
"We know that it doesn't matter if our record goes to number one all over the world -- though all of that would be nice. We just like what we do. We give a good show to people live. It is all that we all hope to do," John Taylor said.
Time will tell whether Red Carpet Massacre survives over the years like its predecessors, but one thing is sure, Duran Duran remains confident in the originality and vivacity of their music. So, what's the difference between Duran Duran of 20 years a o and today?
"We're now 20 years older," Rhodes said.
Duran Duran burst onto the popular music scene in the 1980s when rock bands were revolting against the aesthetic values of the old, progressive rock styles of the 1970s, musically and culturally shunning the nostalgic "cult" of an aging hippie sub-culture.
They came out as part of the New Wave movement in music, with their synthetic tone colors and their eccentrically flamboyant suits, fair haircuts and eyeliner -- a stylistic distinction from the classic, outlandish anti-establishment costumes worn by long-haired rockers.
Duran Duran were indeed pop culture trendsetters in the 1980s.
On Tuesday night at the Plenary Hall of the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), more than two decades after the release of their self-titled debut album, Duran Duran hit the stage, conscious that some of their nostalgic fans were anxious to see if this was the same band they remembered from two decades ago, while the band members themselves were eager to show they had more than just a glorious past.
The concert, titled Evening with Duran-Duran -- a poor title indeed as it makes them sound like an aging boyband -- was part of the band's world tour to promote their new album, Red Carpet Massacre (released in late 2007), on which they collaborated with current pop icons like Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.
The album proves that Duran Duran, as when they first came out with new sounds produced by the then most advanced digital synthesizers, always keeps up with changes and therefore, as the band's bassist, John Taylor, said, "can change every year" if they want to.
They began their concert with the first single off Red Carpet Massacre, "The Valley". The song's distinctively repetitive disco rhythm, supported by impressive lighting arrangements, set the mood for the concertgoers, many of whom had arrived at the venue an hour before the show started.
Most of those present, mostly in their 30s and 40s, had probably never heard the song before, but they all seemed to recognize Nick Rhodes' idiosyncratically stunning electro sound, which appears to more dominant on the new album.
The younger audience members, most probably born after the band was formed in 1978, were obviously oblivious to which songs came from which albums. There were few teenagers at the concert, which recreated the youthful, disco atmosphere of the New Romantic bands of the 1980s.
The English rock band -- now consisting of Rhodes (keyboards), John Taylor (bass), Roger Taylor (drums) and Simon Le Bon (vocals) -- played five songs off the new album, including "Falling Down", which on the album features Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, "Nite Runner" and "Skin Divers".
The old pieces performed early in the concert were "Hungry Like a Wolf" and "Planet Earth", but not until the band played "Come Undone" did the audience really roar to life.
The cheering grew louder when the band played "Ordinary World" and "Save a Prayer".
It appeared that most concertgoers, more familiar with the band's earlier albums, were expecting more nostalgia than new stuff, and the band understood that.
"People like to hear songs that become part of their lives. I have them and I'm sure you have them too. I got songs that I heard when I was 10 years old that I really like. Sure, if I meet David Bowie I'd like to hear some of those songs," Rhodes said.
"But, of course, I am also open-minded enough to be interested in what happens, what's new, what he's doing. And I think as an artist, if you have a fairly large audience, it's only fair to try to balance what you're doing with new things and things that people would want to hear," he said.
The band also played such '80s hits as "Union of the Snake", "The Reflex", "Wild Boys," "Notorious" and "A View to a Kill", much to the delight of the audience.
Rhodes said he was aware that Red Carpet Massacre is still in its early days and that more people are likely to have and be familiar with Duran Duran's earlier albums.
"But as people start to discover it, it really is the strongest album we have made in many, many years. There are a lot of songs there that we're going to be playing for a lot of years too," he said.
However, the band seems to care less about the fate of the album in the market than the way they feel about being able to produce and perform new songs worldwide.
"It's not whether you're on top of the world or whatever. It's about being confident and how you feel about yourself and your band. I think we were a lot more insecure. We're a lot cooler now. We are a lot more secure and comfortable.
"We know that it doesn't matter if our record goes to number one all over the world -- though all of that would be nice. We just like what we do. We give a good show to people live. It is all that we all hope to do," John Taylor said.
Time will tell whether Red Carpet Massacre survives over the years like its predecessors, but one thing is sure, Duran Duran remains confident in the originality and vivacity of their music. So, what's the difference between Duran Duran of 20 years a o and today?
"We're now 20 years older," Rhodes said.
