"You might remember us..."

I waited a few days before posting this, but the other night my lawyer/agent/advisor and I ventured to an obscure part of California called Costa Mesa to see the reunited original 5-piece Duran Duran in what was supposed to be their first US show in 18 years (unfortunately they threw in a club gig in LA the night before, thus making this the SECOND gig in the US in 18 years).

It is no secret that Duran Duran are the first band I was ever a true fan of quite possibly the most important band in my life. And perhaps, with the exception of Skrew, believe it or not, I have seen Duran Duran more than any band. However, I never saw the original lineup as I was too young, so my first experience seeing Duran Duran live, was the NOTORIOUS era 3-piece line up at Madison Square Garden in 1987 (also the first for my lawyer/agent/advisor, though I didn't know her then!). For those of you old enough to remember, being a male duran duran fan in the 1980's was about as cool as being pro-hitler in the 1940's. Branded a "fag", "homo" or anything else for years as a teenager because I didn't love Motley Crue or Twisted Sister, I as Dan Hamill will attest, remained a loyal Duran Duran fan for 2 decades. And I never waivered once.

So obviously this gig in Costa Mesa was important to us. I'm not even sure what my expectations were, but they were shattered and surpassed by the third song (mostly cause the sound blew until that point, but I chalk that up to being in an outdoor amphitheatre). I realized that at that point that for the past 18 years I have seen nothing but Duran Duran cover bands, cause THIS is the real deal.

First, I was shocked at how good they look (always important), but nothing could prepare me for the incredible chemistry the original line up has and tremendous talent that the two members I had never seen perform, Andy and Roger Taylor, have oozing out of them. What they bring to the table is unbelievavle.

It also no secret that to me John Taylor, co-founder of Duran Duran, is without a doubt THE single most underrated bassist of his generation (and inadvertanty inspired the "Factor" name. Now reunited with Roger Taylor, his spirtual other half, the Duran rythmn section is second to none. I had been hoping since the day he left Duran in 1997 that John Taylor would return to the fold, and seeing him here made realize that he is the heart and soul of the band. And it's biggest fan. Every band needs that member who is unconditional in their love for the band. I can relate.

They played the hits, they played album tracks such as NEW RELIGION and CARELESS MEMORIES with the energy that musicians half their age couldn't muster, and they played new songs that potentially rival the best of their back catalog. They also played some hits from their post Andy/Roger period and again, the two returning members added their own unique touches to songs such as COME UNDONE and ORDINARY WORLD that were fantastic.

And did I mention how good they look?

Back in New York recently, the VH1 "I LOVE THE 80'S" (I DONT love the 80's btw) poked fun at the alleged limited keyboard playing skills of Nick Rhodes, which only goes to show how stupid people are. Nick Rhodes pretty much invented the Duran "sound". When SAVE A PRAYER starts, and thousands of people swoon, who do you think created those synth sounds that tug at your heart and make you a big pile of mush? Genius. That I say Fuck You to the singer out of Def Leppard who wishes he had a quarter of Nick Rhodes' talent. Pour some sugar on THIS, you bitch.

I don't wanna even get into the brilliance of Simon LeBon, who's voice has improved tremendously over the years and represents a lost generation of uninhibited, sexy frontmen who combine talent with charisma to cast a spell over their audience. He has charisma to spare and is full on.

By the 3rd song I realized we were seeing something very very special. By the encore, my lawyer/advisor/agent said to me "what MORE can they do?" and yet they do even more. These guys are playing for keeps and are very obviously determined to cement their legacy. I have never seen a band like this before. There is a reason this band has sold 70 million records. This isn't a comeback, this is something beyond that. It's not nostalgic. I don't know what this is, but this was one of the best gigs I have ever seen.

F