English
On the 9th of July, at the Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park in Istanbul, you can watch the British rock band Duran Duran live on tour to promote their new album, ´All You Need is Now´.
Duran Duran is the British band that best represents the 80s New Wave, and it´s made up today by John and Roger Taylor (vocals and bass), Simon Le Bon (vocals), Dominic Brown (guitar) and Nick Rhodes (keyboard and drums). Their trademark badge was their glamorous performances on stage that were reproduced in the videos. This differentiated them from various bands that brought punk aesthetics. This attracted many young girls, becoming a commercial phenomenon of the time.
However, it´s not all been marketing and glamour for Duran Duran, since they´re an excellent music band that was formed with the intention of being a band with the energy of the Sex Pistols but with danceable rhythms like David Bowie and Roxy Music. They achieved this in great terms and that´s where a large part of their success lies.
Their name comes from the film Barbarella (1968), directed by Roger Vadim, where the villain is called Mr. Duran Duran. The sci-fi film starring Jane Fonda was considered very daring, since it had a high erotic content for the time.
The early days of the band were difficult. They played at night and worked during the day as concierges, waiters or DJs. In 1981 their first album was released, with a homonymous title. The single ´Planet Earth´ reached #12 in the British Top 20 Chart. The single that strongly reached the top spots was ´Girls On Film´, reaching #5 in the British charts.
In 1982 they released their second album, ´Rio´, and they were praised by Princess Diana, who declared them her favourite band. This meant that they appeared in the press as ´The Fab Five´, comparing them with the Beatles, who were named as members of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II and labelled ´The Fab Four´.
The quick success and the tiring tours and recordings took their toll in 1985, when creative differences appeared. John and Andy Taylor looked for a harder rock, closer to Led Zeppelin, and joined Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson to form The Power Station. The same happened with Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes, who formed Arcadia. In 1986, the band became a trio.
In the late 80s and early 90s they adapted their sound to new crowds, since their fans were already adults who liked other rhythms, and teenagers enjoyed other musical paths.
The new century arrived with few proposals and the nostalgia from previous decades, when Duran Duran had found a new space to majestically bring those sounds that take us back to that better past.
For more information: http://www.lastfm.es/event/3281990+Duran+Duran+at+Ma%C3%A7ka+K%C3%BC%C3%A7%C3%BCk%C3%A7iftlik+Park+on+9+July+2012
The blue of the Bosphorus is a magnet for those who are looking for a place to spend their holidays, so rent apartments in Istanbul and don´t miss out on this concert of Duran Duran.
