Duran Duran Update

Duran Duran - The Wild Boys (ARTE Concert - Oct 2025, Switzerland) / UK / New Wave, Synth-pop, Dance Rock / 1984 / 9.0 (out of 10 points)

This is the live performance from the ARTE Concert Baloise Session held in Basel, Switzerland, this past October. The members are definitely not young, but they're still going strong! 'The Wild Boys' seems to pack a serious punch live, which is kinda surprising. Usually, 'Rio' handles the ending (encore), but at this Baloise Session, 'Wild Boys' was the closer. It’s a tricky song to pull off live, but they crushed it unexpectedly well. The lineup features original members John, Nick, Simon, and Roger, with guest guitarist Dom Brown filling in for Andy Taylor since 2006. What’s cool is seeing those middle-aged Swiss guys cheering right in the front row. Doesn't that prove that back then, Duran Duran wasn't just some visual-first 'pretty boy idol band' for girls worldwide, but a true icon of that era—one that boys also rocked out to, and that's still remembered 40 years later?

Duran Duran - The Reflex (Live Aid 1985) / UK / New Wave, Synth-pop, Dance-pop / 1984 / 9.0 (out of 10 points)

When you talk Duran Duran, you gotta mention The Reflex. That legendary Live Aid concert in July 1985 at JFK Stadium in Philly, watched by 2 billion people, all to help fight the famine in Ethiopia. At the time, there were major sound engineering issues on the American stage, and 'The Reflex' specifically was tough to perform live due to its complex sound structure. Simon Le Bon's pitch was also a bit shaky. Plus, the band was going through a messy period, with internal chaos noticeable. Nevertheless, the raw, rough energy came through completely, and the professional stage presence they delivered was quite impressive. Especially shining through were bassist John Taylor and keyboardist Nick Rhodes, whose visual appeal and musical ambition really stood out. This performance featured the five core members plus four session musicians: percussionist Gary Wallis (who also toured with Pink Floyd), backing vocalists Curtis King and Phil Ballou, and sax player Frank Elmo, who added lots of color and excitement. As we all know, after this show, the members split into Arcadia and Power Station. And what happened after that... This concert seems to capture the height of their glorious peak, a moment where their success and their eventual fracture existed side-by-side.

— I’ve been listening to Duran Duran a lot while driving lately. Maybe sometime when I have a chance, I'll drop a Duran Duran TOP 10 favorite songs list ^^ Haha.