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DURAN DURAN'S GIG ON TUESDAY
The New Paper
by Eri Akbar
Dec 18th, 2003
Coming undone with these wild boys.
FOR one Duran Duran fan, the '80s band's concert here two nights ago was also a class reunion. Entertainer John Klass, 34, was there, relishing the 'art 'n' roll' tunes with a few of his former St Patrick's schoolmates. And they couldn't help but reminisce about the days when John, then 16, simply couldn't get enough of A View To Kill, which is a 1985 Duran Duran hit. John said with a chuckle: 'I was singing the song in class for the entire year. 'I would drum my fingers on my desk and hum to the tune.'.
SURPASSED The gig, which played to a packed Singapore Indoor Stadium, surpassed the one which took place there almost a decade ago, John added. Who can dispute that when the original line-up - vocalist Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, and the three Taylors; bassist John, guitarist Andy and drummer Roger - were all on the same stage? Back in 1994, the Brit pack played to a half-empty stadium without Andy and Roger. After an acerbic split nearly two decades ago, the iconic group has put its past differences behind with this 'get-together'. You can imagine how thrilled the audience, made up of those from their 20s to their 40s, was when the band performed its signature pop-funk-rock tunes like Hungry Like The Wolf, Come Undone and Reflex. The gig started almost an hour late and lasted for a full hour and a half, complete with the customary encore. Blue strobe lights shining on hands clapping uniformly in the air reminded you of the sinking scene from Titanic. Coupled with an overpowering bass, you could get motion sickness if you didn't hold on to your seat. Le Bon stole the limelight despite having traded in his glam-rock outfits for an understated ensemble of shirt and jeans..
SHOWMAN He cocked his head, wiggled his butt and thrust his hands out to the crowd - a style that was a mixture of Freddie Mercury and Erasure's Andy Bell, as Power 98 deejay Denise Tan put it. Not a huge Duran Duran fan, she didn't go to the concert with high hopes. But after the gig, she was literally jumping with excitement when she shared her experience. After all, Duran Duran performed its hit about one-night stands, Say A Prayer, which happens to be her all-time favourite. Denise said animatedly: 'Gosh, I was singing a song about one-night stands when I was a kid. 'I definitely got a nostalgic kick out of it.'
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