EMIRATES Airlines Dubai Jazz Festival is back with a boom...so here's the first night review
DURAN RUN WITH IT: The enduring rock pop act opening Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival
DURAN Duran were named after a character in a futuristic movie and enjoyed their first hit at a time when the idea of cryptocurrency was pure science fiction.
Thirty-something years on and the latter is very much with us and experiencing the kind of turbulence these graduates of the New Romantic era have endured, overcome and even indulged.
“Bon, Simon Le Bon,” as the cheekily charismatic singer introduced himself late in the set, has seen his band triumph at various levels through a fluctuating music brand that has had them topping global charts, adorning teenage bedrooms and selling 100 million records in the process.
“Bon, Simon Le Bon,” as the cheekily charismatic singer introduced himself late in the set, has seen his band triumph at various levels through a fluctuating music brand that has had them topping global charts, adorning teenage bedrooms and selling 100 million records in the process.
CROWD CONTROL: Thousands pop in to the Media City Amphitheatre for the jazz festival first night
Long down the road from Hungry Like The Wolf - an early treat at this Dubai festival first night - you sensed the British frontman grasped the slightly surreal landing for this latest big gig.
“We’re not a jazz band, we’re Duran Duran,” he announced four songs into their headline set for the Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival.
The synth-lined rock act are far from the first band to obscure the genre that lends this annual festival its name, but as with many of the leading lights booked in the 16-year run of the thriving Middle East musical fixture this proved to be an inspired choice.
The majority of the audience, of an era when Girls On Film were strutting the pop catwalk around the world, revelled to the likes of The Wild Boys, delivered with early gusto, and the swirling romp Rio, turned in as a closer to a setlist that put barely a foot wrong.
“We’re not a jazz band, we’re Duran Duran,” he announced four songs into their headline set for the Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival.
The synth-lined rock act are far from the first band to obscure the genre that lends this annual festival its name, but as with many of the leading lights booked in the 16-year run of the thriving Middle East musical fixture this proved to be an inspired choice.
The majority of the audience, of an era when Girls On Film were strutting the pop catwalk around the world, revelled to the likes of The Wild Boys, delivered with early gusto, and the swirling romp Rio, turned in as a closer to a setlist that put barely a foot wrong.
BON VOYAGE: The Duran Duran singer and Nick Rhodes offer up familiar sounds
While The Reflex was lamented by plenty for its absence, A View To A Kill returned as one of those rare Bond themes that proved pretty much the highlight of its film.
Duran Duran remain pretty much their core original line-up with Le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes - still sporting annoyingly good hair - flanked by musical extras and sassy backing vocalists that raised their live sound in the Dubai night.
Notorious, the elegant Come Undone and Ordinary World, and a welcome Planet Earth that evolved into Space Oddity for a bow to Bowie, demonstrated the band’s ability to redefine the genre that embraced them and keep pace with fickle chart trends.
Duran Duran remain pretty much their core original line-up with Le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes - still sporting annoyingly good hair - flanked by musical extras and sassy backing vocalists that raised their live sound in the Dubai night.
Notorious, the elegant Come Undone and Ordinary World, and a welcome Planet Earth that evolved into Space Oddity for a bow to Bowie, demonstrated the band’s ability to redefine the genre that embraced them and keep pace with fickle chart trends.
TAYLOR MADE: The Duran Duran bassist is one the original line-up
New Moon On Monday should arguably have been confined to the ‘80s while clunky pop such as I Don’t Want Your Love also showed its age, but White Lines reminded that an arguably (at the time) ill-judged cover can return to revive a mid-show crowd imbibing nostalgia.
New albums have come and gone for Duran Duran since then - such as Paper Gods which supplied a brooding, downbeat set opener - but with the sublime Save A Prayer rinsing the night air just before midnight, many here headed home happy that some ‘80s fashion survives, matures, evolves and can still hold its own in a very different decade.
With the musical army that was Sheffield, England’s Renegade Brass Band kicking off the main stage show in precocious hip-hop meets funky jazz fusion, this was a triumphant start to a festival three nighter that has returning soulful favourite John Legend and Latino trailblazer Ricky Martin headlining tonight and tomorrow respectively.
New albums have come and gone for Duran Duran since then - such as Paper Gods which supplied a brooding, downbeat set opener - but with the sublime Save A Prayer rinsing the night air just before midnight, many here headed home happy that some ‘80s fashion survives, matures, evolves and can still hold its own in a very different decade.
With the musical army that was Sheffield, England’s Renegade Brass Band kicking off the main stage show in precocious hip-hop meets funky jazz fusion, this was a triumphant start to a festival three nighter that has returning soulful favourite John Legend and Latino trailblazer Ricky Martin headlining tonight and tomorrow respectively.
