Here's a really short review of the Tribute Concert in LA in October, from the RockLove web site (http://webhost.rocklove.com):

Duran Duran Tribute -- Tower Records Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 10/12/97 -- Fan anticipation was tremendous. Sunset Boulevard was alive and kicking. Throngs of people littered the normally traffic-heavy streets. A sense of something big was in the air. Many had been there for more than 24 hours, having shown up the night before to witness this event. It was a return of sorts and a big one. After morning had broken, the day grew increasingly beautiful&emdash;the sun shined, the slightest of breezes kept the air clean, and nary a cloud was seen. Many bands were in attendance. Some just to witness, others to actually pay tribute. Duran Duran was in the house and back with a new album all their own. Not only that, but other bands were there to pay tribute to Duran Duran&emdash;bands that are all part of a punk Duran tribute that comes out almost simultaneously with the new Duran record. Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Home Grown and Jimmy Eat World were just some of the names on hand to fete the boys who gave us "Rio", "Girls On Film", "Hungry Like The Wolf", "The Reflex", "A View To A Kill" and so many more hits that are etched in our late-'70s, early-'80s consciousness. As the sun set, the boys took to the stage, thanking those paying homage and finally, giving everyone a taste of the real thing. Sunset&emdash;both the boulevard and the daily occurrence&emdash;may never be the same in Los Angeles again.

Duran Duran powerless between the now and then
By Jim Sullivan, Globe Staff, 11/15/97

Shouts heard outside the Orpheum Theatre, following Duran Duran's sold-out show, the first date of its first US tour in six years: "Was anyone else disappointed?" "It's so sad, I'll never get to see them again!" Inside the theater, during an unplugged, set-closing version of "Rio": "I waited 14 years for this?"

Get the sense that something was amiss in Durannie-land?

Well, just for starters, the unplugged "Rio" was unplugged unintentionally. It's doubtful the boys on stage knew this, as their monitors seemed to be working, but out in the crowd we heard dinky little keyboard lines from Nick Rhodes and plinkety-plinks from guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and were treated to the sight of soundless Simon LeBon posing and pouting to the unheard music. A Duran Duran offshoot band was Power Station; here we had a power failure. (Granted, the mostly female audience did its best to keep the song buoyant, singing along en masse, choruses and verses, and there was cheer in their persistence.)

What else? The opener Al's Not Well turned into Al's Not Here when its truck broke down in North Carolina. Duran Duran did a sound check until 7 p.m., resulting in a snaking line of chilly, kept-in-the-dark fans winding down Tremont Street. Duran Duran didn't bump up the show; no, they stuck with the original time of 8:45 and missed that by 20 minutes because of a computer console glitch that had to be fixed. After an hour, the power dropped out again, forcing the band offstage for 15 minutes, and we went into the lobby, where the beer taps had just shut down. Back on stage, they played "Come Undone", as scheduled, a nice bit of irony. Mercifully, the final slated encore, "Undergoing Treatment", was scrapped.

It was a comedy of errors. You know how sometimes it's a matter of pride that a band chooses to kick off its tour in your city? And then there are those times when you feel like a guinea pig, stuck at an out-of-town tryout? It was a case of the latter Thursday night. An optimist would say it can only get better.

Setting aside the aforementioned snafus, Duran Duran's 90-minute set was a mixed bag of tricks: a confluence of cheeky old new wave and new semi-adventurous art-rock/dance-pop (Roxy Music lite), most all of it punctuated by LeBon's hip-wiggling, butt-patting stage demeanor, which just had to be self-mocking, like the old "Saturday Night Live" routine about George Michael and his sculpted derriere. The ladies lapped this up, shrieking like the teenage Durannies they used to be.

Problem here was, most of the fans were here for the faded glory of nostalgia, and Duran Duran is trying to reposition itself as a vital '90s band. The group's latest album, Medazzaland, is a step in the right direction and "So Long, Suicide" is a rousing song about perseverance. Duran Duran pumped Medazzaland Thursday night. But most fans didn't know it and were much more swayed by "Hungry Like The Wolf", "View To A Kill", and, heck, even the pitiful, ravaged "Rio". LeBon didn't help matters by prattling on like a babbling brook between songs, talking "then and now" and how their "sensibility" had changed. Fair enough. But he wouldn't shut up, and one guy screamed, "Too much information!"

When it started in the early 1980s, Duran Duran was either a punching bag or a guilty pleasure. Now, the boys are certainly harmless enough, but there was also a palpable distance Thursday night during their show - the sound was low, (even at full power), and the lighting and performance had them at arm's length. "Ordinary World", their 1993 comeback hit and a song of humility, had a shimmering grace. But the show had a curiously tepid tenor to it, as if Duran Duran may be unsure of itself in this alt-rock world in which we live.

This story ran on page C10 of the Boston Globe on 11/15/97. Copyright 1997 Globe Newspaper Company.

First, from Kim Blessing (kblessi@brynmawr.edu):

Leaving for the concert, with the top down and Medazzaland blaring (yes, if it's a nice day I will drive with the top down, even in 30 degree weather!), I sort of wondered what a Duran show would be like without John. And I started getting that deja-vu feeling of having done this before...

But as for the show itself... it was very cleansing for me. I think I had an attitude about Duran without John. Not that I didn't think they could pull off a great show, but that some major part of the band (and therefore music) would be lacking. I admit now, I was wrong. Yes, there were times when we looked at each other and longed to hear John playing bass lines. There were times when we wished the rhythm section would really get their act together and fuse and just play solidly (there were only about 3 moments like that). But overall, the band (the WHOLE band) really and truly rocked. It's probably one of the best concerts I've been to.

I think part of what made it so great were the following:

1) The fans. Being with a bunch of Duranies who have been with this band through thick and thin. We saw the other "casual" fans, who had blank looks on their faces during songs like "Secret Oktober". We just reveled in being able to hear that song -- FINALLY! -- played live. We saw the teenagers who just knew the newer material, the "more distinguished" persons who only knew the older stuff. But what a better way to listen to "Friends Of Mine" than with other great Duranies!

2) The older material finally being performed. One might have thought that Duran would have never considered playing songs off their first album, with only 2 members of that band now still in Duran. But just as John performed "Planet Earth", this band pulled of nearly orgasmic versions of "Rio" and "Careless Memories". I own about 100 bootlegs, including lots of boots from '81-'84, and it was a real thrill to finally be able to hear these songs, performed live, being pumped into my ears and body by huge speakers! There was definitely no loss of atmosphere, no loss of musical quality.

3) Just being able to enjoy the show. For the years I've been going to see Duran, there's always been this struggle, between trying to get close to the stage, being able to see John, etc. This time, there was no reason to try to get close to the stage... let the newer fans, or the fans who've never had the chance to get close, get to the front. They'll exude the energy the band likes to see up close. There was no reason to fight to get towards one side of the stage. We just hung out, in the back of the venue, dancing and singing and really enjoying the show. I didn't look at the stage very much, admittedly. But it didn't matter. We were there for the music!

Now, here's my only gripe, and it's pretty minor... why no second encore?!?!?! I've never heard a Philadelphia crowd cheer for Duran as they did last night. The crowd was really begging for another encore!!! Just one song even!!!!! But it's ok... the show was great.

I've seen them several times, but not in many years, and not that close up since about 1983, so that part was cool. I've never been back stage, I met JT when he was with NO, but on the whole, I'm not one of the lucky people who meet them every time they come through town. But the atmosphere, even after all of these years was electric!! I was kind of disappointed by the number of people just standing around with their hands in their pockets, I wanted EVERYONE to be as excited as I was - but obviously that's not possible! The show opened with a big black curtain, full of holes, and bright lights flashing out at the audience through these pinholes with the opening music to "Medazzaland". playing. I thought I would die it was so exiting.

I was right in front of Nick. He DID look tired, he did cough, but he didn't look unhealthy or particularly unhappy to be there. He left IMMEDIATELY after the show. I'm glad he could make it, but also glad that he knew his limits and was able to get out of the arena and maybe rest a little.

(I got Warren's set list after the show, that's the only reason I remember this - I was a little carried away in my own world.)

1. "Medazzaland" - I loved the atmosphere, and it definitely got people pumped, but except for the little pre-recorded pieces, you could hardly hear Nick until the very end.

2. "Big Bang Generation" - This was AWESOME!! Everyone in the place was dancing to this song. I did notice that very few people knew the words to the new songs, but no one was complaining.

3. "Hungry Like The Wolf" - As you might expect, this set the whole room on fire. I think a lot of "old" fans who haven't heard anything recently but the few big singles were really only there to hear the old material, and they enjoyed this as you might expect, but hearing this song seemed to jazz them up a bit more and get into the whole atmosphere - it was like being at one of the '84 shows again. Fun.

4. "Who Do You Think You Are?" - I was surprised by how well received this one was. I was very skeptical about this as a possible single, but the crowd seemed to like it.

5. "Electric Barbarella" - They must play this in Philly more than they do in DC because everyone seemed to know it.

6. "View To A Kill" - Same as "Hungry"

7. "Out of My Mind" - Lots of lighters in the air for this song!

8. "Michael" - I thought that this was one of the most beautiful songs of the evening. Simon's voice has really improved live, I think. Quite moving.

9. "Save A Prayer" - Lighters galore - but for me, this song just doesn't have the emotional impact that it used to. I still love to hear it - but I've changed since then, and I think Simon has too. It just didn't carry the same emotion it used to.

10. "Be My Icon" - Hmmm... When I first heard this song I was kind of offended. I thought it was a real jab against us fans - against people like me who have a more than casual interest in the band. But when you see Simon perform this song - it's clearly something much more sinister. I no longer felt offended, but creeped out by that fan in the song. I no longer take it personally and actually found this really FUN!! Simon is SOO good at being the ham!

11. "Anyone Out There" - This was great! Got the room really pumped because no one expected it. Most people were singing along.

12. "Buried In The Sand" - Beautiful! Magic - I noticed Nick had his back away from the crowd for this song, maybe that's just the was his instruments were arranged - but for me - this song has SO MUCH emotional impact, I nearly cried - I wonder if it is hard for him to perform or if he's very blase about it. I did notice that it wasn't on the original set list, but was penciled in later.

13. "Come Undone" - Just what you'd expect. Very popular.

14. "Friends Of Mine" - For me, this was one of the two best songs of the night - even though I really missed John and Roger here - I felt there was something missing - but yet, to hear this song played live was such a good feeling. I also loved the reaction of the guy two people away from me who obviously used to really love DD "back in the days" and almost peed himself when this song started. "Oh my God - First Album - best song!!!""

15. "Careless Memories" - Again - a HUGE crowd pleaser and end of the main set.

Encore - "Sekret Oktober" - My favorite part of the show. This new version is musically a bit different, but entrancing! I just loved it!! My favorite song of the night! I really hope they re-record it for the b-sides.

"Ordinary World" - I would have to say this song seems to be, for most of the people there, what "Save A Prayer" used to be.

"Rio" - Johnny - where are you. Lots of excitement, but no punch. I think this was when I missed him most.

The set list shows that there was supposed to be a second encore ("Undergoing Treatment"), and I thought I saw Yasmin indicate to someone that they'd be coming back, and after "Rio" - the crowd was primed, but it was just over.

All in all, I had a wonderful time. I think the old songs, though I loved to hear them live, most showed the loss of John and Roger. The songs that were recorded post Roger - and definitely the newer stuff, is a lot less rhythm heavy, and I didn't notice John missing as much.

First, from the independent Cleveland paper Scene (which as you may remember Nick was "reading" during his performance of "Medazzaland") (http://www.clevescene.com/971126/live1126.htm#1):

DURAN DURAN, AL'S NOT WELL
Lakewood Civic Auditorium
by Victor Cooke

Video may have indeed killed the radio star, but it was also invaluable in putting Duran Duran on the map (not to mention giving Sri Lanka one hell of a free advertising campaign). While many of their sharp-dressed contemporaries have long-since self-destructed or faded into oblivion, Duran Duran have managed to outlast them all despite some key personnel changes and occasional cut-out bin fodder like Liberty and Thank You.

The resilient popularity and charisma of the band was dramatically apparent when the lights went down just before the show -- the sheer volume of teen, 20- and 30-something female screams was deafening, to say the least. Three songs into the set, as Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes and Warren Cuccurullo and their backing rhythm section launched into "Hungry Like The Wolf", it was like being instantaneously teleported back to ninth grade all over again. Radical, dudes!

Ahem. Anyway, Duran Duran's performance wasn't bad at all -- in fact, it was often sensational. After kicking off the show with Rhodes dryly reciting the robotic narration that constitutes the title cut of the new Medazzaland album (while perusing a copy of your favorite local entertainment newsweekly), LeBon made his entrance to deafening cheers and led the venerable new wave quintet into "Big Bang Generation".

It became glaringly apparent while LeBon was greeting the audience that a pall had been cast over the band's spirits by the news of INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence's death earlier that day. Being a close friend of the late vocalist, LeBon was understandably devastated and he quietly dedicated the show to Hutchence and his surviving family. By channeling his obvious shock and grief into the music, LeBon (with the help of a disturbingly apt set list) infused the show with the kind of emotional haymaker punch that a senseless tragedy can all too easily provide in pop music.

Quite a few of Duran Duran's otherwise catchy, innocuous pop tunes took on a darker meaning in light of the day's events. The lyrics of Medazzaland's "Who Do You Think You Are?", "Out Of My Mind", "Buried In The Sand" and 1993's "Come Undone" eerily evoked Hutchence without any kind of prompting from LeBon, as did scorching renditions of "Friends Of Mine" and "Anyone Out There" from 1981's Duran Duran.

Two paralyzing emotional peaks really carried the show into the stratosphere. A magnificent rendering of "Save A Prayer" (preceded by a tearful LeBon nearly breaking down while ruminating on his friend's death) midway through brought out lighters and lumps in the throat in equal numbers. Same with the heartfelt encore "Ordinary World", with a more composed LeBon belting out the soaring vocal, I will learn how to survive, with tangible loss and bruised confidence. Coupled with Cuccurullo's electrifying guitar solos and Rhodes' lush keys, these were the definitive moments of the evening.

While this 17-song, 100-minute set was an unexpectedly reflective and poignant affair, that's not to say that there was no fun to be had. LeBon had all of his seductive moves on display for the ladies, and he put a lot of effort into letting the good times roll in spite of his feelings. The classic-era sound of new single "Electric Barbarella" was an instant smash with the audience, who were perhaps grateful to have something addictively mindless to frug to. Despite a couple of vocal snafus, "A View To A Kill" went down like a storm, as well, and the dynamite finale "Rio" was the perfect upbeat way to cap off the draining night.

Despite the absence of recently departed bass linchpin John Taylor, this was a damned fine show all around. The hypnotically spinning lights and projections, the glitzy stage set (replete with mirrored disco ball) and tight musicianship carried the evening with hardly a glitch or a missed cue. As an impromptu eulogy for Michael Hutchence, you couldn't have asked for a better show.

A SMASHING PERFORMANCE
by Carlo Wolff

Simon Le Bon may be a tease, but he certainly does have style. There he was, using "Rio" to cap a concert in Lakewood Saturday night, wearing a pearl necklace, a clinging white shirt, drapey dove-gray pants, the zipper down. The lead singer of Duran Duran was prancing, roaring out that hoary video favorite, smiling, voguing to die for.

When the band is Duran Duran, voguing is a big part of the act; at least it was in the '80s, when hits such as "Hungry Like The Wolf", "Girls On Film" and "Rio" ushered in the MTV era. But surprise, surprise: 17 years into a career people expected to flame out a decade ago, Duran Duran has become a powerhouse band. Equally comfortable with techno and ballads, Duran Duran delivered a terrific show, regaling some 1,400 fans at Lakewood Civic Auditorium with strong new material from Medazzaland, a gang of old favorites and unexpected delights such as the obscure (and gorgeous) "Sekret Oktober", a B-side from the "Union Of The Snake" period.

Posing wasn't all Le Bon did; he also sang his heart out, particularly on "Save A Prayer", the chilling "Be My Icon", a bravura "A View To A Kill", and the savagely erotic "Come Undone", the best tune Roxy Music never wrote.

Sparked by longtime co-conspirator Nick Rhodes on keyboards and finery, buttressed by great guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, Le Bon seemed inspired. He dedicated the show to Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of INXS who was discovered dead, an apparent suicide by hanging, in a Sydney, Australia hotel room Saturday morning. Following the dedication, the band swung into "Save a Prayer".

Expertly paced, sumptuously lit and acoustically majestic, the show was unexpectedly generous. Although the Duran Duran band doesn't sell like it used to, it still delivers an arena-style production complete with glitter ball and spectacular lighting (Duran Duran's use of gels is an art unto itself), creating visual drama commensurate with the band's determinedly widescreen music.

It's ironic that of the key British pop stars of the '80s, Le Bon has prevailed. George Michael (who Le Bon resembles in certain lights), has faded, and Bryan Ferry largely banks on memories. Duran Duran, meanwhile, soldiers on, purveying an oddly alluring blend of pop-culture commentary, sexual come-on and big, big beat: Even though bassist Wes Wehmiller and drummer Steve Alexander kept to the background, their presence was essential and always effective (rigging Alexander's drum set like the Bat Cave didn't detract from the effect).

Duran Duran keeps up with the times, too. Its new Medazzaland album is Nine Inch Duran, the band's vision of a technologically chilling future. Like David Bowie's recent Earthling and Radiohead's OK Computer, it aims to transcend and humanize technology while deploying it. It's not selling that well, but it's a brave album, especially coming from such a designer band. It certainly prompted a powerful performance.

Sterling Beat
by Sterling Powell (For those of you unfamiliar with the name and column, Sterling Powell is the entertainment reporter for the Weekly Planet. He was at the Duran Duran concert, with his weird-as-hell hairdo, wearing a tan plaid jacket, brown pants, and white shoes. The reputability of his column is questionable at best.)

IDLE WORSHIP: Heart-breakers' Duran Duran's recent performance at TBPAC was a mind-opener (no, they didn't share any drugs with me) to the power of rock celebrities. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been there myself --- the now-grown girls are still throwing their bras on stage to lead singer Simon LeBon, some slapping the aging rock star in the head.

Unfortunately, Al's Not Well, the concert's openers, did not get such a good response. People were leaving the auditorium giggling at their neon-colored posterboard cut-out stage design. I had a chat with them after their show, and I'm convinced they're the next big thing. Apparently that's what they think also; they were bragging Duran Duran hand-picked them for the tour.

Before Duran Duran hit the stage, I had the pleasure of being herded into the cattle call of contest winners and groupies backstage to get a quick peak at stardom --- thanks to handsomely coifed Darrin Schnur of EMI music and Sony's Jenna Davis. There they stood, Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes shimmering in velvet and silver and cream brocade. Oh yeah, and that Warren Cuccurullo fellow was there too. John Taylor, however, is still recovering from his junk habit, or so I hear. We would've stayed and chatted while, but their jerk of a tour manager pushed us on through. He obviously doesn't know who I am.

We had passes for an aftershow visit, but the boys were tired. No chance of sneaking back either (hey, this is Duran Duran we're talking about here --- I'll do anything!) because Simon's mum, who lives in Countryside, had a private party and I wasn't invited. We weren't half as disappointed as the girl whose friend's sister used to date the drummer, or the two English girls with the multi-colored light sabers who are following the band on tour (this was their fifth show). And people think I'm strange.

But although I wasn't there, my sources tell me Simon's drink of choice was Chardonnay. An hour after the show ended 100 or more groupies flocked the vanport, waiting for the band to leave. You should have heard the hoots and hollers or seen the flashing bulbs as grown men and women scurried to catch a piece of their teenage fantasies. The van pulled out and at least 20 cars followed the boys' speeding van to their hotel.

(Commentary may be E-mailed to Sterling Powell at sterpowart@aol.com)

Transcriber's commentary: Anyone who has ever met Sterling Powell would agree with me that he's not the person you'd want sticking around for very long. I, for one, am glad that the tour manager had the sense to send him away before the show, and keep him put of the post-show party. I certainly would have, because, yes, I do know who he is, and the kind of publication he represents.

Duran Duran sound survives mixing old, new
By Bruce Westbrook
Copyright 1997 Houston Chronicle

Big-hit bands of the '80s have a challenge: Sustain long-held appeals while changing with the times. Otherwise, they're just oldies acts.

Britain's Duran Duran is straddling that fence ably, as shown by its 95-minute show for an almost full Aerial Theater at Bayou Place Tuesday night.

After earning '90s legitimacy with a popular album and tour in 1993, the former MTV darlings squandered that momentum in 1995 with a follow-up disc of cover songs and a tour of raw reinvention.

But the new Medazzaland album restores a classic Duran dance-rock style while also venturing into electronic industrial sounds, and this new tour offers the best set list Duran has brought to the stage.

Yes, the threesome (backed by a session drummer and bass player) performed their old hits, from "Girls On Film" and "Hungry Like The Wolf" to "A View To A Kill" and a celebratory final encore of "Rio". And all were rendered with faithfulness to the original recordings, unlike the last tour's bizarre interpretations.

But Duran also eschewed many other hits -- notably from its funky Notorious album and its bland "Reflex"- era -- to introduce more than half of its solid new disc. More importantly, the group revived shrewdly chosen album tracks from its past.

That's when this show really took off after a slow start.

Fueled by Warren Cuccurullo's muscular guitar work and Nick Rhodes' crisp keyboards, two little-known early-'80s rockers were especially effective: the edgy "Friends Of Mine" and the breakneck, rousingly emphatic "Careless Memories".

Having glided through the set's start, front man Simon Le Bon also warmed to this material, singing with fierce vitality and adding graceful arm movements and mild theatrics to his repertoire of prissy prancing.

Even more surprising was the first encore number: the obscure "Secret Oktober", delivered in a dreamily dramatic style and with handsome lighting (unlike the overdone, blinding back-lighting of much of the show).

The best new songs were "Out Of My Mind" (movie theme from "The Saint") and the dynamic anthem "Who Do You Think You Are?", though Le Bon diluted its potency with his static stance. In showmanship, there's a happy middle ground between hamminess and inertia.

Crowd favorites included the middle hits -- neither oldies nor new songs -- such as 1993's "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone". But the transcendent song of fan-band bonding was the old "Save A Prayer", which Le Bon dedicated to the late Michael Hutchence of INXS.

A song about a one-night stand might seem odd for such a dedication, but this strong ballad had fans waving arms and brandishing lighters as if the show were an '80s love-fest.

Even so, Duran's continued survival says more for the group's sustained songwriting craft and musicianship than for any nostalgic penchant or dated sex appeals. They may remain natty and naughty pretty boys at heart, but that doesn't mean they aren't pretty good.

Duran Duran Ragged These Days
(December 11, 1997 8:23 AM EST)
Duran Duran (Universal Amphitheatre; 6,251 capacity; $45 top)
By Jennifer Clay

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - With its 20th anniversary approaching next year, Duran Duran will be able to toast the '80s new-wave dance hits that helped define a generation.

And the audience of twenty- and thirtysomethings might argue that the mere presence of singer Simon LeBon and keyboardist Nick Rhodes is enough to warrant screaming like crazed teenagers. But the impressive light show and sparkling silver backdrop taken from the "Electric Barbarella" video set couldn't hide the fact that Duran Duran is far from thrilling -- barely a skeleton of what it once was.

LeBon, sashaying his hips and furnishing hit-and-miss vocals, isn't enough of a frontman to make this show move the band forward, even while crooning such Duran classics as "Save A Prayer", "Hungry Like The Wolf" and "Girls On Film". At times, LeBon sounded young and excited; other times, especially on "View To A Kill", he seemed to be straining.

Most amusing was the tongue-in-cheek slow dance number that accompanied the new "Be My Icon", in which his slowed-down and spacey movements seemed contrived rather than connected with the music.

Stand-in bassist Wes Wehmiller and drummer Steve Alexander did yeoman work, though guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, who is now considered a full-fledged band member, was left noodling mostly in the dark. Nearly obscured by his layered keyboard and computer setup, Rhodes held forth with a solid presence, supplying the familiar dance beats that provided the sharpest elements of the show.

Presented by Universal Concerts. Band: Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, Warren Cuccurullo, Steve Alexander, Wes Wehmiller. Reviewed Dec. 9, 1997.

This review is pretty harsh. If you want to comment, feel free to send responses to: ocregister@link.freedom.com.

REVIEW:
Has it really been that long since Rio?
Judging from Duran Duran's show, yes, it has.
By STEPHEN LYNCH -- The Orange County Register

Give Mick Jagger some credit. Though 15 years older than Duran Duran lead singer Simon LeBon, he isn't half as riotous on stage. Prancing, preening and pouting, LeBon acts like the Hanson set still swoons at his gyrating.

During the band's Tuesday night show at Universal Amphitheatre, LeBon splayed his arms like a kabuki dancer, thrust his obscenely tight pants like Jim Morrison and curled his lip like the Tiger Beat model he once was. The women howled. With laughter.

Yes, the idols of new wave are getting older, and folks, it isn't pretty. Artists such as A Flock of Seagulls, Missing Persons and Kajagoogoo have held up about as well as the synth-pop they played, as caricatures, not classics.

But if any haircut band could endure, it was Duran Duran. Beyond the white suits and sailboats, the musicians were masters of the hook, from "Girls On Film" to "Rio" and "The Reflex". Duran Duran would be the one act of the genre to survive into sexagenarian tours sponsored by Budweiser.

Alas, it is not to be. Duran Duran's self-titled 1993 album proved it could still deliver the torch-song standards that made it great ("Come Undone", "Ordinary World"), but its new effort, Medazzaland, is a muddled, almost defensive jab at electronica. OK, boys, you were using keyboards and samples long before Prodigy. But that doesn't mean you are Prodigy.

What's really missing, though, is personality. Its most enduring pinup -- bassist John Taylor -- has left, and "the band currently known as Duran Duran", as LeBon described it, is a pluckless trio (with a faceless rhythm section and pre-recorded samples). Nick Rhodes, inscrutable in a red suit, waved his hands and tapped the occasional key. Guitarist Warren Cuccurullo was nothing more than a high collar and a mop top.

Which left LeBon to play peacock, striking ridiculous poses as the go-go-boot-clad pit threw sunflowers. (You could see the thought on his weathered face: "Sunflowers? What happened to roses?") Even his voice failed him on the sustained notes of "View To A Kill" and "Save A Prayer".

A dark rework of "Secret Oktober" and sultry "Come Undone" proved Duran Duran can still deliver the cotton candy. But unless LeBon and company stop pretending it's 1983, what they mainly deliver is comedy.

Tuesday, December 16, 1997 -- Duran leave the crowd wanting more -- Many people may be quick to write off Duran Duran these days. One by one the original members are departing, while record sales seem to be dropping off. It comes as a welcome surprise, then, to find that amidst these drawbacks, Duran can still kick out the jams like the new breed of bands nipping at their shoes. The show last night at the Warehouse drew a near capacity crowd that was left wanting more... literally (the chant of "Reflex, Reflex" was still audible as the lights came up).

The evening started off with a pitiful performance from Montreal's Ivan (ex of Men Without Hats, now just Man Without Voice), but very quickly picked up as one by one the members of Duran Duran and touring ensemble made their way to the stage.

Duran Duran's set opened with "Medazzaland", the title track from the band's latest album. On stage, Warren Cuccurullo wailed guitar licks over keyboardist Nick Rhodes' posing and newspaper reading. Occasionally, Rhodes murmured the lyrics, including "Into Medazzaland", into the microphone.

Upon lead singer Simon LeBon's stage entrance at the start of "Big Bang Generation", the night got off to a rousing start. While he may be closing in on 40, LeBon showed his stuff with struts and gyrations that would put a 20 year old to shame.

The night wore on through single versions of previous big hits ("Hungry Like The Wolf", "A View To A Kill"), as was promised by LeBon in a recent interview. Occasionally, a new track from Medazzaland ("Be My Icon", "Who Do You Think You Are?") was thrown in, slightly reworked for the live arena.

A poignant moment took place half way through when LeBon introduced "Save A Prayer" and dedicated it to friend Michael Hutchence, the singer for INXS who killed himself last month. LeBon was best man at the wedding of Bob Geldof and Hutchence's girlfriend Paula Yates. The run through was an impassioned and emotional version. LeBon's voice carried strongly through the lighter-filled crowd.

The evening's high point for any long term fan was the inclusion of four tracks from the band's 1981 self-titled debut. LeBon seemed energetic and alert running through "Anyone Out There". Similarly, "Friends Of Mine", which was introduced by a speech espousing fallen Birmingham night club Rum Runner (where the band was formed), found LeBon straining to stand still and failing badly. The other two tracks from the 1981 album, "Careless Memories" and "Girls On Film", were better known by the audience and illicited a more animated reaction.

One of the lines from "Friends Of Mine" seems very apt not only for the band, but for most of the audience who were enjoying hearing this and "Anyone Out There" performed for the first time in over a decade. As LeBon sang, "I think it's time that you were told/I think you're growing old", it hit home just how much of a history this band has amassed and just how many good songs have not been performed live in a while.

The final blast-from-the-past, "Secret Oktober", was originally the b-side to "Union Of The Snake" back in October 1983. The version performed at the Warehouse last night was testimony undeniable as to the chameleon ability of this band. The b-side, a straight forward pop number, but always a fan favourite, was transformed into a trance-laced ambient extravaganza. This re-version gets my vote for song reworking of the year, and I can only hope that "Secret Oktober '97" makes its way onto a release in the near future.

As the strains of a crowd-enhanced "Rio" faded out of the speakers, the show ended. With LeBon's cry of "don't forget about us, because we won't forget you", the hopes of a spring show loomed large among the audience.

A fan on the way out perfectly summed up the night, "U2 may have rocked, but musically this show kicked a**".

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