Duran Duran Appreciation Day: Where is the iconic British pop-rock band now, is a new album on the cards?
You know when you have a day dedicated to you that you are loved. A band that is not only loved and admired by generations of fans, Duran Duran has also been the subject of celebration since at least 2003.
Titled Duran Duran Appreciation Day, the special day that celebrates the iconic British pop/rock group is an annual worldwide event held on 10 August. The founder and the origin of the day remain relatively unknown, but according to the Duran Duran Wiki fan page, the event was created by a Michigan radio disc jockey because it coincided with his birthday.
For nearly two decades, fans worldwide have celebrated the event by reflecting on the group, taking part in official trivia contests on Twitter, and even an all-day party within the 'Second Life' virtual world. Additionally, spreading #DuranDuranAppreciationDay on social media is another way fans have celebrated the band.
Duran Duran members -- lead singer Simon Le Bon, bassist John Taylor, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, and drummer Roger Taylor -- also reflect on the band's 35-year musical career and formation by posting messages to their fans on the Internet. In 2013, the group shared video and MP3 downloads of their performance of 'The Reflex' from London's Hyde Park, recorded on 27 July 2012.
With their latest studio album 'Paper Gods' released five years ago, Duran Duran has been rather quiet in terms of their music production, but have been busy nonetheless. If you are wondering what they have been up to in 2020 and in recent years, read below.
Formed in Birmingham, Duran Duran is one of the most successful bands of the 1980s with styles ranging between new wave, dance-rock and synth-pop. They were also a leading band in the MTV-driven 'Second British Invasion' of the United States of America. From 1980, they have ranked 14 in the top 10 of the UK singles chart and landed at No. 21 in the Billboard Hot 100. With a total of 14 studio albums, a multitude of singles and numerous other projects, they sold nearly more than 100 million records.
Before 'Paper Gods', the group took a five-year hiatus from making music, and now in 2020, another LP release feels fitting. But when it comes to this year, Duran Duran has been busy. On March 10, Duran Duran was announced as the final headliner for the British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park on July 12. On the same day, the group also announced that their live album 'A Diamond in the Mind' would be released as a limited edition Pink (transparent) Double LP Gatefold, including Bonus-Track 'Is There Something I Should Know?" for Record Store Day Germany in June.
On March 19, the group said that they had to take a break from recording their 15th studio album due to the Covid-19 pandemic, restricting them from going to the studio, but started a weekly Twitter chat with fans. The pandemic also led to the postponement of the Isle of Wright Festival (initially scheduled for June 11-14) where Duran Duran would also headline the concert. Additionally, the band had to cancel two Las Vegas dates for the Rock in Rio Lisboa Festival scheduled for the beginning of May and on April 4.
On April 5, bassist John Taylor revealed on the band's social media that he tested positive for Covid-19 but wanted fans to know that the illness “isn’t always a killer, and we can and will beat this thing.” At the time he said that he tested positive for coronavirus "almost three weeks ago" but is now feeling "okay." No further news on his current health has been reported.
On April 11, Nick Rhodes accepted Duran Duran’s 'Spirit of Yuri’s Night' award, which acknowledges the group’s influence on the style and aesthetics of space and the future. Later that month, frontman Simon Le Bon and social media strategist Katy Krassner recorded their first weekly radio show called 'WHOOOSH!' on Duran Duran Radio. For the radio show, Simon chooses the songs and the pair discuss his choices and more. You can also find a playlist on Spotify with all the songs they play on the show.
Drummer Roger Taylor put together a House Party playlist for his April 26 birthday and left a birthday message for fans, thanking them for all the greetings they left. One of the most notable happenings in the following month is when Nick made a made a 2.5 hour appearance with Italy’s famed DJ Red Ronnie for his first-ever live interview on social media on May 4. The interview aired on Ronnie's Facebook and YouTube channels and fans were loving being able to participate with the legendary Duran Duran singer.
On May 7, John debuted the Stone Love Bass Odyssey tutorial, showing fans how the band put together Duran Duran's 1981 track 'Planet Earth'. After the first episode, John and Chromeo’s Dave 1 did a LIVE Instagram chat together. For more Duran Duran music, the rest of May saw the band posting a live version of their song 'Ordinary World' and Roger filmed the first episode of his series Desert Island Discs for duranduran.com, which features meaningful songs that changed his life.
As far as their 15th studio album and new music, the coronavirus pandemic has put a disappointing hamper on things with no confirmed release dates as of yet.