As most of you know, I have not been so much into Duran Duran in 2022. But tonight, they were on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve. (Why do they insist upon continuing to call it that when Dick Clark has been dead and gone for a decade now? We all know who Ryan Seacrest is. I think it’s okay to change the name now. It doesn’t feel like an honor to have Dick Clark’s name there to me, anymore – it’s like they’re hanging on to something that it no longer is nor can any longer be – they’re making it haunted by New Year’s Past – it’s okay to “Let it Go,” really, Elsa said so!) Anyway… Not only were they guests, but they were the guests performing closest to midnight. Quite an honor. They got to do several songs (so did New Edition, which was pretty cool, but I still blame Bobby Brown for the whole Whitney Houston disaster, so I’m skipping all of that, which is a shame, because it could have been fun – although admittedly, they did not come close to sounding as fine-tuned as the Double-D’s that night). Duran’s set sounded really polished in the frosty, previously rain-filled air. The set included “Wild Boys,” “Notorious,” and “Rio,” all favorites of mine, and songs that I think they do particularly well live. They were all decked out in these faux-fur coats that several of my friends likened to “Muppet skins,” which was pretty spot-on, really. Anna Ross looked elegant in her red one – she looks elegant in everything! Dom’s cream-colored coat was a longer-length and he looked quite distinguished, whereas he typically looks the part of the rambunctious rocker. Roger was in a red one, but was surrounded by smoke in almost every shot, so you really couldn’t see it very well – leave it to Roger to fly under the radar. Nick’s was glow-in-the-dark yellow (dare I say, nearly chartreuse) with the old chauffeurs hat pulled out of the closet for good measure. John was wearing black with one of Patty Palazzo’s designer t-shirts under it. I believe Simon’s white one was covering a Patty Palazzo design, as well. (I apologize for not knowing who the other backup signer is, but, like I said at the beginning of this post, I’m a lot out of touch currently, but the royal blue coat was gorgeous on her!)
I found myself truly enjoying the music. Enjoying the performance. Enjoying Simon’s goofy, over-the-top stage presence, and I thought, “I’ve missed this.” So, maybe when they announce more shows on the tour in 2023, I will be ready to wade back into the pool a little deeper – or maybe even to dive back in completely. I’m not exactly sure what I will be ready for, how far I will want to go. I wasn’t sure how I would even feel about watching them. I didn’t watch their movie this year. I didn’t even try to watch them on the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Induction. I had many friends who attended the Induction in person, but I never even thought to try. A year or two ago, I would have been on top of that, for sure. I’ve changed. I’ve outgrown part of them, but I think it’s the constant drama and the way the fans so frequently get treated. I still love their music, especially the stuff that drew me to them. That music is a part of my heart and soul, and I believe it always will be. I still feel a thrill when I hear them on the radio unexpectedly, whether it manifests itself in a “squee” nowadays or not. I still cry when I hear “Ordinary World.” And I believe that I always will. I will always love what they have meant to me. How they made me hope for a better, more exciting, more luxurious life than I would have ever known on that hillside in Tazewell. How their lyrics moved me, inspired me, and caused me to write my own. You don’t stop loving things like that unless you stop loving yourself. I haven’t. And don’t foresee that I will. No, I’m still trying to live my best life, as happily as I can, chasing after rainbows, like always.
Recent Comments