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Memories of early Duran Duran gigs (1980-1981)

Durandy

New Member
Hello,

I am hoping to hear from anyone who attended one of Duran Duran's earliest gigs in Birmingham or the surrounding area (see list below). I'd like to learn what the experience was like - the emotion, how it felt to see this new band onstage, maybe even how the audience was reacting. This is for a project I am working on in the wake of my first book, "Beautiful Colors: The Posters of Duran Duran." Any contributions would be deeply appreciated! Thank you.

Andrew Golub
Durandy Productions LLC
durandy.com

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The shows I am looking for are as follows:
1980
July 19 - Birmingham (Cedar Club)
1981 Faster Than Light Tour

June 29 - Brighton (Dome)
June 30 - Southampton (Gaumont)
July 1 - Nottingham (Rock City)
July 3 - Manchester (Apollo)
July 4 - Newcastle (City Hall)
July 5 - Glasgow (Tiffany's)
July 6 - Edinburgh (Odeon)
July 8 - Liverpool (Royal Court)
July 9 - London (Hammersmith Odeon)
July 10 - Oxford (New Theatre)
July 11 - Birmingham (Odeon)

1981 Careless Memories Tour
Dec. 7 - Canterbury (University Sports Hall)
Dec. 8 - Norwich (Univ. of East Anglia)
Dec. 10 - Sheffield (City Hall)
Dec. 11 - Manchester (Apollo)
Dec. 12 - Leicester (De Montfort Hall)
Dec. 13 - Cardiff (Sophia Gardens)
Dec. 15 - Poole (Arts Centre)
Dec. 16, 17 - London (Hammersmith Odeon)
Dec. 19 - Edinburgh (Playhouse)
Dec. 20 - Liverpool (Empire)
Dec. 21, 22, 23 - Birmingham (Odeon)
 
I only ever saw Duran Duran play once. They were support act at the Odeon at the time and Planet Earth was in the charts or had just been there. I don't remember a stage show or costume but then they were the support act. The only thing that stuck was the thought that they must have used some equivalent of autotune on the record and forgot to bring it along for the show because the singer's range wasn't up to a second note.
 
Since you didn't mention support gigs, I tried looking up their actual shows at the time and their own web site has a much longer list for 1980 including a tour supporting Hazel O'Connor (I have the programme for that tour at home somewhere) and a lot of local gigs at the end of 1980.
https://www.duranduran.com/wordpress/duran-duran-complete-tour-list/

Thank you thank you thank you for writing, Wam! Your memory is just steeped in such beautiful history... Unfortunately, my enquiry is limited to the dates on the list I posted - those are the shows I have print adverts for. If you ever run across ads or especially posters for any DD shows that I need, I would be thrilled to reward very generously for those! =)
 
Hi

I went to the gig at the Odeon on their Faster than light tour, great gig and a fantastic atmosphere, the place really did come to life.

I went on to handle and organise their band and personal security later on in life, starting with their Reunion Tour in 2004 to present.

Great guys, great attitude and true muscicians.
 
Hi,

I was at the Birmingham Odeon gig in December 1981.....I think they were supported by Talk Talk.

A great gig.....
 
I have just come across this post and I know it is too late for you to publish this in your book, but I thought I would reply anyway.
I was at the Leicester gig at De Montfort Hall in 1980, I was 20 years old.
I was a big Hazel O'Connor fan after the amazing film, Breaking Glass.
I was blown away by Duran Duran; I had never heard of them but I was mesmerised from the start of their Gig. They were so different and I remember them playing Planet Earth, which was released shortly after as their first single. I became a fan from that very early performance.
Hazel O'Connor was not a patch on Duran Duran; in my eyes, they blew her away. I was disappointed with her performance, but really happy that I had discovered Duran Duran.
 
Hi,

I was at the Birmingham Odeon gig in December 1981.....I think they were supported by Talk Talk.

A great gig.....
Me too i was also at this gig and confirm it was TALK TALK and great memories almost 40 years ago !!!
 
I was at the Rock City concert on 1st July 1981 - I shall always remember it because it was my first date with a wonderful girl called Jane who I’d just met. Two years later Jane became my amazing wife so Duran Duran have always been special for us.
 
I was at Cardiff Sophia gardens in Dec 1981, I was 13, it was my first gig. Due to some snow the support band didn't make it, I was none the wiser.
They burst on stage to Friends of mine surrounded by dry ice, I was near the front slightly left of centre. An awesome show , 2 encores including Girls on film and Planet earth (night version). I was lucky enough to get Roger Taylor's drumstick that night which I still have along with a programme and scarf.
That show made me decide 'I want to be a Bass player '. 39 years on later I have a Bass playing career spanning 33 years.
 
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