Duran Duran

It was with a certain nervousness that I booked my Duran Duran tickets. Why you may ask? I had just seen Hall & Oates live and besides both of them looking old and scary they seemed to lack that passion for their music. At least the music that made them famous.

A lot of 80s bands and performers haven't aged that well but I decided to see how Duran Duran held up.

I really shouldn't have worried because second song into the set list they busted out Planet Earth and the Sydney Entertainment Centre were all on their feet. They had a really nice mix of songs during their career and didn't disappoint their audience by playing all of their major hits.

The thing I really LOVED was that they sounded just like the recording if not better because of the slight embellishments. Now that is the mark of a great band. Simon Le Bon's vocals were amazing and he can still captivate an audience. Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes look like they have been cryogenically preserved in time. Ok they may have aged a bit but they are still looking good.

Now normally I don't like it when performers talk too much during the show. I just want to hear the music and not prattling on about some silly anecdote. However I did appreciate Duran Duran reminiscing about recording Seven and the Ragged Tiger in Sydney. They also talked about their first number one single in Australia and how it would never have been possible without the support of Molly Meldrum. They then dedicated a song to Molly which I thought was amazing.

Yes I am gushing. I was pleasantly surprised and awed by Duran Duran and had the best night for a long time. So much so that my feet hurt from all the dancing and my throat was sore from all the screaming. I may have regressed to a 10 year old who was still in love with Simon Le Bon but really is that so bad? After all those are golden memories.

The track I am including is my all time favourite Duran Duran song from the Wedding Album after they had matured quite significantly in their songwriting. I saw it performed live and it just made me love it even more. So here for you viewing pleasure is Come Undone.

Me..at a Sade Concert??

I have a confession to make and I know that I am in a safe space here to admit it (actually online is probably the unsafest place considering all this cyber bullying nonsense I have to read about).

Anyway I digress. I went to a Sade concert. Yes, yes, I know. The most activity I was expecting at a Sade concert was perhaps discussing the tasting notes from the finest Pinot Gris with the person sat very properly beside me. I went with no illusion that I would be crowd surfing at any time. I guess what I am trying to say is that I like Sade but wouldn't say I am a massive fan. I have the greatest hits CD of hers and still think she looks fab considering she is around the same age as Madonna and with none of the visible plastic injected into her skin.

So I may not have crowd surfed or even got up to bust a move but what I did do was drop my jaw a number of times at the extraordinary vocal ability of this woman. I had placed her into the "Marlboro lights" category of vocals - you know what I mean, the husky tones that can only be achieved from a pack a day. So I was amazingly surprised when Sade could belt it like the best of them (if not better) and hit some really HIGH notes. I was very, very impressed.

Just as a side note to all of this. I really dig the way that Sade hasn't followed any fashion trends or tried to keep up with the kids. Sade is her own category and for that I applaud her. I have added my favourite Sade song – No Ordinary Love. It would be remiss of me if I didn’t add the live version of Jezabel for a special someone who loves this song.

We've seen it all before

Interesting articles from both She Knows and  Daily Mail

Al Green - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

This song is a prime example of a track being taken from it's original writers and given a totally different treatment, transforming it to brilliance. Al Green took a Bee Gees song and made it his own. It is also one of my all time favourite songs.

Urgent - Foreigner

I love those moments when you have the radio on and a gem of a song is played that you have hidden in the recess of your brain.

What really interested me is that the lead singer of Foreigner, Lou Gramm has had a break from the role in the 90's and recently the role has been taken over by singer Kelly Hansen for the live tours. After Lou Gramm had surgery to remove a brain tumour he suffered in his vocal abilites. Even though he is still singing for his solo career, the quality of his voice has changed quite dramatically.

After watching a clip of Kelly Hansen live I am really impressed. Apparently the band chose Kelly due to the fact that his vocal ability was similar to Lou's.

I will let you be the judge as to whether he pulls it off or not.

First clip - Urgent with Lou Gramm live


Clip two - Urgent with Kelly Hansen