As fans lined the city centre’s streets ready to welcome the 80s pop icons, Duran Duran were readying themselves for a momentous night. Kick-starting their FUTURE PAST UK & Ireland tour at Manchester’s AO Arena, they were greeted with a hero's welcome.
Last night (April 29) marked Duran Duran’s first UK concert since headlining London’s Hyde Park in summer 2022 in front of 60,000 fans, and they did not disappoint. The icons of British music delivered an incredible show playing some of their most beloved songs including Wild Boys, Hungry Like The Wolf, Notorious, Ordinary World, The Reflex and A View To A Kill.
Fans were also treated to hits like Last Chance On The Stairway and Night Boat, as well as highlights from their newest album, FUTURE PAST, including INVISIBLE, ANNIVERSARY and GIVE IT ALL UP.
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Using state of the art Augmented Reality technology, the crowd were treated to an unforgettable experience, with some surprise moments throughout the set.
Following an extraordinary pre-show film where metahuman versions of the band prepare for a futuristic voyage to earth from outer space, Duran Duran arrived on stage at 9pm sending the crowd wild. After performing Night Boat and Wild Boys, frontman Simon Le Bon greeted fans saying: “Good evening Manchester! How are you feeling? It’s gonna be a good night tonight, we are counting on you!”
As he introduced Notorious, the whole arena were up on their feet dancing: “So what do you say when I say no, notorious? Are you ready for this?!” The crowd was more than ready.
Introducing GIVE IT ALL UP, Simon said: “We’ve got a song for you off the FUTURE PAST album. It’s about the way that, when one door closes, another door opens. If you wanna hold on, sometimes you just gotta give it all up.”
After performing Careless Memories, Simon said: “There’s not a lot of songs we’ve got that can follow that. But we’ve got a song we put out in 1993. It saved the life of this band. And so it’s very special. It means different things to different people, and everyone’s interpretation counts. That’s what keeps a song alive in people’s hearts. Whatever you think it’s about, this is for you tonight. This is Ordinary World.”
After performing ANNIVERSARY, Planet Earth, White Lines, The Reflex and Girls on Film, the crowd erupted with deafening cheers and rapturous applause, demanding an encore.
Returning to the stage to perform Come Undone as a duet with backing singer Anna Ross, Simon said: “So! I think you’re properly warmed up now. Do you feel you are? Could you go all night? You should say to yourselves - I am looking good tonight! Everyone does!”
Following tonight’s momentous welcome to Manchester, after leading a mass singalong of Save A Prayer and Rio, the band were met with a standing ovation. Simon said: “Thank you so much Manchester, you sound great!”
Duran Duran’s FUTURE PAST UK & Ireland headline arena tour continues in London with two nights at the O2 Arena on May 1 and 2, before performances at Leeds’ First District Arena (4th May), Utilita Arena, Birmingham (5th May), 3 Arena, Dublin (7th May) and Glasgow’s OVO Hydro (9th May). Special guests Jake Shears and LIA LIA support across all dates. Last remaining tickets are available here - www.duranduran.com/tour.
Duran Duran’s set list for Manchester AO Arena 29th April 2023:
Night Boat
Wild Boys
Hungry Like the Wolf
INVISIBLE
A View to a Kill
Notorious
GIVE IT ALL UP
Last Chance On The Stairway
Is There Something I Should Know?
Friends of Mine
Careless Memories
Ordinary World
ANNIVERSARY
Planet Earth
White Lines
The Reflex
Girls on Film
Come Undone
Save a Prayer
Rio
April / May 2023 UK Headline Arena Tour Dates:
May 1 - The O2, London
May 2 - The O2, London
May 4 - First Direct Arena, Leeds
May 5 - Utilita Arena, Birmingham
May 7 - 3 Arena, Dublin
May 9 - OVO Hydro, Glasgow
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