"The entire band are in unison- absolutely fabulous tour darlings, a terrific closing to an extraordinary year for Duran" John Taylor."

With this sentence, dated Deecember 21th 2011, one year after the digital release of All You Need Is Now, John Taylor sums up nicely what 2011 has been for the band and their loyal fan-base. It has been an incredible year for Duran Duran whom enjoyed a commercial and critical renaissance, confirming to a new generation of fans that they are one of the world’s coolest band.

In a recent message to the fan-base the band says:

"Together we have achieved things this year that we are incredibly proud of and that have been real career high-points for us. We are incredibly grateful for your support on each and every one of these - and for sticking with us over the summer when we lost close to five months worth of touring."

Their critically acclaimed new album earned a cool mention on the Independent and on slicingupeyeballs.com AYNIN has been voted #1 in their end of the year reader's poll.

"We have a lot of drive in our band and we keep believing our best years are ahead of us," John Taylor says in a very recent interview. "We have worked very hard not to get dragged back into the past, which is quite difficult when you have the past we have and we invest heavily in this moment right now.

We are all very proud of our most recent album and that's probably the key to the lifeblood of this band - we keep writing new material and put out albums every couple of years."

With a World Tour [with an incredible production] still ongoing, in 2011 the band played some of the most memorable shows of their entire career: the Coachella Festival, the Unstaged show directed by David Lynch, the Madison Square Garden, the O2 in London... and of course the fan-tastic exclusive Rehearsal gigs in the UK back in September.

The release of a fantastic new video for the single "Girl Panic!" directed by Jonas Akerlund, which was object of an awful lot media attention for getting involved the orginal Top-Models and for being banned by MTV... The video, with nearly 5,000,000 views of view online, has made it onto Yahoo's year-end lists of top videos:

• # 5 Duran Duran - "Girl Panic"
  "There was a time, back in the hallowed 1980s, when supermodels were superstars, practically on the same A-list level as the pop singers who recruited them for their bombastic music videos. And in this nine-and-a-half-minute mini-movie, the "Supers" are back in the gauze-lensed spotlight, recapturing all the celluloid glamour of THE ultimate '80s band's heyday... this video perfectly epitomizes the glamour and excess of Duran's champagne-swilling, yacht-hopping glory days."

Read this very cool article from gigwise.com " Duran Duran's 'Girl Panic' Video Banned By MTV's Mass Hypocrisy", below the most salient parts of of the piece:

"Examination of the video proves to find nothing overtly sexual, apart from perhaps a little bit of titillation involving a few female members of the cast sharing a wee kiss - which from the position of a being a bloke is certainly nothing to complain about. Not to mention a little number 'I Kissed A Girl' by Katy Perry is just as bad if not more risqué in its message..."

• Above pic shows the belgian promo of Girl Panic! Below Mark Ronson join the band on stage at the O2 in London with some wild action with Dom and John!

So the band concluded the year with a smashing pre-Christmas UK tour with some memorable shows, according to the guys social media posts these were "some of the best UK gigs they ever played". At the London O2 the guys were even joined onstage by Mark Ronson, and the Manchester show was filmed by Duran's videoreporter Gavin Elder.

During the whole tour the band was on great form, they managed to provide a mix of old and new songs with Simon and the rest of the band on sparkling form. Every show flew by, from the superb opening Before The Rain to Reach Up For The Sunrise. To top it off the encore of Wild Boys mixed with Relax [the classic 1984 Frankie Goes To Hollywood song], and Rio was a great way to finish. Of all the comments left on duranasty.com's facebook page I liked this from our friend Desiree:

"There are just bands and then there are proper live bands, Duran is one of them, ever so skillfull in their craft another majestic feast for the ears at recent UK shows... even when stripped bare at the rehearsal gigs they were still monumental... Do yourself a favour and broad your horizons by going to see one of the last true bands, unplugged or not, who is going to show you what real music and original vision is all about."

The guys are currently with their families, enjoying a well deserved Christmas/festive break. But they are also looking forward to the new year! It looks like 2012 is gonna be another fantastic Duran year as there are already plenty of plans going on... we have a lot to look forward to! Let's see what they have in store for us...

Mirror mirror on the wall who's the best singer of the world?

• The much anticipated 320 pages John Taylor autobiography that will be published by Sphere on September 20. [Writing my book] "has been a great and challenging process so far, I am hoping it will be good" says John;
  
• A new Duran Duran Documentary is currently in the works, Gary Oldknow has begun to work on it a couple of weeks ago and we can only say that Stephen Duffy is going to get involved probably telling the story of the embryonal 1979 version of Duran Duran;

• More new video stuff is in the works! A new dvd and Blue-Ray out in mid May, 2012 which includes live footage shot by Gavin Elder in Manchester. According to John and Dom the guys were so pleased with the quality of their Manchester show and audience responce.

  "Last nights Manchester show was great. So glad we have captured this on film... looking forward to seeing" said Dom Brown.

  " Could not be happier with the show tonight- it rocked from start to finish. Mad Friday in Madchester indeed" said John after the show.

• Nick is already working in the studio finishing up the audio mix on the David Lynch film and the newly recorded Manchester show.The band strongly believes in the David Lynch project... we have heard that they hope to get something more out of it and they would like to reach some selected niche cinemas and film festivals with that piece of video-art. That Duran-Lynch collaboration is something the band is very proud of and is actually investing on it. Check out this article [dated november 4] from the David Lynch Special from The Gurdian supplement Film&Music [Lynch was guest editor in that issue - see pic on the left].

   

  What moment in film is most similar in its own way to the music you make, and how?

  Fellini's La Dolce Vita – specifically, the Trevi fountain scene. I relate to it because of its style and meticulous detail. It's irreverent, and at the time it was made he was doing something that nobody else had done before. This is what we always strive for. Obviously, the results are in the eye of the beholder, but that's how I'd personally love to envisage what we do.

  What moment in your music is most filmic, and how?

  Two songs come to mind: an early one called The Chauffeur, which tells a story and lends itself to many different interpretations, and one from the new album, called The Man Who Stole a Leopard. I just heard about a man in Cleveland who kept exotic animals and let them loose – when I dreamed up the story I was imagining someone crazy enough to want to capture a leopard and keep it at home.

  If you could record a score for any film, what would it be, and why?

  Duran Duran could have done a good job for any Alfred Hitchcock film; also any of those Buñuel movies. I like things that have a surreal element. French New Wave would have been good for us, too – we could've come up with something for Breathless.

   

• There will be also new footage that will celebrate also the 30th anniversary of Rio [the band is supposed to celebrate the upcoming anniversary in Antigua and maybe Sri Lanka too where they'll eventually reconnect with the yacht from Rio as reported in the novembver 5 update].

• So 2012 will be also the year that will see the guys release some side projects, John's book, more deejaying from Roger [and James?!], hopefully some SYN stuff will be released [do you remember about 'Eiffel Tower', the song co-written by Simon and Nick Wood? News reported on may 8 ] and finally Nick and Warren are going to release the much awaited “TV Mania” record.

So 2012 will be essentially characterized by concerts and even more concerts... in january the first leg of the euro tour that will start in Klosters, Switzerand, and will end in Bratislava.

The band has also announced a show in Dubai on march 8th, then you have Asia and Australia untill march 31th. The band will basically keep the 'show on the road' and they really hope to add dates in South America and the US.

According to John, who I recently met in London, they should add Argentina dates in 2012 but they really have to sort out [and they are really looking forwared to] the italian dates first, "We really have to play in Italy!" he said. He also told me that the tour might hit Italy between June/July and he assures that will be more than one show.

Taylor is also so excited about the prospect of returning to Australia for the Arena tour and for good reason, some of the band's defining moments happened Down Under. The band also promises a couple of surprises for the UK fans.

Check out the official tour page for ticketing and info on all the upcoming shows.

• Newcastle | John said some nice words about Andy, and how without that young lad from Whitley Bay making his way from Newcastle to Birmingham in 1980, then they probably wouldn't have been there.

Dom is not only a very talented musician but, as we saw during the recent UK shows, he has a great stage presence! It's a pleasure to listen to his guitar playing but it's also great to see him in action with Simon and John. What a show! Duranasty.com would be more than happy to see him even more involved in the band in the future.

Dom Brown says:

"What a great night at O2. That was the best Monday night London audience reaction I have ever witnessed. Thanks guys"

"I am pretty pleased the guys let me put my own solo in Ordinary World... nothing like the original... love playing it"

click here to enlarge the cool photo on the left

Thanks to Ian Davies for asking this questions to Dom!

9 December 2011 | Hi Dom, might be a bit of a cheeky question but don't you secretly wish you'd be made a proper member of Duran Duran? Despite 5 or 6 years sterling service you never get into the group shops or credited as a proper member! I mean you play well, look the part and unlike Warren Cucurullo you've never marketed a dildo modelled on your cock!

Dom: "It would be good to be more involved and recognised for sure."

Source | Adelaide Now

I found one thing very definitely, which is that above everything else I am a singer. Before a writer, before a performer, I am a singer. That is how I define myself. To have that threatened was a huge anxiety to me. I didn't know if I was going to be able to sing again, ever.

You went to hit a note and couldn't. Did anyone tell you what happened?

No. It was different to things singers usually get, like nodules or nodes or polyps or laryngitis. [The doctors] never could tell me straight what it is. It was an anomaly

Mark Ronson at the aftershow party in answer to the question: "Are you going to work with Duran Duran again?"

"If they ask me, and I think it is a yes, I am gonna produce the next album!"

the question was orginally asked by Christian D'Antonio, long time fan and professional journalist.

Nick Rhodes said recently about working with Mark:

"Of the people we’ve worked with in the last couple decades, Mark just suits us better. He has an understanding of so many genres of music. He has incredible style and great taste and he really, really gets what Duran Duran is about. So, I sincerely hope we work with him again. We stay in constant touch. We're so fond of him on a very personal level, as well as musical level. He’s really something."

John: “Birmingham, the homecoming. We are a Birmingham band, despite Simon Le Bon being from Middlesex and Andy Taylor from ‘Toon. We all met in the middle. We are a Midlands band...”

“We have lived in a lot of cities over the years and there have been a lot of places I have called home for a time, but you know, there’s really only one, and that’s the city of Birmingham. It beget us and it made us. Thanks to it for a great night.”

Roger: “That’s the one that we look out for. It makes us all very nervous.
“In Birmingham, we know we have to be good.
“We played at Madison Square Garden recently, in New York. But Birmingham has even greater pressure.”

Duran Duran poses backstage with Cocknbull Kid

Duran Duran playing Birmingham is always special for the band and for the fans.
This one was especially for the fact that duranies had been waiting since the original date in May to see them on home soil.
I want to credit the support act ‘Cocknbull Kid’ for her confidence... or perhaps, bravery in announcing to a crowd that was not there to see her that she would be signing cds.
I really hope some people went to her and got some signed… the vision of her sitting there and nobody going up to her would be awful.
Now im sorry, but once im sat in that arena for duran…I aint movin! ...except to dance around and throw my hands in the air like a crazy person when Duran are on stage!!
Whoever had the idea of putting tweets on the screens [before Duran and during Tiger Tiger], deserves a pat on the back for their genius… it had me furiously typing on my Blackberry trying to get a message up there.
The wait for the band to take the stage can drag, but the twitter screens helped bide the time well.
As a duranie that is familier with the setlists, I had a fair idea of the songs we would hear and was happy to hear my favourite song from AYNIN [Before the Rain] be the opening song. I was especially impressed by the sound at this concert, Dom’s guitar was louder than it has been and Anna’s mic was louder as well so she could be heard better.
The mix of old and new songs worked, The Man who stole a Leopard, Girl Panic, All You Need is Now went down very well.
The old favourites like Planet Earth and Is there Something I Should Know got the crowd going as they always do.

Gerardo and I landed at Heathrow airport around 4 pm after an 18 hour flight from Buenos Aires. We had rented a car, so we tried to get to the rental company office as soon as we could and finally got our car at 5:30 pm. The rush was because on that very day we were going to see our first concert of the 2011 UK tour in Bournemouth, which, according to the car rental people, was a three hour drive away from Hethrow... OK, now I was panicking... [Not only were we so tired from our flight from Argentina, but you should also add to this whole equation the "driving on the other side of the road" thing, the "God, I hope the GPS I brought from home works perfectly, because I have no idea where I am going", plus the getting dark at 4 pm and the lovely UK rain...] We were 3 hours away, we had to pick up our tickets and we had no idea what time the actual concert started. Oh well... We drove to Bournemouth, got there in 2 hours [yeyyy!] and drove straight to the BIC. No time for a nap or a shower, not even to drop our bags at the hotel. We arrived an hour before the concert began, so relieved!

When the show started it was an amazing moment for me. I could not believe I was actually there, especially after what had happened in May, it was all a dream, a very good dream.

The stage was fantastic, the lights the big screens. It was brilliant! The band got on stage and played a great show. John a had some problems with his bass in a couple of songs, but that did not keep it from being a great show. By the end, they played Rio, and the screens behind the band started to show the pictures of painted hands and faces that fans had sent to the band. I was filming that song, just in case my picture had been chosen and to my surprise, there it was! It was one of the first pictures on the right screen, I could not believe it! Thrilling moment.

The next day we set off for Birmingham. I have to be honest, I have always dreamt of seeing Duran playing in their homeland. The show was much better than the Bournemouth one, the venue was a bigger one and the crowd was something really special. Fantastic show, and one more song added to the set list!

The next day, we drove to Glasgow, and we were glad we could rest that night since there was no show. The distance between Birmingham and Glasgow was really long, a 6 hour drive. So it was good to be able to rest. We stayed in Glasgow for three nights and also got to visit Edinburgh with our lovely local friends.
This particular concert was probably the best one for me of the whole tour [we did 7 shows in total], not only becuase we were front row, but also because we had an Argentina flag that I had especially made for the UK tour and we had it with us on every show.

And during the fourth song which was All You Need is Now, Simon saw the flag and read it and then shouted right after the first chorus "Argentina In Da House!". I was speachless. I cried my eyes out through the entire show. Thank you Simon Le Bon!

After 3 days of a lovely snowing Glasgow, we drove to Nottingham. Long drive but so worth it!
The show was really great, also front row in that one.

We got a day off after that show and on the next day we drove to Cardiff. Such a lovely city, it was my first time in Wales. On that show, we were on John´s side, front row. It was such an amazing show! My voice had begun to suffer, and I had a bit of a cold, but I could not care less! By the end of the show, I got John´s pick. John rocks!
The next day, we went sightseeing, I loved Cardiff. Hope to go back there someday.

So, the next day, we drove to Liverpool. We had been there last May, so pretty much of the sightseeing was done. The show at the Echo Arena was brilliant! Again front row on John´s side. Such a good show, and this time, I got the set list!

I danced like a maniac that night and all other nights when Duran played, to be honest. After all, isn´t a Duran Duran concert the ultimate party ever?

So, after Liverpool, the big one was coming. London, here we come!
We arrived there and we got together with Mario and Dolores from Croatia, friends of ours since last May. It was great to spend the afternoon and evening with them. We met Nick on that day, and had a very nice talk with him. I had the picture they show during Rio with me because I wanted Nick to see it and autograph it for me. And when he saw it he said: "We have this, it´s in the show! I was just going through all of these with Gary becuase we change them often, but we kept this one in!". Do I need to explain how I felt?!

The show was spectacular! Mark Ronson appeared on stage with the band to play Girl Panic! [my personal fave song of the latest album]. And then, in the blink of an eye, the show and our UK tour, was over. To our surprise, the thrill didn´t end there, because we got to meet the band again shortly after. And even their families and friends. Also, the great Mark Ronson. It was the perfect ending to a perfect touring experience.

I just want to thank Duran Duran, Nick, Roger, John and Simon, for making this the greatest experience I ever had as a fan; thank you also to all the Duranies from around the globe I met [ Rhonda and Amanda, Simona and Christina, Cinzia, Alison and Julie, Kirsty, Mario and Dolores, Carla, Graca and Manuela, Annalisa and Sjnar, Nicole, Federica and Fabrizia, Raffaella and Petra, Guillermo and Alice, Amadea, Valentina and Micaela]. One of the greatest things of this experience was meeting so many fans from around the world. It was great to share this with you all. And a very special thank you to Salvo for his work and time invested in Duran Duran and DD fans, you are an amazing person and fan, it was lovely to have seen you again.

Will Duran Duran get a star on Broad Street’s Walk of Stars? [source Birmingham Mail]

The band are mystified why they are notorious enough to have a star on Hollywood Boulevard but not one in their own home city.
Broad Street’s Walk of Stars, is even located in the exact spot where their career began performing at the famous Rum Runner club.
Drummer Roger Taylor said:

“I can’t believe Duran Duran isn’t on the Walk of Stars yet.
“We have one in America. How can we have a star in Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and not in Birmingham where three of our members come from and where we started the band? We need to get some campaigning going on to get us a Birmingham star.”

Wild boy Roger, who is from Castle Bromwich, added:

“Birmingham is still special to us.
“We love to come back there on tour and for visits. I am always coming back to go to see Aston Villa with my dad as I am lifelong fan.”

Celebrities already set in stone on Birmingham’s golden mile include Ozzy Osbourne, Roy Wood, Lenny Henry, Frank Skinner, Noddy Holder and Julie Walters.
Mike Olley, an organiser of Broad Street’s Walk of Stars, said he was keen to get band members Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes inducted into Birmingham’s hall of fame.
But Mr Olley said he had suffered difficulties in achieving this. “We would bend over backwards and crawl across broken glass to get Duran Duran a star,” said Mr Olley.
“Duran Duran are synonymous with Broad Street and part of its history because of the Rum Runner, which was where restaurant Jimmy Spices now stands.
“They are a real homegrown talent, so they are at the forefront of our minds.
“We have tried but have always reached technical difficulties.
“It sounds as though the band want it as much as we do, so we’ll have to have another push at finally getting them a star they deserve.”

It's not often that your favourite drummer plays a deejay set in the place you live... Strangely enough, after Taormina, it happened again. Roger Taylor and his smart son James on friday november 18th came to play a set at Capogiro Joy Club in Bergamo, the city where I live. They rocked the house with their cool music and they even got a positive review in the local newspaper [I uploaded a scan in this installment, check it out at the end of the page]. The sponsor of the evening was Belvedere Red Vodka with a very good charity initiative: for every bottle of the product purchased they contributed 50% of profits to help save lives in Africa. Early that afternoon Roger and James stopped in Milan to shop at Trussardi and in the evening they dined at Capogiro Restaurant. In that occasion I had a pleasure to sat down a bit with the them and have a drink before their dj-set started. James is a cool guy as much as his father and it was great to interact with them both, they seemed much more than just father and son, they seemed very good friends. It was a very cool evening and I really hope to see the duo deejaying again soon!

Check out some nice pics I took during and after the dj-set! pic 1 pic 2 pic 3 pic 4 pic 5 pic 6 pic 7 pic 8 pic 9

Nick Rhodes, music producer Peter Asher and film producer Katy Haber were among those being honoured during graduation week at St Mary’s Church. Each received an Honorary Doctor of Arts.

Nick Rhodes is being recognised for his contribution to the music industry as a songwriter, performer and producer.

Get some exclusive pictures!

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Best Personal Moment of the year: "Going to Paris with my daughter Atlanta when she represented England at the Crillon Ball in November. All the fathers got to do a waltz with their daughter, and it was a special moment for me." John Taylor, December 2011

Atlanta De Cadenet Taylor represented England at the Bal des Débutantes held at Hotel Crillon on Saturday on November 26 in Paris.

Le Bal des Debutantes first launched in 1957 before being turned into a charity fundraising event 20 years ago. This year saw 23 young women - from actors' daughter to aristocrats - from 13 countries debuted at the Saturday night ball and all proceeds went to the Feed Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting malnutrition.

Bruce Willis, Andie MacDowell and John Taylor were just a few celebrity guests [as a "proud parents"] of the Bal de Debutantes. Once again, the founder of the Bal, Ophelia Renouard, brought together the most elegant "daughters of" for an exceptional soiree which has meant haute couture dresses catwalks and sparkling and inestimable Adler jewels .

Atlanta De Cadenet Taylor wore a Chanel dress. After dancing a waltz with his daughter, John Taylor described the evening as "quite fantastic" adding that "it is nice to see high-fashion dresses on so young and beautiful girls."

Atlanta, who has inherited her parents’ good looks, has begun modelling and acting. “Throughout my childhood, my dad made me learn every single instrument, hoping I would be in a girl band,” the 19-year-old revealed. “I think he was sad when I stopped.”

Atlanta's mum, Amanda De Cadenet, had stayed behind to look after her five-year-old twins, her children by husband Nick Valensi of The Strokes. "She's really sad about it," Atlanta said of her mother missing the gala event. "but my dad has been sending her images every few hours" Atlanta revealed.

Choosing an embroidered sea green dress by Chanel meant a lengthy fitting in the couture salon - which was followed up by a guided tour around Coco Chanel’s apartment on Rue Cambon, an experience that vintage clothing enthusiast Atlanta described as “amazing”.

“I was given a gorgeous pair of Louboutins to wear but they are so high and my feet already hurting,” Atlanta was scared about having her toes crushed by her rock star father... "He's already stepped on them once," she complained. "Oh, leave it to the Taylor to horse clump!"

The young woman were introduced by French TV presenter Stèphane Bern... they were the epitome of poise as they made their entrance past the tables filled with their cheering family and friends. They later showed off their dancing skills - before being joined by their guests on the dance floor.

Striking bass player John these days is sporting a white Cruella de Vil-like streak in his hair." My stepmother [Juicy co-funder Gela Nash] and I tease him that he looks Daphne Guiness!" said Atlanta. John said he enjoyed the entire weekend of the ball. "I call it 'Aristo Camp,' he revealed. "It's like crashcourse in old-school manners, learning how to waltz and wear couture - as well as meeting girls from different countries and backgrounds."

John Taylor, who despite his daughter's fears did manage to avoid treading on her Jimmy Choos, described the event as "quite fantastic". "First, all of the girls looked beautiful, second it was nice to see couture worn by the young," he said. "Finally, when you're a parent, you're a partent whatever your life situation or marital circumstances are. It was impossible to look at Atlanta and not feel proud abd a sense of completion."

20 Odd Questions with Nick Rhodes
December 24,2011 | The Duran Duran musician on black eyeliner, where he spent his 21st birthday and what he’s doing for his 50th | interview by Nicole Berrie | courtesy Wall Street Journal

Since hitting the pop charts in 1981, songwriter and keyboardist Nick Rhodes has established himself not only as a gifted musician, but as a trendsetter of David Bowie and Boy George proportions. Known for his decades-long love affair with steroidal-shouldered jackets, tie-dye headdresses and black eyeliner, the brains behind Duran classics such as “Girls on Film” and “Rio” defined the 1980s bon vivant. He palled around with Andy Warhol, dated a coterie of model/actresses and logged in major hours at Studio 54. “My wildest nights usually ended up in New York nightclubs,” Mr. Rhodes said. “You’d walk in to see giant soap powder boxes on the dance floor or people ironing behind glass windows. They had an atmosphere where you wanted it to be crazy and therefore it was.”

The Birmingham, England, native, who founded Duran Duran with childhood friend John Taylor, has also earned a league of sartorial imitators, including Mark Ronson, producer of the Grammy Award-winning band’s 13th album “All You Need Is Now,” released earlier this year. The video for the latest single off the album, “Girl Panic!”, was directed by Lady Gaga collaborator Jonas Åkerlund, and stars a pantheon of supermodels (Naomi, Eva, Cindy, Helena, Yasmin) who impersonate members of the band, dressed in Swarovski jewels, at the Savoy Hotel in London. “When we first started out, there was no such thing as stylists,” recalled Mr. Rhodes, who has collaborated with the likes of Grace Jones, Herbie Hancock and Sting. “We did everything ourselves. It was much funkier that way.”

These days, when not writing lyrics, the 49-year-old is preparing for a milestone birthday—but don’t expect a disco-revival bash. “I’ll be hiding behind a tree somewhere,” he joked. We caught up with the self-described “fashion magpie” from his flat in London’s Chelsea neighborhood.

Today I’m wearing a black Armani suit. I don’t do casual. I never wear jeans. Tomorrow I might put on a waistcoat, tie and smart pair of trousers with black lace-up shoes to go food shopping. I’m a little like Diana Vreeland in that respect.

I find that the older you get, the more helpful eyeliner is. I like Fluidline in Blacktrack.

My ultimate style icon is Grace Jones. She’s never been afraid of the avant garde and looks chic in everything she wears even when it’s next to nothing. It’s harder with men. Count Dracula is the one that comes to mind. I’ve always had a penchant for goth elegance.

The one grooming product I rely on is Sumotech by Bumble and Bumble. It’s a little black tub of hair paste and it’s very popular with everyone backstage.

Women’s fashion is more interesting than men’s. Funny enough, I’m better at choosing something for my girlfriend than for myself. Marc Jacobs is incredibly clever. I’ve seen many of his shows and have never been let down.

Britain’s best-kept secret is Antony Price. I’ve worked with him for over 20 years. He’s got the taste of Tom Ford, the ability of Saint Laurent and the edginess of the British Invasion. His clothing is beyond any couture I’ve ever seen—it belongs in the Victoria & Albert Museum.

I’ve always focused on tailoring. Ozwald Boateng makes the sharpest suit in town and Costume National has beautiful black jackets. Helmut Lang made unbelievable menswear through the ’90s. I miss his clothes the most.

The most stylish country in the world is Italy. The food! The Caravaggio paintings! Dolce & Gabbana! I’m not good at resting, but my favorite hotels are the Bulgari in Milan and the Qvisisana in Capri—which is the epitome of effortless chic.

The best New York nightclubs in the ’90s were Palladium and Limelight but my personal favorite was Area because it was smaller and there was a different theme every time you went. I had my 21st birthday at Studio 54, which was interesting. These days I don’t go out so much to clubs and bars.

When I go out now it’s invariably to hotels. I love the Blue Bar at the Berkeley in Knightsbridge, which David Collins designed, and there isn’t a better bar in the world than the Boom Boom Room at the Standard Hotel in New York.

I don’t wear watches but I’ve got quite a collection of cufflinks. My favorites are gold gargoyles that reveal a red tongue when you open their mouths. They were a gift from somebody who knew my taste very well.

Last Halloween, I hosted a party with André Balazs and dressed up as a vampire zombie. The trouble is, if I put on a top hat, white makeup and a little blood by my eyes, everyone thinks I’ve just been up a little late.

My daughter Tatjana likes to nick things from my closet, particularly hats. She must have the same size head as me. Simon [Le Bon]‘s daughters are always plundering their mother’s wardrobe, especially that early Alaïa. They’re very good at that.

We’re spoiled for restaurants in London. I love the Wolseley, and Locanda Locatelli is extraordinary. In New York, I like the Dutch. It has an unusual menu and the staff is really lovely. That isn’t always the case in New York City.

My least favorite trend is grunge. That look of slightly unwashed layers of T-shirts is not appealing to me. I hedge towards things that shine.

I go into an absolute panic if my hairdresser Sandy Hullett is not available. She has worked with Alexander McQueen and Steven Meisel. She’s fabulous.

I like to encourage new talent. Some of the young British designers like Christopher Kane and Gareth Pugh have shown creative ability from the days of Vivienne Westwood and McQueen. Their clothes are sharp and modern. Bigger designers are often more sanitized.

The ultimate rock star accessory is a nice pair of shades. Cutler & Gross are consistently very good. I have a pair from Chrome Hearts that make you look like a bug. I don’t mind that look.

With musicians today, I prefer people who stand out. Brandon Flowers from The Killers has great style. He’s not afraid of feathers. I always love a man who is not afraid of feathers.

Adelaide Now | Simon Le Bon answers a question about John's and Andy autobiographies

John Taylor's about to release his autobiography. Would you do your own?
Not now. I've got a lot of other writing to do. At the moment I'm not into looking back. I am looking forward to John's book, though. It'll be a different take on things to [former guitarist] Andy Taylor's book.
Did you read Andy's book?
Bits of it. I couldn't read the whole bloody thing, I lived it. I'll do the same with John's. It's the stuff I didn't know that I'll be interested in.
Did you learn anything reading Andy's book?
[Coyly] Maybe.

Expressandstar.com | Roger Taylor about the band

"We seem to have hit a rich vein of form. Bringing Mark Ronson in was a great thing for us, he had a young, contemporary vision. He had a great appreciation of the history of the band.
“We are a lot more relaxed that we used to be about everything. We take our art very seriously but we are very relaxed about playing now.
“We feel as though we have nothing to prove at this point, we have all the life time achievement awards and it’s a great place to be where we don’t have anything to prove."

Herald.ie | John Taylor about being a cool middle-aged guy

"We're starting to feel comfortable with ourselves," says John Taylor. "I think we've touched enough people over the years - I don't mean that literally, but I think we've got our place in the continuum.

Still, it's no surprise that he's enjoying himself more this time around. "I've come to accept being middle-aged and that was a good thing for me, because I'd been feeling like an old young man for a long time, and now I feel like a vital, cool middle-aged guy. And I'm good with that."

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