March 16 | Duran Duran's visit to Milan in late february was originally announced as a special event/show organized by Vogue Italia and Comune di Milano within the Milan fashion week but it became more that what we all expected.

It actually became the proper high profile European launch of All You Need Is Now with a huge exposure for the band as the amount of media coverage [national and international], and interest were great! Exposure was multiplied also because of the Fashion Week as Milan was at the center of the international media attention and of course the guys didn't miss the chance to attend fashion shows and parties in the city.

During Milan fashion week everything seems agitated and in movement. The arrival of the fashion system here is felt on the streets days and days before.

The city has made a name for itself throughout the world for being the ultimate fashion capital, and this has been the perfect occasion to honour this tradition with a number of special and exciting events.
Anyone who has been anywhere near Milan during those five special days will be familiar with the craziness and know just how much goes on. A busy week of exciting events even busier with Milano Loves Fashion, an initiative from the city of Milan.

Duran Duran's trip to Milan started on the 23 of february and ended on the 27 and it included also a full promo-radio day, a press/media day and a national sunday afternoon tv show.
I have been lucky enough to see the guys over the 5 days in different location and situations. I had a great time with the guys, with my long time duranie-friends and also living the beautiful atmosphere of the Milan fashion week.
It all started on the 23 as we went to see the guys arriving at the airpot, we were late and we thought we had missed them... when we were about to leave we spotted John and Gela arriving. That was probably the funniest moment of the 5 days marathon as we just said them 'Hello' a let'em go as we also hoped to see the other guys... [pic on the right: John smiles at the airport on]

so John kept going, went out of the airpot and we stayed in. But at some point he turned toward us and invited us to follow him to the car... he jocked about the fact that our Intelligence isn't working as it used to as we missed the other guys [who arrived in the afternoon], then he pointed us and said 'I'm gonna take a picture of you two guys!'. That was very nice of him and totally unexpected. In about 5 minutes we were getting text-messages from our friends saying that John had just posted a pic of us on twitter. Well, that was just the beginning, the next couple of days would be even better!

 

Icons of style in the twentieth century

 

On February 25, 2011 Duran Duran, were rewarded by Milan Major Letizia Moratti as innovators not only in music, but also in the costume and fashion. The same day band performed at the Vogue Party organized at Teatro dal Verme thanks to the patronage of the Milan Municipality and to the sponsors: Peugeot and Hogan.

Under the initiatives of 'Milan Loves Fashion' Milan Mayor, Mrs Moratti and the City councillor of Fashion, Design and Youth Events, Giovanni Terzi handed a parchment to the band at Palazzo Marino .

Milan, Palazzo Marino. Duran Duran receive the parchment by Mayor Letizia Moratti and the City councillor Giovanni Terzi in the presence of Franca Sozzani, editor of Vogue Italia.
"I am very happy - Mrs Moratti said - to have Duran Duran here in Milan, a legendary band that has made music history. A group that loves our city and who is closely following the developments and prospects of the Universal Milano Expo in 2015."

"For our city is an honor to host important and internationally renowned artists such as Duran Duran," Mr Terzi said to the band when they met the reporters at the press conference. "Their arrival has aroused such strong emotions in Milan [and beyond], we asked them to return in July as part of the Milano Jazzin 'Festival. That will be a great summer concert and everyone will be able to attend the show."

"I am very happy - Mrs Moratti said - to have Duran Duran here in Milan, a legendary band that made music history. A group that loves our city and who is closely following the developments and prospects of the Universal Milano Expo in 2015. Today, we have delivered an award to pay tribute to their ability to arouse emotions, to interpret the new trends, with their extraordinary talent. "

The press release given to the italian media during the ceremony which is just a translation of text written on the parchment.

Roger Taylor, Mrs Moratti, Franca Sozzani and John Taylor at the ceremony held at the 'Sala dell'Orologio' at Palazzo Marino

"Welcoming Duran Duran, masters of music, within the fashion week - Mr Terzi concluded - is also to recognize the creativity of our city, based on 'originality and quality. "

The Mayor said she felt sorry because they hadn't enough concert tickets for the show to satisfy all the requests.
Franca Sozzani, director of Vogue said that they only had 300 tickets to give away through vogue.it but they actually received 12000 requests!

In the text of the scroll given to the band reads: "Duran Duran are one of the most beloved and popular bands in the world, a legend in the international art scene of all time. A thirty years career, more than 85 million records sold, 29 album products, always at the top of the charts. We remember some of the most important album by British rock band like 'Duran Duran', which marked the debut of the band, Rio, Seven and the Ragged Tiger, Arena, the first live album, Notorious. They have received the most important international awards, including 18 platinum albums and two Grammy Awards.

pic: Simon proudly poses with the parchment

"The city of Milan, the capital of fashion and design - the text continues, within the initiatives of 'Milan Loves Fashion' celebrates Duran Duran as icons of style, innovation not only in music but also in the costume and fashion . They have always been able to renew their look and dictate new trends, while maintaining a personal style that has been a landmark for several generations. Milan pays tribute to these extraordinary artists and their ability to arouse emotions, thanks to their musical genius and their creativity. "

 

"We love style, we care about the graphic design, the colour of the label, the typeface and photography and the clothes and the videos and we still do"

Nick Rhodes Milan, february 2011

 

 

Palazzo Marino, press conference: This is Planet Earth!

Duran Duran will take part at the 2015 Universal Expo in Milan

"It's too much information for me"

After the ceremony Duran Duran did a press conference in another hall of Palazzo Marino. Simon took the chance to express to the media the band's interest in taking part to the Universal Expo that will take place in Milan in 2015. Mrs Moratti, the Major, during her private conversation with the band has mentioned their song Planet Earth as a possible song to represent an event with such a noble cause: the Expo infact will be held under the theme Feeding The Planet, Energy For Life.

More about the Expo | Expo 2015 is the next scheduled Universal Exposition after Expo 2010, and will be hosted by Milan. The theme chosen for the 2015 Milan Universal Exposition is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. This embraces technology, innovation, culture, traditions and creativity and how they relate to food and diet. Expo 2015 will further develop themes introduced in earlier Expos in the light of new global scenarios and emerging issues, with a principal focus on the right to healthy, secure and sufficient food for all the world’s inhabitants. Participants in the Expo are expected to include over 120 countries plus a significant number of international organizations.

In preparation for the upcoming event, the City of Milan has signed numerous collaboration agreements with other cities in Italy and Europe in order to coordinate initiatives united by the common denominator of Expo 2015. These agreements focus principally on tourism, culture and infrastructure.

You can see videos of the entire private meeting between Mrs Moratti and Duran Duran, some private conversations between Simon and Nick and the Major after the parchment ceremony and also videos from the Vogue party and show at the official Comune di Milano YouTube channel.

Palazzo Marino, february 25, 2011. Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes, the only members to have been with the band throughout its 30-year professional career, poses with Salvo.

"We were not inspired by fashion designers but by style. Fashion did not come up until later."

John Taylor, Milan roundtable, 26 february 2011

Nick to Major Moratti about the Universal Expo:

"I want to do something for you, we'll figure out a song, a performance whatever it is, I think it's good to mingle, I feel very passionate about lots of the things you are doing, it sounds so overwhelming the amount of countries, the people you are dealing with, but I think we should be able to figure something out."

Nick Rhodes, Milan feb. 26 2011, aftershow party at Teatro dal Verme

 

Tireless Wendy Leister escorts Nick to Palazzo Marino. In the back Craig Duffy, Duran Duran's tour manager. Wendy did a great job during the Duran promotion coordinating all the Duran media meetings and making sure that everything worked.

 

Photocall: Piazza Scala, 25 february 2011

After the parchment ceremony the guys posed for the photographers outside Palazzo Marino, in Piazza Scala.

"The italian designers really made it after we made it big, like Dolce, Armani, Versace really exploded in 80s and throughout the 90's"

Nick Rhodes, Milan roundtable, 26 february 2011

"Phew what a week in Milan. Thanks to all the 'Duranians' that showed us so much warmth , can't wait to get back there in the summer"

Roger Taylor, march 2011

 

Live in Milan Teatro Dal Verme and Vogue Party

Duran Duran rock Milan Fashion Week.

"Duran Duran Loves Italy... and Italy Loves Duran Duran," screamed Simon Le Bon into the mic, as the band kicked off an electrifying private gig at the Teatro dal Verme, in via Giacomo Puccini, to celebrate Milan Fashion Week, on Friday night.
Donatella Versace and her 24-year-old daughter, Allegra - fresh from the showing of the Versace autumn/winter 2011 collection; French Vogue's Emmanuelle Alt, Silvia Venturini Fendi and her daughter Delfina Delattrez, the jewellery designer; Renzo Russo; Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci; Jefferson Hack; Margherita Missoni; and Coco Brandolini d'Adda were among the fashionistas and socialites who rocked the house. Lots of italian celebrities and pop stars among the audience and the Major of course.

  • Highlight: fans were treated to a very special performance and the world live premiere of Runway Runway.

Guests were treated to a dinner based on pasta, tuna carpaccio and Champagne. After dinner, Le Bon, with a black and white scarf around his neck, warmed up his voice to perform new tunes and old favorites before 1,400 guests.

Duran Duran raced through a selection of greatest hits and tracks from their latest album, before belting out "Girls on Film" in a finale that had the 1400-strong audience dancing in the aisles, mobile 'phones aloft.
The gig was staged in collaboration with Hogan, Italian Vogue, Peugeot, and the Comune di Milano.

News sources: telegraph.co.uk and wwd.com

  • Check out a selection of pictures I took at the show by clicking the banner below.

 

Milan 24 february 2011: Promo-day, radios!

Fandom: the guys arrives at Radio Deejay: 1985 or 2011?

"...and now we got a relationship with Edel Records here in Italy and in other parts of Europe aswell and so far they have done a great job, right?!"

Simon Le Bon press conference Milan 26 february 2011

While Duran Duran were in Italy they informed the media that they have agreed a deal with Edel Records for the full-length euro release of the band’s 13th studio album All You Need Is Now on March 21. Edel will be responsible for the release of the physical album in few european countries, Germany for sure [Edel's main office is based in Hamburg] and Italy. I don't have the full list of all the european countries that will publish AYNIN via Edel but we know that the Edel network extends the label presence all over Europe with affiliates offices and labels and in the rest of the world with a strong network of distributors, Edel is in fact still present in Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, and France.

[Duran Duran have already worked with Edel back in 2000 for the release of Pop Trash. More recently Edel has also distribuited 'Rio Classic Album' in Italy - that prodouct was originally published by Eagle Rock Records which over the years has been purchased by Edel].

The new release comes three months after nine-song version of the album hit the stories and will add five new tracks to the release. It is on the band’s own Tape Modern label t/a Skin Divers under exclusive license to Edel Germany GmbH trough earMUSIC, which is a project of Edel.
The extended album will be available on cd, vinyl, deluxe edition cd package, including a bonus song and a remix of the album’s title track, and an iTunes lp.

You can listen snippets of the 14 tracks here

 

Duran Duran Radio Day

During the promo-day Duran Duran visited the following radios in Milan: Radio Deejay [you can watch some videos of the interview here and here, here also some cool pictures taken at the radio]. In the afternoon they were special guest of the 'Flight' on RTL 102.5, the interview was aired both on radio and digital tv. RTL people were great as they invited fans to join the band in the studio [you can spot me among other fans in the pic on the right]. You can listen the interview here. The band has also been interviewed by Capital Radio, Discoradio, Radio Montecarlo and Radio 105 [check out some beautiful pics here]. Some of these interview were not live and will be aired later this month, around the album release. There's a lot of stuff online, videos, interviews and reports... I recomend these online video-interviews: GQitalia.it and Roxy Web tv.

 

 

photo report radio deejay

"There's a cartoon character, like a comic book, Corto Maltese, and I love that image, I always wanted to look like that."

Simon Le Bon, Milan february 2011

Sharing with you all this little piece of Art that Nick did for me in Milan

"Making music is like painting"

during the press conference, Nick described the writing process using this metaphor: "We sit in a room together we look at each other and say ‘what we do today? It’s like a blank canvas to fill...

Twitter addict John Taylor

 

 

photo report RTL 102.5

Simon arrives at the studios

Simon meets Tiziana Baudo (daughter of Pippo, the famous italian showman), long time fan who works at RTL 102.5

 

Do you think this record would have pleased Andy Taylor?

Roger: it's the first time this crossed my mind, really, we've always moved on...

You have lived thirty years on a roller coaster, with ups and downs. Is there something you wouldn’t do the same way if you could go back?

John: You can not change anything. We are so happy where we are now. One false move on the path and we'd be somewhere else.

Nick: maybe we would change our career for U2's would not be bad... but we feel so good about ourselves now we couldn't be another band. We all think the same way, if we want to make a funk record or a rock record we can...

all photos taken during the interview at the RTL 102.5 studios

With all this artistic recognition you are getting from other musicians is it difficult to write and not to think "oh my God, what are the others saying about this song"

Simon: it is very flattering but especially when you are writing you cannot think about what other musicians will say it would be a mistake, it does not work like that"

Your new world tour is about to start. How long we have wait to see you in Italy?

Nick: We'll be back in Italy around July but still do not know the exact dates as we are trying to match them with other scheduled shows between the U.S. and England. However, the idea is to came back with a European tour in July and August.

With the earlier online publication piracy could harm you even more, are you afraid about that?

Simon: Obviously we are concerned about piracy but that's not enough to solve the problem. We have to learn to live with it and try to create a situation where its impact is minimized.

Nick: Our record did actually end up on the internet … it has been protected till quite late but then a journalist, in France actually, leaked it to the internet and obviously as an artist who create something you wanna have a proper launch date you want to be available to your fans on a particular day, it was disappointing that somebody chose to do that, but there’s not really much you can do about it, I mean I’m amazed we managed to keep it like that for that long, but we do know who he is…

 

John explains his reasons

It was difficult to return to a sound that you left a long time ago?

John: Actually, I think Mark has pulled off something that we had within us. Sometimes you listen to music all the time trying to understand what is modern, what is trendy, what people likes. But this time we didn’t need to hear anything, we had in us the ideas to make more than one album and he came up with this simple guide to focus on what we had to do.

Q: Italy seem very fond of you guys...

John: Italy and Duran have a 'special relationship'

Roundtable: the band meets the press february 26, 2011

Nick, John, Roger and Simon told the journalists how the world of music has changed and why they preferred to release All You Need Is Now independentently... and lots more.

Nick: We released the last record on Sony, and frankly I thought they were diabolical absolutely hopeless, we really didn’t feel comfortable, we didn't feel they handed the album well, so this time we looked at some options, and the first people to approach us about the record independently were Apple, at that said a lot to us. They have made the effort to come and say what are you doing with the record? And it was very appealing. We like to try to do things a little differently than other people so, being big fans of Apple generally, we thought it was a good place to start, but we also wanted to make a phisical release with the cd and vinlyl so we started looking for the right partners, we did speak with some of the major labels, but it just didn’t make sense, I think they are still leaving in a world… in the past, and the independet lables are able to move more freely and offer more interesting deals.

John: We felt that the iTune exposure was the best kind of promotion that we could give to our album. The major labels were not sure about that, they thought we were giving the album away. We think what we did with Itunes was create a great story around the album.

Now, as we deliver the album as a phisical release, we have got this terrific story [being n° 1 in 15 countries with the digital release], and we got our fan-base out there that are familiar with at least 9 tracks of the album, and feeling really excited about the album. We feel it hasn’t take anyrthing away from the phisical release at all, we feel this story added a lot to it.

Simon: and now we got a relationship with Edel Records here in Italy and in other parts of Europe aswell and so far they have done a great job, right?!

This John Taylor pic is part of the photosession published on vanityfair.it, click on the link to see the full set and a cool video.

"At the time RCM got released the entire music business was really depressed everybody knew we were struggling to get music out and now I feel there's optimism again."

pic: Simon at 'Quelli Che il Calcio' tv show feb 27, 2011

What's the main feature of this album?

Simon: A return to the more experimental, I think it’s more pioniring for us, we were braver with the songwriting with this album, and that’s something that really Mark facilitated, he wanted to return to the style of the first two albums, of Duran Duran and Rio, which he felt were much more the head of the game then some of our album, certainly the third one, for me has more more musical reinassance, song they are not sqaured, for example there’s no end chorus in Being Followed...

Nick: We worked in much the same way as we did in the early years. We were in front of a blank canvas to fill and we wondered how we should do it. Ironically, this made us return to our roots, something we've never done over the past thirty years. We looked for a way to reinvent ourselves that would electrify us, and we found it.

About Red Carpet Massacre

Simon: We're really proud of it, we couldn't have done it any differently given we had those great producers onboard. This one is closer to our roots and we've learned a lot from both the experiences. At the time RCM got released the entire music business was really depressed everybody knew we were struggling to get music out and now I feel there's optimism again.

Dom Brown is playing with you since 2004 and he has also been involved in the writing process of All You Need Is Now: is there a chance he'll become a full member of the band?

Simon: In a sense we are moving in that direction. He is a talented guitarist and is acquiring the necessary security to become more expressive in the way of playing. On "All You Need Is Now" did a great job.
Nick: Dom is our Ronnie Wood, he's gaining confidence...like with Ronnie it took him a while before getting full on the Rolling Stones records.

On the left Nick at Vogue party feb 25, 2011
"I had a vinyl record of the 'Rocco And His Brothers' soundtrack and that Nino Rota piece seemed to work at the end of the song, it reminded me of Shining."

About Nino Rota's 'Rocco And His Brothers' sountrack sample on The 'Man Who Stole A Leopard'

Nick: I had a vinyl record of the 'Rocco And His Brothers' soundtrack and that Nino Rota piece seemed to work at the end of the song, it reminded me of Shining. We were thinking about altering it using string arrangements and stuff but then we ended it using that way and it works.

Simon, you were one of Berlusconi's guests in a dinner at Villa Certosa back in summer 2008, did you notice anything strange?

Simon: I noticed lots of strange things, for example he has a vulcano in his back garden, that’s preatty strange… and he has a little fairground and he has Snowhite and 6 dwarf... why is that? Where is the other?

Milan, february 26, 2011 | During the press conference for the new album "All You Need Is Now", Red Ronnie surprises the guys giving them the Gandhi 9.11, a Peace Award done as a light-sculpture by the italian artist Marco Lodola.
The idea of Gandhi 9.11 was born when Red Ronnie discovered from Tarah Gandhi [his nephew] that the Mahatma made his first statement of non violent struggle in 9.11, 2006 in South Africa. That movement was called "Satyagraha". Red Ronnie called immediately his friend Lodola sharing this incredible coincidence: 9.11 was the beginning of peace in protest and the infamous World Trade Center violence in NY. Red asked him to do a piece of art about the two opposite meanings of 9.11.
One hour after Lodola sent the first sketch and after he produced a very big "light-sculpture" where the twin towers had the peace colors and a black Gandhi [he didn't know that Gandhi peace struggle was born in South Africa, so he was a "black Gandhi"].
Some days after, Lodola and Red Ronnie decided that the "Gandhi 9.11" had not to be sold, but smallest limited editions of Gandhi 9.11 had to became awards for people that did something in their life for peace. Gandhi 9.11 were awarded to Rigoberta Menchù in Guatemala [Nobel prize for peace], Bob Geldof [for Live Aid], Salif Keità [for the help to african albinos], Muhammad Junus [Nobel prize for Grameen Bank and micro-credit], etc.
Now to Duran Duran: for the right attidute to do Live Aid and all the peace DD brought, with their music, to a lot of girls & boys that needed hope and happiness in ther life.

Marco Lodola is very famous and was one of the artists in Venice Biennale 2010. His work for Biennale took inspiration from the italian futuristic movement and the idea of "people like stars constellation" that was... coincidence... in the Duran video "What Happens Tomorrow". His light sculpture also were in Shanghai Expo 2010.

 

full press review

Ok, I have been scanning a bit for you all, hope you enjoy these. All italian newspaper and magazines [I will only translate headlines], click on the link to get the full scan.

* This article talks about the controversy started by the City Council Basilio Rizzo who says that the Municipality has spent 18.000 euro to rent Dal Verme theater with a total amount of expenses equal to 35.000 euro. Terzi answered "That's sad, everytime we organize an international event someone starts a controversy. The cost? The Municipality only spent 15.000 euro that will return to the city in terms of publicity and marketing. I just want to remember that the municipality hasn't spent a single euro to have Duran Duran [editor note, it was all organized by Condé Naste with the help of the two sponsors]. We need to be less provincial!" said the City Councillor.

Above the current issue of Verve magazine

 

from a party to a catwalk, up and down Milan

Duran Duran rock Milan Fashion Week

Nick arrives at Versace fashion show in Via del Gesù, Milan February 25, 2011

 

On the right, Simon arrives at Versace fashion show and the guys posing with Donatella Versace.

february 25, 2011
 

Band on the run: Duran Duran members Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor took in the early Versace show Friday night, as they were expected to play at a party hosted by Italian Vogue and Hogan later that evening. The gig was a warm-up for their upcoming tour of the U.S. and Britain following the release of their 13th album, “All You Need is Now.”

After three decades in the business, each member has developed his own routine for dealing with the rigors of the road. “I like a mug of tea before going to bed,” noted John Taylor. “I don’t know about Nick.” Rhodes paused for thought. “A small goblet of virgin’s blood,” he said.

Simon Le Bon, Cavalli Dinner Party. On saturday february 26, after a 4 hours meeting with the media, Simon spent some free time watching Manchester United on tv, then he went with the other guys at the Just Cavalli party.

 

John Taylor and Franca Sozzani, director of italian's Vogue magazine since 1988. This huge Duran Duran event was organized by her. The band dedicated Notorious to her during the live show, a nice way to say thank you.

Vogue Talents Corner, February 23, 2011

On february 23, as soon as the guys landed in Milan Simon and Nick attended The Vogue Talents Corner, an event held at 6 Via Sant'Andrea in Milan at the Palazzo Morando, where fourteen new designers from around the world presented their creations. [pic on the left]

Roberto Cavalli Dinner Party February 26, 2011

The hosts were, naturally, Roberto and Eva Cavalli, with their son, Daniele, who is now an integral part of the Maison on the Menswear side. Usual glam Cavalli, atmosphere between Baroque and future, steel and devoré velvet, foamy champagne under the symbolic and futurist architecture of the Torre Branca, raised up by Giò Ponti in the 50s.

Then the dance floor until the wee hours with a very young prevalence. From lunch participants, divided among various tables, the beautiful Valeria Golino, Kelly Rowland, Nadége, Duran Duran, Anja Rubik, Michelle Yeoh and Jean Todt, Gaia Bermani Amaral, perfect testimonial of the gypset inspired look that connoted the fashion show, Remo and Francesca Ruffini.

John and Gela attended Pucci fashion show

John said of the show [via twitter] "At the Pucci show. I've seen enuf fashion shows now to know that this was sensational!!"

Secretive Gela... about her upcoming new fashion project

Gela says: “I had to be the good wife,” said Gela Nash-Taylor, who sat front row at Emilio Pucci Saturday night as the plus-one to her husband, Duran Duran member John Taylor. Of her upcoming new fashion project, the Juicy Couture founder said her non-compete clause obliged her to stay mum until June 30. source

The guys meets Roberto and Eva Cavalli at the Torre Branca in Milan

Baby on the way for Roger and Gisela, the couple attended the Cavalli Fashion show and posed for photographs, Gisela looked beautiful and radiant!

 

Cavalli Fashion fashion show took place at the wonderful location Arco della Pace.

Gisella Bernales and Roger Taylor attended Roberto Cavalli fashion show as part of Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Autumn/Winter 2011 on February 26, 2011 in Milan, Italy.
On a recent blog published on duranduran.com Roger Taylor announced the good news, the couple is expecting a baby! "We also just had an amazing whirlwind trip to one of our favorite countries, Italy. The warmth and vibrance of the people there never ceases to amaze me. We always have such a great welcome there and I feel that it has set us up for the rest of the year. Also, very excited to see dates being scheduled in the U.S before our May UK tour. I hear that some of the U.S shows are selling out in minutes, amazing! Some more news..my wife Gisella is in the ‘family way’ ..due in June, can’t wait!!!

On the right a paparazzi picture of Roger trying a pair of shoes at the Hogan store in the city center. Check out the full set of pics here

 

Duran Duran at Quelli Che il Calcio

popular and funny italian sunday tv show about football

On february 27 Duran Duran were special guest at 'Quelli Che Il Calcio', typical italian sunday tv show about football. The band played All You Need Is Now and Save A Prayer.

They got interviewed by Simona Ventura, presenter and a long time fan, in a quite a 'maccheronic' english, so funny I would say. They guys were introduced as huge international stars and the full show was based on Duran Duran's presence with Duran Duran jingles announcing 'Duran Duran coming soon' before every commercial break. Despite announcing the new single with the wrong title [All You Need Is Love] Simona Ventura acted like a real fan, and she even confessed her love to John Taylor. Very genuine and naive I would say but sincerely in love with the band.

This was a good opportunity for the band to present the new single to a wide audience as 'Quelli Che Il Calcio' is a very popular sunday tv show, I'm not saying that is the best one but it's so popular, so if Duran were looking for some exposure they got it! The band looked great even though they didn't rehearse for tv shooting [only Simon was live, not the music]. Simon rehearsed Save A Prayer in the dressing room...

 

It was cool to chat with the guys before they got on stage and humanly touching Simon's spontaneous hug when I was just giving him a high five as they were about to leave the Rai studios to go to the airport. These have been 5 incredible and unforgettable days. Thanks to the guys for making them so special.

Check out a selection of pictures I took at the tv show by clicking the banner below.

 

Nick poses for me at Rai Studios in Milan, february 27 2011. Below Simon's beautiful smile at the airport.

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Thank you notes

Special thanks to Simon, John, Nick, Roger, Dom, Gela, Gisela, Wendy, Gavin, Comune di Milano, Press Office Quelli Che il Calcio, RTL 102.5, duranduranmusic.com and Edel Records.

This report wouldn't have been the same without the support of Claudia, Angelo and Nicolò and the help of my long time pal Christian: friendship above all.

Thanks to the italian fans whom I met over those five incredible days and spontaneously approached
me to say hello and expressed appreciation for duranasty.com. Your compliments really left me speachless and quite embarrassed, I'm sincerely glad that you enjoy this site.

It was great to meet long time fans/friends of mine: Donata, Francesca, Luana, Pietro, Mita, Lucy, Laura, Stefania, Chiara and Maura, Cinzia, Matteo and Danilo. Can't wait to see you all again soon!

 

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