Legendary British rockers Duran Duran will headline the Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival, taking to the stage on February 21 at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.
Performing on day one of the three-day annual event, Duran Duran features John Taylor on bass, Nick Rhodes on keyboards, along with drummer Roger Taylor and lead vocalist, Simon Le Bon.
The band, which is known for its electro-rock sounds, is expected to perform fan favourites across its repertoire of 14 studio albums spanning nearly four decades — think A View to Kill, Ordinary World, The Wild Boys and more. Also expect tracks from the Grammy-winning band’s most recent album, Paper Gods, which released in 2013.
Vocalist Le Bon has a theory as to why the band is still friends and making music for nearly 40 years since the band first formed in Birmingham.
“I think with some artists, as they get into extended careers, it’s like climbing up a rock-face — they start to look down. If you do that, musically, you’re pretty much dead in the water,” he said in a statement, adding: “We’ve always written music that turns us on; we’ve never tried to tailor it to any kind of taste.
“I think part of our strength is the tension in our music, which probably comes from the tension within the band. Nick and I can fight tooth and nail, over a lyric, or a musical part. And you would think in those moments that we hate each other’s guts, but really we love each other.”
“We have been through a lot together,” John Taylor added. “And now it’s very much a case of ‘know thyself.’ At this point in our career, it’s about being really in touch with your identity, and drawing strength from the knowledge that you’ve all been on this incredible journey, a journey that is still going on.”
Anthony Younes, founder and CEO of organisers, Chillout Productions stated: “Duran Duran is one of those bands that stand out because they are timeless; they continuously deliver unforgettable music and will never need a makeover. February 21 will witness a show of pure bliss... Selecting them to headline the first night was a natural and fitting choice for our 16th edition.”
Don’t miss it!
Duran Duran will perform at the Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival on February 21. The festival runs from February 21-23. Early bird tickets will be on sale from noon at December 6 until noon, December 8, on dubaijazzfest.com.
