Front Row Center at The Duran Duran Concert

Front Row Center at The Duran Duran Concert

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December 9th, 2008

We I was 12 years old, Duran Duran came to Toronto as part of their 1984 tour. I was a new fan and full of teenybopper excitement about going to see them. A friend of mine had gotten tickets and would have given me one. However when I asked my mother if I could go, she said NO!

To this day I have not forgiven her! To think I could have been at Maple Leaf Gardens and been part of the filming for The Reflex video, maybe even have been in it. But Noooooooo I wasn’t allowed to go, since I was too young.

As a result of being denied, I have made it a point to attend every concert they had in Toronto since (that I knew about). But, due to many reasons I have never had great seats, a few of them might have been considered good, but never great. Therefore when I found out Duran Duran was coming to Toronto as part of their Red Carpet Massacre tour. I was determined to get a good seat and since I was now a member of the fan club, I was able to buy tickets before they went on sale to the general public (so I guess membership does have its rewards). I choose to get one of the VIP packages, because it included the following:

*A guaranteed seat in the first 4 rows
*A CHANCE to meet the member of Duran Duran
*A VIP gift
*A pre-show reception with other Duran Duran fans, as well as an open bar and appetizers.

I figured I may not have too many more chances to meet the band in my life, though to be honest I have been fortunate enough to meet John Taylor twice. The first time was in 1992 at a radio appearance for CFNY here in Toronto. Both John and Nick Rhodes were there to promote their “The Wedding Album”. I got to shake his hand and he even signed my album.

Then in 1996, I attended a show at the Government by the Neurotic Outsiders, which included band members, John Taylor of Duran Duran, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses. Not only did I have a great spot to see the show and enjoyed the show very much, but at one point when I thought John was looking my way, I waved at him and he winked back! If that wasn’t great enough, I also was given back stage passes to the after show party. So I got to party with the band all night, as well as I got my picture taken with both John Taylor and Steve Jones. A major highlight in my life for sure!!!

So here is a report of my night and the concert of a life time!

Tuesday December 9th 2008

I arrived at the Air Canada Center just before 6:00pm (which was check in time for the VIP ticket holders). I met a very nice woman named Lisa in line who was also there alone and we started talking.

Since we were both alone, we made a pack that if one of us got to meet the band we would take the other (since the 5 winners could each take a friend as along as they were also a VIP). As it turned out neither of us were selected to meet the band. Which was sad, but it was only a chance and the people who were selected were very happy.

Actually their were a lot more VIP there then I would have thought, maybe 100 so, the odds were higher then I would have thought. But I was still really, really happy with my seat. I ended up in row 1, seat 22, which was front row center (well about 2 people off to the left, but that meant I was on John’s side which is what I wanted. So it was PERFECT! If I could have chosen a seat, I wouldn’t have pick a different one.

But before the concert there was a reception for the VIP’s with an open bar and appetizers (mini slider burgers, spring rolls, pizza) all of which were very good.

Then we headed down to find our seats. The opening band ‘Your Vegas’ was playing when I found my seat, they were pretty good. Once they finished I looked for my friends, Heather and Ali who were also going to be there and had gotten tickets via the fan club as well. They texted me that they were in row 2, seats 1&2. It’s funny because they had better seats they some of the VIP ticket holders. But it was good for them. After saying Hi, to them and promising copies of my photos to both, I returned to my seat. I also looked for a friend of mine Ana, who I knew was also at the concert but I didn’t know where her seat was and I didn’t see her. Though I do remember when Ana and I were in high school and how crazy we would be over Duarn Duran and all the pictures we had of them in our lockers as well as the posters wallpapering our rooms.

So with all the excitement of a 13 old again, I waited for the show to begin and it did not disappoint!

While the boys still can rock and look good doing it, it still is hard to see that they are still not the young boys I still see them as in my mind. But hey THAT’S my issue.

Simon was still a great performer and danced and sang his heart out, though is was clear he was sick (must have caught whatever Nick had and cause the doctors to ground him, so that they had to cancel a few shows) since he did cough a few time and he had to go to the back of the stage to blow his nose. Poor sick Simon.

Here is the Set List that we all rocked out to:

The Valley
Planet Earth
Hungry Like The Wolf
Nite-Runner
Notorious
I Don't Want Your Love
Save A Prayer
Red Carpet Massacre
A View To A Kill
Serious
Falling Down
Come Undone
Ordinary World
Is There Something I Should Know
The Reflex
White Lines (Don't Do It)
(Reach Up For The) Sunrise
Wild Boys

ENCORE

Girls on Film/Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
Rio

They were all great but we got to sign along to; Planet Earth, Notorious, and Is There Something I Should Know. With Simon holding out the mic for us to sign the chorus or part of the song, which was a lot of fun.

And of course I freaked out when they did my personal favourite Save a Pray, I just LOVE that song!!!

The entire concert lasted about an hour and a half and then sadly it was over and it was at that time I could feel my feet throbbing since I had been standing on them and jumping up and down in the same spot most of the night.

Once the concert was over I once again looked for Heather and Ali but they must have teleported out since they were so gone, so fast. But they were likely tiring to beat the crowd. Then I found Lisa again and she introduced me to her friends Kristi and Sarah.

The girls were going to find the loading dock and wait for the band to come out there. So I joined them, hell why not. We actually found the exit to the loading dock but at the Air Canada Center the loading dock is down stairs and there are ramps that go down or up. We found the right one that was the exit, but the car would have to stop and the guys would have to get out of the car to talk to us, it was a big chance that they wouldn’t but one we were willing to take.

As it happens 2 other girls were also standing there waiting, so there was a total of 6 of us. But then Kristi started talking to a guy who was walking by and he told us that the band wouldn’t stop and asked why we just didn’t go wait at their hotel. This guy worked at the ACC and had just left the band (whom he said was party back stage). He even proved he worked there, by showing her his backstage pass. So Kristi asked which hotel they were staying at, he had to call a co-worker to find out since he didn’t remember. But he then told us it was The Hazelton Hotel, which was at 118 Yorkville Avenue.

So we had a choice, either we stay and chance it or go to the hotel and chance the info being wrong. But when a van with dark windows drove past us and didn’t stop, we decided that might have been the band and so why not try the hotel.

Lisa decided to not go with us, since she had to get home and it was getting late. So we took a quick taxi ride there and had the door man actual confirm the band was staying there, but not let us in. Actually he was really kind of rude to us. But that is another story.

We waited outside in the rain and cold (yes, we are that good of fans) but our wait paid off, when a black SUV pulled up and Roger Taylor, along with the guitar player and Sax player came out.

Roger was super nice; he talked to us, posed for pictures with us and signed autographs. He even jokes with us about Tom Cruise, since he had been staying at the same hotel and Kristi had meet him the day before at Much Music. He posed with a picture with Sarah bent down and pretending to be short, he called it the Tom Cruise picture.

Roger also told us that he was last of the band and rest had already come back to the hotel. Which meant we were out of luck in meeting the rest. I did stay a little while longer just in case, but then decided to head home, since it was close to 1:00am at this point. The next day, I found out I should have stayed, since the girls ended up in the hotel bar next door and found that Nick Rhodes and Simon LeBon, as well as Roger Taylor had come in there and were hanging out. They managed to get pictures with Nick, but Simon was busy talking to someone else. Damn, I knew I should have stayed!!!

So that’s it, all in all a great night!!!