Duran Duran - No Ordinary World In Scarborough

If you are going to end the season of successful concerts at Scarborough Open Air Theatre there surely can be no better act to finish with than 80’s icons, Duran Duran.

“Looking good, Scarborough“ says an excitable Simon Le Bon, the Duran’s lead singer as he bounces on stage. Dressed in matching white trousers and jacket the band were always not just about the music but fashion too. Keyboard player Nick Rhodes looked elegant in his blue suit - “do you like it?” asks Le Bon “well you paid for it” he cheekily responds.

According to those sitting next to me, bass player John Taylor was Duran Duran for them and many others back in the day, his poster boy looks and charm appear to have aged well.

Rather than become an heritage act the band are still recording with a new album Future Past due for release in October. It might not have been the best idea though to start the show with a track off the new album, whilst Invisible has already been released as a single the absence of camera phones in the air could have signalled that many of the audience were not familiar with the track.

Conversely The Reflex was met with a sea of phones held high. With the addition of a saxophone it gave the song a new twist which followed through to Notorious.

Eager to promote the new album new tracks Tonight United and Anniversary fitted effortlessly into their back catalogue.

Of course it was the big hits that the Scarborough audience wanted to hear and they were not disappointed: Planet Earth, Girls On Film, Ordinary World and A View To A Kill were all from a time when Top of the Pops was essential viewing on a Thursday evening.

Some of the big hits such as Is There Something I Should Know and New Moon On Monday were conspicuous by their absence - the latter track would have been extra special with the near full moon beaming down over the sold out Scarborough audience.

Lou Reed’s Perfect Day led into Wild Boys which reminded me how under-rated Duran Duran were in the 1980’s.

Fittingly huge beach balls and confetti are thrown and showered into the audience as Rio closed an unforgettable show. Trying to smuggle one of those beech balls into your hotel could have been a problem if you were lucky enough to hold onto one of them!

A superb end to this year's run of concerts where tonight's audience and band were indeed United.