They were the New Romantics on the crest of a wave and armed with a string of hits when they arrived in Aberdeen 40 years ago.
And the long queues for tickets a month before Duran Duran kicked off their Rio tour at the Capitol testified to how the group had become one of the hottest properties on the music scene at the start of the 1980s.
Catapulted into the mainstream with the help of the newly-launched MTV, Simon Le Bon and his flash colleagues had just been involved in an acromonious tour of Europe where there were suggestions that they hadn’t always seen eye to eye, while crowd trouble marred some of the gigs.
But they had erased any creative differences before coming to Scotland and, bolstered by a clutch of memorable songs, including Girls on Film, Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf – the latter two of which were turned into cinematic-style videos by Russel Mulcahy, who later directed Highlander – they were in their element when they took to the stage on Friday October 29.
Fans had shown their dedication
It was a measure of Duran Duran’s popularity that police and paramedics were required when briefs went on sale at the Capitol on September 27.
The Evening Express reported: “Hundreds of fans queued overnight in terrible conditions at the weekend to make sure of getting tickets for the band’s concert in the city next month.
“Heavy rain and freezing conditions did not deter any of the fans, who began queueing around 11pm on Friday, some equipped with sleeping bags and flasks. At one point, the line of people stretched 100 yards along Union Street and all the way round the corner to Holburn Street.
“Within hours of the box office opening, all of the 2,010 tickets, priced at £4.50, had been snapped up and most of the buyers seemed thrilled to have the precious items. However, the long wait proved too much for two women who were taken away by ambulance after fainting in the crowd.”
The band had enjoyed a stratospheric rise since the release of their first major hit Girls on Film from their debut album, just a year earlier.
And their popularity went through the roof with the best-selling LP Rio which cemented their global reputation, won them a massive American audience, and reached the summit of the charts in Britain, Australia and Canada.
It didn’t hinder their cause when Diana, Princess of Wales told the world they were her favourite band and, briefly at least, they were dubbed “the Fab Five” (Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor) by the tabloids in what now seems a ham-fisted comparison to the Beatles.
More accurately, they were to the 1980s what the Bay City Rollers had been to the 1970s – a phenomenon forged on image, fashion and glossy, hook-laden lyrics – and their fame gradually dissipated as the decade wore on.
But they were still at the peak of their powers when they wowed Aberdeen.
It was a case of Friday night fever in the build-up to the event and Union Street was even busier than usual as the overwhelmingly female fan base turned up en masse to say Bonjour to Le Bon and Co.
The group were in no mood to try anything too experimental – although they did a couple of cover versions which made little impression – but when they stuck to their Rio songs, the crowd members screamed their approval.
The Evening Express review said: “Fresh from their European tour, Duran Duran made a triumphant return to the UK scene when they launched their British tour in style at the Capitol in Aberdeen.
“They opened their set with the new single Rio and played tracks from the album of the same name, including Hungry Like the Wolf and Save a Prayer.
Was there still a hint of frisson?
“Rumours of wranglings within the band on the European tour seemed unfounded as they performed in harmony throughout the hour-long set.
“The only low spot of the evening’s entertainment was a poor attempt at a cover version of Steve Harley’s classic Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), as their first encore in what was a short appearance on stage.
“But most of the audience seemed unperturbed by this and the band made up for it with excellent versions of their own song My Own Way and Girls on Film, during the second encore of the night.
“The group’s style of putting two ‘cute guys’, singer Le Bon and bassist, John Taylor, up front was reminiscent of Cheap Trick and, judging by the predominantly female crowd’s reaction, it went down very well.”
Some of those who watched the gig spoke later about much they had enjoyed the experience. Steph Taylor, 18, from Bucksburn, said: “They were brilliant and I love everything about them. Rio is such a great album.
“I only wish the concert had lasted a little bit longer.”
That feeling was echoed by Sarah Mackie, 22, from Cove, who said: “There was a fantastic atmosphere and Rio is one of my favourite albums.
“I was so excited when they sang Save a Prayer, because it’s my favourite. I only wish we could have heard more songs, but it was short and sweet.”
Duran Duran returned to the Granite City five years later, but their halcyon days were behind them. They might have recorded a Bond song A View to a Kill, which topped the US charts in 1985, but there was never quite the same buzz thereafter as fresh trends replaced the New Romantics.
They are still in existence and will perform at the Caledonian Stadium in Inverness this Saturday, they have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and were inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 – though even they might question whether they could ever be truly described as a rock band.
But their superstardom, like that Aberdeen gig, proved ephemeral.
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