BST Hyde Park, Duran Duran live review by Ryan Beardsley
It’s been a few years now since London’s summer lineups made Glastonbury obsolete for anyone other than Instagram posers, the jewel in the capital’s crown being BST Hyde Park, consistently pulling in the biggest names, and this afternoon is no different.
Kicking things off in style are the legendary Nile Rodgers & Chic. I can scarcely think of a better act for a balmy Sunday afternoon, and they don’t disappoint, reeling off disco hit after disco hit as well as loving tributes to those artists for whom Rodgers produced some of their finest works. It’s a welcome trip down memory lane, taking in Bowie; Let’s Dance, Daft Punk; Get Lucky before an extended Good Times has the crowd begging for more.
Next up and well-timed for Pride weekend are gay icons Scissor Sisters. Owning the stage in typically flamboyant fashion, they have London in the palm of their hands. It’s easy to forget just how big they were, their self titled debut being in the top 10 biggest sellers of the 2000s and in an hour long greatest hits set, Jake Shears and Ana Matronic own the stage. Take Your Mama is given a helping hand by special guest Melanie C, before their unique spin on Comfortably Numb sets us up for an outrageous Filthy/Gorgeous that reminds everyone in attendance who the kings and queens of camp truly are.
The main event is upon us just as the sun is setting, as Simon Le Bon leads Birmingham’s finest to the stage and before you know it, we hear the familiar refrains of 007 and View To A Kill is pulsating across Hyde Park, surely one of the all time Bond themes? After some serious howling comes Hungry Like The Wolf followed by a very welcome ELO cover of Evil Woman (ironically on the very stage Jeff Lynne was due to play his last ever gig this time last year before he was forced to cancel) before The Reflex has everyone and their mothers pulling some serious shapes.
Ordinary World, which has been given fresh life after being heavily featured in this year’s hit horror sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is dedicated to tonight’s England game in Mexico and it’s a beautiful moment and an all timer of a mass singalong, Le Bon’s voice still holding strong after all these years and his charisma shows no signs of fading. Speaking of, the whole band has an extraordinary stage presence, each threatening to steal the show at one point or other, with John Taylor on bass in particular driving the band.
Nile Rodgers is warmly welcomed back on stage for disco classic Notorious and then it’s Girls On Film mutating into Psycho Killer and back again to kick off a finale for the ages. Out come the pyrotechnics and its flame throwers and leather clad dancers for The Wild Boys proving once again to be the ultimate guilty pop pleasure. Just when you think things can’t get any more New Romantic, it’s new wave classic Rio and field comes unglued in a sea of ecstatic individuals whisked back to their glory days for one perfect summer night.
I’m already looking forward to next year’s lineup.
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