My Days as a Duranie
I couldn’t believe it – more than thirty-five years after I first fell in love with the pop group Duran Duran, I was going to see them live. My partner had surprised me with tickets as a Christmas present, and I couldn’t wait. Alas, Covid had other plans, but in the autumn of 2021, my dream was realised.
It was absolutely fantastic and took me back to those days of being a thirteen-year-old, with my bedroom walls plastered in posters of my favourite group. It was their song, Save A Prayer that first captured my attention. Then came Rio, and I was hooked. I remember buying the magazine Smash Hits and reading as much as I could about them.
One of my school friends told me she had the album, Rio, but she didn’t want it any more. I’d been saving up my pocket money to buy it, and she said I could have her copy for £1.50. She promised she’d bring it to the school disco. I recall being really nervous and hoping that she’d be there and have the album with her. I didn’t care about the disco – I just wanted the album! She didn’t let me down, and I felt utter joy at finally having it in my hands. It didn’t have a front cover – my friend said she couldn’t find it, but I didn’t care. I was over the moon.
Rio was my first Duran Duran album, and I saved for their next two albums, as well as their debut album, which was simply the name of the band. I still have them now – vinyl, of course – as well as a 12-inch picture disc of The Reflex, but no record player to play them on! Though I’m planning on rectifying that and getting one. I’m looking forward to hearing them ‘properly’ rather than on CD.
My mum and dad didn’t like Tops of the Pops much, but they let me watch it, and I certainly didn’t want to miss Duran Duran on there. Of course, there weren’t even video recorders then so I always tried to make sure I could watch it ‘live’. But there were some occasions when I couldn’t. Now, although I didn’t have a video recorder, I did have a tape recorder. So, if I wasn’t going to be at home, I’d ensure it was set up, ready for Dad to press record when Top of The Pops came on. Unfortunately, as well as a tinny recording of the programme, all the background noise in the room was picked up – from my dad rattling the paper, to the clock chiming, to mum telling the cat not to scratch the settee! But I didn’t care – at least I could hear Duran Duran on Top of the Pops!
John Taylor, the bass guitarist, was my favourite member of the band. My best friend, Jackie, was a huge fan too, and John was also her favourite. She can remember staring at a poster of him for hours! I had a T-shirt with his face and name on, and loved wearing it – until I was walking down the street one day and a strange man came up to me and told me his name was John Taylor too. I didn’t wear the T-shirt after that!
My love affair with Duran Duran continued for the next few years, and I felt so proud of them when they were asked to record the Bond theme for the film A View to A Kill. In my eyes, they’d truly made it.
But, after the Bond theme, things seemed to go awry for them, and they split, with the members forming other bands and doing other projects. I was gutted. But I was also getting older, so the posters came down, and my obsession with them waned. I wasn’t keen on their new bands and music, so I wondered if that was that.
Thankfully, they came back together as Duran Duran, and so I’ve been able to resume my love affair.
Esther Chilton 
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