Duran Duran in hometown triumph at Birmingham's LG Arena

Duran Duran

Lg Arena

Review by Andy Richardson, Pictures by Alan Evans

Trying to review Duran Duran's homecoming gig at Birmingham's Lg arena is like trying to report on The Second Coming.

The details seem somehow irrelevant, the fact is they made it - they returned to the promised land.

Last night was a party for prodigal sons, the like of which Birmingham has never before seen: it was like The Rolling Stones returning to Eel Pie Island or The Beatles reuniting at The Cavern.

Before the Duranies took the stage fans Tweeted messages onto a giant screen, saying they'd dreamed for 30 years of such a night. They weren't disappointed. Duran were in sensational form.

Synth player Nick Rhodes was the architecht; a man whose contribution to popular culture has been as significant as great innovators like Bowie or Brian Eno. Little wonder he was mates with Andy Warhol, they are cut from the same cloth.

Le Bon remains one of rock's greatest showmen, an iconic performer with the ability to connect with 12,000 strangers. He sang beautifully throughout.

John Taylor remains one of music's most charismatic performers while drummer Roger was Mr Cool, Duran's very own Charlie Watts.

Within two songs they'd clicked as they tore up the Lg with an intense Planet Earth. View to a Kill upped the tempo before they relaxed into a luxuriant Come Undone.

Happily, the set featured plenty of tunes from the exceptional All You Need Is Now, a record that restored their reputation as pop's coolest band.

Girl Panic was exceptional, Please Please Tell Me Now induced euphoria, White Lines was a crowd pleaser and Careless Memory was a sensation.

Though a plethora of hits followed, the highlight was Ordinary World, their career-saving ode. Sumptuous, quixotic and beguiling, it enraptured even more than earlier hits, including the show-ending Rio.

In the studio and on stage, Duran are in the form of their lives. All You Need Is Now is about living in the moment, being fearless and leaving the past behind.

Duran are doing just that. Fans' expectations were stratospheric when the boys from the Rum Runner took to the stage. Happily, they exceeded them with one of the performances of their lives.