|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Live at Viejas Arena
January 8th, 2026 Review by Amberlee Meyer
They need no introduction and no opening act. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s. Please give it up for Duran Duran!
Fans were plentiful for the San Diego show at Viejas Arena; if it wasn’t a sold-out show, it was very close to capacity!
VIEJAS ARENA
January 4th, 2026
San Diego, California
Excitement and nostalgia abounded; many fans were decked out in new and vintage tour merch, showing support and love for the band. The most prevalent imagery? The iconic Patrick Nagel design on the cover of the legendary 1982 “Rio” album. Their second release, it was their most successful and helped them gain worldwide recognition as the new wave band to see.
As people entered the arena and took their seats, a DJ spun tunes to get everyone in the mood to dance. Once showtime arrived, there was no opener and the band walked out to a mix of booming applause and deafening screams.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers remain led at the mic by Simon Le Bon, who will sometimes pull guitar duty.
Nick Rhodes remains the style icon behind the keyboards, and John Taylor continues to be the bass master, while Roger Taylor remains the beat behind the drums.
Opening the set with a video adaptation was “Velvet Newton” followed by the haunting “Night Boat.” The British gents followed that up with the massive hit “The Wild Boys” from the 1984 “Arena” days.
Up next was the theme song from James Bond – of course highlighted by an accompanying video – which led into their Bond song, “A View to a Kill.” Fans were singing along like no tomorrow on this one!
“Hungry Like the Wolf” had everyone out of their seats, phones in hand, recording this massive hit. Le Bon turned the mic to the crowd for the chorus, and they sang it loud and proud!
The hits just kept coming with “Union of the Snake” and “Notorious.” The crowd was overpowering Le Bon during the chorus and it was glorious to see that kind of fan participation! Throughout the night, video compositions were shown on the big screen, and the light display was more than enough to wow the audience.
Moving on to deeper cuts, “Friends of Mine” and “Careless Memories” off their first album showcased a more edgy, post-punk sound rather than the new wave hit paradigm that catapulted the band to super-stardom.
From there, they slowed it down with the ballads “Ordinary World” and “Come Undone,” both stellar songs perfectly placed in the set.
I always love a great cover song in a set. Duran Duran did not disappoint, adding a few covers into the mix with a rendition of ELO’s “Evil Woman.” The most interesting track was “Super Lonely Feak” from the 2023’s “Danse Macabre.” Part of the track is original in the best Duran Duran style, and then it goes into “Super Freak” by Rick James! Perhaps the cover they are best known for was also a hit with the crowd, “White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It)” by Grandmaster Melle Mel.
As they introduced the band members, the audience went off again, hooting, hollering, and clapping furiously. Following member intros, the iconic “Planet Earth” appeared, followed by “The Reflex,” another massive hit for the band. Closing out the set was “Girls on Film” right into a cover of “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads, which was absolutely stellar.
The much demanded encores included “Save a Prayer” and “Rio,” which seemed to leave the audience spellbound.
On point, well-rehearsed, and super tight. Duran Duran played hit after hit and were clearly ready to give the fans everything they wanted!
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Highway One Photography
TO FOLLOW
SID 260106 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
