June is a busy month, isn’t it? After all, it is one filled with graduations, parties and everything else that is connected with the end of a school year and beginning of summer. Mother’s Day just happened and Father’s Day is around the corner. For my family, my sister’s birthday is in between those. Obviously, my Duranie family celebrates quite a few special days with first Nick’s birthday, now Dom’s and later John’s. Has everyone had a chance to read Dom’s lengthy birthday message on the band’s official website? Let me copy and paste it here:
Hello all,
I’ve been very quiet on social media as of late but glad to say we’re all well here and I hope that you and your loved ones are too, staying safe wherever in the World you are! What crazy and unprecedented times we’re going through!
Yep, it’s that time of year again for us Geminis to celebrate another birthday. It’s mine today!
It’s been an interesting year, but obviously the last few months can’t be compared with anything any of us have ever experienced before. I’ve been keeping myself pretty busy during lockdown: homeschooling, working in my studio, gardening, reading and watching much more news than usual.
I’ve been hunkered down in my studio working on some solo music that is very long overdue. I’m pretty happy with a lot of it, so there may even be something released later in the year. I feel quite lucky having my own studio where I’ve been able to safely hideaway whilst experimenting with some new equipment, ideas, songs and sounds.
I’ve also been very busy with the new challenge we face of homeschooling, and I’m sure all the parents out there can relate to my description of using the word ‘challenge’! It’s been going well but my recently-turned-fourteen year old boy is constantly trying to get away with the bare minimum and shaving off time where ever possible. It’s been a good time for bonding with the children though, and I’m getting quite used to the new normal… but am hoping things will soon return to some semblance of how they were before.
I’m particularly missing performing and going to see concerts and shows. It was pretty disappointing having to postpone some of the DD shows we had lined up for this summer, especially Hyde Park, Rock In Rio and the Isle of Wight headline slots. I also had a few of my own shows lined up that have been postponed, so I’ve attached a video (taken by my 10 year old daughter) of me playing the last section of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” with theDB3 last November. It was a fun show, hope you like it. (Head to duranduran.com to see the video!)
Anyway, off to have some socially distanced social time with some of my family. Look after each other and hopefully we all have a safe year ahead!
Dom xx
I, for one, was pleased to see a long message as it is nice to know that he is doing as well as we can hope for and working on some new solo material. I had to laugh when he talked about homeschooling and how his son wanted to do minimal work. As someone who teaches 14 year olds on a regular basis, I get it. In fact, imagine about 30 of them in the room at one time!
Anyways, as we celebrate Dom’s birthday, I want to thank him for being a part of the Duran Duran team. I remember back in 2005 when I held tickets to shows for the Astronaut tour during my spring break and finding out that Andy had to go home for his dad. Instantly, I felt for Andy and his father but also relief that Dom could step in at a moment’s notice so the shows could go on. As we know from there, Dom made his presence known more and more through having a greater stage presence at shows, to playing on albums, and to helping write some of the best songs Duran has done. On that note, let’s celebrate some of my favorite Dom moments/contributions!
On that note, I wish the happiest birthday to Dom!
-A
Happy Birthday Dom Brown. xx