So, today’s blog is likely to be the most fragmented article you read this week…and I feel comfortable saying that because today is my last writing day for this week. I’m “off duty” until Monday. Take comfort in that, dear readers. Take comfort.
So, anyone watch MTV lately? Nah – me neither. I gave that habit up in the late 80’s when they stopped playing good videos. Then they stopped playing videos at all, and now I don’t even care if the channel exists. Not even my 14 year old watches the channel. She’d rather watch YouTube, and I can’t say I blame her. That’s probably why I basically yawned and then stifled a good laugh when I read the varying news reports that MTV had the balls to ban Girl Panic. Really? Was that even worth the time it took to write the articles that surrounded that particular piece of news? Interestingly enough, MTV is neither confirming nor denying the reports – probably because they already know that just by this “news” being yapped about, they’re giving Duran Duran the publicity they rightfully deserve. Fascinating. I don’t know or care whether the reports are true about the banning, but I do want to take a second to remind my fellow fans of a couple of things.
1. MTV sucks. They stopped supporting Duran Duran YEARS ago – and I don’t care that they gave Duran Duran that stupid ass Lifetime Achievement award in 2003. It was at least 10 years too late. Prior to that, they were only nominated 4 times, never winning. That right there tells me everything I need to know about good old MTV. Follow that up with John’s comment on Twitter about the MTV banning “Fuck em-it shows how out of date + out of touch they are”, and I think we’re all done with the nonsense that MTV really matters.
2. Anybody remember Girls on Film? That too was banned, and that did anything BUT hurt the band. One of my most favorite Easter Eggs from the Greatest DVD is a the end scene from Girls on Film where the band is holding up a very large sign that reads “Some people will do anything to sell records!” This, my friends, is true. Quite honestly, this could work well for them, and judging from their hits on Vevo and YouTube….it already has! 4.3 million views according to YouTube this morning (CA time) and counting…
3. All press *can* be good press. This is a difficult mantra for those who aren’t in the industry to understand – but it’s true. My advice is simply that if you’re going to post about the banning, specifically on message boards or places that aren’t Duran-centric, post the link to the video as well. In the searches I did this morning, the video link to YouTube or Vevo is posted along with every article about the banning. How is that not a good thing? MTV can take a long walk off of a short pier – the band doesn’t need them. Hello YouTube! All press really can be good press!!
I don’t know who those “outraged” fans really are, but I welcomed the news, and so should you. Bring it, MTV. By the way, while you’re busy banning videos – perhaps it’s time to rethink the whole “Jersey Shore” thing….
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Touring Touring Touring
So the band is headed for you, Australia!!! I can’t tell you how happy I am to have read this piece of good news! So often Amanda and I will get email from fans in other parts of the world that are both happy that she and I are going to shows and completely annoyed that they themselves are not. I speak for both Amanda and I when I say how uncomfortable our good fortune sometimes makes us feel. We both know we have no right to complain (and I don’t think we complain about a lack of touring here – if we do, we should be smacked!), and yet we *are* thrilled that we have the chance to see the band. That said, I’m happy to see that the band is expanding their touring schedule for next year to include Australia, and as I read this morning: Singapore and Hong Kong! I suspect this is not to be the end of dates in other parts of the world to be coming our way so stay tuned!!
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I’m doing my favorite “not really an *official* band member but he’s been around so long now that I can’t imagine the band without him” band member a favor today. He can thank me later.
Dom wants YOU. He wants followers on Facebook, and he swears he’s even going to interact with us. We will see about that. My bets are that we scare the crap out of him…but you know, that’s OK. Regardless, I am doing my part as a good Duranie/trouble maker and reaching out to my fellow people. Follow Dom and while you’re at it – if you like British or even American classic rock/blues (I think he sounds WAY more blues than rock, but that’s just me)…buy his solo CD’s. His solo music is absolutely nothing like Duran, but each CD is very, very good. I have both of them, and while I’ve never reviewed them (maybe I should?) here on Daily Duranie…I love them and hope he does more. (and comes to the US on his own at some point!) He’s brilliant and I would say that even if he wasn’t my favorite. No really I would!
The link for Dom on Facebook? Here ya go! Dom on Facebook
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Today in music history….
It’s December 8th, and for me, this day will remain a day of sadness for the rest of my life. In 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed outside of his hotel in New York City. I was just barely 10 years old at the time, and it’s difficult for me to imagine – but at the time I hadn’t even heard of Duran Duran yet. My best friend Marsha was a huge Beatles fan (she still is to this day – I think she has one of the biggest and best Beatles collections I’ve ever seen) and I’ll never forget seeing her face at school on that fateful day. I was only 10 and I didn’t have any idea how to act. All I could do was offer a hug and silently listen as she relay the details of what she’d heard that morning. It was incomprehensible to me that someone would kill John Lennon. I just couldn’t wrap my prepubescent mind around such evil. I think at that age, I just hadn’t experienced death very often, much less murder (thank goodness). I walked around school that day in a complete daze, just hoping that someone would run up and tell me that it was all a mistake. I wasn’t even that big of a Beatles fan back at that time – I just knew how much pain my friend Marsha was in, and that was more than enough for me to handle. Oddly, it was only after that day that I truly began to form a deep respect for The Beatles music, which continues to this very day. They are the only band that I dearly love that I’ll never be able to see whole, and while I’m glad I grew up in the 80’s, I wish I’d had the chance to experience The Beatles as the generation before me.
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And finally, as a bit of fun while Amanda and I were waiting in the Edinburgh airport on Monday morning for our flight to Heathrow, we went through the numbers for our UK tour. Yes, this really IS how we spend our free time…and yes, we are in fact crazy. Wouldn’t we have to be at this point? No, we didn’t do an accounting of our finances….we did an accounting of just about everything else, which I am now posting for your reading and laughing pleasure.
