Naturally, this news shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention for the last few weeks. It’s disappointing, but expected. As is typical, there continues to be an slow yet steady ripple of suspicion regarding the news – and anyone who loves a good conspiracy theory should be overjoyed by the sheer volume of sewage that continues to spew from a variety of sources. I’m surprised that someone hasn’t tried to insist that Cecil the dog tell us what he knows, and then when he follows the same line of truth as his owner, that the dog is being paid off.
In what can only be called a moment of complete clarity and brilliance, a thread on www.duranduranboard.proboards.com was created, appropriately titled “Hooray For Duran Duran”. The author is Stuporfly – a well known member of the fan community. I encourage every single fan to read it. He says what many of us have been thinking for YEARS now. No, none of us know what is going on behind the scenes. Yes, we’re all full of crap for thinking we can do it better. (I’m paraphrasing just a bit. :D) It was truly a moment of beauty, and perhaps a harsh realization for many.
I’m no different from any other fan – there are times when I am utterly convinced the band has lost their collective mind. During those moments, I am positive that given the chance, I could do a better job. There are even times when I wish I could and would just walk away. If you don’t believe me – you should probably check out some of the blogs I’ve written in the past, in particularly those about Red Carpet Massacre. As I said, I’m no different than anyone else – and I recognize that. I’m no better of a fan, and some days – I’m worse than most anyone! The reality is, I’ve never managed a band before (although I’ve been the head babysitter of one…), I’m not a professional musician, and I’m definitely not a rock and roll star. Hardly. I change diapers pretty well and I can identify a gemstone with nearly 100% accuracy, though. My point is just that we all take our turn pretending we know the job and we know what must be done. I think that’s pretty normal as long as we recognize that we’re also completely full of it and that it’s really easy to see clarity with hindsight. That saying about hindsight being 20/20 is no joke. In the heat of the moment, I have done remarkably stupid things that seem completely sane at the time – and then in the distance I look back, cringe, and go on my merry way. Doesn’t everyone? I don’t think the band, their management or even the guy who is responsible for cleaning their instruments would disagree. We all have our moments, and I have mine quite regularly!
Take a moment and read Stuporfly’s brilliant post. It’s worth your time, and it might even bring some clarity to how you feel about the band during this time of frustration and worry. It might even make you laugh, even if it’s just at yourself – I know I did.
-R
