So, Mr Bon, we meet again. Duran Duran's better days may be long behind them, but as the queue snakes into the distance and the touts plead for tickets, it's clear that the eighties most potent pop force still have some fire in their ample bellies.
As we await them, fully-grown women squeal excitedly in the same way their daughters probably do for Westlife or Busted, or whoever the flavour of the day might be. Some of them have even crafted those wonderful handwritten banners to wave at their heroes. Duran Duran were that flavour 20 years ago, when 'Dirty Den' was in 'Eastenders', Britain went to war in a faraway land and right-wing politicians ruled the land. So it's familiar circumstances the band return to.
But time tells for all men and Simon Le Bon and co are no exception. While their tailors (no pun intended) can still cut their cloth, they need a little more slack. John Taylor is reminiscent of a latter day John Lydon, Le Bon himself has more than a hint of Rod Stewart and Andy Taylor wears shades that recall Roy Orbison. Nick Rhodes, at least, has calmed his hair somewhat. At one point, there is even the ill-conceived projection of some of their greatest visual moments onto the backdrop - on reflection, they look a lot less risible now then they did then. Duran Duran have a retrospective DVD coming out. This may be a coincidence
Enough of the image though. How have the songs stood the test of time? Well, first things first. The line "you're about as easy as a nuclear war" is still not, and will never be, anything other than absurdly inappropriate.
Opening with debut album track 'Friends Of Mine', they proceed to rattle through a selection of back catalogue highlights. At least, that's what appears to happen. It's hard to tell under the raucous 2,000 person karaoke session overwhelming the Forum. And that's what we have, interspersed with the inevitable new song or two, which, inevitably, are utterly dreadful. Most notable, through their omission, is the complete lack of tracks from 'Seven and the Ragged Tiger' - no 'Reflex', 'New Moon On Monday' or 'Union of the Snake' - replaced with such bizarre choices as 'Careless Memories' and an encore of their ludicrous cover of 'White Lines'.
So, for the chance to hear those eighties classics this was a diamond opportunity. However, anyone expecting Duran Duran's comeback to have a greater impact than that of Five Star, say, or T'Pau, will have been sadly mistaken.
