| Kicking off their U.S. tour on the West Coast, Duran Duran held a
fabulously informative press conference that you should all remember. Here is part five of
a series of articles that will bring you most of this memorable event.
Q: When is your next album?
(Andy) When it's finished.
(Nick) It'll probably be recorded in August, September, something like that.
(Simon) Actually if you let us get away, we'll be about ten minutes.
Q: Do you find you can write on the road?
(Nick) No.
(Simon) The pen keeps wobbling all over the place.
Q: John, why did you switch from lead guitar to bass?
(Andy) You should hear him on Guitar!
(John) It was just a direction. Everybody was hung up on Mick Jones or the Joe Strummer
thing at a time when everybody was playing lead guitar and all the bass players around
were trying to play like Sid Vicious which wasn't what we really, really wanted to do. So
rather than find anybody who was into playing with a degree of precision I … well but
basically you should hear me play guitar though.
(Simon) He still plays with his foot!
(John) I only used to play guitar with four strings on it.
(Andy) One finger at a time!
Q: Your new video - what was the inspiration?
(Simon) It's about revolution ant the video … it's parallel of that. It's about
waiting for something and actually having it happen, something you're looking forward to,
something that you want to happen. The video is really about overthrowing the grayness and
putting some color back into life which is probably what this band is about anyways.
Q: What happened to your home influences - didn't one of you guys
play in a band called the Sex Organs?
(Roger) No, it was not actually the Sex Organs, it was the Scent Organs, which isn't a lot
better. Get that right - S c e n t .
(Simon) But I think punk was a big influence when we started, 'cause it meant that you
didn't have to play guitar for ten years before you could do a gig.
Q: Are there still any punk bands you admire or enjoy?
(John) I think Big Country and U2. Billy Idol's not bad.
Q: Do you feel that your fashionably good looks have played a
significant part …
(Simon) You're not reading that, are you?
Q: … in your huge success, do you think if you were not so cute
you would have the same success?
(Andy) Oh, we're cute, are we?
(John) Oh' that's really sweet!
(Andy) Isn't she nice? What's your name, what are you doing?
(Simon) It's difficult really, perhaps. What if it is and what if we're willing to have
our music play more importance. What do you do, have a face "drop"?
(Andy) Cuts you face, smash your teeth.
Q: Are you involved with any political group?
(John) What's that?
(Simon) We are, but we're not allowed to say.
(Nick) We're not involved with any political groups, but we do believe in nuclear
disarmament in general. I don't think anyone in particular wants to get blown up.
(John) I think the problem with things like that is you can agree with the basic
anti-nuclear (thing) but certainly in England there are certain affiliations and groups,
like that, that maybe you don't agree with, they tend to start involving themselves in
other areas, that aren't just to do with nuclear disarmament or whatever, they start to
get involved with other things.
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