Photograph courtesy of Denis O’Regan
It’s almost 30 years since Duran Duran embarked upon their Sing Blue Silver world tour and Durannie-mania swept America. Screaming teenagers drowned out the sound of their instruments on stage, hotel front doors were blocked by hordes of fans and the media followed every move of the fab five. Only one camera was allowed into the inner sanctum, though. Denis O’Regan travelled with the band across the US and Japan as their official photographer, ensuring they had no privacy even in their dressing rooms. Which may have got up their noses at times – Simon Le Bon tried to throw Denis out of a hotel window in Fukuoka – but ended in a lasting friendship and a wonderful photographic record of an extraordinary time.
Last week, at a pop-up exhibition space just off Carnaby Street, Le Bon, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor joined Denis O’Regan to launch Careless Memories – a limited edition book of images. It’s a fascinating insight into the lives of Duran Duran – catching them backstage, in transit, on stage, gurning and twatting about like the young friends they were and also a reminder of the media frenzy around them. Photos of fans, limos and jetplanes. Permed girls in Trilby hats and JT in white shoes. So many white shoes.
The limited run of cloth-bound coffee table books will be retailing at £250 and upwards. For those of us with no room for a coffee table, the photos can be seen at the book’s website.
