‘Duran Duran: A Hollywood High’ Sees The U.K. Chart Toppers Celebrating 40 Years Of Hits In Their Favorite U.S. City 

First issuing vinyl in 1981 and scoring their first U.S. hit a year later, Duran Duran were the right band at the right time. Fully aware of the importance of their visual presentation, they took advantage of the nascent music video revolution, riding the MTV Moon-launch to the top of the pop charts. They were also very good musicians, something they’re rarely given credit for, and wrote great songs, something known by hip celebrity fans like Mark Ronson and The Killers. 

With their suave fashion sense and cinematic music videos, Duran Duran exhibited a big screen glamor. It’s no mistake they would go on to pen one of the best James Bond theme songs. Rather than hip and edgy New York, the group found a spiritual second-home in Los Angeles. Duran Duran: A Hollywood High, which is currently streaming on Paramount+, explores the group’s love affair with the City of Angels and sees them performing an inspired mix of hits atop The Aster hotel and social club at the corner of Hollywood and Vine. 

The film begins with four of five original band members reminiscing about their first visit to Los Angeles, of in-stores at Licorice Pizza and sold out shows at The Roxy. Despite their classed-up appearance and sound, most of the group hailed from industrial Birmingham, England, best known as the home of heavy metal greats Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. Los Angeles must have seemed like another world, a dream made flesh, their perception shaped by a lifetime of movies, from the glitz of “Tinseltown” to the dark ambience of film noir. 

Keyboardist Nick Rhodes brags about the band being kicked out of the Continental Hyatt House, famously dubbed the “Riot House” for the raucous rock bands who checked in and chucked televisions through hotel windows. Singer Simon Le Bon recalls how the scope of California, the deserts outside L.A. and the vast Pacific Ocean, inspired the lyrics to their hit “Rio.” Drummer Roger Taylor says it was the last time the band could walk the streets unrecognized. 

Coming out of the Pandemic and overdue to celebrate their 40th anniversary as a band, Duran Duran wanted to perform a concert that captured their history and paid tribute to their American base of operations. They chose The Aster’s rooftop bar due to its proximity to Hollywood’s Capitol Records Building, which is literally across the street and houses the offices of their first American label. Bassist John Taylor calls the building, “Probably the greatest music architecture landmark in the world,” known for its circular shape, which evokes a stack of vinyl records so high they touch the sky. 

As twilight envelopes the city’s boulevards and avenues, Duran Duran takes the stage. The group who could play to thousands anywhere in the world instead perform in front of a few hundred, if that.  Much like Brandi Carlile’s recent In The Canyon Haze, the outdoor setting becomes more dramatic as night descends and the endless summer daytime is overtaken by the pulse of street lights and cars cruising down gray cemented streets.

The songs are performed reverentially and pulled from every era of the band’s career. They’re so perfectly executed, you might as well be listening to the original studio recordings. In a sense, the slick presentation does the material justice; however, it also lacks the funk and sweat inherent in the best live performances. 

Rhodes’ keyboard sounds and Roger Taylor’s electronic drums are period-correct and almost laughably dated. In contrast, Simon Le Bon‘s voice seems not to have aged at all, a testament to always singing within one’s range. Throughout the performance, John Taylor proves he’s  one of rock’s most underrated bassists with an impressive command of low-end techniques. 

The band revisits such ’80s hits as “Notorious” and “A View To A Kill” to the crowd’s delight. Le Bon shines on 1993’s “Come Undone,” while John Taylor flexes funky chops on 2015’s “Pressure’s Off.” Until this week, I was unaware that in 1995 Duran Duran recorded a cover of Melle Mel’s hip hop classic “White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It),” and while I can’t decide whether it’s fun and stupid or cringe and terrible, it allows touring guitarist Dominic Brown to show off his 6-string skills.

“Anniversary,” a new song written in collaboration with Blur’s Graham Coxon, blends vintage Duran Duran with U2’s early ’90s dance-pop. Before performing their actual ‘90s comeback hit, “Ordinary World,” Le Bon says “We’re gonna play a song for a divided world. A song to bring us together. A song to try and help us all find peace.“ Then the Capitol Records Building lights up in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Rather than a message of peace, it’s one of solidarity and support, which in the case of the United States and the UK, is specifically military. Nonetheless, it’s a beautiful song and for the record, I too support the Ukrainian cause.

The triumphant conclusion arrives with “Hungry Like The Wolf.” It’s one of their best songs and flawlessly executed but once again, lacks an edge. Not that the crowd seems to mind. (Maybe I’m the problem?) Regardless, Duran Duran: A Hollywood High shows the band can still play at the top of their game with an impressive well of material which most bands could only hope to claim. From the streets of Birmingham to the rooftops of Los Angeles, the group’s enduring legacy shines brightly, leaving audiences with a newfound appreciation for their music and history.

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician.