Unforgettable: Duran Duran in Buenos Aires (FINAL VERSION - 3RD JANUARY, 2006!!!)
It's been two days since the Duran Duran concert in Buenos Aires, but I still find myself at a loss for words to describe how I feel. I still can't believe it. Kind of the same feeling I had when I saw A-ha live in Brazil, but somehow stronger, cuz this time it was here, in my country, with my people. They were two magical days. I got more than I could have ever hoped for, and I feel my musical dreams have finally been fulfilled. Most might think that what I'm saying is utterly stupid, but those who are fans of a music group, singer, actor, athlete, will probably understand what I'm trying to say.
During the next few days I'll update this post with an account of what happened during those two days, and some pictures, if possible.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update - 20th December
Well, it took a bit longer than planned, but who said moving houses was easy?
OK, here goes the first part of the report, before things start slipping off my memory:
Friday - 2nd December
I obviously woke up early (who can sleep with such excitement going on?). Well, actually I was woken up by an SMS from someone in the mailing list (I'm not dropping names) saying she'd introduced one of DDs songs at a show in one of our most important FM radios. Good thing, just to kick off the day. I didn't get to do any serious work during the day at all. Around mid-morning, I called one of the guys who'd gone to the airport to welcome the band and he confirmed that they'd arrived safe and sound and that they'd signed autographs and taken pics with everybody there (lucky those who made it there!).
At 4 pm I met a group of fans at the Luna Park stadium and we started walking together towards the hotel where the band was staying. On our way there, two girls joined us. They recognized we were fans cuz two of the guys (from Uruguay) were wearing home-made DD t-shirts. These girls had been hotel-hunting for the band all day, and were just thrilled to know we had first-hand info of where to go. And off we went...
Upon arriving at the hotel, the security guys greeted us with a warm "You can stay here, but across the street. We don't want you to block the entrance to the hotel (small ugly entrance, that is)." So we set ourselves to stay accross the street. It was quite an interesting time we spent there, meeting more fans as they gathered (though there were never more than 25 or 30 fans there). There were fans from Uruguay and Chile too, who'd com especially for the show. It was nice to meet some fans I knew in person and to get to know others with whom I'd chatted and SMSed actively during the previous weeks and days.
However, waiting was boring, and since we were close to the river, it was getting chilly as the sun set. So we decided to try and contact the band, to see if they could come out and greet us. After some discussion with the security guys at the hotel, they agreed to let us send a note to the band. Some guys wrote it and yours trully translated it into English. We gave the note to one of the security guys and just hopped he'd give it to the band. We were all grown ups, quiet people, so there wasn't going to be much trouble.
Finally, at around 8 pm... The miracle! I turn around and see John Taylor [JT from now on] (bass player) and Roger Taylor [RT from now on] (drummer) walk out of the main entrance, no security, nothing. Just the two of them and their sax player. I rushed accross the street (with the rest of the fans rushing after me) and got JT to sign my special edition box set of the bands latests release, "Astronaut". Yay, one autograph! For those who don't know the band, JT is like a god to most fans, so everybody gathered around him. I was one of the first people to get my autograph, so I stepped aside to let the other people get theirs. And then I see RT just standing alone accross the street with a "oh, come on, John, hurry up" look on his face. Andy Hamilton (their guest sax player was with him). So I crossed the street and approached him. The following mini-dialogue took place:
Me: Hi, Roger. I'm a drummer too.
RT: Really? Cool! Give me this. I'll sign it for you.
Me: Thanks, man!
And then I stepped aside again, as the other fans had already spotted RT and were approaching him. What more could I ask for? Having had a brief exchange with the guy that's been one of my main reasons to start drumming. (One of the Chilean fans there got a real cool pic of me and RT, but I haven't been able to get it yet).
And so they left off for dinner, walking...... And we all just stood there spellbounded in amazement. I phoned my mum to give her the news (she was more pleased and excited than me!) and my bf to tell him I was definitely not gonna be able to meet him that night (Poor thing, my baby, trying to be understanding to his crazy gf!)
But we still wanted to meet the rest of the band. So we decided to stay. I think someone at the hotel felt pitty for us, cuz they came and told us that the rest of the band would be going out for dinner at 10 pm. And so we waited.
Sometime around 9:30 pm, a taxi arrives at the entrance and we see JT and RT getting off it. Newly arrived fans and some TV crew approached them (so did I too, again, honest). More autographs and pictures, while I did my job positioning myself next to RT while he was being interviewed by the TV crew. So some of you may have seen a hysterical girl in an orange Netherlands coat waving at the camera. That's me! JT and RT finally managed to squeeze themselves into the hotel and everybody calmed down for a bit, while some asked the taxi driver for some info (He asked us who the fuck were these guys (!?) and that they'd hired him for the next day too. Some really don't know how lucky they are!) and others (myself included) tried to instruct the TV crew about who the band were, in fear that they might say god-only-knows what bullshit about them on TV.
At one point, the vans that took the band everywhere arrived, and we started talking to the drivers, who were really cool and promised us some exclusive pics they'd taken of the band. Just before 10 pm, some Brazilian guys arrived. They'd just been to check the place for the concert (some 3 blocks away from the hotel) and couldn't believe their luck when we told them the band were staying there and they were about to go out for dinner (lucky Brazilians alright!).
So..... at 10:30 pm, Simon Le Bon [SLB from now on] (singer) came through the main entrance, and after telling everybody to keep quiet, that they'd sign autographs for everybody, he started signing. I was the first one to get to him (again), and after carefully signing my box set, he asked me if he could keep my marker to sign the rest of the autographs (OF COURSE YOU CAN!) So I stepped aside and let him do his signing job. The bad thing is that, while I waited to get my marker back, I missed Nick Rhodes [NR from now on] (keyboard player) and Andy Taylor [AT from now on] (guitar player). When I finally got hold of someone's marker and tried to approach NR, he was getting on his van, and his security guard not quite nicely asked me to back off (darn, do I always have to argue with security guards?!). By then, SLB had done all his signing and was looking for me to return my marker (how thoughtful of him!). And so I got my marker back (which I'm obviously never gonna use again!) and the band left in their vans...
And so we all left too..... totally excited, pinching ourselves and ready for the big concert of the following day. Some of us went for some pizza and then we all headed home.
So far, the account of the first day. I was certain all the way that I'd meet the band, and my confidence and patience were rewarded.
Coming up soon.... the concert!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update: 6th January, 2006 (yes, it's a new year!)
Finally, what you've all been waiting for. The review of the concert.
Saturday - 3rd December
Unlike what I'd predicted the night before, I could hardly sleep that night (no wonder, right?). So, at 7 am I was up. With nothing better to do, I decided to start getting into the atmosphere for the night and sat down to watch the Live from London DVD (one of the fans at the hotel had given me a copy the day before. Thanks!). The morning passed by painfully slowly. At 3 pm, I met Andrés. We went to a cafe to have a cup of coffee, planning to head to the venue afterwards. At around 3.30 pm, the rain started pouring (ouch!). We obviously didn't have any umbrellas or raincoats with us, but the kind waitress at the cafe provided us with some plastic bags to, at least, protect our cell phones and wallets. And so we caught a bus and headed towards the venue. On our way there, I got a call from one of the fans, who'd managed (God only knows how) to get himself into the venue before the gates were opened and was hearing rumours that Duran Duran wouldn't play with such bad weather. Oh, oh! Trouble!
Anyway, we arrived at the venue (it was still raining heavily) and managed to spot some of my friends from the mailing list. We stood at the queue and started waiting (in the rain). We were pretty close to the gate (some 300 people in front of us). So we decided to take turns with the guys to wait, and we went for another coffee at a posh cafe in front of the venue. While Andrés and I were having our cups of coffee, one of the girls in the queue phoned me to say the gates were opened. So we hurried back to the queue to join the rest of the group.
At about 7 pm we managed to enter the venue at last. Our original plan was to see other bands at the side stages (remember this was a festival, so there were lots of bands playing) and to head towards the main stage when the first of the three acts performing there (Erikah Badu, Babasónicos and Duran Duran) started playing. However, when we checked the field in front of the main stage, we saw this big pool of mud, cuz the ground hadn't been covered with any plastic or metal sheets. The place was a pig sty! If we wanted to be close to the stage, we'd have to stan in front of the pool of mud. Else, we'd have to stay behind it, close to the sound tower... too far away from the stage. I wasn't negotiating on that point, so we decided to skip the other bands and stay in front of the stage.
The main problem was that there was a two hour delay in all the schedule, so while Erikah Badu was expected to start her show at 8 pm, she started it at 10 pm, actually. Needless to say we were all soooo pissed off, tired of waiting, soaking wet, muddy..... a total mess! We obviously didn't give a damn about Erikah Badu. All we wanted was Duran Duran! Me made that clear to her, boo-ing all her songs and yelling for Duran Duran with the top of our lungs. After what seemed an eternity, she finally ended her show. One done, one more to go.
Now was the time for Babasónicos. The real mess started here, cuz this group has a big teenage audience, who started pushing to get close to the stage. At that point, I was, let's say, one person away from the stage (that is, I had one person in front of me). There was lots of jumping and pushing until finally Babasónicos got the heck out of there.
Yes.... the time had come!!! But first, we had to wait for Duran Duran's gear to be set up on the stage.... it took for ever, really! (How many times do you have to tune a bass, for God's sake?!). Finally.... at 2 am!!! Duran Duran went onstage..... mind you, I was in the first row by then, and had lost Andrés in the crowd (we didn't meet till after the show).
It was totally amazing, undescribable!!! I tell you people, I cried during the first 5 songs, singing to the top of my lungs and pinching myself, cuz I really couldn't believe it. The crowd was superb, singing "Olé, olé, olé, Duran Duran!!!" all along the show. Non-stop. All the time. I think the band felt that, cuz they played possibly one of their best shows ever. The playlist was basically a greatest hits list, but I loved it. When they played "Hungry like the wolf" (my all time fave DD song) I thought I'd faint.
Sometime halfway through the show, a thick fog covered everything (we were next to the river, and it was almost 3 am by then). It gave the show a very London-like, surreal atmosphere. I was about 5 meters away from the stage, with SLB and JT playing right in front of me. Geesh, that wasn't my initial plan. I wanted to be close, but I never dreamed I'd be soooo close! It was perfect, PERFECT!
Here's the setlist for that night:
SUNRISE
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF
PLANET EARTH
UNION OF THE SNAKE
I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE
COME UNDONE
TASTE THE SUMMER
THE REFLEX
CHAINS
ORDINARY WORLD
NOTORIOUS / I wanna take you higher
GIRLS ON FILM / Groove is in the heart
SAVE A PRAYER
NICE
RIO
--ENCORE--
A VIEW TO A KILL
INSTANT KARMA (By John Lennon - First time they ever played it live)
WILD BOYS / Wild Girls
All in all, a perfect (though totally unexpected weekend). A dream come true. And by the look of things... we could have a second part in 2006 or 2007!!!!
During the next few days I'll update this post with an account of what happened during those two days, and some pictures, if possible.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update - 20th December
Well, it took a bit longer than planned, but who said moving houses was easy?
OK, here goes the first part of the report, before things start slipping off my memory:
Friday - 2nd December
I obviously woke up early (who can sleep with such excitement going on?). Well, actually I was woken up by an SMS from someone in the mailing list (I'm not dropping names) saying she'd introduced one of DDs songs at a show in one of our most important FM radios. Good thing, just to kick off the day. I didn't get to do any serious work during the day at all. Around mid-morning, I called one of the guys who'd gone to the airport to welcome the band and he confirmed that they'd arrived safe and sound and that they'd signed autographs and taken pics with everybody there (lucky those who made it there!).
At 4 pm I met a group of fans at the Luna Park stadium and we started walking together towards the hotel where the band was staying. On our way there, two girls joined us. They recognized we were fans cuz two of the guys (from Uruguay) were wearing home-made DD t-shirts. These girls had been hotel-hunting for the band all day, and were just thrilled to know we had first-hand info of where to go. And off we went...
Upon arriving at the hotel, the security guys greeted us with a warm "You can stay here, but across the street. We don't want you to block the entrance to the hotel (small ugly entrance, that is)." So we set ourselves to stay accross the street. It was quite an interesting time we spent there, meeting more fans as they gathered (though there were never more than 25 or 30 fans there). There were fans from Uruguay and Chile too, who'd com especially for the show. It was nice to meet some fans I knew in person and to get to know others with whom I'd chatted and SMSed actively during the previous weeks and days.
However, waiting was boring, and since we were close to the river, it was getting chilly as the sun set. So we decided to try and contact the band, to see if they could come out and greet us. After some discussion with the security guys at the hotel, they agreed to let us send a note to the band. Some guys wrote it and yours trully translated it into English. We gave the note to one of the security guys and just hopped he'd give it to the band. We were all grown ups, quiet people, so there wasn't going to be much trouble.
Finally, at around 8 pm... The miracle! I turn around and see John Taylor [JT from now on] (bass player) and Roger Taylor [RT from now on] (drummer) walk out of the main entrance, no security, nothing. Just the two of them and their sax player. I rushed accross the street (with the rest of the fans rushing after me) and got JT to sign my special edition box set of the bands latests release, "Astronaut". Yay, one autograph! For those who don't know the band, JT is like a god to most fans, so everybody gathered around him. I was one of the first people to get my autograph, so I stepped aside to let the other people get theirs. And then I see RT just standing alone accross the street with a "oh, come on, John, hurry up" look on his face. Andy Hamilton (their guest sax player was with him). So I crossed the street and approached him. The following mini-dialogue took place:
Me: Hi, Roger. I'm a drummer too.
RT: Really? Cool! Give me this. I'll sign it for you.
Me: Thanks, man!
And then I stepped aside again, as the other fans had already spotted RT and were approaching him. What more could I ask for? Having had a brief exchange with the guy that's been one of my main reasons to start drumming. (One of the Chilean fans there got a real cool pic of me and RT, but I haven't been able to get it yet).
And so they left off for dinner, walking...... And we all just stood there spellbounded in amazement. I phoned my mum to give her the news (she was more pleased and excited than me!) and my bf to tell him I was definitely not gonna be able to meet him that night (Poor thing, my baby, trying to be understanding to his crazy gf!)
But we still wanted to meet the rest of the band. So we decided to stay. I think someone at the hotel felt pitty for us, cuz they came and told us that the rest of the band would be going out for dinner at 10 pm. And so we waited.
Sometime around 9:30 pm, a taxi arrives at the entrance and we see JT and RT getting off it. Newly arrived fans and some TV crew approached them (so did I too, again, honest). More autographs and pictures, while I did my job positioning myself next to RT while he was being interviewed by the TV crew. So some of you may have seen a hysterical girl in an orange Netherlands coat waving at the camera. That's me! JT and RT finally managed to squeeze themselves into the hotel and everybody calmed down for a bit, while some asked the taxi driver for some info (He asked us who the fuck were these guys (!?) and that they'd hired him for the next day too. Some really don't know how lucky they are!) and others (myself included) tried to instruct the TV crew about who the band were, in fear that they might say god-only-knows what bullshit about them on TV.
At one point, the vans that took the band everywhere arrived, and we started talking to the drivers, who were really cool and promised us some exclusive pics they'd taken of the band. Just before 10 pm, some Brazilian guys arrived. They'd just been to check the place for the concert (some 3 blocks away from the hotel) and couldn't believe their luck when we told them the band were staying there and they were about to go out for dinner (lucky Brazilians alright!).
So..... at 10:30 pm, Simon Le Bon [SLB from now on] (singer) came through the main entrance, and after telling everybody to keep quiet, that they'd sign autographs for everybody, he started signing. I was the first one to get to him (again), and after carefully signing my box set, he asked me if he could keep my marker to sign the rest of the autographs (OF COURSE YOU CAN!) So I stepped aside and let him do his signing job. The bad thing is that, while I waited to get my marker back, I missed Nick Rhodes [NR from now on] (keyboard player) and Andy Taylor [AT from now on] (guitar player). When I finally got hold of someone's marker and tried to approach NR, he was getting on his van, and his security guard not quite nicely asked me to back off (darn, do I always have to argue with security guards?!). By then, SLB had done all his signing and was looking for me to return my marker (how thoughtful of him!). And so I got my marker back (which I'm obviously never gonna use again!) and the band left in their vans...
And so we all left too..... totally excited, pinching ourselves and ready for the big concert of the following day. Some of us went for some pizza and then we all headed home.
So far, the account of the first day. I was certain all the way that I'd meet the band, and my confidence and patience were rewarded.
Coming up soon.... the concert!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update: 6th January, 2006 (yes, it's a new year!)
Finally, what you've all been waiting for. The review of the concert.
Saturday - 3rd December
Unlike what I'd predicted the night before, I could hardly sleep that night (no wonder, right?). So, at 7 am I was up. With nothing better to do, I decided to start getting into the atmosphere for the night and sat down to watch the Live from London DVD (one of the fans at the hotel had given me a copy the day before. Thanks!). The morning passed by painfully slowly. At 3 pm, I met Andrés. We went to a cafe to have a cup of coffee, planning to head to the venue afterwards. At around 3.30 pm, the rain started pouring (ouch!). We obviously didn't have any umbrellas or raincoats with us, but the kind waitress at the cafe provided us with some plastic bags to, at least, protect our cell phones and wallets. And so we caught a bus and headed towards the venue. On our way there, I got a call from one of the fans, who'd managed (God only knows how) to get himself into the venue before the gates were opened and was hearing rumours that Duran Duran wouldn't play with such bad weather. Oh, oh! Trouble!
Anyway, we arrived at the venue (it was still raining heavily) and managed to spot some of my friends from the mailing list. We stood at the queue and started waiting (in the rain). We were pretty close to the gate (some 300 people in front of us). So we decided to take turns with the guys to wait, and we went for another coffee at a posh cafe in front of the venue. While Andrés and I were having our cups of coffee, one of the girls in the queue phoned me to say the gates were opened. So we hurried back to the queue to join the rest of the group.
At about 7 pm we managed to enter the venue at last. Our original plan was to see other bands at the side stages (remember this was a festival, so there were lots of bands playing) and to head towards the main stage when the first of the three acts performing there (Erikah Badu, Babasónicos and Duran Duran) started playing. However, when we checked the field in front of the main stage, we saw this big pool of mud, cuz the ground hadn't been covered with any plastic or metal sheets. The place was a pig sty! If we wanted to be close to the stage, we'd have to stan in front of the pool of mud. Else, we'd have to stay behind it, close to the sound tower... too far away from the stage. I wasn't negotiating on that point, so we decided to skip the other bands and stay in front of the stage.
The main problem was that there was a two hour delay in all the schedule, so while Erikah Badu was expected to start her show at 8 pm, she started it at 10 pm, actually. Needless to say we were all soooo pissed off, tired of waiting, soaking wet, muddy..... a total mess! We obviously didn't give a damn about Erikah Badu. All we wanted was Duran Duran! Me made that clear to her, boo-ing all her songs and yelling for Duran Duran with the top of our lungs. After what seemed an eternity, she finally ended her show. One done, one more to go.
Now was the time for Babasónicos. The real mess started here, cuz this group has a big teenage audience, who started pushing to get close to the stage. At that point, I was, let's say, one person away from the stage (that is, I had one person in front of me). There was lots of jumping and pushing until finally Babasónicos got the heck out of there.
Yes.... the time had come!!! But first, we had to wait for Duran Duran's gear to be set up on the stage.... it took for ever, really! (How many times do you have to tune a bass, for God's sake?!). Finally.... at 2 am!!! Duran Duran went onstage..... mind you, I was in the first row by then, and had lost Andrés in the crowd (we didn't meet till after the show).
It was totally amazing, undescribable!!! I tell you people, I cried during the first 5 songs, singing to the top of my lungs and pinching myself, cuz I really couldn't believe it. The crowd was superb, singing "Olé, olé, olé, Duran Duran!!!" all along the show. Non-stop. All the time. I think the band felt that, cuz they played possibly one of their best shows ever. The playlist was basically a greatest hits list, but I loved it. When they played "Hungry like the wolf" (my all time fave DD song) I thought I'd faint.
Sometime halfway through the show, a thick fog covered everything (we were next to the river, and it was almost 3 am by then). It gave the show a very London-like, surreal atmosphere. I was about 5 meters away from the stage, with SLB and JT playing right in front of me. Geesh, that wasn't my initial plan. I wanted to be close, but I never dreamed I'd be soooo close! It was perfect, PERFECT!
Here's the setlist for that night:
SUNRISE
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF
PLANET EARTH
UNION OF THE SNAKE
I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE
COME UNDONE
TASTE THE SUMMER
THE REFLEX
CHAINS
ORDINARY WORLD
NOTORIOUS / I wanna take you higher
GIRLS ON FILM / Groove is in the heart
SAVE A PRAYER
NICE
RIO
--ENCORE--
A VIEW TO A KILL
INSTANT KARMA (By John Lennon - First time they ever played it live)
WILD BOYS / Wild Girls
All in all, a perfect (though totally unexpected weekend). A dream come true. And by the look of things... we could have a second part in 2006 or 2007!!!!
posted by Pat | 10:12 PM
2 Comments:
Saludos desde los Estados Unidos!
Hola Gary!
Gracias por visitar el blog. Saludos!
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