Flights are booked. Hotels reservations made. Time off is secured at work, pets are scheduled to be with caregivers of various kinds. Platinum level VIP tickets are purchased. The Visa cards lay bleeding in our handbags. Our families, friends, and spouses sit and shake their heads in bewilderment.
It's Duran Duran tour time once again.
2011 is going to be a big year for us. The 3 of us have been talking about this year for a very long time. At least 4 years discussing how we wanted to celebrate our (gulp) 40th year on this earth. Technically Lady Elaine isn't going to be 40 until next year.. but we generally take these things on as a collective. We can decide as a group to be the age of our oldest or youngest member at any given time, in order to suit the situation. So for all intensive purposes, it is OUR 40th birthday.
We knew even while Duran Duran was touring Red Carpet Massacre that another album and tour would likely coincide with this milestone for us. Back then we knew we'd want to do something big to acknowledge it, and a trip to the UK was high on the list. So here we are with a new DD album (All You Need Is Now) and a UK tour to go with it. We've deliberated and discussed all the variables and booked everything - now we just have to wait until the last week in May for it all to unfold as we've imagined it. The timing could not have been better.
Other friends and family I have often have a tough time understanding our devotion and dedication to this pursuit. But having recently decided to join the ranks of Twitter, the sheer numbers of fans that are equally devoted is really coming to light for me, and it's great to know we're part of the ranks of a pretty big club. OK while I KNOW there are lots of fans on DDM and LOTS of people that attend the shows in their own areas, I would really love to know the actual percentage of fan club members that travel internationally on a regular basis to see the band. While I'd like to think this club is pretty exclusive, I now know it's much bigger than I realized.
Lady Elaine and SaintC have been following Twitter posts and using a joint Twitter account for much longer than I have. It took SaintC giving me her old unused iPhone to get me hooked. To the girl's credit they'd been trying to get me on some kind of Mac produced communication device for eons but I'd resisted. As soon as I started using it and seeing what it could do I started downloading apps, including Twitter. And that was that. I set up my own account. When I started reading the Duran Duran fan blogs like FanGirl1978, Backstage Rider, and Daily Duranie it made me aware that DD fans are really like no other in terms of the legnths they will go to in order to see the band. And it never gets old.
I have heard of Dead Heads before.. Grateful Dead fans that followed the band from place to place. The hard core Duranies like us are doing the same thing but alas, Deadheads have an information page on Wikipedia - Duranies do not. That aside, I can't think of another band that has fans that will go anywhere at any cost, travelling for hours, paying what we do for exclusive seating to see these performances on the other side of the globe. We are true fans!
So I got to thinking, now that we're on the cusp of this great trip, we're so excited to go (not to mention that SaintC and I are also making the jaunt to Coachella this year, and we're excited about that too).. what happens if this is the last album? Where would that leave us? We thought maybe that was possible with RCM but somehow this feels different. What if after this tour and album the band decides that DD has run its course and is no longer going to be making music and/or touring? We have asked ourselves this before, but what if this is really it?
We spend so much time speculating and planning and anticipating these trips, and while we do travel to see other bands, it's nowhere near the extent of our travels to see DD. What if we didn't have this to pursue anymore? It's hard to imagine their devotion to us as fans would outlive our devotion to them as a band. I enjoy this so much - and it has to be said that lots of people that know me (that know US) ..think of it as part of our identity. A part of who we are. It is part of us, and I just can't imagine not having it to look forward to on a regular basis.
So I need to pour a 2nd cup of coffee, take a step back and breathe. Be so happy that we can do this and that our lives and jobs and lifestyles allow us the luxury to indulge in this passion we have for this music, this band, this experience. This year is going to be a fantastic one. And maybe I just don't want it to be over too fast. Ok. So I will choose, to try to live in the moment ...and holy crap it just came to me, because all you need is now. Wow. Gasp. That was a bit heavy for 7:30 am.
That Girl
