Duran Duran talk Vegas shows, Andy Taylor's health and why the band still matters

The girls are still shrieking – only now they’re middle-aged women whose fervor is buoyed by wine and the ability to be untethered to reality for a few hours in Las Vegas.

The boys on stage are in their 60s, but embody the once-a-heartthrob-always-a-heartthrob spirit. The core four of bassist John Taylor, frontman Simon Le Bon, drummer Roger Taylor and keyboardist Nick Rhodes still boast pop star cheekbones, coiffed hair and swagger.

Duran Duran is in the midst of a recent multishow takeover of the BleauLive Theater at the elegant Fontainebleau Las Vegas and the combination of a barrage of lights, artsy videos and a setlist populated by ’80s and ‘90s monster hits (“The Reflex,” “Ordinary World”) and well-regarded offerings from this century (“Invisible,” “What Happens Tomorrow”) proves their longevity.

But the band also uncorks a surprise among a howling “Hungry Like the Wolf,” the swampy funk of “Notorious” and the muscular “Careless Memories,” an album track 45 years old and still a pinnacle of visceral New Wave.

“We have a new single,” Le Bon tells the sold-out crowd from the stage. “It’s about the greatest freedom of all – being free to love.”

With that, Duran Duran – augmented by longtime guitarist Dom Brown, backup singers Anna Ross and Rachael O'Connor and saxophonist Simon Willescroft – burst into the glistening slice of disco-coated pop, “Free to Love.” The band has also released two remixed versions from dance heavyweights Horse Meat Disco and DJ White Shadow.

The song, written with frequent collaborator Nile Rodgers, boasts a Chic-like bassline and a groovy video that pays homage to "Top of the Pops," the long-running British record chart show akin to “American Bandstand” that influenced generations of music fans until its 2006 demise.

The video plays behind the band in concert, a visual complement to the delectable groove, and its concept is one that Rhodes is thrilled to discuss.

In separate interviews a week before their Vegas return, the glamorous synthesizer maestro and always-candid John Taylor chatted about a potpourri of topics, including their new single, future plans (sorry, fans, there's no new album on the way), Duran Duran’s recent collaboration with Italian luxury perfume company Xerjoff for their new branded fragrance (NeoRio), and the health of original guitarist Andy Taylor, who revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis in 2022.  

John Taylor says ‘Free to Love’ is a ‘let’s get together’ song

As Le Bon said in Las Vegas before singing 2005’s “What Happens Tomorrow,” an evocative ballad about resisting the chronic anxiety produced by world events, “We learned early on about not making a political statement (in our music).”

To that end, Taylor says that “Free to Love” was “written as a summer song, a let’s-get-together song, which are not always easy to write.”

Reinforcing the point that “in disco music, you don’t have to say that much. The message is in the music, very upbeat and positive and that’s just the way we are,” Taylor says that Duran Duran has never been about writing specifically about current events and prefers to keep their music aimed at the dance floor.

Why Duran Duran revived ‘Top of the Pops’ in the ‘Free to Love’ video

The concept of the band’s new video was spearheaded by Rhodes, who reminds us that Duran Duran performed on “Top of the Pops” several times during their ‘80s and ‘90s peak. His goal was to replicate not only the vibe of the show, but the same camera work and number of people in the dancing audience, while also adding a dash of “Soul Train” to the look of the clip.

“There’s a generation of people out there who never experienced ‘Top of the Pops.’ Some of the comments we’re getting from younger fans are, ‘What is this show the video is based on?’ I never thought I’d see the day when we looked at (“TOTP”) so fondly and we genuinely do," Rhodes says. “This was a show that actually brought together an entire country of TV viewers at 7 p.m. on a Friday, a whole family glued to a TV. There is something rather wonderful about that, which certainly disappeared with the advent of the internet.”

John Taylor shares why band chemistry still matters in the AI age

For the past several years, Taylor recorded online tutorials dubbed “Stone Love Bass Odyssey,” in which he walked fans through some of his fluid bass techniques on Duran Duran songs while also talking about music theory and showcasing his funk influences.

He hopes that showing people – musicians or not – the organic origins of music will underscore the magic of collaboration.

“Technology allows individuals to create music, but it’s not the same as the negotiation that takes place in a collaboration between like-minded soulmates. If you’re a bass player, you’ve got to be working with others,” he says. “More and more music is being programmed and less and less is being performed and we’re fighting against that … I want to see the fingerprints all over the work. I want to feel the fingerprints of the band. Don’t even try getting into a conversation with Simon about AI and lyrics. It’s his craft – it’s all of our crafts – so we’re sort of vying with the times.”

Andy Taylor is ‘holding in there’

When Duran Duran stood on stage for their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction speeches in 2022, they shocked fans when they read a letter from original guitarist Andy Taylor – who left the band in 1986, returned from 2001-2006 and contributed to 2023’s “Danse Macabre” album.

Taylor revealed that four years before, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and his treatments prevented him from traveling from Europe to Los Angeles to be with his bandmates for the ceremony.

While Rhodes didn’t have an extensive update on Taylor’s condition, he sounded upbeat as he shared that, “from the last reports, (Andy’s) holding in there with new treatments. So far, so good. Fingers crossed. It’s not gone away, but it’s being managed.”

Will Duran Duran play more U.S. shows in 2026?

The band wrapped its current round of U.S. dates that included a few shows in California and Phoenix early in the year, a performance at the BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, and their four-show stint in Las Vegas – which will have to sate fans for a bit.

"Not this year," Taylor says when asked if more North American dates are planned after a spate of summer shows overseas. "I'm looking forward to next year for more touring."

Both Taylor and Rhodes, though, appreciate the band's frequent stops in Las Vegas.

“It’s changed so much,” Taylor says. “Oh my God, there are so many great places to eat and shop. The first time we went there was in 1988 and no [musicians] were going before that and it was all, like, Wayne Newton. I remember we played the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel (in 1995) and that changed the game. Vegas was chasing a different kind of crowd, maybe people who don’t gamble at all. (Playing the city) regularly has been really good for us.”

Rhodes agrees Vegas’ reputation as a musical haven for lounge singers and “when it was one giant shopping mall and junk food” previously conjured a negative image of a city that now boasts a parade of top artists nightly.

“Vegas has become so much more sophisticated,” he says. “There are great people there who really understand entertainment. Not just the shows, but the restaurants. You can play as often as you want and you’ll get a different crowd every night. It’s become a destination for so many artists to play. We’re big fans.”