“Wild Boys” quickly shed that somber note and sped through its fast rhythms while the crowd loudly cheered for the band’s four longtime core members: vocalist Le Bon, bassist John Taylor, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and drummer Roger Taylor. (Was the Queen a Durannie? Lady Di certainly was.) The show opened with “The Wild Boys,” or it did, after a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, taken by photographer Cecil Beaton on her coronation day, flashed on screen with the news that the show was canceled on Friday Commemoration of Her Majesty would be performed. So yes, it was raining and Simon was having fun with us, but with 19 songs spanning an hour and 40 minutes, the fans were having more than their share of fun, with hit after hit alongside strong new songs.
Nile Rodgers and Chic open the night before Duran Duran played the Hollywood Bowl on Friday September 9, 2022.