Anyone who knows me will know that Duran Duran are my musical “guilty pleasure.” That said, I don’t feel guilty about it anymore! Duran were the first band that I really, really got into when I was growing up and I have followed them ever since. They’ve never split up and while the line up has changed it’s been the same core since 1980. The current four member line up has been consistent since 2007 and their guitarist Dom Brown has also been with them since then.

Their career has had its ups and downs but they’ve managed to keep going and now settled into a pretty good routine, playing to bigger crowds than at any time I guess since the 1980s. They know their audience and for the most part stick to the hits – they have a lot of them – with only a few oddities and deep cuts thrown in. My favourite era from them was 85-86 when Arcadia released So Red the Rose and the band released Notorious the following autumn.

Continuing what is becoming an annual tradition, on Halloween they played a themed show. They’ve done a few of these in the USA (where Halloween is massive) and it led to their Danse Macabre album.

This year they chose to do a show in the UK, at the Co-op arena in Manchester. I have been to the venue a few times now to see Springsteen and the Killers and I have to say it’s a brilliant place for live music. The sound really is excellent.

Also excellent was the show – a longer show than normal with lots of more obscure tracks thrown in alongside the biggest hits. There was Secret Oktober mixed in with a wide range of covers such as Ghost Town, Spellbound and Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer. Such a lot of fun.

The best bit however was the effort that was made – all the band wore costumes, the staging was fantastic with new videos, fireworks, fire, a fire breather, four dancers, glitter and even bubbles.

Live music really is good for the soul, and can be so uplifting. Friday night was no different.