Duran Duran Night
Sky Magazine, Printed Issue: December + website|December 2007
Sky Magazine, Printed Issue: December + website|December 2007
This month, VH1 devote an evening to Duran Duran. Can't get a much better Christmas treat than that, eh? Here's an extended version of the interview that appears on page 32 of December's skymag...
So, Andy's left the band. What happened?
Simon: Me, Nick, Rog, Timberland and Justin Timberlake were in the studio in New York and Andy was missing. We thought he'd just missed the plane to begin with, which he has done before. But it turned out it was more serious than that and we ended up terminating the partnership as a five-piece band.
Nick: It had been on the cards for a while. I don't think Andy was really enjoying it.
Roger: He was really struggling being away from his family for so long. You do have to give up a lot of time with your kids.
John: Ultimately, he had a different vision, a different idea of where we were going and how we should get there.
Are you still on speaking terms with him?
Nick: Not really, no. He does his thing and we do ours. Never say never, though. It hasn't been very long since he left. It's like a relationship break-up...
Roger: It's like a divorce. It's hard at first but after a while you can get over your differences.
Nick: I wouldn't like to think we'd never speak to Andy again. We've shared too much together. I hope we're all a little bigger and braver than that.
How do you react if people say you're too old to be doing your thing now?
Nick: Err, nobody really says that to us actually! I think the Rolling Stones are carving out the path...
Roger: And U2. They're older than us. They started before we did!
Simon: And there are no songs that we're sick of singing. Although, we're going to give Rio a bit of a rest this time.
John: But even the die-hard fans don't chant anymore. That would be really sad! Can you imagine (chants, "Simon, Simon..."!)
Do you look back on your fashion faux pas and go "What was I thinking!" Nick, didn't you once wear a flight suit?
Nick: I won't accept that they are fashion faux pas - it was everyone else that got it wrong! And I never had a flight suit!
Roger: You did have a pale blue, leather military suit.
Nick: It was a suit, not a JUMPsuit. Nothing with a zip! Jumpsuits are not us!
Roger: I had a quiff and a ponytail at the same time.
Nick: When was that, Roger? It can't have been when I was in the band - I wouldn't have allowed it!
Roger: Around the Wild Boys period, I grew my hair into a mullet at the back and started putting it into a ponytail. Mel Gibson had it like that in the film The Bounty and I liked the look.
Nick: Well, if I'd have noticed, I've had got the scissors! There was a lot of hair in the Wild Boys video. But big hair was great back then. Olivia Newton-John had it for goodness sake!
John: I can't believe how many haircuts I had! Looking at them all, I'd have thought, "This guy has just got no sense of identity!"
What do you wish you'd known in your twenties that you know now?
Simon: That flat-fronted trousers suit me much better than pleats! No, seriously, the basic thing is that there's only you and your very close family who are looking after your interests. And you have to stand up for yourself.
Nick: And money is actually very important! In the '80s, we tried to do everything we possibly could because we were so young and eager to work. We really overstretched ourselves, and that's really what caused the first split-up of the band - we were just exhausted.
What's the secret of a happy family life?
Simon: Myself and my wife Yasmin come from very strong families and there's definitely a sense of living certain aspects of your life in private. Don't wash your dirty linen in public. It's an old-fashioned phrase for an old-fashioned concept, but it's still relevant now. If we have trouble, we deal with it - but we don't tell everyone about it. We're very lucky - the real reason we're still together and why we haven't screwed up in public is that we were very lucky to find each other. Not everyone finds the love of their life, but I've found the right woman.
Are you a strict dad?
Roger: I try to be strict, but I find it hard to keep track of them! My daughter is 16 and I do try and keep track, but it's really hard. But I'm not at the door with a shotgun when she brings a boy home!
Nick: My daughter is 21 now, she's in college. I'm protective of her but she's old enough now to make sensible decisions herself. You have to let kids find some stuff out for themselves. You can't stop them doing everything. I just try to be measured.
Simon: I don't worry about my daughters. They have a safety net in Yasmin and I - we're here for them, whatever.
What has having kids taught you?
Nick: Patience...
Roger: Having kids teaches you the true meaning of responsibility. You can be as irresponsible as you like - you can do anything, go anywhere and it doesn't matter as long as you can get up and do your job. But when you have kids, responsibility is thrust on you for life.
John: And I can cook. Well, I can do anything basic. I've never used an oven. My daughter loves my spaghetti, that's her favourite, favourite dish of mine. She tries to get me to make it at every possible opportunity!
Don't miss Duran Duran Night, Sat 22 Nov, 10pm / VH1 (341)
So, Andy's left the band. What happened?
Simon: Me, Nick, Rog, Timberland and Justin Timberlake were in the studio in New York and Andy was missing. We thought he'd just missed the plane to begin with, which he has done before. But it turned out it was more serious than that and we ended up terminating the partnership as a five-piece band.
Nick: It had been on the cards for a while. I don't think Andy was really enjoying it.
Roger: He was really struggling being away from his family for so long. You do have to give up a lot of time with your kids.
John: Ultimately, he had a different vision, a different idea of where we were going and how we should get there.
Are you still on speaking terms with him?
Nick: Not really, no. He does his thing and we do ours. Never say never, though. It hasn't been very long since he left. It's like a relationship break-up...
Roger: It's like a divorce. It's hard at first but after a while you can get over your differences.
Nick: I wouldn't like to think we'd never speak to Andy again. We've shared too much together. I hope we're all a little bigger and braver than that.
How do you react if people say you're too old to be doing your thing now?
Nick: Err, nobody really says that to us actually! I think the Rolling Stones are carving out the path...
Roger: And U2. They're older than us. They started before we did!
Simon: And there are no songs that we're sick of singing. Although, we're going to give Rio a bit of a rest this time.
John: But even the die-hard fans don't chant anymore. That would be really sad! Can you imagine (chants, "Simon, Simon..."!)
Do you look back on your fashion faux pas and go "What was I thinking!" Nick, didn't you once wear a flight suit?
Nick: I won't accept that they are fashion faux pas - it was everyone else that got it wrong! And I never had a flight suit!
Roger: You did have a pale blue, leather military suit.
Nick: It was a suit, not a JUMPsuit. Nothing with a zip! Jumpsuits are not us!
Roger: I had a quiff and a ponytail at the same time.
Nick: When was that, Roger? It can't have been when I was in the band - I wouldn't have allowed it!
Roger: Around the Wild Boys period, I grew my hair into a mullet at the back and started putting it into a ponytail. Mel Gibson had it like that in the film The Bounty and I liked the look.
Nick: Well, if I'd have noticed, I've had got the scissors! There was a lot of hair in the Wild Boys video. But big hair was great back then. Olivia Newton-John had it for goodness sake!
John: I can't believe how many haircuts I had! Looking at them all, I'd have thought, "This guy has just got no sense of identity!"
What do you wish you'd known in your twenties that you know now?
Simon: That flat-fronted trousers suit me much better than pleats! No, seriously, the basic thing is that there's only you and your very close family who are looking after your interests. And you have to stand up for yourself.
Nick: And money is actually very important! In the '80s, we tried to do everything we possibly could because we were so young and eager to work. We really overstretched ourselves, and that's really what caused the first split-up of the band - we were just exhausted.
What's the secret of a happy family life?
Simon: Myself and my wife Yasmin come from very strong families and there's definitely a sense of living certain aspects of your life in private. Don't wash your dirty linen in public. It's an old-fashioned phrase for an old-fashioned concept, but it's still relevant now. If we have trouble, we deal with it - but we don't tell everyone about it. We're very lucky - the real reason we're still together and why we haven't screwed up in public is that we were very lucky to find each other. Not everyone finds the love of their life, but I've found the right woman.
Are you a strict dad?
Roger: I try to be strict, but I find it hard to keep track of them! My daughter is 16 and I do try and keep track, but it's really hard. But I'm not at the door with a shotgun when she brings a boy home!
Nick: My daughter is 21 now, she's in college. I'm protective of her but she's old enough now to make sensible decisions herself. You have to let kids find some stuff out for themselves. You can't stop them doing everything. I just try to be measured.
Simon: I don't worry about my daughters. They have a safety net in Yasmin and I - we're here for them, whatever.
What has having kids taught you?
Nick: Patience...
Roger: Having kids teaches you the true meaning of responsibility. You can be as irresponsible as you like - you can do anything, go anywhere and it doesn't matter as long as you can get up and do your job. But when you have kids, responsibility is thrust on you for life.
John: And I can cook. Well, I can do anything basic. I've never used an oven. My daughter loves my spaghetti, that's her favourite, favourite dish of mine. She tries to get me to make it at every possible opportunity!
Don't miss Duran Duran Night, Sat 22 Nov, 10pm / VH1 (341)