When a mature Duran Duran took the stage in Hong Kong in 1989, and lead singer Simon LeBon kept his teenybop crown
- Early ’80s pop stars Duran Duran landed in Hong Kong in January 1989 to play two shows at the Convention Centre
- The centre’s bosses thought the band weren’t suitable for the venue, and the sold-out shows went on at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium
On January 2, 1989, as Hong Kong prepared to welcome pop group Duran Duran for two shows the following month, the South China Morning Post revealed that “ICP, the promoters of the forthcoming dates by the teenybop idols, had announced the concerts would be taking place at the Convention Centre.
“But the centre’s bosses […] had other ideas altogether. For some reason, they believe the former superstars […] are too raucous and not at all right for the centre’s adult image.”
On January 27, the Post reported that “sponsorship problems have thrown a spanner in the works”, but on February 3, the paper ran an update that the proposed concerts “have survived sponsorship hitches and [ …] ICP now have only three weeks to get the Queen Elizabeth Stadium full for the gigs on the 24th and 25th”.
A February 18 Post article stated that “though the band’s following has dwindled in recent years, Duran Duran seem to be successfully shedding their teen-idol image and winning the grudging respect of their peers. But despite these advances, [lead singer Simon] LeBon admits he still wants to be a teen dream. ‘Being a sex symbol has something to do with being a rock star, and anyone who tells you otherwise is kidding you,’ he said.”
On February 26, a Post review of their sold-out shows noted, “Duran Duran started off with a mighty bang. Simon Le Bon, dressed in chic black, whipped up some action as he strutted the stage wildly, performing Big Thing. The music was loud but it wasn’t enough to drown the screams of the fans as he and bassist John Taylor teased them to come to the front of the stage.