Duran Duran have confirmed special guests Jake Shears and LIA LIA will join their FUTURE PAST UK and Ireland headline arena tour, taking place through April and May 2023.
Renowned for his work as lead singer with the Scissor Sisters, the FUTURE PAST tour marks something of a full circle moment for Jake Shears. The triple-BRIT-Awarded Scissor Sisters first joined Duran Duran to open their 2004 ‘Reunion Tour’ shows, later leading to vocalist Ana Matronic performing on Duran Duran’s ‘All You Need Is Now’ album, released in 2010.
Fast forward to 2023 and Jake’s solo material has been praised as “unconventional queer pop for the people” by i-D and “a Trojan Horse in sequins” by The Guardian. Jake recently returned with the brand-new single ‘Too Much Music’, from his forthcoming solo album ‘Last Man Dancing’ (out 2 Jun), which features collaborations with Kylie Minogue, Big Freedia, Amber Martin plus a cameo from Jane Fonda and timeless words of wisdom from Iggy Pop.
Duran Duran’s Roger Taylor said: “We are absolutely delighted to be re-uniting with Jake Shears for our 2023 UK/Ireland tour, as he supports his fabulous new album ‘Last Man Dancing’. The Scissor Sisters were such an important part of our Reunion Tour in 2004. We also welcome the incredible LIA LIA from Berlin. The first time we heard ‘I’m a Moth!’ we were all completely hooked. With the support of these two amazing artists, we couldn’t be more excited about our upcoming shows.”
Jake Shears said: “I’m thrilled to announce that I’m going to be a Special Guest for Duran Duran on their FUTURE PAST arena tour. It’s such an honor to be playing with them again. They are a massive inspiration with their continual run of incredible music. To say that I’m excited is an understatement. See you there!”
LIA LIA is the brainchild of half-Chinese, half-German artist Lia Wang. Her early releases have drawn global attention from i-D, NME, Gorilla vs. Bear, The Independent and BBC Radio 1, and led to a personal invitation from Doja Cat to support her on tour. Her new EP ‘Love & Melancholy’ featuring the new single ‘I’m A Moth’ has been described as bearing “an attitude entirely driven on world domination” by METAL Magazine.
LIA LIA said: “When my manager called and broke the news about me going on tour with Duran Duran I locked myself in the bathroom, and the first thing I did was to call my mom. I’m beyond excited, thrilled & absolutely terrified!! Living legends.”
The FUTURE PAST arena tour will see performances at seven headline shows across the UK and Ireland through the Spring of 2023. The tour begins at Manchester’s AO Arena on April 29th, the band’s first-ever performance at the venue, followed by two dates at London’s O2 Arena, Leeds’ First Direct Arena, Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, the 3 Arena in Dublin and Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, marking Duran Duran’s return to the venue and the city for the first time since 2015.
Duran Duran have also announced a 26-date North American arena tour, with both Bastille and Nile Rodgers & CHIC joining them as special guests across the entire run through 19 US states, and Canada, beginning in May through to September.
The newly announced FUTURE PAST touring plans follow a landmark year for Duran Duran. Their 2022 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame marked a career peak to follow a summer live season of epic proportions. Headlining London’s Hyde Park, performing at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace, closing the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in their home town of Birmingham, and a headline tour across North America which included sold out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden and three nights at the Hollywood Bowl. The cinematic release of new docu-concert film, ‘A Hollywood High’, capped off by a live performance in New York City’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve as the band led the celebrations counting fans down into 2023 in front of a live audience of over 1 million people on New York City’s streets. All this after the huge success of their new studio album FUTURE PAST, hailed as Duran Duran at their best by critics and fans alike, four decades into their rich and storied career.
Tickets for Duran Duran’s FUTURE PAST UK headline arena tour are available here.
A deluxe edition of new studio album ‘FUTURE PAST (Complete Edition)’ is out now via BMG. The 2LP set includes all 15 tracks from FUTURE PAST plus Duran Duran’s cover of David Bowie’s “Five Years”. The first LP is red vinyl, the second is green vinyl. The gatefold package features a new silver/grey version of the cover art and also includes two 12″ x 12″ art booklets. Listen/order here.
April / May 2023 UK Headline Arena Tour Dates
April 29 – The AO Arena, Manchester
May 1 – The O2, London
May 2 – The O2, London
May 4 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
May 5 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
May 7 – 3 Arena, Dublin
May 9 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
