The Long Blondes to join Duran Duran on two UK Arena Shows

The Long Blondes will join Duran Duran as special guests for two of their forthcoming UK arena shows next month when the band play in London at the O2 Arena on Thursday July 3rd, 2008 and Birmingham's NIA on Monday July 7th, 2008.

The Long Blondes are the latest artists to open for Duran Duran on their Red Carpet Massacre World Tour, which kicked off in March of this year in New Zealand and has so far taken in Australia, the Far East, Japan and the US - where most recently they were joined by Midlander newcomers Your Vegas.

Known for their unique, indie, punk rock sound, their alluring sense of style and their distinctive narrative lyrics, the Long Blondes are a five piece band who hail from Sheffield and have rapidly gained a legion of fans after their debut album 'Someone To Drive You Home', produced by former Pulp bassist Steve Mackey, went to #1 in the UK Indie charts. Their current record "Couples", produced by uber cool electro DJ/producer Errol Alkan, mixes a wide range of bold musical ideas from disco to synth-pop and krautrock rhythms that help mold clean melodies and infectious choruses.

Fronted by the glamorous Kate Jackson, who has been featured in both the NME cool list and the Guardian's Style section, the Long Blondes' songs reflect a number of their influences: from 60's pop, the Buzzcocks, and The Ramones, to post punk and new wave. According to the media, with their latest album they have managed to "turn two years of inter-band heartache into an ambitious, forward-thinking pop record that tops their debut by quite some distance." "A sophomore album just as addictive and catchy as 'Someone To Drive You Home'."

Keyboardist Nick Rhodes said; "We are delighted that the Long Blondes will be joining us on stage in London and Birmingham, because we have all been huge fans since hearing their first album. The Long Blondes have that rare combination of style, chic, attitude and a unique sound that makes them stand out from the crowd. Kate Jackson's vocals - particularly on songs like "Too Clever By Half" on the new record - are extraordinarily seductive and she often reminds me of my good friend Debbie Harry when Blondie first came on the scene."

With their RED CARPET MASSACRE WORLD TOUR now well underway to rave reviews from both critics and fans alike, DURAN DURAN will shortly embark on a 21 date European summer run, taking in eleven countries in just under a month and a half. The 02 show in London, which comes two weeks into this leg of the tour, will be the band's first in this venue and falls the day after a special collaborative one-off date that they have put together with long-time Duran-fan Mark Ronson, as part of the Smirnoff Experience series in France.

The four original members of Duran Duran: Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor and John Taylor, will be bringing a spectacular new production to British shores that will showcase their latest record, alongside all of the fan-favourites from their vast catalogue of hits. This will be not only be the first time that the band have performed at the O2 Arena in London, but also their first outing at both the Liverpool Echo Arena and the NIA in Birmingham.

The four 2008 UK shows are:

3 July O2 Arena, London
5 July Liverpool Echo Arena
6 July Nottingham Trent FM Arena
7 July Birmingham NIA

This upcoming leg of the tour will see the group's first performances in the UK since the release of Red Carpet Massacre (Epic Records), which the band launched late last year with an unprecedented two-week Broadway residency in New York, and a one-night-only engagement, that was filmed for television at the Lyceum Theatre in London. In a bold move, Duran Duran performed their new record in its entirety to sold-out houses in both the UK and US, prior to the album's global launch. Encouraged by the enthusiastic response from fans and critics alike, the band are now taking a specially tailored version of this three-act show on the road around the world.

RED CARPET MASSACRE marks an all-time creative high for the band members, who wrote and recorded this ground-breaking new album with producers Timbaland and Nate 'Danja' Hills, alongside today's reigning king of pop, Justin Timberlake.

Garnering them some of their most impressive reviews to date, RCM has been described as "... their best album since Notorious" by British dance music bible, MIXMAG; and "another promising sign of the creative and commercial rebirth in the 21st Century of Duran Duran... without doubt the strongest thing they have put out since their 1992 comeback (The Wedding Album)" by the Sunday Times Culture. Writing for the Saturday Times Magazine, revered music critic Craig Mclean remarked: "'Red Carpet Massacre' is a collection of super catchy tunes that deftly marry the band's proven way with a melody, with edgy hip hop and R&B influenced production from Timbaland." Marie Claire magazine adds that it's "a guilty pleasure indeed".

During an illustrious career spanning three decades, Duran Duran have remained at the forefront of popular music, consistently pushing the creative envelope and breaking new ground. Since their inception, the band have sold over 70 million records, released countless hits, received numerous accolades, and have been presented with no fewer than five prestigious "Lifetime Achievement" awards (MTV Video Music Award, Q Magazine, The BRITS, Ivor Novello, Spanish Ondas).

3 July 2008 London O2 Arena 08444 775 775 or www.aeglive.co.uk
5 July 2008 Liverpool Echo Arena 08448 000 400 or www.accliverpool.com
6 July 2008 Nottingham Arena 08444 775 775 or www.aeglive.co.uk
7 July 2008 Birmingham NIA 08444 775 775 or www.aeglive.co.uk

For up-to-the-minute general public on-sale information check local venue websites and

Duran Duran Official Website