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Duran Duran at the Birmingham City Football Ground - The best gig ever held in Birmingham?

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After all the build up and high expectations Duran Duran finally staged their only UK  concert of their "Astronaut" World tour at the Birmingham City Football Stadium - and what a show it turned out to be! It might be quite some statement to make, and one that everyone will have their own views on but this must surely be in with a claim for the best ever gig held in Birmingham.

Before the show Duran Duran said they were planning something special for their "homecoming" back to where it all started for them and they certainly didn't disappoint. From a fans point of view all the old favourites were there. Not only were all the old favourites there, but they were delivered better than ever. The quality of Duran Duran just blasted out from the stage with every single song that they did ranging from their earliest hits right through to the latest tracks from "Astronaut". Picking out individual songs for comment seems a little pointless, they were all quite simply excellent. The choice and order of the songs was just right to keep the excitement  building and it is only when you hear a full concert of Duran Duran's that you remember just how many brilliant songs they have actually made and still continue to make. Quite literally not a single mediocre song in the whole set. These days it is also very easy to forget that Duran Duran not only write their own songs but play the music as well, and manage to reproduce the songs if anything even better than the recordings, in the live show. Individually all very talented, as a group quite simply brilliant. The excellent quality of the sound system also needs a mention. I was amazed at just how good this was - one of the best and clearest sounds that I have ever heard at a live concert anywhere, let alone at a huge outdoor concert on a windy evening. It certainly added even more to the show.

So was it the best ever gig to be held in Birmingham? Well put it this way - a great setting, a huge enthusiastic crowd that loved every minute, and one of the worlds truly great super groups from the last 25 years that still continue to produce the goods better than ever. They helped define an era and still manage to lead in terms of style and quality and this concert was a real celebration of all this in their home city with a truly faultless  performance of real class. If you missed it, that's a shame. If you were lucky enough to be there remember it well - you probably won't get the chance to go to many like that again.