‘We Say Goodbye’: Duran Duran Honors Queen Elizabeth II at Hollywood Bowl
Singer Simon Le Bon asked concertgoers to light up their cell phones in “beautiful” tribute
Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon performs on stage during the Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace on June 4, 2022 as part of Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee celebrations DANIEL LEAL/POOL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Duran Duran honored Queen Elizabeth II with a dramatic rendition of their 1982 ballad “Save A Prayer,” played to a sea of cell phone lights at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Friday night.
“So, you know that it’s a real sad time for a lot of us Brits, and a lot of other people around the world, and we would like to make our own tribute to Queen Elizabeth II,” singer Simon Le Bon told the crowd as a steady rain fell at the famed outdoor venue.
“If you’d like to join us and show your respect, please take your cell phone out, switch the light on. Let’s fill the Bowl with light for the queen,” Le Bon instructed. “We say goodbye.”
As thousands of pinpoint lights illuminated the night, Le Bon called his view from the stage “beautiful.” He then performed the aching single with bandmates John Taylor on bass, Nick Rhodes on keyboard and Roger Taylor on drums. Giant animated white doves flitted across video screens flanking the stage.
The performance marking the monarch’s death at age of 96 followed after a giant portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth II was shown on a screen behind the stage moments before Duran Duran started their set.
Back in June, the band performed outside London’s Buckingham Palace during a star-studded Platinum Jubilee concert celebrating the 70th anniversary of the queen’s reign.
“Her Majesty the Queen has presided over the UK for longer than any other British monarch. She dedicated her life to the people and set an extraordinary example to the world throughout her reign,” the band said in statement posted Thursday on social media.
“She’s seen changes that are beyond what any of us can imagine. She has faced challenges that she has risen to time and again. Her life has been remarkable in so many ways. We will all miss her and are grateful for the incredible service she gave to the people of Great Britain and the countries of the Commonwealth,” the statement said.
“We send our deepest condolence to the royal family. Her death brings to an end a long and unique chapter in the history of the United Kingdom and the world,” it said.
From Rolling Stone US.
