Simon Le Bon admits he was ‘terrified’ of performing live – The Irish News

Singer Simon Le Bon has admitted he had to overcome being “terrified” of performing live in front of fans.

The Duran Duran frontman, who has an MBE degree, also confirmed he had no plans to slow down his music career as he was recognized for his services to music and charity on Tuesday.

Le Bon dropped out of college to perform with the group, which became synonymous with the New Romantic era scene, after a successful audition in the 1980s.

With hits such as Rio and Hungry Like The Wolf, Duran Duran had a number one album in the British charts in 1983 with Seven And The Ragged Tiger and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Speaking about his performances after receiving his royal honors from the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle, Le Bon told the PA news agency: “It is the most immediate and essential aspect of our job, getting up and singing a song or some music make in front. of a crowd.

“Whether it’s five people in the living room or around a campfire, or standing there in front of 30,000 people with their arms in the air, it’s essentially the same. It can feel very different.

“I used to be a very nervous artist.

“I was terrified, and slowly I was able to overcome that fear and I don’t understand it anymore.

“I just walk out there and it feels natural to me.”

When asked if leaving college to pursue Duran Duran felt like a gamble, Le Bon said it was a big decision but that he had “no doubt that it was the right thing to do.”

He said: “I met some guys who were ready to go on stage and perform professionally at the highest level, without having to finish a whole bunch of studies, and it was all about writing and creativity.

“I just thought, ‘This works for me,’ and I could tell from the tape that they were very serious and that we had a very good chance.”

Duran Duran has returned to the mainstream music scene in recent years, including headlining the Latitude Festival in July.

The group also performed at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Party outside Buckingham Palace in 2022, which Le Bon described as an “incredible event”.

The 66-year-old suggested their renaissance was down to their longevity and the internet, which saw their music picked up by “a new generation of audiences” who had access to older songs and “started looking back.”

Speaking about the future of Duran Duran, Le Bon said the group would “keep going” while sharing his love for his profession.

He said: “I hate to think what would have happened to me if I hadn’t had to get ready for a show or tour or write new stuff.

‘I think I would slowly wither and crumble like a leaf.

“It’s nice to have a reason to live besides a family.

“I love music, I love my job.

“I feel incredibly lucky to be doing what I do, I would recommend it to anyone.

“It’s tough, but it’s worth it.”