Simon Le Bon has explained how Duran Duran have stayed together for almost 50 years.
The pop group has maintained the same line-up of Le Bon alongside John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes ever since the band first formed back in 1978 – and the singer has now insisted the secret to their success is the fact they all “like each other” and they split the band’s income “equally”.
Le Bon told ITV News: “We like each other, we like working together. We rely on each other for musical ideas, as well. We split all the income equally; it doesn’t matter if you write something or if you don’t write on it, you get an equal share of the publishing.
“And that way, everybody is happy and crucially only the best material gets on the album. It means there’s no resentment for financial reasons within the group. I don’t know how many other bands do that.”
Le Bon went on to admit he would be happy for the band to work on another James Bond theme for new franchise owners Amazon MGM Studios after previously scoring a huge hit with their 1985 track A View to a Kill from the 007 film of the same name.
The singer said: “Let’s see what Amazon wants to do with it. I’m keeping an open mind. Would we do it? Of course we would. 100 per cent.”
Le Bon went on to reiterate his previous statement by declaring another of the band’s goal’s is to headline the UK’s fabled Glastonbury Festival – but they won’t do it unless the organisers give them a coveted headline slot.
He told ITV News: “Absolutely would love to do it. But we’re not going to do it unless we get the right slot. We have been offered the disco tent at three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon and that’s not really where we’re at.”
However, when asked if Duran Duran might agree to play the festival’s famous Legends slot on a Sunday afternoon – which has previously been playe by Sir Rod Stewart, Kylie Minogue and Dolly Parton – Le Bon admitted they would probably agree.
He said: “That is a kind of headline slot for me. Yeah sure we would do that.”
Le Bon recently confirmed the band also want to perform at the Sphere venue in Las Vegas and like the idea of creating a hologram show in the style of ABBA Voyage.
Le Bon told The Sunday Times’ Culture magazine: “I’d love to do one [hologram show]. But I’d also like to do the Sphere in Las Vegas.”