Duran Duran will honour guitarist Andy Taylor with a special benefit concert next month.
The charity gig will take place at the Guild Theatre in Menlo Park, California, with proceeds going towards the UK charity Cancer Awareness Trust, which raises money to fight against cancer and helps develop special treatments for patients.
“We are heading to Northern California to play many of the songs that we wrote together with our dear friend, Andy Taylor, to help him and others in their fight against prostate cancer,” says frontman Simon Le Bon. “It is the right thing to do.”
Drummer Roger Taylor adds: “We would like to thank our fans and the organisers of this benefit who have given us the chance to help our longtime friend and colleague Andy Taylor. We have always described ourselves as a ‘band of brothers,’ and that has never been more true than in this very moment.”
Tickets are on sale now.
The guitarist was a member of the group from 1980 to 1986 and appeared on Duran Duran’s first three albums: ‘Duran Duran’ (1981), ‘Rio’ (1982) and ‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’ (1983).
He quit in 1986 – ahead of the release of their fourth LP ‘Notorious’ – later returning in the early ’00s for ‘Astronaut’ (2004), featuring the hit single (Reach Up for The) Sunrise.
As the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, the musician revealed he had been battling stage 4 prostate cancer for five years, and although he missed the ceremony due to his health he’s since returned to recording with the band.
In a statement on social media, the group said: “Duran Duran are thrilled to confirm a special new music project is in the works, set for release later this year on BMG.
“The new recordings will feature extended Duran Duran family and friends, old and new, including our former band mate Andy Taylor, who will join us on guitar on a few tracks.”
Before then, Taylor will release ‘Man’s A Wolf To Man’ – his first solo LP in over 30 years – in September.
Preceded by its lead single and title song, the record was in the works prior to the pandemic, was delayed its release and gave Andy time to re-tool the project.
It was during this process that he was given the news that the prostate cancer he had been battling was now terminal.
“When I started writing this album, it was the beginning of the chaos – 2016, 2017,” Andy says. “‘Man’s A Wolf To Man’ is pretty apt now. Having lived there, had kids there, had an amazing career there, I know America very well. And when you watch the breakdown, and the extremes of it, how quickly people became vicious enemies. Well, ‘Man’s A Wolf To Man’ is about how man is his own worst enemy and will behave like a pack of wolves towards his other human enemy.
“What we saw bubbling when I started writing, it was all about getting even – why do you get so mad trying to get even? Why do people get angry? Why don’t they just do better themselves? I was getting back to making records that are human, about something that mattered or matters, that are in the moment.”
Featuring collaborations with Tina Arena and Gary Stringer, ‘Man’s A Wolf To Man’ is out September 8 and available to pre-order now.
Tracklist: Andy Taylor – Man’s A Wolf To Man
1. Man’s A Wolf To Man
2. Influential Blondes
3. Did It For You
4. Try To Get Even (Featuring Tina Arena)
5. Reaching Out To You
6. Getting It Home
7. The Last Straw
8. This Will Be Ours
9. Gotta Give (Featuring Gary Stringer)
10. Big Trigger
11. Man’s A Wolf To Man (reprise)
