"Salt In The Rainbow"

Cocaine Princess here

It's been an active and exhausting last couple of days. With the holidays just around the corner I've been in the malls trying to check everything off my Christmas list. I was for certain if I went in the early morning during the weekdays there would be no shoving or pushing. I was wrong.

And so many different holiday parties, one right after the other and so many of them fell on the same day. I had the difficult task of choosing which ones to attend and which ones to politely turn down.

What else did I do last week? Let me see if I can remember.....Hmm, I recall making a trip into the city. Why? To see Duran Duran my favorite band in the world !!

The hours leading up to the concert was something I wasn't expecting nor can I ever forget. Even if I wanted to forget I wouldn't be able to.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 9th 2008

I had plans to stay in the city for a few days so A and I could settle in and relax before and after the concert but she wasn't in the mood to do any of that. She wanted to go into the city and return straight home after the concert.

'I'm only thinking of you. You really want to be waiting and hobbling around the city with a cane?' I asked in the car. 'I'll be fine. Don't worry about me,' she replied.

We arrived in the city by mid afternoon and were told ahead of time our tickets would be handed to us during check in time. I was hoping to get them early. I was anxious to see where our seats would be. I was only assured of one thing, the seats we had bought were within the first 3 rows.

I'm an open minded individual. I'm more than willing to try anything (within reason) once. I don't want there to be that moment in my life where I look back and say, 'I wish I had done or said that.' Keeping that in my mind, visiting one of the 7 circles of hell wasn't something I wanted to do but that is exactly where my sister had taken me. She took me to U. Station, the city's major inter-city rail station which is connected right to the ACC.

Within mere seconds of stepping inside the floor beneath us began to rumble and out of nowhere a village of people came running through as if there were about to be attacked. 'Oh my God what's happening, why are these people running?' I asked. 'To catch the train,' A answered.

It would be a lie to say the people were running. How can I best describe it? In the Olympics there is an event where athletes run and leap over hurdles. That accurately describes what I witnessed.

Having a couple of hours to kill we decided to grab a bite. To no surprise there were no sit down type of restaurants, only fast food counters. I first made sure the place we bought our food from had a big green check mark sticker from the health department. What came next? Looking for a place to sit since none of the 'restaurants' came equipped with tables or chairs, instead groups of chairs attached to one another where people sat waiting for the train. 'By the time we find a place to sit my fries and mcnuggets will be cold and soggy,' I commented. The universe must have been shining down on us that day because we saw 2 people gathering their things to leave and thank God otherwise we would have been forced to stand and eat like what so many others were doing.

I opened up my paper bag, all my fries had spilled inside. I took out another little bag containing my mcnuggets and said 'eww!' 'What's wrong?' questioned A. I told her to look down on the floor. Right near my left shoe was a creamy colored substance and nearby was a packet of mayonnaise. 'Did you get any on your shoe?' she asked. I looked. 'No. Why would someone do that?' 'I think someone may have accidentally dropped it and stepped on it causing it to splatter.' 'Doesn't this place come with a janitorial staff. Can't they clean it up?' 'If I see someone with a mop I'll make sure to signal them to come over here,' she said back. 'How are your nuggets?' Before I could answer her I had to take a bite....'Lukewarm,' I replied. I looked in the bag again. 'I forgot to ask for sweet and sour sauce,' I said. 'A' looked in her paper bag and pulled out a packet of ketchup. 'I have this. You want it?' I responded yes and held out my palm.

After a few minutes I turned to my sister and asked, 'you know what I'm thinking about?' 'Simon Le Bon,' she answered. 'No,' I replied back. She gave me a doubtful look. 'Okay, okay so I am,' I confessed. 'You know what else I'm thinking? I'm thinking we could be waiting in the comfort of a plushy hotel suite rather than this God forsaken place you brought me to. I ask you, did I do something to make you angry and by bringing me here you're getting revenge?' 'Of course not,' she replied. 'Then why?' I questioned. 'I thought we'd try something a little different,' answered A . 'And this is what you came up with? Wow. I'm impressed. It must have taken you weeks of meticulous planning.' 'It's not all that bad. It's like an airport.' 'Hardly,' I replied back. 'I don't see any duty free shops. Why did you do this to me? What was wrong with staying in a hotel?' 'We stayed in a hotel last time when we saw Madonna.' 'So? Is there some reason we couldn't have done it again? And need I remind you, you didn't have a problem staying in the city during the spring when I took you to see that bird group in concert you like so much. 'The Eagles,' she said. 'Close enough,' I responded. She looked at her watch. 'Just think in a short while you'll be blowing kisses to Simon. Just keep on thinking that.' 'It's much better thinking something like that in a hotel room,' I muttered.

While dining on fine cuisine I was busy observing people. There were so many from all walks of life. People dressed in business attire, briefcase in one hand with a folded newspaper under their arms while staring down at their phone and walking at the same time, shoppers in colorful clothing carrying a bag full of gifts in one hand while pushing a baby stroller in another, students in their hoodies and backpacks and for some reason a lot of musicians holding guitar cases. One individual, a construction worker holding a medium sized cooler kept passing by us every 10 minutes. And of course there were those who were running like there was no tomorrow. 'By the way some people are running I can't tell whether they're running to catch the train or practicing running with the bulls in Pamplona,' I remarked. 'Everyone is in a hurry to go home darling. If they miss their train they may not get another one until an hour or even later,' A explained.

PESTERING TIME

I decided this was a good time as any to pester my sister about the train and came up with a couple of questions.

Me: Can you reserve your choice of seat ahead
of time?'

A: It doesn't work that way.

Me: Are the trains comfortable?

A: Pretty much.

Me: What if you get seated with someone you
don't like? Then what?

A: No one pays attention to that darling.
Everyone is tired, all they can think about is
home and not about who is sitting next
to them.

Me: Is there a first class compartment with extra
wide seats and leg room?

A: It's not that type of train darling.

Me: So the passengers aren't provided with a blanket,
pillow and headsets like on an airplane?

A: No. But some passengers bring along a neck
pillow from home.

Me: Do they air a movie?

A: There are no movies.

Me: What if someone gets on the wrong train?

A: Tough break for them.

Me: Would they be eligible for a refund?

A: I'm not sure.

Me: It's only fair if they do, right?

A: I suppose.

Me: Is there food served on board?

A: As a matter of fact yes. A waiter wearing a
tux and white gloves passes around a menu and
behind him is a bartender with a mobile bar
mixing drinks for everyone.

Me: Now you're just making fun of me.

A: I do it only out of love.

When I couldn't come up with anymore questions I started craving for something sweet and asked 'A' if she brought anything along? She didn't. 'You packed a Snickers in your purse when we went to the courthouse,' I stated. 'If you go around the corner you'll find a convenience store,' she said pointing to the left. 'Will you please bring me back a bottle of juice?' 'What if someone takes my seat?' I asked getting up. 'I'll be sure to stop them with my cane,' she answered. I go around the corner and there was no convenience store. Picture if you can the following:

A woman sitting on a stool with a mini refrigerator filled with an assortment of cold drinks.
In front of her was a fold out table with a rack of candies and chips. Oh and did I mention she was picking the back of her teeth with her pinkie? My day at U. Station kept getting better and better. I didn't buy anything from her. I don't know if there is an 8th circle of hell but I do believe I was staring directly right at it. I walked a little further and was able to find an actual convenience store.

On the way back I noticed all these posters notifying individuals to call a number if they noticed any suspicious behavior. When I returned I told 'A' about the poster. 'Did you see any type of suspicious behavior?' she questioned. 'That guy with the cooler, you know who kept walking by up and down, didn't he look suspicious to you?' I asked back. 'No,' she replied. 'I did. What was his reason for him walking back and forth?' 'It's called pacing darling and he was doing what everyone else does who can't find a seat while waiting to board the train.' I thought about this for a moment and said, 'or maybe inside that little cooler of his are human organs and he's getting ready to sell them to someone who's getting off the train. I bet they agreed to meet here via text message. This is where the exchange is probably taking place.' 'Did you get me my juice?' she asked. 'Did you not hear what I said?' 'Yes I heard you, loud and clear.' 'And?' 'And what?' she replied back. 'People do sell body organs on the black market.' 'First you think people are beaten into admitting things against their will in court and now you believe organs are being sold at U. Station. God forbid I ever take you for a ride on the subway.' 'Don't even joke about something like that. I'm still emotionally scarred from the time you forced me to go to the grocery store.'

This was a totally new experience for me but not for my sister. She not only attended university in the city but for reasons which I'm still not clear on chose to live in a tiny dorm room and rode on the trains and subways. She was familiar with the environment, I wasn't.

FINALLY!

Finally it was time. We checked in and received our tickets, 3rd row center. I was thrilled our seats were in the center and not off to the sides. I wanted to be in direct view of Simon.

There was a private little party for some of us with drinks and appetizers up in the lounge. My sister had a drink. I just had a Coke.

Here is the goody bag we received with a program:


My souvenir concert T-shirt.



In the lounge we were given a chocolate-cookie. Written all over the bottom in red is Duran Duran.



The opening act was a group called 'Your Vegas.' I had never heard of them. I saw them preform a couple of songs from the sky suite but wasn't at all that interested.

The concert began a few minutes before 9pm. I don't have to tell you what a fantastic time I had! Comparing this concert to Madonna, in terms of costume change and theatrics, on a scale of 1-10, Madonna registered way off the charts. She put on a wild, wild show as did Duran Duran but they preformed the show in their own signature style. One thing that was the exact same everybody was on their feet singing word for word. The group sang a combination of new and old songs.

The Set List:

The Valley
Planet Earth
Hungry Like The Wolf

Nite Runner
Notorious
I Don't Want Your Love
Save A Prayer
Red Carpet Massacre

A View To A Kill
Serious/Nice
Falling Down
Come Undone

Is There Something...
The Reflex
Ordinary World
White Lines
(Reach Up For The) Sunrise
Wild Boys

Girls On Film
Rio

THE VALLEY

These are days of hit and run

In the stream with everyone

These are moments of our lives

On a wandering river

Going on together

Many journeys to arrive


I've been walking
Through the valley
Through the tall grass
And the shadows
And I feel it, I can see it, yes I need it,
I believe it

PLANET EARTH

....My head is stuck on something precious
let me know if you're coming down to land


Is there anybody out there trying to get through?
my eyes are so cloudy I can't see you


Look now, look all around, there's no sign of life
voices, another sound, can you hear me now?


Simon asked Nick a question. 'Nick are you hungry?'


Simon then looked to the crowd and asked,
'are any of you hungry?'


Of course everyone knew what he was talking
about.

HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF

.....In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Smell like I sound I'm lost in a crowd
And I'm hungry like the wolf

NITE RUNNER

Nite runner - I think I'm falling for you
Nite runner - your spell has put me under
Nite runner - what you're gonna do with it now ?
Nite runner, nite ah nite runner


(Back up singer Anna)

Can I get my hands on you tonight? (I must be feeling something)
Something tells me I'm in for a ride (I wonder if you see me coming)
Can I get my hands on you tonight? (Tonight has got me running)
Something tells me I'm in for a ride (Right into your nite-time world)

NOTORIOUS

I can't read about it, burns the skin from your eyes
I'll do fine without it here's one you don't compromise

You pay the profits to justify the reasons
I heard you promise but I don't believe it
that's why I'll do it again


No-No-Notorious

I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE

I don't mind if you're keeping someone else behind
I don't care cuz you've got something I can share


I won't turn you out if you've got someone else,
someone else you care about


The lights went off and the arena was in
total darkness. When the lights came on
Simon appeared on stage with a guitar.


Fans cheered and whistled really loud because
when Simon appears with a guitar we know
what song he is about to sing. The video for this
song is absolutely beautiful and colorful and
Simon did a beautiful job singing it.

SAVE A PRAYER

You saw me standing by the wall corner of a main street
And the lights are flashing on your window sill
All alone ain't much fun so you're looking for the thrill
And you know just what it takes and where to go.


Don't save a prayer for me now. Save it til the morning after
No don't say a prayer for me now. Save it til the morning after



Pretty looking road I try to hold the rising floods that fill my skin
Don't ask me why I'll keep my promise I'll melt the ice
And you wanted to dance so I asked you to dance
but fear is in your soul


Don't say a prayer for me now. Save it til the morning after
No don't say a prayer for me now. Save it til the morning after
Save it til the morning after


Save a prayer til the morning after............


The entire stage lights turned red. The band began
to sing the title song off their new album.

RED CARPET MASSACRE

Red carpet massacre
Don’t want to hassle you
Red carpet massacre

Death stalk papparazzi yeah Red carpet massacre
Don’t want to mess with you


Simon introduced the next set of songs to be preformed
as a medley beginning with a little bond-age. The back
drop image was a poster from a View To A Kill and
playing in the background, the theme to James Bond.

A VIEW TO A KILL

Meeting you with a view to a kill
Face to face in secret places
Feel the chill

SERIOUS

Oh woman you make me feel like I'm on fire
Oh woman you make it real it's the only way for me
So if we sometimes fight doesn't mean we got problems
Ain't always black and white who cares anyway

NICE

Take the beautiful sting of a Scorpio
A careless smile and it begins to snow


And it hurts me to think
That you might never know
That I've got this thing about you

I couldn't get a shot of this next image; in the background
was an image of water flowing. Before the music
even started I knew right away what song was about to
be sung, Come Undone. I missed the shot when Simon came
out on stage doing a little dance as if he was floating on
water.

COME UNDONE

Mine, immaculate dream made breath and skin
I've been waiting for you
Signed, with a home tattoo,
Happy birthday to you was created for you


Can't ever keep from falling apart
At the seams
Can't I believe you're taking my heart
To pieces...


Words, playing me deja vu
Like a radio tune I swear I've heard before
Chill, is it something real
Or the magic I'm feeding off your fingers


Who do you need, who do you love
When you come undone


FALLING DOWN

....Why did the luck run dry
Laugh in my face, so pleased to desert me
Why do the cruel barbs fly?
Now when disgrace can no longer hurt me


Because I’m falling down with people standing round
But before I hit the ground,
Is there time
Could I find someone out there to help me?

ORDINARY WORLD

Passion or coincidence once prompted me to say-
Pride will tear us both apart.
Well now pride's gone out the window, cross the rooftops, runaway.
Left me in the vacuum of my heart.


But I won't cry for yesterday.
There's an ordinary world somehow I have to find.
And as I try to make my way to the ordinary world
I will learn to survive.

IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD

KNOW?

(The fans went crazy for this song)
Is there something I should know?
Is there something I should say that'll make you come my way?
Do you feel the same? 'Cause you don't let it show.
Please, please tell me now

THE REFLEX

So why don't you use it?
Try not to bruise it
Buy time don't lose it
The reflex is an only child he's waiting in the park

WHITE LINES

Don't you get too high (don't you get too high baby)
Turns you on (you're really turning me on and on)

(REACH UP FOR THE) SUNRISE

Now the time has come
The music's between us
Though the night seems young...

WILD BOYS

...They tried to break us, looks like they'll try again
Wild boys never lose it
Wild boys never chose this way

Music kept thumping in the background while the
lights were flicking on and off rapidly and all you could
hear was the sound of a very loud camera shutter.
The spotlight shined down on Nick holding a camera.

GIRLS ON FILM

See them walking hand in hand across the bridge
at midnight. Heads turning as the lights flashing out
are so bright and walk right out to the four line track
There's a camera rolling on her back.

RIO (FINALE)

Moving on the floor now babe you're a bird of paradise.
Cherry ice cream smile I suppose it's very nice
With a step to your left and a flick to the right
You catch that mirror way out west


Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand.
Just like that river twisting through a dusty land.
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Rio Rio dance across the Rio Grande.






Before Simon left the stage he had another question.
'Ladies who's your f-rock daddy?'


The answer?


XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess