FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

‘DURAN DURAN’ ANNOUNCE AMERICAN EXPRESS “UNSTAGED” PERFORMANCE DIRECTED BY ICONIC FILMMAKER DAVID LYNCH

March 23rd Live-Stream Performance Will Be Available as a Live VEVO event on YouTube
Announce Additional Select North American April Album Release Shows

March 14, 2011 – New York, NY – Duran Duran will kick-off the second year of “Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express” on March 23rd at the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. The event (featuring all four original members: Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor) comes one day after the physical release of their 14-track, critically acclaimed 13th studio album ALL YOU NEED IS NOW (S-Curve Records). Duran Duran’s performance will mark the first time an artist is playing the “Unstaged” music series from Los Angeles.  Upon release, tickets for Duran Duran’s performance at the Mayan Theatre sold out in under five minutes.

The 2011 “Unstaged” kick-off performance will be live-streamed at 10:00PM ET / 7:00PM PT at www.YouTube.com/DuranDuranVEVO . American Express, in partnership with VEVO and YouTube, will provide Duran Duran fans worldwide with access to the performance. “Unstaged” coincides with anticipated sets at Ultra Music Festival and Coachella and a run of select, intimate North American April album release shows, which include newly added dates in Pomona, CA, Toronto, ON and Boston, MA. Award-winning filmmaker David Lynch (The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive), known for his unique cinematic style that masterfully blends imagery and sound design, has been enlisted to capture the performance, providing fans with a visually stunning home viewing experience. A sneak peak of what to expect from David Lynch and “Unstaged” is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go98Oa10QR4

Speaking from a rehearsal studio in London where they are preparing for the ‘Unstaged’ show, lead singer Simon Le Bon said: “We are all beyond delighted that David Lynch has agreed to direct this show for us.  It’s a dream come true quite frankly.  We are all such fans of his work and think he has a creative vision like no other.  In talking to him about what he is planning, we all believe this live-streamed performance is going to look nothing like anyone has ever seen before.  We can’t wait.”

“I am very excited about this opportunity to experiment with the band, Duran Duran, at the Mayan Theatre on March 23rd,” said filmmaker David Lynch. “The idea is to try and create on the fly, layers of images permeating Duran Duran on the stage. A world of experimentation and hopefully some happy accidents.”

Duran Duran’s “Unstaged” performance represents the fourth instalment within American Express’ innovative music platform “Unstaged,” which launched in the summer of last year and has featured music sensations Arcade Fire, John Legend & The Roots, and Sugarland. Performances from all three artists were streamed a total of 30 million times.

Bringing the in-concert and at-home viewing experiences to entirely new heights, “Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express” showcases some of the music industry’s most breakthrough artists playing at landmark venues across the country, while tapping some of today’s most influential filmmakers to direct the live-streams and using digital and social media to connect the online audience to the live shows in unexpected ways.

American Express® Cardmembers and fans can digitally interact with the live-stream both before and during the performance in the following ways:

Choose Your Cam: The audience can control their viewing experience throughout the show by switching between the director’s main stream and alternate “Lynchian” artistic lenses on the night.

“The Now Pulse” Crowd Visualizer: Further uniting the audiences at the show and at home, this new interactive project will create a real-time visualization of crowd excitement based on social chatter online. When the social buzz reaches a climax, a special Duran Duran memento will be unlocked for fans everywhere.

“All Of Us Now” Photo Project: Audiences worldwide will collaborate with David Lynch in an on-stage and online art installation, by submitting photos. In true Lynch style, the photos will be showcased on surreal displays throughout the night. Visit www.YouTube.com/DuranDuranVEVO   to find out more and submit videos.

Online Pre Show: Building anticipation of the night, viewers who tune in early to the live-stream will catch an exclusive segment directed by David Lynch.

Tweet The Band: Fans can Tweet questions to #amexduranduran for a chance to have them answered by the band in a series of Pre-Show vignettes.

Leading up to the March 23rd performance, fans will be able to receive insider updates by connecting with American Express at www.twitter.com/AmericanExpress  or www.Facebook.com/AmericanExpress . Fans can visit YouTube for a special “Unstaged” trailer video, including highlights from previous performances. Additionally, a special screening party will be held in New York City, featuring the Duran Duran live-stream performance, including industry insiders, select media and fan club members.

www.duranduran.com