FirstWord John Taylor
The bassist with New Romantic heartbreakers Duran Duran is currently on a world tour, but stops to chat porridge, breaking the speed limit and . . . that time he had a crush on a relative
First record you ever bought ‘Thunderbirds Are Go!’ Last extravagant purchase you made A made-to-measure suit.
First film you saw that really moved you Reach for the Sky. It’s about a WWII fighter pilot. It was a double bill with The Dam Busters.
First great piece of advice you were given ‘Don’t ever give up.’ It was Bernard Edward, the bassist from Chic, who told me that. Last time you were star struck I came offstage at Coachella in the middle of our set to change my guitar. Clint Eastwood was standing backstage watching the show. I said ‘Wow!’ and ‘Hello’, and then I ran back onstage.
Last lie you told You look really good in that. First song you’ll sing at karaoke I don’t do karaoke, baby.
First movie you ever went on a date to Stardust with David Essex. Last time you cried Yesterday. It was a silent cry.
First thing you do when you’ve got time off work Shop for books.
Last great meal you cooked I make a mean porridge. With fruit.
First crush Julie McCoy from my school. Her, or my Auntie Marjory. At least I didn’t say my mum. Last book you read A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan.
Last time you exploited your position to get something Friday night, in a restaurant in San Francisco called Quince. They said they had no tables, I said, ‘Tell them I’m in Duran Duran’. First time you realised you were famous When a very large, long black Daimler limousine pulled up in front of my parents’ house to take me to do a BBC interview. All the neighbours were watching.
First three words your friends would use to describe you Honest, sensitive, idealistic. First concert you ever attended Mick Ronson, in Birmingham, April 1974. He was basically David Bowie’s sideman.
Last time you bought someone flowers [Very long pause] Why don’t we just say my wife’s birthday? Last funny thing you saw online The Axis of Awesome – this Australian trio doing a skit of about sixty songs in five minutes, based on only four chords.
First job Car washing. Last person in the world you’d sleep with Any of the band members?
First person you’d thank in an award acceptance speech My manager, Wendy.
Last thing you recommended to someone The Jennifer Egan book, on Twitter. First thing you think of when you wake up in the morning Sex.
Last thing you think of before you go to sleep Where did I leave the remote control? (interview by Claire Sawers)
Last crime you committed I break the speed limit all the time. ■ Duran Duran play the SECC, Glasgow, Thu 19 May.
WeLike The things making our world just that little bit better
■ The List likes to think of itself as the Chris Packham of events magazines: we love animals, and we like to play muso games like shoehorning the titles of Smiths songs into inappropriate scenarios. But unlike the heartless Pack we are very much in favour of pandas, and thus were most honoured to receive a memento of a very important royal marriage, that of Lady Tian Tian and Prince Yang Guang, in the form of this lovely mug from The Leith
Agency. What’s that? Something about another royal wedding? Kate, William, it was really nothing . . . And props to the clever Edinburgher who
has solved the problem of finding your friends amid the heaving masses a-chillin’ and a-grillin’ on the meadows these summery days with a handy map that divides the park into named sectors head to tiny.cc/meadowsmap, memorise, and set out for your barbecue with confidence.
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You might be polishing off your Easter eggs, but it’s Edinburgh festival season sooner than you think. Luckily, we’re one step ahead, with full listings for the Edinburgh International Festival including Philip Glass, The National Ballet of China and a one-man King Lear (pictured).
2 THE LIST 28 Apr–26 May 2011