5-May-2004 :

Alex Grech tells Manicmalta how he took 50 Maltese over to London to watch Duran Duran live in concert at Wembley Stadium Arena. (DD are back together in the original line-up after 18 years) and he was also invited backstage to meet and  interview them ...

Duran Duran at the 14 April concert.  John Taylor (left),  Simon le Bon (centre), Andy Taylor (right)

How did this 'Reflex Tour' idea crop up and how did you set the ball
rolling?

It was early last year when I announced on air the exclusive news  that
Duran Duran were back together again with an original line-up. I followed
every step and kept my Reflex / Capital Radio listeners informed about what
these 80's icons were up to. I then started getting feedback from people
who would love to watch Duran Duran live once they were back in action.
One of them was Joe, a 32 year old blind guy. I promised him that if Duran
Duran would play in the UK, I'll organise a tour and make his dream come
true. Last November Duran Duran confirmed their April 2004 UK Tour and I
booked over  50 tickets for the Wembley Stadium Arena Concert.  I had a
good feeling that the response will be encouraging. In fact the first 40
seats were taken up in the very first week. Capital Radio 88.7 played a big
part in this success as it was the only medium used to promote this event.

Nick Rhodes Duran Duran keyboards (left),  Alex Grech, Reflex Promotions (right)

Was this your first close encounter with true stars? What does it feel
like?

I've met several 80's stars such as Paul Young, Leo Sayer, Fish, Samantha
Fox,Sabrina, CC Catch, Riccardo Fogli and Gazebo amongst others. However,
Duran Duran's meeting was special. Normally, if you wish to meet these
guys, you forward your request but the chances are remote. So I didnt even
ask. However, a day before the concert, I got a big surprise from Duran
Duran's management informing me that the band heard that so many fans from
a small place such as Malta were in London just to watch them in concert
and they wanted to meet whoever was involved in this london visit. So I was
invited backstage to meet Duran Duran prior to the concert.

The guys are great to talk to and I also had time to interview them and
have a few radio voice-overs. We talked about Malta,  the music, the tour
and www.reflexmalta.com. John Taylor knew a lot about Malta from Robert
Palmer who used to live here when he was young. In the 80's , Robert Palmer
was Power Station's frontman along with John Taylor. Unfortunately Palmer
passed away in September 2003. Nick Rhodes was surprised that Duran Duran
have such support from such a small island.  It couldnt get much better
than that!

The Maltese group outside Wembley Stadium Arena.

Will you ever do something similar again?  Would you expect a bigger
crowd next time round?

Why not?....There are so many foreign bands and singers we can watch.
Especially the big  ones who are hard to have in Malta such as Madonna,
Michael Jackson (ha ha) and  U2. Other acts such as Coldplay, Red Hot
Chilli Peppers and The Darkness are not excluded. That would be pretty
cool. I would expect a bigger crowd next time because we all had a great
time in London and news travels fast.

With all those ladies on board and after all the partying you must have
been through are you now in Detox mode ;) ?

It may sound that having so many ladies around would be a big headache. But
no, it was fun as they were all so well-behaved !! And they didnt lose much
time on make-up either. The whole group meets now and again and we're still
in party mode.

Duran Duran Concert. Wembley Stadium Arena. 14 April 2004.

What are Reflex Promotions future plans.

This year, Reflex Promotions kicked off with organising several events
related to 80's music such as the Reflex Tour and 80's  parties. The next
party shall be held at Reflections Music Club, Sol Suncrest Hotel on Sunday
6 June. I shall again be spinning all the classic tunes bringing the 80's
nostalgia back to life.

Presenting more professional radio productions such as Reflex and Shaft
(70's Sunday evening programme on Capital Radio 88.7) is also a priority.
www.reflexmalta.com is a site that has potential and we would like to build
up on it. A photo exhibition is also in the pipeline. Basically it's all
about having fun and keeping 80's music alive.

Alex Grech is also Scream Daisy's manager.

John Taylor (right) signing an autograph.  Alex Grech, Reflex Promotions (left), Marcelle Demicoli (centre) Capital Radio Malta Sales Executive.