I woke up absolutely shattered from the previous days show and queuing, after just about 3 hours sleep, as we chose to drive from Bristol the night before and stay overnight in Oxford.  The plan was to get to Oxford about 8.30 to start queuing, we knew there would be many more coming to this gig.  After checking in with Twitter, all we saw tweets from fans saying, just leaving for Oxford, on my journey after travelling overnight etc.  I called my friend Liana at 5.55am and said we need to get up and go now, there are lots travelling already to the gig!  We really believed we wouldn’t get there to be first in the line, so rushed to get changed, and then raced down to the venue.  Armed with chairs, we were delighted to have been the first, but really wished those chairs were beds, as sleep was so needed.

Queuing was once again a lot of fun for the most part, and it wasn’t long before the next people arrived, at 7am, and thereafter I would say every half an hour people arrived, and all saying they were surprised they were not the first.  Fans turned up from Korea, Germany, Spain, Finland, Austria, and Italy and of course from all over the UK.  The staff at the O2 were brilliant and kept us entertained, and safe, as there were a few oddballs around. I don’t think this gig was in one of Oxford’s finer areas!

Most people around us were really pleasant and it was great to meet so many of my Twitter friends for the first time, although I wish I could have talked to them for longer.

We were let in around 7.15pm, and everyone was so excited.  The band finally appeared on stage around 9ish, and when they appeared the screams and cheers welcoming Duran Duran on stage, took me instantly back to the 1980s, it was an amazing welcome, and the best one they had so far of all the rehearsal gigs.  You could also tell the guys were really happy, the smiles and waves to the audience as they took up their positions, and opened with Before the Rain.

It was so brilliant to here Come Undone sung live again, one of my personal favourites, Networker Nation was a song known by very few inside the venue, but it wasn’t long before everyone was jumping and singing along with the chorus, dada da da dada da da, dada da da dada da da.  It wasn’t one I was keen on when I first heard it a week ago at the Bournemouth gig, but its one that’s growing on me, and certainly a very good live track.

I think one of the clear favourites of these shows has been Shadows on Your Side, everyone just went wild jumping up and down and singing along when this one was on, for me it was one of my personal favourites of the shows. The atmosphere while the band was on was just so amazing, and it was consistent with the audience just so excited and dancing and jumping.

The new songs were very popular, with Safe having the audience extremely excited as Simon asked the audience to sing along the opening rap. Anna Ross mastered the Anna Matronic raps very well, and in my opinion one of the best backing singers the band has had, having a laugh and exchanging banter with Simon when she took her position centre stage for Safe.

I think every song took the audience excitement up a notch, and where I was standing Simon made an Italian fan who had travelled from Italy very happy commenting on her suntan and freckles as he introduced Mediterannea.

The show continued to the encore of Girl Panic! and Sunrise. I think of all the gigs this probably is the best encore as they varied it slightly with Rio at one show, which I didn’t think was as good as having Sunrise at the end.

Simons voice is definitely back, the most in tune it could be, and they still rock the house, it’s been a long time since I left a gig with my ears ringing and adrenaline as high as it was from this show. It was very clear the guys were very pleased with their performance too, they all seemed really happy.  Can’t wait for the real tour, bring it on Duran Duran!