Duran Duran Puts Safety First In Bad Weather

Duran Duran is one of my favorite bands. I have all of their music, and they have continued to make amazing music beyond the 1980’s. Their latest album, “Future Past,” is brilliant. I was excited to see them back in the United States to kick off a brief tour even though they are not making a swing through my neck of the woods (Georgia). The legendary band was recently elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they couldn’t “Hold Back the Rain” for their opening night in Minnesota this week. While certainly there was likely disappointment, the band and venue made the right call.

The band was slated to play at Treasure Island Ampitheatre on Friday August 19th. The venue is about 40 miles south of the Minneapolist – St. Paul twin cities. The show was supposed to start at 7 pm. My quick survey of weather radar showed significant storm activity, including lightning, in the region for much of the early evening. Roughly after 9:30 pm, the band tweeted a statement saying, “After careful consideration, Treasure Island and Durand Duran have mutually agreed to postpone tonight’s show due to continued severe weather in the areas.”

I am an avid concert-goer so it is understandable that fans would be disappointed, especially after a two-hour wait. However, the weather situation warranted the call. Let’s go back and look at the meteorological timeline. The Friday morning forecast discussion by the National Weather Service – Twin Cities started with the following statement, “Scattered showers and thunderstorms again today into this evening – locally heavy rainfall remains possible.” It is clear that stormy weather was in the forecast though there was some indication they could wear down in the evening. They unfortunately they did not weaken in time for the Duran Duran concert to proceed.

I saw some griping on social media about the show just being canceled because of “rain,” but there was also lightning in the area. The public and many venues are too casual when it comes to storms. I cringe every time I see pictures of a baseball stadium or outdoor concert with cloud-to-ground lightning in the sky. Additionally, there were potential wind and flood hazards in the Minnesota area too. I suspect rain was not the major driver in the decision to postpone. Remember, weather fatalities don’t just happen because of tornadoes. People tend to exhibit optimism bias (”It won’t happen to me” or normalcy bias (”I sat through a storm before and came out fine”), especially with lightning. This has to change so I have no problem at all with Duran Duran’s decision.

In 2018, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) issued an information statement on weather and public venues. They were motivated by tragic events like an outflow boundary toppling the stage at a Sugarland concert in Indiana. One part of the statement said, “Situational awareness can be compromised when hazardous weather threatens, and in the worst of cases, loss of life has occurred….at many indoor events, and almost all outdoor events, sheltering options against life-threatening weather are limited or nonexistent.” Litigation for weather-related events can be expensive, and loss of life is never acceptable when there is ample meteorological information to make decisions. The AMS statement also recommends that venue and concert-goers have a “weather plan” that includes understanding of the risks (before, during, and after the event) and appropriate safety or evacuation options. The full list can be found in the statement.

Duran Duran plans to return to the Minnesota. A rescheduled date may not work for everyone. It is what it is. I applaud the band and the venue for considering safety first. Our “wish casting” doesn’t always erase the actual forecasting.