Simon Le Bon on new music, unexpected young fans and Charli XCX

Ahead of his concerts in Cork and Dublin this summer, Simon Le Bon chats to Noel Baker about new music, playing the 80s favourites - and his unexpected new fans  

Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran performing on the main stage during day three of the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally, Co Laois. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Simon Le Bon had an unusual visitor last Christmas Day, and no, it wasn’t Santa.

The 66-year-old singer and longtime member of Duran Duran laughs as he recalls being in a pinnie apron, sort-of helping with the perpetually delayed Christmas lunch, when he received a knock on the door at his home in southeast London. The visitor was a fourth grade schoolgirl from Texas, Ava Myers, accompanied by her mum, and in London for the festive season; except, she had been instructed – jokingly, one assumes – by her teacher back in the US to “find Duran Duran”.