Speed Grapher / Duran Duran ready to rock!

Remember that cool opening sequence from Speed Grapher? The guys behind the song “Girls on Film” are Duran Duran, and they are going to perform on November 18, 2008 (Tomorrow!) I am pretty sure they are going to perform “Girls on Film” and other great hits including their new OST. Maroon 5 will perform with them as well, opening the event! I will try not to miss that!

Here are the details of their tour:

Following six months of non-stop touring around the world, musical innovators DURAN DURAN announced today details of an extensive Latin American tour that will be their most comprehensive run through the Continent in many years. The band has confirmed 5 shows in Latin America starting November 4th in Lima, Peru with additional shows to be announced shortly.

Hot on the heels of dates throughout Australasia, Europe and the United States, original band members Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor will be bringing a spectacular new production to Latin America as part of their ‘RED CARPET MASSACRE WORLD TOUR.’

Showcasing material from their most recent album, alongside all of the fan favorites from their vast catalogue of hits, this upcoming leg of the tour will mark the band’s first performances in Latin America since the release of Red Carpet Massacre, their 12th studio album (Epic Records), which the band launched in November 2007 with an unprecedented Broadway residency at New York’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre. In a bold move, Duran Duran performed their new record in its entirety to sold-out houses every night for two weeks on The Great White Way prior to the album’s global launch. Encouraged by the enthusiastic response from fans and critics alike, the band have been taking a specially-tailored version of this three-act show on the road around the world, starting in New Zealand, where they kicked off the tour in March of this year.

Duran Duran just arriving hours before the concert! (November 17, 2008 / DEALANTE.COM)

During an illustrious career spanning three decades, Duran Duran have remained at the forefront of popular music, consistently pushing the creative envelope and breaking new ground. Since their inception, the band have sold over 70 million albums, recorded countless hit records, received numerous accolades, and have been presented with no fewer than five prestigious “Lifetime Achievement” awards since 2002 (MTV Video Music Award, Q Magazine, The BRITS, Ivor Novello, Spanish Ondas).

Speaking backstage from their final European concert in Italy recently, Duran Duran front-man Simon LeBon said how much they were looking forward to performing in Latin America. “These are going to be extremely exciting shows for us,” he said, “taking a very different format to the last world tour we did in 2006. We are introducing a lot of new elements into the mix - both musically and in terms of the staging. We have been working on completely different arrangements for some of the older material and will be integrating a lot of our latest record into the performances. We need to keep things fresh – not only for ourselves, but also for our audiences, who can be assured of a lot of surprises with this new production.”

Bassist John Taylor added, “Latin American audiences have to be amongst the best in the world. Every time we go there we are charged by the energy that they give us back. We haven’t done a complete run of dates in this part of the world for some time now and we can’t wait.”

Apertura 2008: Cosplay Gallery

JSPOTPANAMA had its annual event called APERTURA 2008 held last Saturday. I was there with my personal collection of figures and anime memorabilia. The event had its ups and downs but generally speaking, it was great. I couldnt take pictures of the event due to the fact that I had to watch my stand. However I grab some photos from the official site of the event so you can check them out. Thanks to the person who took them.

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Anime and Games Convention 2008

Cartoon Leap was invited to participate in an anime and games convention in a nearby university in Panama (USMA). Taking advantage of the convention, I took some of my figures collection for display and tried to sell some old magazines and pins. The convention was a mixed bag. I only sold an anime pin and some of my figures had minor damage due to handling. That makes me think that probably I will take only the PVC figures and leave the resin ones at home. Even a guy tried to stole Gourry from Slayers. Lucky that I could catch the thief before Lina could notice it. Thanks for the organizers. They know who they are.

Cartoon Leap fue invitado para participar en una convencion de anime y juegos en una universidad cercana en Panama (USMA). Aprovechando la oportunidad, decidi tomar parte de mi coleccion de figuras y ponerlos para exposicion, y tratar de vender algunas viejas revistas y pines. Mi impresion de la convencion es algo mixto. Pude vender solo un pin y un par de mis figuras tuvieron daños menores debido al mal manejo. Esto me hace pensar que quizas la proxima vez solo lleve las figuras de PVC y deje las de resina en casa. Hasta un sujeto intento secuestrar a Gourry de la serie Slayers. Por suerte pude darme cuenta a tiempo antes de que Lina se enterara. Gracias a los organizadores por este evento. Ellos saben quienes son.

Enjoy the pictures as well. Maybe you can recognize some of the figures on display. Disfruten de las fotos. Quizas hasta reconozcan alguno de los personajes.