Nick Valensi Joins Duran Duran for 'Rio' in Paris
Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi joined Duran Duran onstage in Paris and played 'Rio' as the final number of the band's concert at the Accor Arena. Simon Le Bon and John Taylor performed alongside him, Rolling Stone reported.
The invitation was short notice. Taylor, Duran Duran's bassist, asked Valensi to see the show and join the band for the encore, the extra songs a group plays after its main set. Taylor made the invitation 48 hours before the concert. Valensi rehearsed with the band in the warm-up room when he arrived.
'Rio' is a 1982 Duran Duran song. Taylor described the onstage collaboration as "a family affair".
The family link is a close one. Valensi is married to Amanda de Cadenet, who is Taylor's ex-wife and hosts the podcast The Conversation. The two have twins, a daughter, Ella, and a son, Sylvain. Valensi was in Paris helping Ella move into a new apartment when the invitation came. Taylor's daughter, Atlanta de Cadenet Taylor, is married to Dave Macklovitch of the band Chromeo.
The timing also gave the Strokes a busy night. The band played the last date of its 2026 European tour in Dublin, while Valensi was in Paris. He is taking a temporary break from the Strokes' scheduled tour, and the band's next televised slot is already set: the Strokes are due to perform on Saturday Night Live on 7 November.
Duran Duran's official Instagram account thanked Valensi for joining the band on 'RIO' in Paris. The account also notes that the band played its first show in France in 1981.
For the crowd at the Accor Arena, the closing song came with a guest guitarist and two founding members at the front of the stage. That is the whole of the moment, and it is worth remembering that a surprise like this is only ever set up by a phone call and a rehearsal room.
