By Jocelyn Rockhold and Madeline Zann

On Sept. 20, thousands of middle-aged adults, their children and a smattering of young adults crowded together on a mild and slightly windy night at Red Rocks Amphitheater to see ’80s pop legends Duran Duran, who are touring in support of their new album “Paper Gods.” Before Simon Le Bon graced the stage, two openers, Clean Bandit and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, started the show in a rush of energy. Clean Bandit provided a unique set that was truly thrilling and entertaining.

Clean Bandit hails from England and is made up of brothers Jack (bass guitar, keyboard, vocals and piano) and Luke Patterson (percussion), Grace Chatto (cello and vocals) and Neil Milan Amin-Smith (violin and piano). The English darlings are known for mixing electronic pop with string instruments and even classical music, to the delight of some and the chagrin of others. Despite a little division over the combining of pop and classical, the audience at Red Rocks did not seem divided at all. Multiple members of the crowd stood up and danced, a rare sight during an opener. Clean Bandit’s music is feel-good, upbeat and exciting—a perfect opener for the 80s pop of Duran Duran.

“We grew up listening to Duran Duran, so that’s exciting [to open for them],” Chatto said during a phone interview with the Clarion.

The band has been touring since their single “Rather Be (feat. Jess Glynne)” came out in January of 2014, with the Red Rocks show on Sept. 20 being the first show of the fall leg of their American tour. During this tour, Clean Bandit will continue to support Duran Duran and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers.

“We’ve just been traveling all around the world . . . which is amazing,” Chatto said. “We’ve seen so many new places and new cultures.”

Prior to their Red Rocks concert, the band had played their 34th festival of the summer and had a few precious days off in London for the first time in a long time.

Despite their grueling lifestyle, the members of Clean Bandit played with an enthusiasm that Red Rocks draws out of any performer—this was the group’s first time playing the world famous venue, and each of them couldn’t be happier to be there. According to singer Chatto, they had never even been to the Denver area before.

Chatto didn’t seem part of this world—rather, she was an earthbound goddess, blessing the crowd with her miraculous voice. One of the most alluring aspects of the performance was Neil Milan Amin-Smith’s violin—the visual clash of an incredible light show and such a delicate instrument was aesthetically appealing, and the auditory blend was easy and gorgeous on the ear. This distinct style was best displayed during “Rather Be,” Clean Bandit’s most popular song (it even received a Grammy this year). A majority of the audience knew the song and either sung along or jumped to their feet to join in on the dancing.

“[‘Rather Be’] took a long time to record and we knew it was something special to us, but we never knew it would be heard all across the world,” Chatto said. “[Winning the Grammy] was such a surprise. It’s been a crazy experience.”

As for the rest of the show, the other opener, Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, picked up where Clean Bandit left off. Chic brought out a funky side to the already high-energy in the amphitheater, especially when the group launched into “Get Lucky,” a song made popular by Daft Punk but co-written by Nile Rodgers himself. Disco tunes filled up the rocks in preparation for Duran Duran, and it couldn’t have been a better lead-up.

When Duran Duran finally strutted onto the stage, the whole audience screamed in excitement. The reality that the crowd was about to see such pop legends finally hit, and the band could feel the elation. When a band plays Red Rocks, you know they are going to be playing at 100 percent, and Duran Duran did not give anything less. Hits like “Hungry Like The Wolf” and “The Wild Boys” sent the performance to spiraling heights with no drop in energy—they just kept climbing higher and higher until the brilliant finish.

Overall, this show was marvelous from start to end and completely devoid of any lulls in intensity. Each member of the audience will hold this concert close to their heart—it’s not every day the opportunity is given to see Clean Bandit, Chic with Nile Rodgers and Duran Duran play a show at the most beautiful amphitheater in America.

Clean Bandit’s album “New Eyes” is available on iTunes and the band is set to release new collaborations in the coming months, including a song with Welsh artist Marina and the Diamonds.