Nick Valensi Performs with Duran Duran and Others While on Hiatus from The Strokes

Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi remains active in the music scene despite an indefinite break from his band, recently joining forces with Jack White, Dragonflies, and Duran Duran.

1 Nov 2026

Rumors have circulated regarding the reasons behind Nick Valensi's indefinite hiatus from The Strokes since May, yet the guitarist has continued to perform actively with other artists. Over the past few months, Valensi has shared the stage with Jack White, Nigel Godrich, and Dhani Harrison's group Dragonflies.

Most recently, Valensi joined Duran Duran for a performance in Paris. Before playing "Rio," frontman Simon Le Bon introduced him to the audience as the amazing guitarist known from The Strokes. The band was forced to restart the song due to technical difficulties, prompting Valensi to joke about his inability to fix such issues, a sentiment that might resonate with Julian Casablancas.

Sources: Pitchfork.