SIMPLE MINDS celebrated 40 iconic years in music last year with a hugely successful, and rapturously received 40 Years Of Hits Tour. There’s no sitting back for one of the hardest working bands around, they recently announced a series of Australian and New Zealand tour dates for early this year, now the band have added the March UK & Ireland leg of their Global Tour 2024.
In the past decade alone, Simple Minds have played to hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, including their largest US tour to date in 2018. Demand to see the band perform well known hits including ‘Promised You a Miracle’, ‘Glittering Prize’, ‘Someone Somewhere in Summertime’, ‘Waterfront’, ‘Alive and Kicking’, ‘All The Things She Said’, ‘Sanctify Yourself’, ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’, ‘Mandela Day’, ‘Belfast Child’ and ‘See The Lights’ has grown year on year, with the band consistently acclaimed as one of the best live outfits of their generation. Referring to their 2022 Wembley Arena concert, The Times newspaper said, “back in fashion and on thrilling form.”
As we’re sat in the office writing this, staring at our vinyl copy of LIFE IN A DAY, we’re seriously counting those years. We can’t believe 40 have passed since its release. The reason is clear, the songs are just as fresh and relevant now as they were back in the day.
That’s a bunch of great songs on Life In A Day, but of course, it’s the stuff that followed which gave the band their biggest hits, but the die hard fans will always go back to that first album, which spent six weeks in the UK LP charts. The title track and “Chelsea Girl” were issued as singles. Take a look at the video here. CHELSEA GIRL
Since that album, SIMPLE MINDS journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Constantly evolving, the band’s rousing choruses and booming atmospherics made them one of the most iconic bands of the Eighties. Along the way, they’ve landed five UK number one albums, topped the singles charts on both sides of the Atlantic. They sold a mind -blowing 60 million plus albums and packed stadiums the world over.
But the story didn’t end there. After taking some time out, they returned revitalised and resurgent with the 2014 album ‘Big Music’ and have maintained that upward momentum ever since. They claimed the Q Inspiration Award that same year, which was followed by an Ivor Novello in 2016. And when 2018’s ‘Walk Between Worlds‘ album crashed into the UK charts at #4, it represented their highest position in 23 years. No wonder that the Manic Street Preachers, Moby, Primal Scream and many others cite Simple Minds as a vital inspiration.
Then of course, there’s that movie and single. DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME.
As already announced, prior to their UK and Ireland tour, Simple Minds will headline the Summer Concert Tour in New Zealand – performing in Taupo, Hamilton and Gibbston – and Australia’s Red Hot Summer Tour, playing Mornington, Rochford Winery, Sandstone and Kings Park. Of course, the date we’re interest in is the Utilita Arena in Cardiff on the 27th next year. Ticket details at the bottom of the page.
The band are fronted by founder members Jim Kerr (vocals) and Charlie Burchill (guitars, keyboards), Gordy Goudie (acoustic guitar), Ged Grimes (bass), Cherisse Osei (drums), and Sarah Brown (vocals).
The sound is better than ever but the band are different. Everything we love about SIMPLE MINDS remains, only now, with an added dimension.
Jim told us………………..
“Simple Minds are different now.
We’re not a stock rock band, but we haven’t changed our line-up to be cool. We’ve done it because it’s great to have so many amazing players on board. I’m grateful for the career we’ve had, but I’m mad enough to think we can still hit new levels. This is what we do – write, record and play live.
Concerts are the lifeblood of Simple Minds, it’s where we and our audience come alive and energised through music. Four decades on from when we first set out, this global tour will demonstrate that Simple Minds are still alive and kicking!”
Charlie said…………
“The perception that we’re now gathering pace is down to our attitude to playing live.”
“There have been lots of different incarnations of Simple Minds, but we’ve always kept our identity. A legacy can be a burden if you allow it to be. For us, it’s been empowering.”
If you’re looking to expand your Simple Minds library, there’s the career-spanning compilation ‘40: The Best Of – 1979-2019’. It pulls together the early fan favourites with their era-defining hits and their essential recent material. The collection also includes a gloriously euphoric new track – a cover of King Creosote’s celebration of weekend revelry ‘For One Night Only’. In addition, there’s the live album ‘Live In The City of Angels’.
They also have a book out, and there is a brilliant ‘Special Edition’ if you can still find a copy.
HEART OF THE CROWD is an official oral history of Simple Minds, mixing over 800 fan anecdotes with those of band members and other collaborators and with an introduction written by Jim Kerr. The book also features never before seen photographs, collectable memorabilia and fans pictures capturing their live performances.
The Special Box Edition is limited to 1,000 copies only and are all individually numbered.
The Box Edition comes complete with bonus items including:
- Limited Edition Certificate of authenticity each numbered from 1 -1000
- Two rare early black and white photos, signed personally by Jim and Charlie
- A plectrum made for Charlie for the 2020 tour
- Simple Minds 40 Hits tour VIP pass with lanyard
- Simple Minds 2020 fridge magnet
- Sticker Sheet with 24 badges
- Replica Saturday Night Live Simple Minds ticket from 1985
- Replica Simple Minds BBC Radio In Concert ticket from 1979
- Replica Mars Bar Club flyer from 1977
- All presented in a box with artwork
The book is out mow in Hardback £45.00 and that Special Limited Box Edition £85.00. It is absolutely massive though at 576 pages. Christmas pressie material we reckon. If you’d like more details on the book, go here HEART.
This has been a great decade for Simple Minds. In 2014 they claimed the Q Inspiration Award, which was followed by an Ivor Novello in 2016. And when last year’s ‘Walk Between Worlds’ album crashed into the UK charts at number 4, it represented their highest position in 23 years. No wonder that the Manic Street Preachers, Moby, Primal Scream and many others cite SIMPLE MINDS as a vital inspiration.
SIMPLE MINDS get to the Utilita Arena in Cardiff on their Global Tour 2024. The date is Wednesday 27th March. General onsale is happening right now. Full details can be had HERE.
One final thing, and we cannot recommend this enough – make sure you get to the gig nice and early to catch special guests DEL AMITRI.
Another mighty fine Scottish band formed in the 80s by singer Justin Currie and guitarist Iain Harvie.
They released their debut eponymous album in 1985, but it was the sophomore album “Waking Hours”, released in 1989 which broke the top 10, setting the standard for the subsequent albums “Change Everything” (1992) – which spawned the hit song “Always The Last To Know”, then “Twisted” in 1995 and “Some Other Sucker’s Parade” (1997).
The band are fantastic live, and the perfect start to a Simple Minds gig. And as a little reminder of one of thier biggest hits, which is still a radio favourite, here it is….
