+++ FIRST 2009 WORLD TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED +++

The first dates for Simple Minds' 2009 world tour have been announced. The band will play 6 shows in Germany next June and more European concerts will be announced shortly.

11.06.2009 - AMPHITHEATER, GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY
12.06.2009 - MUSEUMSMEILE, BONN, GERMANY
16.06.2009 - ZITADELLE, BERLIN, GERMANY
17.06.2009 - STADTPARK, HAMBURG, GERMANY
19.06.2009 - RAVENSBERGER PARK, BIELEFELD, GERMANY
20.06.2009 - TOLLWOOD, MUNICH, GERMANY

+++ BELFAST ODYSSEY ARENA REVIEW +++

The highly anticipated Simple Minds '30 Years Live' tour climaxed last night in Belfast's Odyssey arena. Although it wasn’t billed as a double headliner tour having Deacon Blue as the special guests made it a very special night for all. In one of the first gigs I have seen that the hall has been filled prior to the support it promised to be a night to remember.

It is not quite 30 years for Deacon Blue. The band haven’t been around as long as Simple Minds having been formed by Ricky Ross in 1985. Since then Deacon Blue have racked up a string of hit releases including 'Chocolate Girl' and 'Fergus Sings the Blues'. We first saw the band live in Belfast’s Ulster Hall in 1994 and it was a gig that sticks in my mind for not only the brilliant musical performance but also the entertaining musings from lead singer Ricky Ross.

The band split later that year but performed a number of reunion gigs in the late 90s while Ricky's solo career flourished. In 1999 the band officially reformed, on what I think is fair to describe as a part time basis releasing 'Homesick' and 'Singles'. They quickly demonstrated their performance was set to be better than ever, and it was!

It is not often the first band on stage can enthuse and whip up an audience frenzy, generally they play to half empty venues and barely gain the attention of those who are there. Deacon Blue were a very different affair, from the outset they had the audience gripped. I actually got the impression there were people around us had bought tickets on the back of knowing Deacon Blue were playing. No one was disappointed.

The performance was spectacular, Deacon Blue didn’t have the elaborate lighting rig of Simple Minds but this band didn’t need it. The audience were on their feet for the majority of the performance and visibly erupted at classics such as 'When will you (make my phone ring)'. Ross described 'Fergus Sings the Blues' and the second Scottish National Anthem and he was as funny as ever complimenting the Belfast crowd and then quipping 'If you believe this sort of bullshit you are in for a great night' Deacon Blue were flawless in my mind, it was audible time travel it is over fourteen years since I first heard the band live they are every bit as good, if not better than how I remember the Ulster Hall.

The set climaxed with 'Dignity' and I wish they could have played for longer. If the night had ended here few would have been disappointed. Lets hope Deacon Blue are back in Belfast soon headlining their own show !!

There was now a buzz of energy from the audience. Everyone waited with anticipation of how Simple Minds were ever going to match the performance of their special guests. It was clear Simple Minds were going to up the anti the second they took to the stage with one of the most spectacular light shows we have seen in the Odyssey. Not the pyrotechnic explosions of Nickelback but a well executed, visually stunning light show.

Simple Minds were formed back in 1978 at a time when many of audience, if they were born at all were in primary school. That said Jim Kerr appeared remarkably youthful. In fact the members of both bands appear to have aged better than I have! Kicking off with a brilliant performance of 'Waterfront' the energy didn't ebb for a second during the full set. Unlike other bands of late there was a great level of audience interaction. A local hotel received a bit of a dig for not having Mars Bars in the mini bar and Jim Kerr congratulated the brilliant St George's Market proclaiming "I could live there!"

The audience were treated to all the greats, Ghost Dancing one of the first songs I ever played on guitar was injected with an audience lead chorus of Gloria. Charlie Burchill, (who I kind of think looks a little like Jim Rockford ?) was mesmerising on guitar. His remarkable performance looked almost effortless. I have always associated Charlie's style with that of the Edge but a bit more of a rock edge with breathtaking guitar solos not so often seen with U2. The attractive red Gretsch that appeared on stage was the envy of every guitarist there.

The audience were just as loud in their reactions at the end of each song as the band themselves. The atmosphere was electric, and unlike some gigs, not a single pint of beer thrown. The entire event was quite an experience, it is hard to think of a band who are going to match the enjoyment of this double headline event.

Belfast marked the last night in the 30 Years live tour. Simple Minds have had only two nights off since 27th November and despite this they still excelled on the last night of the tour. Nearly four hours of solid music climaxed with an encore featuring an obvious version Belfast Child. Music has changed so much during the 30 years spanning Simple Minds career and in many ways bands of this standard are becoming less common. Simple Minds and Deacon Blue represent a golden era in music and the gig was payed credit to this. I really don't think anyone in the audience of even those on stage for that matter really wanted the night to end. I have a feeling I will be talking about this show for many years to come!

Simple Minds have recently announced they are to play Edinburgh Castle on 18th July 2009. See their website for more information.

www.amuze.me

+++ SIMPLE MINDS ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR EDINBURGH CASTLE SHOW +++

Jim Kerr today announced plans for a special show at Edinburgh Castle next year. Jim, speaking on 'The Five Thirty Show' (STV), revealed plans that the band would perform at the iconic landmark on 18th July 2009 and that the show would be recorded for a DVD release.

Tickets for the event go on sale to members of simpleminds.com on December 10th. To view view the whole Jim Kerr interview then please visit the STV website.

+++ NEWCASTLE METRO RADIO ARENA REVIEW +++

Being in the 40 to 50-year-old bracket is not a bad age to be music wise!

Those of us who benefit from this ‘experience’ remember the halcyon days of the 80s as if it were just around the corner.

Legendary 80s group Simple Minds returned to Newcastle last night playing to a packed Arena of predominantly 40-plus-year-olds, everyone of whom stood for the two-and-a-half hour set at this "30 years in the business" tour.

Wow, what a night, and how refreshing to be among an audience all of my own age rocking, singing, reminiscing!

Jim Kerr, the Glaswegian lead singer, didn't need much effort to connect with his audience as the band played the whole of the seminal New Gold Dream album along with their vast array of hits over the years.

With few words he had us 'there' from the moment he opened with Waterfront to the Celtic overtones of Belfast Child (from 1989’s Street Fighting Years) which announced the "end" of the gig (the few who left the Arena early thinking they could get a head start on the car park missed a truly awesome return to stage for the encore, including Sanctify Yourself).

What makes Simple Minds such a creative and energetic force all these years later? Well Jim Kerr’s stage presence, the band’s connectivity with the audience, the fabulously simple set – lights, music and of course those instrumental, long acoustic overtones encouraging us all to relive our own Simple Minds journey!

Kerr may sing Don’t You Forget About Me - but there’s little fear of that. Simple Minds? More like Simply Mindblowing.

Review by Callum Kidd

Evening Chronicle

+++ CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL ARENA REVIEW +++

If there was a value-for-money award in these tight economic times then Simple Minds and Deacon Blue should win it.

Two of the biggest hitters of the '80s combined for a nostalgic treat - and for the price of a single ticket - with a superb evening of contrasts.

Deacon Blue had a succession of chart hits at their disposal but they also produced arguably one of the decade's best and most under-rated albums in Raintown; a must for anyone's CD collection.

Opening with that album's title track, Ricky Ross and Co's understated Celtic soul provided an excellent contrast to the powerful stadium-honed rock of Simple Minds, their charms best illustrated when the wonderful When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring) segued beautifully into a cover of Paul McCartney’s My Love.

With the feel-good vibe already set headliners Simple Minds strode on to the unmistakable bass-intro of Waterfront which quickly got the crowd on their feet and they stayed there for the entire two-hour set.

Leaning heavily on keyboards and synthesizers, Charlie Burchill's guitar struggled to cut through the mix initially, but the situation was quickly resolved as he competed with the powerful drumming of Mel Gaynor, a loud and very prominent feature.

Behind them, a stunning light show raged and silhouetted against it at the front of the stage was the charismatic Jim Kerr, a man in fine form.

Together they combined for impressive versions of Promised You A Miracle, Up On The Catwalk and crowd favourite Don't You Forget About Me.

Simple Minds are celebrating 30 years in the business and have a new album due in early 2009. On this kind of form, producing a memorable evening, it should be eagerly anticipated.

They are very much Alive And Kicking.

(4 out of 5) Review by Tony Woolway

South Wales Echo

+++ BIRMINGHAM NEC REVIEW +++

Simple Minds were one of the iconic and important bands of the 1980s with such anthems as Alive and Kicking, Don't You (Forget About Me) and their only number one Belfast Child.

But they struggled to recapture those heights during the 1990s and after the turn of the Millennium.

However, judging from the ageing but enthusiastic crowd at the NEC, they haven't been forgotten and from the moment the unmistakable intro to 'Waterfront' kicked off the show and lead singer Jim Kerr bounced onto stage, memories of their sell-out stadium tours came flooding back.

The Birmingham show was one of six special concerts designed to celebrate the band's 30 years in music ahead of the release of a new album in the new year. It's difficult to understand why Kerr and Co had not enjoyed the lengthy success of U2.

Although centred around the album Kerr believes was one of their most important, New Gold Dream, hits such as Promised You A Miracle, Someone and Mandela Day delighted the crowd.

'Don't you forget about me' Kerr crooned, and the Birmingham crowd certainly hadn’t.

(4 out of 5) Review by Rob T2anner

www.birminghammail.net

+++ MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS ARENA REVIEW +++

Simple Minds' fanbase divides into two camps: the purists (including dance acts and Manic Street Preachers) in awe of the electro-rock the band pioneered between 1979-82, and those who down five pints of lager and wobble around during Alive and Kicking. After being ignored in recent years, the purists are getting their reward on this 30th anniversary tour. Following the opener, Waterfront, the arena is turned into an underground club with 1981's pulsating Love Song, then, from 1979, Factory and Chelsea Girl, their rarely heard debut single.

At least purists and wobblers alike can agree that 1982's New Gold Dream album is a shimmering masterpiece, as tonight it is performed in its entirety for the first time. Someone, Somewhere in Summertime is a waltz through a mythical August haze. Promised You a Miracle and Glittering Prize are showcases of early-1980s optimism ("everything is possible"), now with a wistful edge. New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) in some ways invented rave, while a terrific Big Sleep is all minimal electronic pulses and cries of: "We were only young." Even frontman Jim Kerr, so often a stadium ham, seems humbled, as if trying to figure out how these electroscapes, which reflected Europe's rebirth after totalitarianism, somehow gave way to Sanctify Yourself, their 1986 hit.

And yet, once the album is over, the magic fades, as happened in their career. As fists begin to pump the air for Don't You (Forget About Me), the wobblers start wobbling.

(3 out of 5) Review by Dave Simpson

The Guardian

"WINNING FORMULA IS SIMPLE"

It may have been 30 years since they first got together, but Simple Minds are still very much Alive and Kicking.

The Scottish rockers brought their 30th anniversary tour to the West Midlands last night and whipped the crowd into a frenzy from start to finish.

It was a trip down memory lane for all things 80s and all things north of the border as fellow Glaswegians, Deacon Blue, provided a fantastic warm-up to the main event, delivering such classics as Real Gone Kid and Dignity.

When it was time for Jim Kerr and Co to take centre stage, the enthusiastic audience did not need telling to get out of their seats.

The band opened with Waterfront and then took the crowd on a musical journey spanning the past three decades.

They played all the tracks from their early 80s album New Gold Dream as well as uptempo classics Up on the Catwalk, Don't You (Forget About Me) and All The Things She Said.

Kerr, who is approaching his 50th birthday, gave a sterling performance as he bounced across the stage like a 20-something. And when he stood still, for probably the first time all night, it was to deliver an amazing heartfelt vocal performance of Belfast Child.

They closed the show with a track which can be interpreted as a defiant statement from a band that has been producing hits for 30 years and still going strong – Alive and Kicking.

www.expressandstar.com

++++ SIMPLEMINDS.COM SHOP ++++

Numerous items of new merchandise to coincide with the '30 Years Live' Tour have been added to the offical Simple Minds shop. Various newly designed t-shirts (prices range from £20 to £25), including the one sported by Jim Kerr at the recent 'Night Of The Proms' and '30 Years Live' shows, can be purchased from the online shop. Other items include the impressive '30 Years Live' Tour Programme, key chains and rings.

visit the simpleminds.com shop

++++ '30 YEARS LIVE TOUR' BEGINS ++++

Simple Minds kicked off their '30 Years Live Tour' at the Manchester Evening News Arena last night to a near capacity crowd. The band performed their classic album New Gold Dream in its entirety along with the usual crowd pleasing anthems. Please check back soon for reviews & more photographs.

Manchester Evening News Arena, 27th November 2008 Set List:

Waterfront
Speed Your Love To Me
Love Song
Mandela Day
Factory
Chelsea Girl
See The Lights
Hypnotised
Someone, Somewhere (In Summertime)
Colours Fly & Catherine Wheel
Promised You A Miracle
Big Sleep
Somebody Up There Likes You
New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84)
Glittering Prize
King Is White & In The Crowd
Hunter & The Hunted
Don't You (Forget About Me)
All The Things She Said
Belfast Child

Encore

Sanctify Yourself
Alive And Kicking

++++ x2 GLASGOW SECC 4th DECEMBER TICKETS FOR SALE++++

London based Clare Marie Eccles has 2 Glasgow SECC tickets for sale. The concert which takes place on Tuesday 4th December will see the Minds return to their home town in what always proves to be an memorable performance. The tickets for the SOLD OUT show are centre stage and 3 rows from the front.

Due to an illness to Clare's new born baby she is unable to attend the show. Anybody wanting to contact Clare concerning the tickets can do so via the following means:

email: claremeccles@aol.com
facebook: via the 'Crashing Beats & Fantasy' group.

++++ 'BELFAST CHILD' FEATURING SINEAD O' CONNOR ++++

Sinead O' Connor joined Simple Minds on stage during 'Belfast Child' at the recent Night Of The Proms concert in Antwerp.

The stunning performance, which wets the appetite for the forthcoming '30 Years Live' shows, was captured on video and can be viewed here or via YouTube. Enjoy.

++++ '30 YEARS LIVE' AUDIENCE PHOTOGRAPHS ++++

With the forthcoming '30 Years Live' UK shows just around the corner I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a page to pictures of the shows. If anyone attending the shows would like their photographs placed on 'Crashing Beats & Fantasy' then please send your pics to info@simpleminds.org.uk. More news to follow.