Simple Minds front-man Jim Kerr insists the chart-topping legends have never sounded better ahead of their Aberdeen show.
The Scottish rock icons will headline P&J Live on Tuesday April 5 in a much-anticipated concert as part of the ’40 Years of Hits’ tour.
Such is the importance of playing live Kerr views entertaining fans as a ‘way of life’.
The 62-year-old insists there is a fresh ‘energy and buzz’ within the band, which has sold more than 60 million records.
Charismatic singer Jim has vowed to bring joy to Granite City fans and send them home happy from P&J Live.
The tour initially began in 2020 but due to the coronavirus pandemic many shows were postponed, including Aberdeen.
Simple Minds to rock Aberdeen
After that delay, Jim reassured Granite City fans they will see a band perform at the very top of their game.
He said: “We are in great shape for the Aberdeen show, better than ever.
“Live music is what we do – it is a way of life.
“Everything is geared towards the time spent on stage and trying to send the audience away happy at the end of the night.
“Even the rehearsals have energy and buzz that they don’t normally have.
“That tells you something about how enthusiastic we are to play.
“We are desperate to perform because this tour has been postponed before.
“For a band that really made its name playing live, it has been particularly tough not to be able to play music together for the last two years.
“We can’t wait to play Aberdeen.”
One of the world’s biggest live acts
Simple Minds are still ‘Alive and Kicking’ more than four decades after forming in Glasgow in 1977.
In the mid to late eighties, Simple Minds were one of the biggest bands in the world, topping the United States single charts in 1985 with Don’t You Forget About Me.
That success meant mammoth world tours and long isolation from family.
Thankfully touring is much easier now – although Jim jokes his dog still misses him when he’s on the road.
He said: “We live in each other’s pockets and travel together – it’s like a big family and intense.
“To be plugging into that again feels right.
“Touring is easier now than when we first started due to technology.
“About 10 years ago after a soundcheck everyone would be on Skype talking to their bairns who were just back from school.
“That was such a great thing.
“When we first started there weren’t even mobile phones, there was nothing.
“To call home from abroad was more than our wages.
“Even getting the fitba scores was tough. We had to get them from hotel concierges who had the paper from the night before.
“I think more about my dug as I can’t talk to her on Skype.
“My dug misses me the most,” he laughed.
“The dug goes mental. As soon as it sees the case coming out to get packed for a tour she turns her back on me.”
A time machine back to January 1978
In January this year Simple Minds rolled back the years with a nod to their very first live performance.
The band released Act of Love, a reworking of the first song they ever played live.
It was also the opening track on the demo tape that won the band a record deal in 1978.
However, by the time Simple Minds recorded their debut album, Life In A Day, in 1979 Act Of Love had disappeared from their set.
It was never properly recorded – until recently.
The band reworked the track with legendary produced Alan Moulder who had previously collaborated with U2, Suede, Arctic Monkeys and The Killers.
Act of Love was released to mark the anniversary of the band’s very first performance – at Glasgow’s Satellite City on January 17 1978.
Jim said: “Act of Love became a big regret as I always wanted to go back to it.
‘It was our big opening anthem’
“It was the first song we ever played live.
“For the first few years, we opened our set with Act of Love.
“It was our big opening anthem.
“However by the time we got a deal and started making a record a load of new songs had come over the horizon.
“We were more enthusiastic about the new stuff so Act of Love was overlooked and sidelined.
“We thought ‘ach, we’ll come back to it’.
“But we never did.
“Then a few years ago someone did a remix of it on YouTube.
“I thought the guitar riff is great and we really need to go back to it.
“We listened to the original song and it was a great vibe.
“Then we decided that sometime soon we would sit down and try to figure out the missing parts that we could bring to it.”
Act of Love to be played live on tour
Act of Love is a vibrant clash of youthful exuberance and seasoned songwriting.
It has the thrust and energy of teenagers influenced by The Velvet Underground, Magazine and Roxy Music married with a songwriting craft of 45 years.
Jim confirmed Act of Love will be performed live on the tour.
Jim said: “It is a hybrid. There is the energy of when the band started when we were kids.
“However we also brought in the writing experience that we have all these years later.
“While we were working on what will be our new album we were messing around and thought let’s take a break and work on a few other things.
“Act of Love found its time and it was great fun.
“We have been playing it in rehearsals and it will get a live airing too.
“It has great energy.”
How to book tickets to see Simple Minds in Aberdeen
Simple Minds will play P&J Live in Aberdeen on Tuesday April 5. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.