This micro-site features some great Simple Minds content, including video footage from Munich (including Book Of Brilliant Things, Speed Your Love To Me and Hypnotised.) There's also a couple of interviews with Jim and Charlie.

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This is the last of Han-Olof's enthusiastic, and brutally honset, reviews of the German shows. Many thanks for those - they were an excellent preview for those who saw the band in December.

Trier Review The whole thing starts in a worrying way. When the support band go on there are not many people in the hall, not many at all. But at the last minute lots of people flood in. The explanation is surely that Trier is a small town, and most of the audience come driving from places like Luxemburg and Belgium. It's clear from the beginning that Jim is odd, mischevous tonight. Lots of odd talk, and in the presentation of the band, Charlie is "Charlie Bubble" (I think) - Mel is still just Mel Gaynor. Slowly a special, great feeling grows. There is something in the air... Mel can't stop himself. Ghostdancing is of course to be started by Charlie, but Mel can't wait, and starts it instead! Charlie's reaction is walking up to him and shaking his head. And the song is of course as great as ever. People start singing "Gloria" long before Jim. What a feeling. C-Moon Cry Like A Baby is replaced by Big Sleep. Very nice! At the beginning of Chelsea Girl, Jim does what is definitely Elvis impersonations! He stand there cavorting, talking in a deep voice about "the king". In New Gold Dream Mel bangs the drums unbelievably hard. What are his drumskins made of? At the end of the show everyone in the audience, even the ones sitting far away to the side are standing, everyone smiling. I'm at the concert with a friend, who has never seen Simple Minds before. He's a very cool guy, but I can see that he is touched. He has got a small glimpse of what the cult of Simple Minds is all about. We leave the hall. We talk about the support band, and I say that the support band has been put there by the record company and other business people, in order to promote them. He ponders the concept. Then he says what is not a review of the support band, nice as they were: "No. They have been chosen as support for Simple Minds because someone hates them. They have no career after this" I'll tell you all that I went to the last two German concerts too, but I'll end the reviewing here. Next tour I'll test some other countries train and hotel services. One day Sweden (where I'm from) will wake up and Simple Minds will be booked there again. Wake up, people. Hans-Olof Andersson 26th November

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Live And Rare now has it's own page - plus some clarifications about the track-listing. However, matters are still a little confused in Italy. Some people have reported getting hold of this illusive CD - whilst others have been told that the CD won't be in the shops until mid-January - this is in stores with posters giving the December 10th release date.

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Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow Review A MIDDLE-AGED man stands centre-stage in jeans and a black suit jacket unbuttoned to his navel, revealing an oily, tanned chest. He is Jim Kerr and, dammit, he's sexy. Jumping and gyrating around, he injects energy into every riff and drumbeat of his band's slightly repetitive tracks. Their stadium rock set is complete with dry ice, spotlights and a crowd which punches the air and sings along with gusto. The pace relents and Jim stands in darkness at his microphone stand, lit only by a white beam, as he croon Chelsea Girl with bassist Eddie Duffy. Then Waterfront kicks in and he springs back into action. Mandela Day and a great medley of Ghostdancing, Gloria and Light My Fire almost made this a fantastic gig. But there were boring moments. Why save up Alive And Kicking, Promised You A Miracle and Sanctify Yourself and blast them all out in an eight-song encore? Lindsay Mcintosh Sunday Mail - 7 Days Magazine 7th December 2003

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It looks like all the US copies of the DVD are Canadian imports. But, those in the US should try out deepdiscountdvd.com - they're selling the import at $19.95 with free shipping in the US.

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There were a couple of surprises as the Alive And Kicking 2003 wound up with the final dates across the UK. None involved the set-list however.

At Sheffield, a crowd of drunks annoyed Jim to the point that he called them "wankers" before he booted one in the head. And the band's smoke machine set of the fire alarms at Aberdeen during Don't You (Forget About Me). Apparently Charlie was a little reluctant to leave the stage - quite rightly pointing out that he was halfway through a gig.

The concert did start, but as the set-list shows, the arrangement of songs did need changing.

Top prizes to The Herald who managed to illustrate their gig preview with a 1989 picture of Jim.

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A final reminder: BBC Radio Wales will be broadcasting the entire Liverpool gig between 8PM and 10PM (GMT) tomorrow (31st December). The producer has also found an interview conducted with Charlie from a couple of years previously - so that will be broadcast as well. The link to BBC Radio Wales is here.

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As mentioned on the 18th December, Simple Minds won Best Live Act at the Italian Music Awards. Jim, Charlie and Mel collected the award, and then Jim mimed to Don't You (Forget About Me) - probably to tie-in with the Vodafone campaign.

The video of this performance can be found here.

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The Blow Ups, the Italian Simple Minds cover band, played yesterday at a tribute night in Bari, Italy. Unfortunately, due to a backlog of mail, I didn't get Dream Giver updated quickly enough.

However, this won't happen again. The Blow Ups now have their own website at www.blowups.it - featuring MP3 downloads, a gallery, and a news section detailing the dates of their gigs, then there's no need to miss them again.

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The release of Raven Maize's The Real Life was well documented on this website - and in time, it'll be added to the covers discography. Also mentioned at the time, was that this reworking of Theme For Great Cities was actually a reworking of an earlier cover, also called The Real Life, by Corporation Of One. Full details of this release have now been uploaded.

The guest appearances by Jim for other artists has now been added to the discography. At the moment, this just includes his work with Pascal Life, Planet Funk and Jam And Spoon.

All of these records were catalogued at the time in this news section, but extra information about each release has been added to each page.

Congratulations to Simple Minds who have just received an award for Best Live Act at the Italian Music Awards earlier this week.

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THE RAZZ: SIMPLE MINDS Dec 5 2003 Alan Hamilton SIMPLE MINDS, Armadillo, Glasgow December 2. The Minds said goodbye to Glasgow at the start of their British tour with a so-so performance. Singer Jim Kerr had the fans in the palm of his hand only to let them slip through his fingers. All the hits were there Ghostdancing, Santicfy Yourself, Alive And Kicking, Don't You (Forget About Me), but sadly, their new material just doesn't cut the mustard, Cry being one that deflated the crowd from adancing, handclapping frenzy to a subdued audience waiting for the main event. You can't fault the lads for effort though. Mecurial Jim Kerr, the wrong side of 40, but he dances, sway and kicks his way through a two hour set that would leave a man half his age on his knees. His voice still has all the range from yesteryear. Kerr wished the crowd a Merry Christmas at the end of the gig. Hurry back lads but stick to the classics.

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Cynical Heart is currently at #32 in the German charts, whilst Don't You (Forget About Me) 2003 is at #36 in the Italian sales chart.

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Full information about the White Spaces featuring Jim Kerr single has now been uploaded.

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The Scotsman: Music Review Grameme Green Simple Minds *** CLYDE AUDITORIUM, GLASGOW Simple Minds were clearly delighted to be in front of a home crowd last night on the first date of their UK tour. Musically, little has changed for them in the two decades since their critical and commercial peak. Each of their stadium-sized songs recalled late-80s U2, but it’s a formula the band and their fans seemed happy to stick with. Despite claiming to be exhausted, the band kept their energy levels high. Front man Jim Kerr bounded around the stage with Bono-like theatricality as they reeled off one after another of their anthems. But over two and a half hours, the bombast began to grate, the slower numbers like Hypnotised were a little embarrassing, like seeing your parents disco-dance, but Belfast Child showed what the fuss was about all those years ago. Kerr quipped that Simple Minds are "a young, up-and-coming band". While their glory days are behind them, they seemed keen to prove they are still alive and kicking.

The tracklisting for Live And Rare is:

1. Don't You (Forget About Me): Hu-Mate mix.
   The first exclusive for this CD is the first track - this remix hasn't previously appeared.

2. The Man Who Sold The World: Phunk Investigation mix
   A Neon Lights remix which wasn't issued at the time.

3. New Sunshine Morning: Acoustic mix
   The special version from the Billy Sloan show which appeared as the B-side of Spaceface.

4. White Light/White Heat
   A new recording of the live favourite, first broadcast by Billy Sloan on the 1st December. It was recorded during rehearsals for the tour.

5. Dirty Old Town
   A new recording featuring Mick MacNeil, first broadcast by Billy Sloan on the 1st December. It was recorded during rehearsals for the tour.

6. Belfast Child: Live
   
7. Mandela Day: Live
   
8. Alive And Kicking: Live
   These three recordings were taken from Verona. It isn't known if these are the full versions yet.

9. Love Song/Sun City/Dance To The Music: Live
   
10. New Gold Dream: Live
    These are the final two tracks from Live In The City Of Light.

11. Don't You (Forget About Me): Perky Park mix.
    This second remix of Don't You (Forget About Me) appeared on the Don't You (Forget About Me) 2003 single.

12. Biko
    The album version taken from Street Fighting Years.

13. Spaceface: Remix
    The album is wrapped off with a Spaceface remix. It's probably the Tomcraft or Hardakt mix, but that needs to be confirmed.

This CD is only available in Vodafone shops in Italy - and you can only get it if you recharge your phone and hand over an extra five Euros.

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The limtied edition 3" CD version of Cynical Heart was released on the 15th December - the standard 5" CDs are out now.

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On the 6th November, Peter Gabriel was interviewed on the French radio station RTL2. The interviewer told Peter a story from Jim, which took place in 1980 when Simple Minds were supporting him.

On the last night of several concerts in Lisbon, Simple Minds finished their set, and then joined the crowd to watch Peter's performance. Only to be somewhat surprised at the appearance of a little old lady who swept the stage and started to put their microphones and stands away. Turned out it was Peter Gabriel in disguise, persumably having a laugh.

Peter couldn't remember the exact incident, but admitted it was the sort of joke he'd do on a last night.

The DJ also gave Peter a compilation of Simple Minds songs from listener Marc de Montalembert, which included rare gems such as She Moved Through The Fair duet with Alain Stivell, the extended remix of Hypnotised and Song For The Tribes.

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For hardcore collectors, information about the promo version of the Seen The Lights DVD has been added to the discography.

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SaMPLE MINDS - the Simple Minds tribute band are pleased to announce another live performance. Saturday 20th December 2003 Maximilian Park, Werkstatthalle, Hamm, Germany This is a benefit gig to help disadvantaged children in Nordrhein Westfalen. There are several bands appearing. SaMPLE MINDS are playing somewhere in the middle of the concert which runs from 7pm - 11pm followed by an after show party with a DJ etc. The SaMPLE MINDS set will be approx 40 minutes featuring mostly greatest hits. Admission is 7,50 Euros The gig is also being broadcast live on the radio - www.lippewelle.de for details. (At time of writing we're unsure if there will be a web cast transmission). Hope to see you there! SaM

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The set-lists in the tour section have been brought up-to-date. She's A River and Glittering Prize have reappeared - whilst the band were also heard soundchecking War Babies and Let There Be Love at Bournemouth.

The tour pages have been updated with the set-lists from the Hammersmith shows and Cambridge. At the moment, Cry and One Step Closer are being alternated with Big Sleep and All The Things She Said.

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Cynical Heart by Jam & Spoon featuring Jim Kerr was released in Germany on Monday. Two formats are available - a limited edition 3" CD and a standard 5" CD. The smaller format includes the radio mix and Show Me Your Strength whilst the 5" version crams the radio mix, extended radio mix, Cet Merlin mix and Show Me Your Strength onto the disc.

Both the DJ T remixes of New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) which were released in August 2002, have been added to the covers discography.

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The set-lists in the tour section have now been updated. Thanks to everyone who's been sending them in.

Full details about the release of Don't You (Forget About Me) 2003 can now be found here.

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Simple Minds replace Simply Red as the CD given away with the Vodafone promotion. For a recharge, and five extra Euros, the CD is yours (offer only from Vodafone shops in Italy).

The Don't You (Forget About Me) CD was released in Italy on the 28th November. The title is Simple Minds: Don't You (Forget About Me) 2003. Most of the tracks on the 12" were included, along with the addition of the contemporary Phunk Investigation In The City Mix (previously released as Biba-Rom) and the original mix (if anyone had forgotten what that sounded like).

The track listing can be found here. More details will be posted as I get them. And the CD can be purchased from americandisco.net.

They appeared on the Italian TV show called CD-Live on RAI on the 22nd November. This sounds like the Italian version of CD:UK. The fact that they appeared on this show suggests that the single is expected to chart.

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Simple Minds kicked off their UK tour last night with a storming gig in Glasgow. The set-list was:

Book of Brilliant Things
Speed Your Love to Me
Hypnotised
Real Life
The American
Hunter & the Hunted
Premonition
Sweat in Bullet
Street Fighting Years
Mandela Day
Ghostdancing
Don't You (Forget About Me)
Big Sleep
All the Things She Said
Chelsea Girl
Waterfront
New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84)

Theme For Great Cities
Belfast Child
See The Lights
Sanctify Yourself
Let It All Come Down
Someone Sometime In Summertime
Promised You A Miracle
Alive And Kicking

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BBC Radio Wales have a two hour slot to broadcast the one hour, fifty minute Simple Minds recording from the Liverpool gig.... so they're hoping to broadcast the whole thing. It will be broadcast from 8 until 10 on New Years Eve via www.bbc.co.uk/radiowales

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The set-lists in the tour section have been brought up-to-date. She's A River and Glittering Prize have reappeared - and the band were heard soundchecking Let There Be Love and War Babies at Bournemouth, so those might end up in the concert at some point in the future.

Jim did not disappoint. He chatted with Billy Sloan for over an hour, and played two exclusive tracks: White Light/White Heat and Dirty Old Town. Both should be appearing on the forthcoming Live And Rare album although that was not mentioned.

Billy Sloan also played Space and Jeweller To The Stars from Our Secrets Are The Same plus several songs picked by Jim.

The following is a rough transcription of what took place. It's not complete, but should give an idea of what was said.

[Audio: Simple Minds - Space]

BS: That song may not be familiar. It's from Our Secrets Are The Same, which will be released early in the new year. Hello to Jim Kerr from Simple Minds.
JK: This show is possibly the best rock show in the world. But enough of the compliments, I'll still give you stick!
BS: You said you would come back 18 months ago, and you're as good as your word.
JK: [Compliments on the range of music played]. I can't think of any other show that would have me on!
BS: How's tour being going?
JK: Haven't really stopped touring since the start of Cry. The reason is that it's been so enjoyable - and the promoters have asked as back. We've enjoyed being a band again.
BS: You've rehearsed 50-60 songs.
JK: Since we started over a year and a half ago, we've touched 50-60 songs. The reasons for the diversity come from Andy Gillispe and Eddie Duffy. They given us new energy. And they wanted to play the songs they've grown up with.
BS: What's the line-up?
JK: Andy and Eddie. Mel, who wasn't the original drummer, Brian McGee was, and Charlie, who's the boss.
BS: What was the old song which gave you most pleasure?
JK: Chelsea Girl - it's complete circle coming back to that song - it probably got us the recording deal. It was the standout song. It's a new version. It still shows up as really classic. It almost feels like doing a cover -it's been so long. The new version - spine-chilling, fragile, like The Velvet Underground.
BS: What are the tour highlights?
JK: None overall - we're just enjoying it. The balance of the band and playing live is perfect.
BS: What's going through your mind before the hour before going on stage?
JK: That's the time I like to turn up at the venue! I don't go to soundchecks anymore. There's two dressing rooms: noisy and social - that's for the four other guys! And there's the quiet room. That's for me.
JK: And Kel Melrose creates a really quite atmosphere - a nice ambience. And I do some excerises - stretches etc.
BS: What are you like in the last 15 minutes?
JK: I used to have terrible nerves - I'd fret over things - the whole day. Through time, I've worked out that the gig is about energy. And I've worked out that worrying would deplete the energy. So I worry for five minutes before the gig now. The people coming to a gig aren't going to analyse and critise, so I don't worry. But I work with really talented people.
BS: First choice of song?
JK: Ian Durey and The Blockheads - Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll.
BS: Why do you admire him?
JK: I heard it in Germany last week - it made me laugh. Sex And Drugs and Rock and Roll - what else do you need?

[Audio: Simple Minds - Premonition]

BS: A song that's now in the current set.
BS: Why do you spend so much time in Sicily?
JK: We first played in Sicily during the early days of the band. The next day was my birthday - so the promoter took us to Taormina. It was a place where I could spend my time. So I went back more. It's become a home from home.
BS: You work with musicians there?
JK: It used to be a home from home. When I first went, it was big news. But not now. I've been working with musicians and play football...
BS: You play football?
JK: I sponser a team there.
BS: Lot's of questions from people around the world. How do you feel when you're standing in front of thousands of fans and everyone's going crazy?
JK: I'm enjoying it as much as they are. Before I'd be thinking about technical things. When we played our first gig as Johnny And The Self Abusers, we decided how much pleasure there was to play to an audience - it was great. And it's equally so - more so now.
BS: What's it like when 75 thousand people chanted your name at a gig such as Live Aid.
JK: At Live Aid I was thinking that I wore the wrong trousers!
BS: They were those brown things?
JK: They were cream. You wore the brown things! But every gig is special. Whether 75 or 75 thousand.
BS: Mandela Day is back. Why is that?
JK: Big events such as Live Aid become overwhelming, and the magnitude didn't hit you until later. Mandela is still fighting for causes - such as the AIDs cause yesterday. So it felt right to play the song again this year.
BS: Did you meet him?
JK: We met him when he came to London for the welcome home concert. There was such a myth attached to him - it was almost too much. He was like a deity.
BS: He would've never heard of Simple Minds. Did you get any feedback?
JK: He spoke in general about the artists who spoke against apartiheid. The PR girl introduced me as a sportsman, probably a boxer, so I just let him warble on [Laughs]
BS: You've chosen another song.
JK: This is a song I listen to in the quiet room backstage before a gig.

[Audio: Smokey Robinson - Tears Of A Clown]

[Audio: Talking Heads - Burning Down The House] Another of Jim's choices.

BS: Is playing in Glagow different?
JK: Yes - it's playing for friends and family. But I still want it to be as good as it could be.
BS: Are various ex-members rejoining? But what would be the point?
JK: It's a good question. What, as you said, would be the point? The point would be nostaglia. There's no point - there's a lot of inventiveness in Simple Minds before be go down memory lane. But those guys, Derek and Mick and Brian, were great. Mick as been out of the band longer than he's been in. But experience has told me never to say never, but hand on heart, the line up we have now is great.
BS: The common denonimator is you and Charlie. What keeps you together?
JK: We're Laurel And Hardy - a real partnership. There seems to be an axis between guitar player and singer.
BS: Always harmonious?
JK: Not at all. It's tested at times. But we're best mates. But through it all, there's been a desire to maximize this thing we started. We almost live different hours - Charlie works during the night, he's a night bird. I wake up at 6:30, 7:00 - I can get things done in the morning, I can get things done 3-4 hours before anyone turns up. I've heard that's true of a lot of bands.
BS: You've brought in a CD?
JK: I didn't dare to come in without something - a few years ago we did Neon Lights. But we didn't include the cover we first played. It was White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground.
BS: What was Lou Reed like? [For This Is Your Land]
JK: He was a teddy bear. Everyone told us he wouldn't do it. Trevor Horn said we should ask him - and he did it. I went with the tapes to Paris - and I was terrified. Reed has a reputation - it's like working with Picasso. He said "So - what do you want me to do?" "I said do it like Lou Reed" He said: "Everyone else is doing it, why can't I?"

[Audio: Simple Minds - White Light/White Heat - Real industrial version - very much like the original]

BS: Is Once Upon A Time your favourite album?
JK: No, I don't have a favourite album. I always feel great about the stuff we're working on. But I won't play any new stuff tonight- it will be on the Internet tomorrow - so I don't dare play it. So it's just covers. [Which will be all over the Internet tomorrow - Simon]

[Audio: Simple Minds - Jeweller To The Stars]

BS: What's on the box set?
JK: It changes every week. The track list changes every week. The release date changes every week. I don't know what's going on it.
JK: We're working on a great new record - I want to talk about that.
JK: Plague VIRGIN. Don't e-mail me!
JK: For the last year, we've been working
on the new album on and off. We want an album of big pop songs. It will be a muscular record.
BS: What new records have you listened to? JK: Not many. When Woody Allen makes films he doesn't watch the current crop - that's sort of what we're doing. I'm currently rediscovering lots of music: Van Der Graff Generator, Johnny Cash, Carl Porter.
BS: Your next choice of record is from U2. You have a close friendship with U2?
JK: It was from touring. Specifically the Tourhort Festival. It was 1982, or 1983. A two day festival. We were on the bill, they were on the bill. The first day, they went first. Second day we went first. First day, we killed them. Second day, we got our arse's kicked.
JK: It's The Fly from Achtung Baby. It's the lyrics. The lyrics are sheer genius.

[Audio: U2 - The Fly]

[Audio: Johnny Cash - Hurt]

JK: I didn't know that Trent Reznor had written that. I'd like to dedicate that to my Dad who's a huge fan.
BS: Why record Dirty Old Town?
JK: I love the melody. We dedicated the last song to Johnny Cash for my father, but this song is dedicated to my mother.

[Audio: Simple Minds - Dirty Old Town]

JK: We changed the lyrics. We did it for Jimmy Johnson - the greatest Celtic player ever. Currently fighting an illness. Next year, he's got a DVD coming out of his story - passionate about music and football. He asked us to take part in the film. As part of the interview, they asked us to do a song. So we did Dirty Old Town with Jimmy.
BS: What was he like?
JK: Jimmy's really nice!
BS: You up for staying up to half past ten? The big boss has called in and given permission.

[Audio: Simple Minds - New Gold Dream]

[News]

[Audio: Simple Minds - Death By Chocolate]

BS: How does that sound?
Jk: It really sounds great. It doesn't compare to any other Simple Minds album - it's sounds like an album we didn't make - I know that statement doesn't make sense.
BS: Over 5000 pounds was raised for a hospital by the Simple Minds convention. What feedback do you get from fans?
JK: It's hard to generalise. Cover bands, conventions, web sites. It's great to see when things grow out of the band. Some fans have grown up with us - they're now bring their own offspring to concerts!
BS: Did you see the Stars In Their Eyes Jim Kerr?
JK: No - it's hard to relate. But Chrissie Hynde does a good im Kerr impersonation. We're very much friends, we kept close, and I'm a great fan. When they play live, I still go and see her playing live.

[Audio: The Pretenders - Stop Your Sobbing]

BS: What would be your Desert Island Records?
JK: David Bowie - it was the first album I bought. And a Marvin Gaye record as well. And I need to pick something cosmic - Dark Side Of The Moon.
Bs: Next choice is a cracker - Rob Stewart.

[Audio: Rod Stewart - You Wear It Well]

BS: What's planned for the next six months after the tour?
JK: It's staight into the new record - recording both Glasgow in Sicily.
BS: Still really excitied by it?
Jk: You have periods that are greater than others. But this is a great period for us. We tour when we want too, we put out records when we want too. But we wouldn't mind a hit!

[Audio: Bob Dylan - What And Why]

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Offenbach 24th November. The Simple Minds world is in shock. This night Jim didn't introduce Mel as "the greatest drummer in the world, but simply as Mel Gaynor. Mel had to rub his head extra with the towel to get over it. The Offenbach Stadthalle (City hall) is so small that the stage was in the hall's longside direction. Not very good sound close to the stage, but that was compensated by the intimate feel of it all. This night there was a change in the setlist, as C Moon was replaced by Cry. At the end of Chelsea Girl Eddie Duffy sings, and this night Jim gave him credit as "Elvis Duffy". Mel improvises a lot all over the songs. In Someone Somewhere in Summertime he makes the song just march on, but in Promised You A Miracle, he has the chance to make the music really swing. I'd like to take the opportunity to say something about why Charlie often mouths the lyrics, often out of sync with Jim's singing. If you look closely, you'll se Eddie and Andy doing it too. You see, when a musician plays a piece of music, it's like he's running a computor program. It's all about concentration. Thinking any words at all is risking losing focus. But in some parts of the songs the music repeat certain patterns over and over again. And counting how many times would be thinking, and risking losing concentration. By mouthing the lyrics, the musician gets a clue to how far in the song the band has come, and this without having to think about what the words are. And there's no need to to it exactly in sync with the singer. Charlie can just mouth the words a few seconds after Jim sings them, and this helps him to keep perfectly on track. The Offenbach concert was another joyful one, with, as said, an intimate feel. Hans-Olof Andersson

Braunschweig 21st November. Braunschweig is a good-looking town with nice medieval buildings, and a tourist information that kindly takes down the tour poster from the wall and gives it to me, and then book me into a hotel where the proprieter has Simple Minds as his favourite band. The concert hall is round, and looking up, the ceiling looks just like the space ship that destroys New York City in "Independence day". Support artist Marque ("I am Marque, and this is my band") are, as said, nice and sweet. Not bad. Simple Minds come in, and tonight Andy shows us his beautiful hair! Great! The show begins and I'll tell you right away That the setlist is the same as that of the two previous shows. In Hypnotized, Jim dances. I've never seen him dance as funnily as tonight, tripping around and swinging his rear parts. Some middle-aged women scream and faint. No, just joking. But he's having too much fun. He loses concentration and in Real Life comes in too early with his singing. But a look from Charlie stops him. Jim is so ashamed that he resolutely takes the mike stand and walks to the other end of the stage, and sings from there. Mel, I have to mention Mel. Give him attention! He sees if people do that, and it stimulates him. I am a bit of a drums fanatic myself, and Mel is, as Derek once said, "improbably tight". But please don't throw us your towels Mel. One or two drums to go with the sticks would be nice, though. The encores begin, there are eight songs in one row. Jim's German is improving, it's all kinds of german phrases, tonight. He says something at the end of See The Lights, just like in Berlin and Hamburg. Inaudible, though. Everybody in the big hall cheers, and it's over. Another good show, but now we are off to Düsseldorf, and I know the audience there will be full of fanatics, because then the Belgian people will come, and they are even more Simple Minds-fanatic than the German fans... Hans-Olof Andersson

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Congratulations to:

• Kristin Ericson
  
• Mark Jones
  
• Peter Gregoire

You're the winners of the Chelsea Girl promo competition.

The answer was a little ambiguous as I didn't ask which version of Chelsea Girl I wanted the producer for. So I accepted both Lex McEwan & Simple Minds (for the demo version) and John Leckie (for the final album/single version).

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Dusseldorf 22nd November. What an audience! What a feeling they give off! Some other concerts have taken up to ten songs until things have gotten really hot. But here we are in communal trance already during song number five, The American. I hold this tribute to argentinian author Jorge Luis Borges to be one of Simple Minds five best songs. And one day, one day, we will get a really long version again... Jim says "It's great to be back in sexy Düsseldorf!" It' "let's dance!" in Hunter And The Hunted, and Charlie tries not to laugh openly when, at the end, five people in the front row suddenly hold up signs with figures on them. Jim seems to get mostly 3's and 5's for his dancing. Or does the whole thing mean something else? Premonition. It grows and grows. It feels like a whole new song. In Ghostdancing the audience start to sing "Gloria" long before the band have come to that part. This audience is something, Jim. How are you gonna handle them? I don't think C Moon Cry Like A Baby and Sweat In Bullet come alive very well, at any night. Why do they chose to play those instead of newer songs? We would of course like to hear songs from Our Secrets... but it's understandable that they don't play songs that are nor officially released. But what about something from Néapolis? Chelsea Girl is very slow and soft, and the keyboards have been changed compared to the original. To Jim and Charlie playing this song from 1979 must be like discovering and old photo album. In some ways the past is a dead end, but by studying the artifacts from it, you can get a completely new picture of what it was all about. It's important to be reconliled with your past. But then we are back to timeless music, Waterfront and New Gold Dream. Jim doesn't make any local reference tonight, which is odd, being in the Capital of the seventies glorious krautrock. After two hours and fifteen minutes Jim shakes the last sweat from his head and it' over. What a great night! Hans-Olof Andersson

Jim will be appearing on Billy Sloan's Sunday night radio show, which is broadcast by Radio Clyde.

The last time he appeared (just before The Floating World Tour), they played sessions of She Moved Through The Fair, New Sunshine Morning (later released as New Sunrise) and Freedom Angel.

It isn't known if they'll be playing anything exclusive again - but it's definitely worth a listen.

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Berlin 19th November. In Berlin they play in a place called the Columbiahalle. It's small, Steve Pollard and his light show people are perched on a balcony, looking a bit worried about the special arrangements thay have been forced to. When the support band for the German shows, Marque, come on they don' get any applause at all. That' how hard it is to impress a Berliner. Marque play softly and sweetly and the supercool Berlin people finally applaud. Simple Minds stroll on to the intro of Book Of Brilliant Things, and this night there are no annoying extra speakers. In 2002 they played 23 songs each night, with this show they are up to 25. Hunter and the Hunted has Mel coming in halfway through. Andy has programmed drums for the first half. It's my opinion that programmed drums can't be musical. But it's rather fun, Jim dances freely and youthfully. It all sounds a bit like the way they did King Is White and In The Crowd in 1984. This night I percieve Premonition not just as hard, but also as fabulous. Distorted guitar, great. After the Gloria and Light My Fire sections in Ghostdancing, Jim sings "We can be heroes". A reference to Bowie's Berlin period! Andy and Mel stare at each other in surprise. As second song of the encore, they do a three minute version of Belfast Child. At the end of See The Lights Jim sings "Welcome to the Cabaret". Let It All Come Down is arranged with very heavy keyboard crashes, that make the song less subtle, but more dramatic. It's like an effect to a horror movie. It fits well with tonights feel of a club gig. The lights were made that way to. On to Hamburg, for a sports hall concert! Hans-Olof Andersson

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The German television show Sportschau (the biggest German sports show that features the German soccer league Bundesliga on Saturday evening) has chosen Jam & Spoon's Cynical Heart as a theme song. It's used for the highlights section of the show as well as for radio advertisements.

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The new date for the box set is March next year.

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And the release date of Jam & Spoon's Cynical Heart has been pushed back to the 8th December.

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The cover's discography continues to grow with the addition of Impedance's Don't You (Forget About Me) from 1990. (This actually isn't the next cover - it should've been Corporation Of One - but I'll sort that out in the near future.)

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Hamburg 20th November. At the doors of the German concerts a brochure is distributed, promising (almost) free concert photos. Accept one of those, fill in name and adress and send it in. It's Jim and Charlie that will select the photos that will be sent to the fans as a souvenir. It seems to be a fair deal. You pay by putting extra stamps onto the card. This audience is much bigger than the one in Berlin. My first two points are about Andy. He's got beautiful hair, but hides it every night under some woolly thing. How can he stand the heat? And his start of Book Of Brilliant Things is revealed as being pre-programmed, because it starts without him! Don´t get lazy, Andy. The songs are the same as in Berlin, there is a bit of feeling of pre-programmed-ness all around. But Premonition is a highlight. It just grows show by show. What a drama it is when Jim sings "The sound of machines, that grind to a halt..." This audience is unstoppable in their la-la's after Don't you (Forget About Me). The band don't like it. They are determined to squeeze in 25 songs before eleven o'clock. When Jim asks us if we are tired, and we scream "no!", he adds "I am tired". He might be, but his funny dancing tells us he's still having fun. We do get a local musical reference just as in Berlin, but not to Brahms as I had guessed, instead it' a hushed "She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah" at the end of See The Lights. The light show totally explodes during New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84). In this mystic and trancendental classic Simple Minds' influence from Krautrock is at it's most obvious. The German art-rock in the seventies was like this, a combination of finery and force. Simple Minds are spiritually at home in Germany. In Promised You a Miracle someone waves a Rangers banner. Jim is in shock. He looks, shakes his head, and changes the lyrics to "some things are not possible". Despite of what Jim said about being tired, this show was as energetic as ever. But don't forget the promise about unpredictability you've given us, Jim! Hans-Olof Andersson

Sons And Fascination

The big razz interview: It's been 25 years since Simple Minds burst on to the pop scene ..all of which is news to Jim Kerr's boy James...

JIM KERR is celebrating Simple Minds' 25th anniversary this year but his son is only just finding out how huge dad really was.

The Scots band were one of the biggest groups in the Eighties, scoring an American No.1 in 1985 with Don't You Forget About Me. And who can forget Jim, arms outstretched in tight black leggings, legs halfbowed and a billowing white shirt? But James Kerr, Jim's 11-year old son by Patsy Kensit, is realising his dad looked a bit weird.

Jim laughed: ``When we were about to tour last year my son found out one of his teachers was a big fan and had tickets for the London gig. He came in and said: `You had a No.1.' ``Then the next day he came in aghast and said: `My teacher said you used to wear eyeliner.' I looked at him and said: What do you mean used to?''

Jim, 44, can afford to be flippant. Simple Minds have become one of dance's biggest touchstones. Raven Maize's The Real Life sampled Theme For Great Cities as did Sunscreem's huge Nineties hit Perfect Motion. Other dance acts include Kawala's Humanistic sampled New Gold Dream and DJ Jason OO Flemming's reworking of Belfast Child. Then, of course, there's the back catalogue of songs such as Don't You Forget About Me, Waterfront, Alive and Kicking, Promised You A Miracle, Life In A Day, Sweat In Bullet and Love Song.

Jim is obviously proud his past achievements are at last sinking in with his son, who is an Eminem and Robbie Williams fan. But it seems James still doesn't know that mummy used to be in Eighth Wonder. Jim laughed: ``I'd forgotten all about that. I suppose music is in his genes. He has talked about being a drummer but once when I was in the car and asked him what he'd do he told me he'd really like to be a footballer. ``He said: `I'm really trying hard. I'm pretty good, but have to be great and just don't think I'm that good.' ``There was silence and he went `so I'll probably just go into movies.' ``I couldn't believe it. My background was maybe be a joiner or a civil servant he's in a completely different world.''

Jim, who also has an 18-year-old daughter Yasmin with singer Chrissie Hynde, seems relieved Patsy's marriage to and public falling out with Liam Gallagher is over. As James' dad he admits he kept his opinions to himself. And seems to still be doing so. He said: ``It was hard, but James is very good at school. There is enough love about him. Any families, when things cease, move on in life. It's not easy and there is a lot of diplomacy involved. ``You no longer have a say, but are still family. They are still mothers of your kids and you want them to be doing well.''

But Celtic fan Jim doesn't have a say on what football team his son supports. James is a die-hard Arsenal fan and he supports England not Scotland. Jim said: ``I suppose it could be worse. What could I do? Arsenal are his local team and it's good he's supporting his local team. ``But he does get less pocket money off me these days.'' He said: ``For the England/Turkey game he asked me who I wanted to win. When I said Turkey he was gob smacked and asked me how I could do that. ``I told him it was a long, long story, but he doesn't get it yet. ``I'm sure when he's older he'll get it and start wearing a Jimmy wig and have a Proclaimers album under his sleeve.''

Jim's daughter Yasmin, 18, has become an actress but is also causing Jim some problems. He said: ``I wanted to see her Channel 4 drama 40, but she told me not to because it was `a bit cutting edge'.'' In the drama, Yasmin's teenage character sleeps with her father's best friend, played by Eddie Izzard. Jim said: ``But my whole road crew let me know about it anyway. Good on her, though. She did it off her own back. She didn't use me or Chrissie. She's set off on a road which isn't easy. It's a hard, hard game and I wish her the best.''

But enough of Jim's private life, we're here to talk about his music. He and childhood buddy Charlie Burchill are back together. Simple Minds' UK tour stars in Glasgow on December 1 at the Clyde Auditorium for two nights and ends in a sold-out gig at Aberdeen's Music Room on December 20. The band have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide since they formed in 1978. Last week they released a double DVD Seen The Lights A Visual History. Jim admitted: ``We are re-born and have an energy and a hunger we haven't had for years. ``Four years ago I was lost. I lost the desire to make music. It was like being in a jumbo jet without any oil. ``I really thought that was it. I was casual about it, there was no regrets, we'd done well.''

Jim and Charlie go back to when they were eight years old and became pals in a sandpit in Glasgow's Toryglen. Charlie's brother Jamie, who was older than the two friends, had records by Alice Cooper and Lou Reed that they would listen to when he had gone out of the house. As teenagers at Holyrood School, Govanhill, they immersed themselves in music. Jim explained: ``So much of this came from Charlie's side. His mum saved up her Embassy coupons and bought him a guitar and we were off.''

They played in punk band Johnny & The Self-Abusers with guitarist Duncan Barnwell and drummer Brian McGee before Jim, Charlie and Brian formed Simple Minds bringing in Mick McNeill on keyboards and Derek Forbes on bass. They took their name from a line in David Bowie's song Jean Genie.

Jim said: ``I loved the other guys. With any group the singer and the guitarist always hog the limelight, but we also worked with giants. ``You think of electronic music nowadays Mick did that 25 years ago. And Derek's bass lines don't get the credit they deserve. ``There was such a swagger about us. We really fancied ourselves as a great band, fancied ourselves before we were one, but we worked hard and became one.''

The line-up changed over the years, but Jim and Charlie have stuck together. Jim added: ``What's the secret? We're obviously best mates. We need each other to make music. ``We are able to give each other space. Charlie lives in Dublin, so I don't see him that much. And we can have a right good barney.''

As well as an American No.1, Simple Minds also topped the charts in the UK with Ballad Of The Streets EP featuring Belfast Child and Mandela Day in 1989. But by the late 90s it seemed Simple Minds were on the verge of splitting. Jim was spending much of his time between homes in Taormina (Sicily) and Glasgow. In Sicily, the Celtic-loving musician would play five-a-sides (he eventually would sponsor a football team and more recently a volleyball team in the town). He said: ``While playing football some of the younger guys would pass a CD to me. Everyone seems to make their own music in Italy. They'd always be wanting me to come to their studio and I'd always say no. ``But then one day I did and in an hour I was feeling it again. I hadn't felt it for four years, but these two guys made me want to make music. ``I think we burned out because we'd been on tour for ever and Charlie and I needed to give ourselves time to rediscover our music and who we were. ``Charlie and I decided to give it a go. If we'd been a shadow of our selves we'd have stopped, but with every gig we got strong and stronger.''

Now they are back touring and released latest album Cry last year. Jim knows what's ahead of them He said: ``We'll play live this year and then start writing and recording. We need to make a classic Simple Minds record big, emotional and positive. ``We need a landmark album. That's the pressure we are putting ourselves under artistically. ``We'd love to have a No.1, but we play every night for 7000 people. We play our hearts out. They go nuts and afterwards we go nice for something to eat. ``We travel good and it feels great.''

Rick Fulton
The Razz
Daily Record
November 14th 2003

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Hamburg – Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, 20th November. The lights went off… Applause… Excitement… Simple Minds entered the stage… 5 to 1… 1 to 5… The beginning of a fantastic evening. Even though the show wasn´t sold out, the atmosphere was absolutely brilliant. Everybody came for just one reason: to celebrate one of the greatest live bands in the world. The crowd sang along to all the classic hits. And even didn’t stop at the end of these songs. I got the impression that Jim sometimes thought the it wasn’t necessary to go on singing and turned the microphone in our direction, because we did such a good job (remember Gloria and Mandela Day). Jim, Charlie and the others seemed to be happy to play in front of us and we were happy to be able to say thank you to the band with a great atmosphere and our applause. That was our way to give them back what they deserve. Jim really wanted to be near to the audience. Most of the time he walked on the edge of the stage and then he came “one step closer”. He didn’t really came one step closer but he chased away the security from in front of the stage. With this gesture he showed us that there shouldn’t be anything between them and us (that was how it seemed to us). Regarding to the music the show was brilliant and great! The sound wasn’t that good, but this depended on the venue. It is originally a sports hall and not a concert hall. The set list was incredible… as expected after reading the reviews from the recent shows. What can I say, that wasn’t said before? Wonderful!! Wonderful to hear some of the old hits and to see how these songs had developed. I really love the way they played Chelsea Girl. Another highlight next to Real Life was Street Fighting Years. Unfortunately I didn’t had the chance to see the Street Fighting Years Tour. I only saw the Verona video and thought that the live performance of this song is breathtaking. Now I know it is! During this song I got goose-flesh. It was a wonderful evening, a wonderful party with the band and the crowd and it was wonderful to see that the band is really loving what they do. Thank you so much for that! (P.S. Jim, Charlie and Eddie, thank you for spending your time for signing our set-list, tickets etc. and having a little chat with us.) Ulf

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The new Absolutely 12" of Don't You (Forget About Me) remixes is now out. Strangely, it doesn't say Simple Minds anywhere on it - it simply says Don't You (Forget About Me) featuring White Spaces.

The four remixes are great - these are classic old-school remixes retaining the song's structure and form - unlike the highly contemporary remixes by Biba-Rom. You can find out more about this release here.

The Absolutely (12") single of Don't You (Forget About Me) is released today in Italy. The Carosello CD of the single will feature five remixes of the title track, and is expected to be released just before Christmas.

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Live And Rare can be obtained from Vodafone shops in Italy from the 10th December for five Euros if a telephone recharge is purchased.

It features two remixes of Don't You (Forget About Me), a remix of The Man Who Sold The World, session versions of White Light/White Heat and Dirty Old Town (the later including Mick MacNeil - both recorded in Glasgow before the current tour) and Biko.

Speculation also suggests that remixes of Speed Your Love To Me or Somebody Up There Likes You are also included.

Sources also differ about the number of tracks - it's either 13 or 14.

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Promo photo taken at the Cynical Heart video. (The single Cynical Heart by Jam And Spoon featuring Jim Kerr is released on the 1st December).

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The shelved live recording of Simple Minds from the Liverpool gig is now scheduled for New Year's Eve on BBC Radio Wales. It will be all or some of the show - "time and the edit will tell."

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It looks like the Simple Minds box set has now been pushed into 2004. This includes the album Our Secrets Are The Same.

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Speaking of Our Secrets Are The Same, this postcard for the St. Etienne manages to promote an album that isn't issued, whilst using a stock shot of Simple Minds from the second See The Lights video shoot. Well mixed up.

The live pictures used over the next few updates were taken by Sandra at the Paris gig. (Thanks to Pascal and Sandra).

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Copenhagen 17th November. This is all in comparison with the concerts in May last year, the last ones I saw. And some differences are startling. The set-up of the speakers in this sports hall in Copenhagen is weird, the people in the front row have the sound from a set of extra speakers right in their faces. To us standing there it adds to the impression of a Simple Minds playing harder than last year. This is neither a greatest hits tour, nor a showcase for anything new. I would call it an archeology tour. We are warmed up by a few classics such as Hypnotized and The American, but is is from the sixth song and forwards the dig into the treasures of the past really begin. Hunter And The Hunted is rather short, not much keyboard wizardry. And then we are reminded of the hard-rock side of Simple Minds, in Premonition. It seems to have turned into an even harder sort of rock during its twenty years as a fossil. Sweat In Bullet is much the same. Amazing to hear. Even Street Fighting Years is not very soft. Instead of the half-acoustic bass used by Malcolm Foster (as in Verona) Eddie Duffy hammers solidly onto his bass, and in this song it is startingly clear in the mix. One more impression before I haste to the train to Berlin: the new version of Ghostdancing, intersected by chunks of Gloria and Light My Fire. Charlie plays the weirdest start-stop guitar, and sadly, sadly there isn't much of the joyful middle-section riff he repeated for several minutes in last year's version. But the new version of Chelsea Girl is a whole other story. More about that later. Hans-Olof Andersson (With thanks to Frank Langemark for the set-list).

It's not going to be a quiet end of the year.

Thing's are starting to get confusing, so here's a round-up:

• Back in March, Abosulutely Records issued several remixes of Don't You (Forget About Me) under the Biba-Rom moniker. With newly recorded vocals by Jim, it should be considered part of the Simple Minds discography proper. For more details see the covers discography.

• In October, this release was repackaged with a new remix, and issued as White Spaces vs. Jim Kerr. A 12" has already appeared (and I hope to get a copy soon to verify the details) and a CD single is expected in January.

• And now Simple Minds are issuing Don't You (Forget About Me) in Italy on November 20th, which features another new remix. However, this single is potentially far more exciting, as it's part of a tie-in with Vodafone Italy. Don't You (Forget About Me) is being used in their advertisement campaign, and this 12" (along with an expected CD on Carosello) features the music from the advertisement.

• www.americandisco.net are stars again, as you can purchase this new Simple Minds release from them. Have a look in their "Coming Soon" section where you can order, and listen, to the new remix. You can also purchase the Cry and Spaceface remixes from them as well.

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And as part of the Vodafone promotion, a special Simple Minds album will be available Vodaphone shops in Italy. Entitled Live And Rare, it will feature archive live recordings, remixes and new sessions recorded by the band.

This was previously announced on simpleminds.com, but they've already managed to lose their posting, so the only details I can find to link to now are on the Simple Minds mailing list.

Not very helpful for those outside Italy, but avenues are being explored. The album is being released on the 10th December.

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SaMPLE MINDS - the Simple Minds tribute band, are pleased to announce a couple of new live dates.

Saturday 29th November 2003
Neumarkt, Krefeld, Germany (near Dusseldorf/Cologne)
On stage at about 6pm.

This is a benefit gig in aid of the people of Northern Westfalen. The gig is open-air in the town centre square. Though the stage is covered and heated, the audience isn't - so wrap up warm! Admission is free, though money can be donated.

Also appearing on the bill are Richie (famous German comedian), C.B. Green, Malu (from Cuba), Tasty Nuts, Lea Finn and Projeckt M.O.N.A.

There's also an auction of memorabilia, including signed REM, Nena and Phil Collins stuff.

www.lichtblicke.de for further details.

SaMPLE MINDS are closing the event and will be playing a set of approximately 70 minutes - mostly greatest hits. This will be a scary gig as the guys will not be rehearsing or sound-checking prior to the performance - you've been warned!!!

Saturday 20th December 2003
Maxipark, Werkstatthalle, Germany
7pm - 11pm

Another charity event which is broadcast live on German radio (they'll probably rehearse for this one!). It will be a short set and apparently all the artists unite to perform a song at the end! More details soon.

SaMPLE MINDS

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Obscure Italian 12" remix releases are nothing new. The covers discography continues to grow with a rare remix of Alive And Kicking from 1985.

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It's competition time.

Win a copy of the Chelsea Girl promo. Apparently only 250 copies of Simple Minds first promo single were pressed up, they feature an edit version of the song, and I've got three copies for grabs. These used to be part of Bruce Findlay's stock, so apart from a new nicks and scratches on the sleeves from sitting in a box for over twenty years, the records remain unplayed. I would grade them as EX/UNP.

And the question is: Name the producer of Chelsea Girl.

Answers should be e-mailed to simon@simpleminds.org.

The competition closes on the 21st November 2003. Good luck!

Jim was interviewed on BBC Radio 2 to promote the tour and the DVD. It was a relatively quick ten minute chat, and I'm paraphrasing/summarizing most of this.

The DJ mentioned that it was 25 years since Simple Minds started making records. He commented that Jim was looking well on it - plus he made a mention to the Rolling Stones looking rough - and that was from the start of their carrer. Jim mentioned seeing an advertisement where the Rolling Stones were used to advertise cosmetics - use this product or you'll end up looking like them.

DJ: What are you doing?
Jim: We've been playing live again. Feels good. Four, five years ago - it wasn't good. We were out of gas. So we headed for the hills, returned refreshed. Now enjoy every gig.

DJ: 1982 was the big breakthrough year with New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) Which was album number six.
Jim: It's amazing - New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) was our first mainstream success. Until then, we wore our influences on our sleeves. For New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84), the Alchemy was right. It wouldn't be allowed these days for a band to develop.

DJ: It's one of the perfect pop records. [Hums intro of Promised You A Miracle]. You don't need to introduce it as the first line is the title.
Jim: Thanks for that. We're working on new songs. We didn't realise that at the time. It was our first hit - you can feel it's positiveness in the music.

The DJ then mentioned the Visual History DVD and introduced "one of the best stadium songs you've done"
[Plays See The Lights]

DJ: The whole song was built to be sung in a stadium, especially the guitar solo. You cracked the stadium anthems, but they could still be played on an acoustic guitar.
Jim: In the beginning, we'd play bigger and bigger venues and festivals in stadiums. "What songs do we have that could work here?" See The Lights has the scope - intimate and works in a stadium.

DJ: Don't You (Forget About Me) was the big breakthrough, then Once Upon A Time, then international stardom. Did you have a plan?
Jim: There was no master plan. The Clash and The Jam thought stadium rock was very uncool - we weren't going to follow any other's mandates. A good band could play a stadium or small party. Some bands said "We wouldn't play a stadium", I said "You wouldn't have that dilemma."

DJ: There's been some line-up changes in the past, but it's always been you and Charlie.
Jim: I met him when we were eight. He was in a sandpit near a building site, being creative as always. I asked if I could join in - and still do.

DJ: You've just played Margate and Southend. Not obvious places for Simple Minds. Were they warm-up gigs?
Jim: We're not allowed to call gigs warm up gigs. Straight after those were Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam - they were far more in the deep end. They all count. We haven't played for years - we have to prove ourselves again - and we don't turn our noses up at one gig or another.

DJ: You got the name Simple Minds from Bowie's The Jean Genie.
Jim: Our name changed from week to week - that was the name of the band when we got our first review in NME.

They then followed up with a competition to win tickets and a five signed DVDs.
[Plays: Alive And Kicking]

You can now use PayPal to purchase Who's Doing The Dreaming Now?.

Before the convention in March, I inteviewed Mick MacNeil for issue 11 of the fanzine. We concentrated entirely on his post-Simple Minds career, as Endless River fanzine did a great interview with Mick about his time with Simple Minds.

I'd like to run both interviews back-to-back in Who's Doing The Dreaming Now? - so could anyone from the editorial team of Endless River e-mail me to check that it'll be OK?

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It's competition time.

Win a copy of the Chelsea Girl promo. Apparently only 250 copies of Simple Minds first promo single were pressed up, they feature an edit version of the song, and I've got three copies for grabs. These used to be part of Bruce Findlay's stock, so apart from a new nicks and scratches on the sleeves from sitting in a box for over twenty years, the records remain unplayed. I would grade them as EX/UNP.

And the question is: Name the producer of Chelsea Girl.

Answers should be e-mailed to simon@simpleminds.org.

The competition closes on the 21st November 2003. Good luck!

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A sixty second inteview with Jim with Metro Magazine can be found here.

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Mel Gaynor is releasing an EP on the 1st December which will feautre a cover of Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love. More details can be found on Mel's website.

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Also released on the 1st December, is Jam And Spoon's Cynical Heart which Jim on vocals. It's very atmospheric, having an early Gary Numan feel. But don't take my word for it. The video can be found here (requires RealPlayer) - opinion is split over Jim's glasses (well, I like them).

The picture on the right shows JIm wearing similar glasses.

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The tour page has been updated with the Milan gig set-list. I've also been corrected - Banging On The Door was last played on the US leg of the Good News From The Next World tour and not the Real Life tour as I previously said.

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Apparently the DVD is going to be released in the USA on the 2nd December (Region One, NTSC).

More surprises at Geneva with Come A Long Way returning to the set, and the reappearance of Banging On The Door (not played since 1991's Real Life shows.)

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Cynical Heart by Jam And Spoon featuring Jim Kerr will be issued in Germany on the 1st December on Island Records.

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Don't You (Forget About Me) by White Spaces featuring Jim Kerr will be issued on CD after Christmas. So far, it's just circulating as a 12" in Germany.

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One of the missing areas of the discography is a list of covers. Such a list would include artists such as Impedance with Don't You (Forget About Me), Corporation Of One with The Real Life and USURA with Open Your Mind.

In the last couple of years, the separation of this discography with Simple Minds has been blurred - DJ T and Biba Rom releases are Simple Minds songs with newly recorded vocals by Jim but aren't issued under the Simple Minds name.

As everything is starting to get rather confused, and as it's leaving large holes in the discography here, I've started the covers discography with the two rexmies by Biba Rom.

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Gordon Goudie has recently been spotted playing rhythm guitar for Echo And The Bunnymen. Gordon was the third member of Simple Minds for the Neon Lights album and helped out with some of the Cry sessions. He can also be spotted playing bass in the Dancing Barefoot video (not on the DVD) and is just pictured on the left on the picture used for the Cry cover.

The set-lists continue to evolve and change as Simple Minds started the European leg of the Alive And Kicking tour.

Hynotised and Let It All Come Down appeared, whilst Premonition came back, and the band beat all encore records at Rotterdam by reappearing to play first five and then seven songs.

All the setlists can be found in the tours section.

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The DVD page has been updated - it was released in Russia on the 1st, and TV advertisments for the set appeared in The Netherlands on RTL4.

It's also number 6 in the top 10 featured on www.play.com.

NME even gave it 7 out of 10.

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The links section has been updated. New sites appearing include Caledon, The Floating World (German fanclub), Sound In 70 Cities (MP3 dowloads) and the Eddie Duffy site now features some pictures.

A page featuring information, track listings, DVD-ROM contents, and all sorts of trivia has been added to Dream Giver Redux.

Surprises so far? Welcome back Premonition, Speed Your Love To Me, Come A Long Way, Real Life, Hunter And The Hunted, 30 Frames A Second, Sweat In Bullet and Street Fighting Years.

Cheslea Girl appeared in a startlingly good new arrangement - much slower, and built upon itself, gradually revealing the album version.

The warm-up gigs built upon the firm foundations of the The Floating World Tour and the summer festival gigs. The band are tight and on top form. It looks like being a great series of gigs.

Nothing from Good News From The Next World or Neapolis has appeared... yet. I'm sure some songs from these albums will find their way into the setlists before long.

Full set-lists have been added to the tours section.

Southend-On-Sea 31st October 2003 Eddie Duffy thought about dressing up for Halloween. “I was going to go on as Malcolm Foster” he joked, referring to Jamie Sinclair’s review accusing him of being untidy. He smiled and continued to pose for photos and sign autographs in the foyer, confident and relaxed. His demeanour was indicative of the whole band. A second warm up gig, this time on the northern side of the Thames Estuary, found a tidy, confident Simple Minds playing to the packed Cliffs Pavilion. There was no preamble, no announcement, no opening instrumental. The hall lights dimmed and the crowd hushed. Andy Gillespie, keyboard player, was the first to appear, took up position behind his tower of keyboards and stoically broke out the intro of Book Of Brilliant Things. On cue, the rest of the band flooded on stage to rapturous cheers. Bruce Findlay, the band’s legendary ex-manager, used to follow Jim to the stage, urging him to tuck his shirt in. Today, he’d be telling him to button it up. Dressed in white shirt, buttoned at the midriff, and blue jeans, Jim presented a casual face to Simple Minds 2003, matched by Charlie (all in black as always), Eddie and Mel. Andy Gillespie bucked the trend, dressed in a camouflage flak jacket, suggesting that he’d prefer to remain anonymous and hidden. With no new record to promote (the lost album Our Secrets Are The Same still remaining resolutely lost), Simple Minds fell back on their previous 25 years of song writing, plucked songs from their back catalogue, and presented a potted history of their career to date. Old favourites like Waterfront, Don’t You (Forget About Me) and Alive And Kicking were greeted like long lost friends, causing the crowd to erupt with cheers and energy. Old stompers from the past, the driving 30 Frames A Second, and pulsating Sweat In Bullet, were dusted of and pounded out in bite sized chunks. Ghostdancing was more of a meal, stretched and extended, pushing the stamina of the crowd. Extra raw energy was supplied by Jim breaking into Gloria, driving the audience to punctuate the letters with fist punching and cheers. Speed Your Love To Me and New Gold Dream kept the tempo high, and the crowd on their feet. But it wasn’t a mad dash through Simple Minds’ rockers of old. Quiet moments interjected, providing more of a roller coaster ride, as they slowed for Mandela Day, Street Fighting Years and Real Life. Chelsea Girl also appeared, but as slowed down mournful ballad rather than the riff driven guitar stabbing of before. (Eddie provided the high pitched vocal previously left to Brian McGee). Jim worked the crowd, keeping the banter to an absolute minimum, whilst Charlie, the cherubic charmer, smiled into the crowd, switched guitars for every song and mouthed the lyrics (now in sync!). Eddie power marched on the spot, almost an automation, undercutting the melody with his visceral bass. Mel remained hidden between towers of chrome and steel, emerging smiling at the end of the sets throwing towels into the crowd. Andy was similarly hidden but bless his keyboard technician though - all his keyboard solos required him to stand. (Isn’t it supposed to be the bass players who are serious ones? But watch Andy closely - he’ll occasionally smile.) Second night technical problems did surface occasionally. Jim’s mike gave out a couple of times, so he stole Eddie’s. The sound was unbalanced and adjusted to distort, leaving Charlie and Jim at the bottom of the mix. But the overall impression was of a tight, confident band, a continuation of the rebirth of 2002, a band with no record to promote, and little recent chart success, but who came to a rainy Essex resort on a cold Halloween and delivered. They seemed relaxed and at ease - but the music that night, and the reaction of the crowd, begged to differ. Simple Minds delivered, and if you excuse the cliché, they rocked. Simon Cornwell

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There's a wide range of T-shirts and shirts on offer at the merchandising stalls. Most feature a minimalistic new Claddagh design, including a black shirt with just a small logo (£30). One T-shirt lists the band's albums (missing several, with the remainder in wrong order - who checks the content?), whilst another features the bound-hands Our Secrets Are The Same arwork.

There's also a mug. It's got Claddaghs on it.

The tour programme is the usual style-over-substance, and the opportunity to include any biographical details of the new band members is missed again. (When will we learn more about Eddie Duffy and Andy Gillespie?) Lots of great photos, but white space is maximised. The biography is condensed and summarised, dripping with trivia, of which only a long term Simple Minds supporter could explain the nuances. It's wasted on a new or casual fan. Nice embossed cover though, so buy it for that and the pictures (£8).

Simple Minds will be warming up for their Alive And Kicking 2003 with a couple of gigs at two English sea-side resorts. I'll be seeing the band in Southend on Friday, so I'll be avoiding the reports for tomorrow's gig at Margate - I want the set-list to be a surprise! But please send them in for the European and UK dates.

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KERR BUYS CELTS (The Sicilian women's volleyball team that is) ROCKER Jim Kerr has sponsored a women's volleyball team. And the die-hard Hoops fan has changed their name to Celtic. The Simple Minds frontman has ploughed money into the side in the town in Italy that is his second home. And he has made sure the ladies, from Taormina in Sicily, know all about Glasgow Celtic. Jim, 44, along with Simple Minds guitarist Charlie Burchill, already sponsors three football teams in the town. The singer said: "Charlie and I kicked it off. Like the football team, they'll be called Celtic Taormina It will be all female but I promise I'll be keeping away from any hands on involvement like picking the team." Jim, who dated a Sicilian girl for two years until they broke up when he went on tour this year, teamed up with local lad Antonio Chemi several years ago to launch local amateur side aS Celtic Taormina. There are now three teams, including a boys team, who wear a green andwhite Celtic-style strip. Jim, from Toryglen, Glasgow, added: "I went by yesterday as they've got new strips and the three teams were getting their photos taken. It was in an ancient Roman amphitheatre and there was me thinking of my childhood kicking a ball in the local green on freezing ice. It's just a different world." Jim dismissed reports that he is trying to win a place on the Celtic board back in Glasgow. But he did give his club shares to The Celtic Trust, who say the current board lack the common touch needed to understand the heritage of the club. He said: "They asked me to join the campaign and I put my shares in with them. But I'm notlooking to be more involved in that. As a fan, I am delighted with Martin O'Neill's management." Rick Fulton October 21st 2003 Daily Record

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Those in France can already pick up the Seen The Lights DVD. Apparently it went on sale on the 28th October. Both FNAC and amazon.fr offered it for sale on Tuesday.

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On the 21st September, The Scotsman got in touch and told me about their Top 100 Scottish Albums of all time. So, it was a case of vote, vote, vote. And then what did they write on the 1st October? "We adjusted the results to take account of the poll rigging (thank you Simple Minds fans)."

Never mind.

Still, after their adjustment (ahem), Simple Minds didn't make such impact. Here's the results:

20 NEW GOLD DREAM
In New Gold Dream (1982), Simple Minds defined their sound, freeing Mick McNeil's dexterous keyboard work and Derek Forbes bubbling bass. A lush production enhanced their newfound confidence in concise, strong structures, encapsulated on Promised You A Miracle and the propulsive title track. Moments of passivity, notably King Is White And In The Crown, show a sense of adventure undiminished, but a one-time discordant austerity is replaced by a warm, almost seductive, texture. As Jim Kerr later related: "New Gold Dream is where we came into our own."


44 EMPIRES AND DANCE
Empires And Dance resolved the quandary that was early Simple Minds. Their first album was viewed largely as derivative, their second knowingly obtuse, as the band struggled to recapture early promise and carve a musical niche. This third album, released in 1980, followed a period of intense touring, primarily reflected in the Euro-disco style of I Travel. Part Kraftwerk, part Donna Summer, the track opened new horizons for the band, mainly through acceptance on the club scene.

Elsewhere, Celebrate took its cue from previous recordings, but a new discipline gave it greater purpose, while This Fear Of Gods points to future developments.


100 SPARKLE IN THE RAIN
Released in 1984, Sparkle In The Rain was the album by which Simple Minds became a "stadium" band. Producer Steve Lillywhite conjured a more direct sound in which former subtleties were shrouded in power and dynamism. New drummer Mel Gaynor thrived in this environment, best exemplified in Waterfront, a homage to Glasgow as seen through the changing face of the River Clyde. Up On The Catwalk and Speed Your Love To Me were among the other highlights, as well as a then-rare cover version of Lou Reed's Street Hassle. Within a year Simple Minds would top the US chart with Don't You (Forget About Me).

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Whilst on the subject of vote rigging, vote for Simple Minds on Rockpalast. Vote, vote, vote!

Jim will be "technical consultant" for the Anderlecht vs. Celtic match this evening on a Flemish television (VRT).

He'll be interviewed in the TV studio of the stadium, supporting the professional analysts of the game. Carl Huybrechts is presenting the program, who is also the host of Night Of The Proms.

Jim was also on the first page of the Belgian/French publication "La dernière heure. It featured an interview between him, the coach of Anderlecht and the captain of the Belgian team. He talked about the Celtic and his favorite players, his father, his son (who actually supports Arsenal), his own football team (the well-known "Celtic Taormina") and the concert in Forest National next week.

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And the second part of Simon Hayward's tour diary is now online.

After SaMPLE MINDS gigs in Germany, the first part of Simon Hayward's tour diary has now been uploaded here. This also includes information and ordering details for Simon's Reworks series and the latest SaMPLE MINDS CD.

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Kooper Kain, up-and-coming Canadian band, and fans of Simple Minds have recently recorded a cover of Waterfront which can be found on the band's own website.

Caledon (Scotlands answer to The Three Tenors) were featured in The Scottish Sun last Thursday, giving away free copies of their Flower Of Scotland single with the paper.

The band features Derek Forbes on guitar and bass and Mick MacNeil programming the drums and supplying studio facilities (both singles were recorded at Mix). Mick also plays the accordion when appearing live with the band.

More information about Caledon can be found on their website - check out the pictures for shots of Mick's studio (complete with Simple Minds awards) and Derek (still wearing his Neapolis Anarchy T-shirt.)

Their new single, a cover of The Proclaimers I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) is available at Asda shops in Scotland.

Flower Of Scotland
1. Flower Of Scotland
2. Th'Exerciseman [Live]
Caledon Records SCOTTEN02CD

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
1. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
2. Caledonia
3. Th'Exerciseman [Live]
Caledon Records SCOTTEN01CD

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Due to huge demand for tickets, the concert at Store Vega, Copenhagen (November 17) has been moved to the KB Hallen, Fredriksberg.

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Polish band Myslovitz will be opening for Simple Minds for the beginning of the European Tour. And Grim Northern Social will be support for the UK dates.

Grims in sweat over tour whirl SWEATING buckets is something Grim Northern Social frontman Ewan MacFarlane knows all about. “People have faith in us as a live band, and the audience pick up on the vibe on stage. If you sweat buckets for them, you’ll get the same back,” he says. Since August, the band have supported Cosmic Rough Riders and are currently on the road with The Proclaimers – whom they’ll join at Caning Academy tomorrow night for a triumphant gig on home territory. By the end of December, they’ll also have done the SECC twice, supporting Simple Minds on their 13-date tour. So how will they cope with 64 gigs virtually in a row? “There will be none of this fantasy rock ‘n’ roll debauched lifestyle for me,” Ewan insists. “You can’t live like that and perform day in, day out.” Playing with Simple Minds will be a peculiar experience for Ewan, who adored them as a teenager. “I thought Jim Kerr was eally cool. I went to high school in Canada for a couple of years when I was about 13, and it was a connection with home.” The Wishaw five-piece line-up Ewan on vocals and guitar, Tommy Regan on guitar, Andy Wee Man on keyboards, Pete Cowan on bass and Liam McAteer on drums - have worked hard since being nominated Best Unsigned Band at In The City in 2001. They wrote to Elvis Costello asking if they could support him when he played in Scotland. He wrote back saying yes and they opened for him at Edinburgh Corn Exchange. They released their self-titled debut album at the start of September. At this year’s T in the Park, Scotland’s First Minister Jack McConnell — also from Wishaw — joined them backstage and declared himself a fan. Time Out Evening Times October 9th

Region 1 DVDs of Seen The Lights have just been announced here - which is of great news to those in the USA and Canada.

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The White Spaces single featuring Jim should be out in Germany now. Meanwhile his collaboration with Jam And Spoon is the first single from their forthcoming Cynical Heart album.

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Back in 2001, Planet Funk scored a worldwide hit with Chase The Sun. From that early success, they hit the studio, emerging with the album Non Zero Sumness which was released in Italy in 2002. This album is of interest to Simple Minds fans as it opens with Where Is The Max - an instrumental which Jim added vocals to, was remixed slightly, was given a new intro, and then appeared as One Step Closer on the Cry album.

Somehow, I managed to miss the UK release, but Non Zero Sumness was released in the UK on the 18th August. (Bustin' Loose/Illustrious ILLP004). My local HMV had several copies.

It's a great album - and reminds me of early Duran Duran in places - a real mixture from ambient dance to the rousing stomp of Who Said (Stuck In The UK) which was issued as a single. Highly recommended - not only for the precursor of One Step Closer.

But the story doesn't end there. A limited edition version was issued in Italy in April (Virgin 7243 5 83915 2 7). Non Zero Sumness Plus One included Simple Minds' One Step Closer, the Posillipo Mix of Who Said and Rosa Blu as bonus tracks.

For this release, One Step Closer was issued as a single in Italy (see Dream Giver 13th May). And this mix of One Step Closer was different than the Cry versions, and the Phunk Investigation remixes. (So, that's more for the collectors to search out!)

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Audios of Jim's interview on RTL2 can be found here.

The artwork for Seen The Lights is simply a reworking of Malcolm Garrett's sublime design for Live In The City Of Light

The collaboration with the Italian DJ White Space is set for release on the 6th October in Germany. A 12" will be released on BMG and features three mixes of Don't You (Forget About Me).

However, all is not as it seems. A closer look at the track listing reveals it to be a repackaging of two of the Biba Rom remixes along with a new mix (see Dream Giver's news for the 26th March).

Additionally an edit of Phunk Investigation's mix, and two excellent remixes, are circulating, looking for a home on a record label somewhere.

White Spaces featuring Jim Kerr
1. Don't You (Forget About Me) [Andrea T. Mendoza Vs Tibet Club Mix] (6:11)
2. Don't You (Forget About Me) [Phunk Investigation In The City Mix] (8:15)
3. Don't You (Forget About Me) [BB Eyerer's & Laib's Radio Mix] (03:42)
BMG 82876552721
Packaging currently unknown.

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I've had several queries about the forthcoming DVD. I can only confirm that it's a Region Two release at the moment - but news of a South American version has filtered out (via the Brazillian EMI site). American and Canadian releases have lagged behind European releases for Neon Lights and Cry by several months - so it may prove to be patient. When I receive any news, it'll be posted here.

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Pictures of Jim at Radio Veronica can be found here.

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Virgin's Raft website caused a little confusion with a Simply The Best title. It's not a new compilation, but the issuing of New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) and Once Upon A Time on SACD.

This will bring the number of Simple Minds SACDs to four - the new releases join SACDs of Best Of and Cry.

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Todd Richard's Some Sweet Day 2003 radio marathon was unexpectedly cut short by the largest powercut the US's history. Unfortunately the blackout prevented him from chatting to other special guests and completing the show.

But he did speak to Jim and a rough summary appeared here on the 14th August.

The interview will shortly be published on Todd's Running Late site at the end of this week. You'll find it here - you'll find it linked from the online flyer.

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Dave, Steve and Simon will be flying out to Germany shortly to meet up with Thorsten and Jacky to begin rehearsals for the October gigs.

There's a list of 23 songs they're working on, though how many of these make the final set lists are anyone's guess (hopefully more than three of four songs!!!) There are a lot of song selection changes since the gig at the Convention last April.

A reminder of the dates:

• Friday 3rd October 2003 - Irish Bar, Bielfeld, Germany (3 sets about 45 minutes each)
  
• Saturday 4th October 2003 - Paddy's Celtic Bar, Aalst, Belgium (Full Set)
  
• Friday 10th October 2003 - Hoppegarden, Hamm, Germany (Full Set)
  
• Saturday 11th October 2003 - Hoppegarden, Hamm, Germany (Short 'full on' Set, about 45 minutes)

On sale at the gigs will be a couple of CD's at a modest cost. SaMPLE MINDS - Live on the Waterfront features demos and live tracks recorded at the Simple Minds Convention in April 2003. The tracks come directly from the mixing desk to DAT and have been edited to remove some of the 'veldt' notes!

Also available is Simon's follow up to Re-Works Volume One, imaginatively entitled, Re-Works Volume 2! This features tasteful instrumental reworkings of classic SM songs (though the fookmiester remix of Big Sleep is frankly a travesty in the making - but the kids will love it!!!)

SaMPLE MINDS - LIVE ON THE WATERFRONT
Demos (AKA Jim Kerr's family snapshots)
Waterfront (4.15)
Alive and Kicking (6.36)
Love Song - live (5.00)
Someone Somewhere in Summertime (4.42)
Don't You forget about me (5.25)

Live - Glasgow, Scotland 2003
Theme For Great Cities (4.04)
War Babies (3.27)
The American (4.59)
King is White and in the Crowd (4.24)
New Sunshine Morning (3.50)
Sanctify Yourself (6.12)
Pleasantly Disturbed (6.43)
Alive and Kicking - featuring Betty! (6.15)
New Gold Dream (6.41)

Simple Minds RE-WORKS VOLUME TWO
Someone Somewhere in Summertime (4.09)
Life in Oils (3.22)
Big Sleep - fookmiester remix (6.58)
Easy (2.50)
Veldt / Spaceface (3.20)
Scar (3.02)
Homosapien (5.24)
In Trance as Mission (3.44)
Hello (3.01)
Come a Long Way (5.00)
Film Theme (3.07)
Book of Brilliant Things (4.28)
See the Lights (4.21)
I Travel 85 (3.46)
Room (5.16)
Boys from Brazil (3.10)
Cry Again (3.30)
Waterfront (4.37)
New Gold Dream (5.37)

Simple Minds RE-WORKS VOLUME ONE is also still available.
Sound in 70 Cities (5.23)
War Babies (4.10)
20th Century Promised Land (4.02)
Soundtrack for Every Heaven (5.02)
League of Nations (5.43)
Real to real (2.43)
C Moon Cry Like a Baby (4.39)
Hunter and the Hunted (3.32)
Factory (3.50)
This Fear of Gods (4.32)
King is White and in the Crowd (4.28)
East at Easter (2.08)
This Earth that You Walk Upon (5.24)
Pleasantly Disturbed (6.41)
Somebody Up There Likes You (4.31)
Love Song (4.26)
Once Upon a Time Tour Intro (1.11)
Theme for Great Cities (5.40)

Availability of the CD's will be very limited, though once the gigs are over, a way of distributing to people who can't make the Oct dates will be sorted out.

Here's some bullet points from Jim's webchat, hosted by French station RTL2

• The new album will be recorded by the current live line-up (Jim,Charlie,Mel,Eddie and Andy).
• The box set is Virgin's initiative and the track listing hasn't been fully decided.
• They don't believe in one sole producer for an album now.
• There is a song called Our Secrets Are The Same.
• As their contract with Eagle Records will be fullfilled with the delivery of the new studio album, the band will then be free to do as they choose. This will include selling music through the Internet.
• Jim is involved with two collaborations at the moment. One with an Italian DJ called White Spaces and another with Jam And Spoon.

Here's the tracklisting:

Disc One:
1. Love Song (Promo Video)
2. Sweat In Bullet (Promo Video)
3. Promised You A Miracle (Promo Video)
4. Glittering Prize (Promo Video)
5. Waterfront (Promo Video)
6. Speed Your Love To Me (Promo Video)
7. Up On The Catwalk (Promo Video)
8. Don´t You (Forget About Me) (Promo Video)
9. Alive & Kicking (Promo Video)
10. Sanctify Yourself (Promo Video)
11. All The Things She Said (Promo Video)
12. Ghostdancing (Promo Video)
13. Belfast Child (Promo Video)
14. Mandela Day (Promo Video)
15. This Is Your Land (Promo Video)
16. Kick It In (Promo Video)
17. Let It All Come Down (Promo Video)
18. Let There Be Love (Promo Video)
19. See The Lights (Promo Video)
20. Stand By Love (Promo Video)
21. Real Life (Promo Video)
22. She´s A River (Promo Video)
23. Hypnotised (Promo Video)
24. Glitterball (Promo Video)
25. War Babies (Promo Video)
26. Cry (Promo Video)
27. Life In A Day (The Old Grey Whistle Test: 27.03.79)
28. Chelsea Girl (The Old Grey Whistle Test: 27.03.79)
29. Factory (The Old Grey Whistle Test: 27.11.79)
30. Changeling (The Old Grey Whistle Test: 27.11.79)
31. Premonition (The Old Grey Whistle Test: 27.11.79)
32. I Travel (Oxford Road Show: 21.01.83)

Disc Two:
1. Intro - Theme For Great Cities (Verona: 15.09.89)
2. Street Fighting Years (Verona: 15.09.89)
3. Let It All Come Down (Verona: 15.09.89)
4. Mandela Day (Verona: 15.09.89)
5. Waterfront (Verona: 15.09.89)
6. This Is Your Land (Verona: 15.09.89)
7. Don´t You (Forget About Me) (Verona: 15.09.89)
8. Gaelic Medley (Verona: 15.09.89)
9. Kick It In (Verona: 15.09.89)
10. Ghostdancing (Verona: 15.09.89)
11. Belfast Child (Verona: 15.09.89)
12. Sanctify Yourself (Verona: 15.09.89)
13. East At Easter (Verona: 15.09.89)
14. Alive And Kicking (Verona: 15.09.89)
15. Credits - Let It All Come Down (Verona: 15.09.89)
16. Hunter & The Hunted (Late Night In Concert: Newcastle City Hall 20.11.82)
17. Glittering Prize (Late Night In Concert: Newcastle City Hall 20.11.82)
18. Someone, Somewhere (In Summertime) (Late Night In Concert: Newcastle City Hall 20.11.82)
19. The American (Late Night In Concert: Newcastle City Hall 20.11.82)
20. Big Sleep (Late Night In Concert: Newcastle City Hall 20.11.82)
21. New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) (Late Night In Concert: Newcastle City Hall 20.11.82)

Smashing to see so many extras alongside Verona. However:
1. What happened to the Chelsea Girl video?
2. What happened to the Promised You A Miracle Live video?
3. What happened to the Sign Of The Times video?
4. What happened to the Love Song 1992 video?
5. What happened to the Dancing Barefoot video?

So, we get most of the promo videos and Verona as standard. The extras consist of the band's early appearances on The Old Grey Whistle Test, a late night live performance show which was popular in the 1970s and early 1980s. This includes Simple Minds' first TV appearance, fresh before starting their first UK tour, and a day before the release of the Life In A Day single.

Factory, Changeling and Premonition were recorded at Hurrahs, New York and filmed by the Old Grey Whistle Test. Premonition later turned up as the B-side of Changeling.

The Newcastle City Hall gig is fairly legendary, and the B-side of Waterfront originated from this concert. The rest of the show has appeared as transcription discs, but for some reason it wasn't widely bootlegged (apart from fans swapping cassettes). This is the first time the majority of the film has been officially released (a snippet of Glittering Prize turned up on the Glittering Prize 81/92 video in 1992.)

The source here is a little confused. The BBC's Late Night In Concert started with Glittering Prize - it was RAI in Italy, and a station in Spain, who started the gig with Hunter And The Hunted.

Interview with Jim Kerr
Radio Veronica
25/09/03

Jim was late – he drove in from the airport and the traffic was bad. He had worked there ten years previously so he knew the area (I guess this would’ve been the Real Life sessions).

How’s the touring?
He’s been enjoying the tour immensely. But he recollected wondering if they ever would play again after their late 1990s gigs. But there’s a new energy. He doesn’t know where it’s coming from – but it’s there.

Fans are talking about the rebirth of Simple Minds.
In the mid 1990s the band was successful, but it was like owning a jumbo jet with no fuel. They had no energy. But if you have a long career, there are times when you’re peaking, middling or at a low point. So it is a rebirth – things are more vital now than a few years ago.

You played at Bospop in Wert. Everybody was very enthusiastic. But you didn’t like the gig!
He was angry at himself for choosing the wrong set-list. He lives in Glasgow and Taormina, and on a Friday night in Taormina in a bar, two drunk Dutch guys came up to him and said: “That gig was great, what’s wrong, why did you post those comments on the official site?” Jim felt they could've been more adventurous with the set-list.

Then he added the Dutch have supported Simple Minds since 1979 when they couldn’t get anything in England. So he felt that the Dutch audiences were always supportive of them, from the very beginning.

Our Secrets Are The Same. When will it be released?
It was recorded four years ago for EMI, there was a dispute, the record got lost, and was never officially released. It got onto the web, and became the legendary lost album. It will be released as part of a box set in the near future.

The box set will be all Virgin’s decisions – not Simple Minds.

What about the new album?
It’s been written in-between gigs. They’re writing songs, buoyed up by the positive feeling of the dates. After Christmas, they begin work on the new record, and it should be released later that year.

What about the lyrics?
They are written last so he was unable to comment at the moment. But it will be an album of emotional pop songs.

What’s in the box set?
Songs out of the vaults, radio sessions, rare songs, B sides – however fans on the Internet can get their hands on everything now - so what's rare? It’s good to get it out, because it clears the deck, and moves everything into the future. Simple Minds recently has been about compilations, box sets and back catalogue stuff. This helps to get it to a new audience. But the box set will clear the deck to move forward.

Live DVD?
[Jim elected to talk about a live DVD, probably to be filmed in 2004, and not the forthcoming Seen The Lights DVD]. Same thing. The band are long overdue for a live DVD. It should need a special place to film it – some middle aged guys in a sports hall is not a spectacle. He’d love to do it in Scotland. It’s coming up with an angle – you may have to be patient.

Set-Lists
Jim said they had some of the greatest fans, but some will say “I’m finding the set-list a little boring.” “How many gigs have you been to?” “22.” “22!” Wouldn’t anything become predictable after 22 times? But they’ve played between 50 and 60 songs this tour – and there’ll be another 12 songs for the next dates. You are going to hear the songs you expect to hear, and some you won’t expect. Say 10 songs they’ll play every night, and the other 12 they’ll chop and change.

What’s your favourite song?
It’s always changing. For instance, he might not stand a song for a while, but a year later they’ll play it. They hadn’t played Mandela Day for twelve years – this summer was his birthday. OK, so bring it out again. And it felt absolutely brilliant after twelve years.

How did Celtic defeat Ajax in 2001? It wasn’t funny.
Well they came back to Celtic Park and gave us a bit of a lesson. Yeah – they hammered you. That’s just the way it goes. The club has found a level footing after Jim’s attempts to buy it, so everything worked out there.

The Journal
He gave an example of the Simple Minds convention in Glasgow – the band couldn’t go. But some people said it was terrible the band couldn't be there – and some people said they seen Jim in the street in Glasgow. Well it wasn’t true. Well, you didn’t see the real Jim as he’s like Saddam and has several body doubles. Sometimes he sends one around to his mother’s house for Sunday dinner. And then he said “sometimes, it’s not always us at the gigs.”

A lot of people said “I bought tickets and I didn’t know.” They didn’t realise he was taking the piss.

He’d like to be witty or more tongue-in-cheek in the journals but he’d end up in more trouble.

How did it feel to play just before the Stones.
It’s always great to have a challenge. They were back, after playing their own gigs, having to fight. They want to be a great band – their definition of a great band is one that can play at a stadium, Bar Mitzvah or Halloween party. They felt they'd left that day thinking they’d done their best.

The audience wasn’t rougher than a Simple Minds one – since they were all Jim’s age.

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A quick reminder that Jim will be on Radio Veronica today between 4 and 5 PM. Questions are welcomed and can be e-mailed to studio@radioveronica.nl (so flood the station with box set and DVD questions).

Listen on-line via www.veronica.nl.

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Continuing with the tour and album promotions, Jim will be at RTL 2 tomorrow. A live web chat is planned for 6 - 7PM and he'll be in the studio between 9 - 10PM.

Check out RTL 2 for more information.

The Seen The Lights A Visual History DVD will be released on the 3rd November.

Amazon is taking pre-orders here as is Blackstar.

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The Scotsman are running a poll of the 100 Best Scottish Albums Of All Time. Needless to say, everyone must e-mail in and vote for New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) - or whatever your favourite album is.

Unfortunatley the close of voting is tomorrow (Monday 22nd) - so vote now.

And it's not just your favourite album. Send your top 20 Scottish album list, plus the one worst album, to albums@scotsman.com.

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Jim was featured on Radio 5 Live with Nicky Campbell last Thursday. The talk was mostly sports orientated, with Jim talking about Celtic's game with Bayern Munich the previous night. It was also asked if Jim would provide the funds for a new Celtic goalkeeper.

Simple Minds talk was kept to a minimum - and was left to Nicky Campbell revealing his favourite song by the band. (It was Waterfront if you're interested.)

Radio Veronica in the Netherlands are having a Simple Minds week this week (22nd through to the 26th). Whenever a Simple Minds song is played, you can call in to win a ticket to the Ahoy concert.

Jim will be in the studio on Thursday between four and five o'clock in the afternoon. Questions are welcomed and can be e-mailed to studio@radioveronica.nl (so flood the station with box set and DVD questions).

Listen on-line via www.veronica.nl.

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The Amp (a show on Sky TV) have started an Old's Cool - you can vote for your favourite artist. Those featured include Jesus And The Mary Chain, Echo And The Bunnymen, U2 and Oasis. Simple Minds are represented by Promised You A Miracle.

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Top Of The Pops 2 remains good for prime Simple Minds spotting - their Glittering Prize performance was played earlier this month.

A rather swanky Simple Minds release is currently up for bids on eBay. It’s been drawn to my attention a couple of times since it appears to be an impressive package - 2 picture CDs of a Good News From The Next World concert and two mini cue sheets, all nicely packaged in a “cute” gatefold - “cute” being their description. This set is described as “awesome” - again their description.

It all stems from a recording made at the House Of Blues in California by the Album Network. The gig wasn’t widely advertised, mainly being a record company shindig, and was the last concert by the band before they would jet off for Europe. The tight set featured four tracks from Good News From The Next World, peppered with Real Life, Once Upon A Time and Sparkle In The Rain tracks. And it also featured the acoustic See The Lights and White Light/White Heat which were only played at the American shows.

As the band were touring the UK, The Album Network sent out the transcription discs for syndication. The set featured the full set across two Cds, an interview with Jim, a fun Love Song outro, and various adverts for the show. It was set for broadcast during the week of the 24th March.

These discs and their cue sheets soon became hot property - a bona fide recording of a great Simple Minds gig.

Interestingly, Virgin Records seemed to be sniffing at the show as well. CD acetates and cassettes, a raw edited recording of the concert and not the Album Network mix, were shuffled around Kensal House as Virgin executives pondered the show. A live album was doing the rumours at this time (see the rather earnest and breathless Dream Giver archive for 1995), but Simple Minds were suddenly jettisoned from the label and all Virgin activity ceased.

The show refused to die however and the bootleggers returned. With one of the most bizarre sleeves yet, 95 Sunset Strip covers the entire show, a reasonable consolidation of the original album broadcast. It’s missing the interview and all the other bits-and-pieces of the broadcast CDs but remained a cheap way of picking up the recording.

Which brings me to this eBay item. Obviously someone with the original Album Network CDs took to reproducing the package - the discs are reproduced in their entirely, the cue sheets are shrunk down, and the artwork, whilst a huge improvement on a giant golden ear, is based on the CD box set for Let There Be Love.

Worth it? Well, if the CDRs are a direct digital copy of the transcription CDs, and the artwork isn’t too shoddy (which is difficult to judge from the picture), then it looks good on paper. On the other hand, songs like the acoustic See The Lights and White Light/White Heat are prime material for the forthcoming box set - but if they don’t appear, then this little package could be a nice addition to the collection.

(95 Sunset Strip and the other remaining bootlegs will be added to the discography soon.)