Simple Minds brought their 40 Years of Hits Tour to Dublin’s 3Arena on the 17th, this tour having no support acts as the band are playing two sets each show.
The first set being an hour long and the second set coming in at one hour and forty minutes, it really is a
marathon show of hits.
The 3Arena tonight is near full capacity, with the arenas wed-site stating very! limited tickets left and looking around I can testify to that as only a few seat are left empty and those being up in the heavens.
The Show kicked off at eight o clock sharp with the band arriving on stage and all taking centre stage to bow to the crowd and then taking up their respectful positions.
Opening the set with Act of Love / I Travel / Celebrate after which Jim starts reminiscing about the first time they came to Dublin and playing the then one of Dublin main venues the SFX, he also told us about the first time he actually came to Ireland when he was five on a family holiday and they went to Bray. (Bray being at one time a thriving seaside town)
Ending this little chat which the crowd he also said that people might have seen on their tickets a mention of tonight being a hits tour, well we haven’t played any yet so with better do so and the band start into Promised You A Miracle after which Jim leaves the stage and Sarah Brown appears singing Book of the Brilliant Thing / Five to One (Doors Cover) during which Jim appears again and this time has changed outfits.
Hunter and Hunted / Love Song are next before Jim introduces the last song of tonight’s first set, telling us that its at least fifteen years since they played this song as it had lost its relevance but in todays climate it seems fitting to bring it back saying the geography might have changed but the subject matter is still the same.
Its the beautiful Belfast Child that brings us into the twenty minute interval.
During the interval I decided to move my position as the three men (term used lightly more like Muppets) were just an embarrassment to men with their derogatory comments about women and Berenice Scott on keyboards.
So after taking up my new position its nine twenty and the band are back out and opening this second set with the instrumental Theme for Great Cities after which Jim takes to the stage again with a new change of outfit as have some of the other band members.
Its Banging on the Door with intro meshed in with Dolphins next followed by Waterfront to the crowds delight the arena is hoping to this song, She’s a River / Once Upon a Time leads us into another mention of the SFX and Jim saying if he remembers correctly this next song got the best reaction back then on the night Some One Somewhere in Summertime.
Also stating he is taking so much at times as he is knackered lol, not surprising as he has used the large stage to full advantage and not staying in the one spot for any length of time.
See the Lights/ All the Things She Said are next and then the opening chord are heard and again everyone in the arena are on their feet its of-course Don’t You (Forget About Me)
The Last two songs finishing out were Let it All Come Down / Ghostdancing.
Encore time and Sarah Brown & Berenice Scott take centre stage and duet on Speed Your Love to Me after which Jim is back to finish out this mammoth show with Alive and Kicking which gets the reaction you would expect, last song of the night was Sanctify Yourself which unfortunately I had to leave half way through due to time constraints.
