After cancellations of an earlier tour due to COVID, Simple Minds have just announced their biggest ever tour of Australia following up an earlier announcement of them taking part in the Red Hot Summer Tour. Australia has always been a special place for Simple Minds – achieving some of their first global support here in the early eighties with tours and high sales, and, reputedly, their hit single ‘Someone Somewhere in Summertime’ was inspired by their visits here.
A personal favourite of mine, they were absolute innovators with their mix of dance, funk and electronica wrapped in a cloak of new wave/post punk rock in the early eighties, with the classic albums ‘Sons & Fascination’, ‘Empires and Dance’ and ‘New Gold Dream (’81, ’82, ’83, ’84)’ particular standouts. And they have maintained the flame over forty years.
As already announced, Simple Minds will play Mornington, Rochford Winery, Sandstone and Kings Park as part of the Red Hot Summer Tour. On the same visit to Australia, they will also play five more shows including early and late performances at Sydney Opera House, as well as concerts in Adelaide, Melbourne and Queensland – full details below.
Thereafter, Simple Minds will undertake a 24-date tour of the UK and Europe. Across the whole Global Tour 2024 Simple Minds expect to play to over one million people worldwide.
Enigmatic singer Jim Kerr says:
Concerts are the life blood of Simple Minds, it’s where we and our audience come alive and energised through music. Four decades on from when we first set out, this global tour will demonstrate that Simple Minds are still alive and kicking!
If you have ever seen them live, they are a phenomena. And they have continued to release material over the last four decades, with Kerr and Charlie Burchill remaining the original members.
Show dates are as follows:
Thursday 8th February 2024 – Sydney Opera House, Sydney (Matinee 6.00pm & Evening 9.00pm)
Tuesday 13th February 2024 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Wednesday 14th February 2024 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide
Sunday 18th February 2024 – The Star Theatre, Gold Coast
General Public on-sale for all shows: Thursday, 21st September (2.00pm local time)
Red Hot Summer Tour:
Saturday 10th February 2024 – Mornington Racecourse, Mornington VIC co-headline with ICEHOUSE
Sunday 11th February 2024 – Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley VIC – co-headline with ICEHOUSE
Saturday 17th February 2024 – Sandstone Point Hotel, Bribie Island QLD – co-headline with ICEHOUSE
Wednesday 21st February 2024 – Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth WA – co-headline with ICEHOUSE
Formed in the seventies, and named after a lyric – ‘so simple minded’ – from David Bowie’s seminal 1972 single The Jean Genie, Simple Minds have become one of the most successful bands ever to come from the UK, selling over 60 million records worldwide, having number one singles on both sides of the Atlantic, and number one albums the world over, including five UK number one albums: Sparkle In The Rain (1984), Once Upon A Time (1985) and Street Fighting Years as well as the concert recording Live In The City Of Light (1987), and the compilation Glittering Prize 81/92.
Over the past 10 years Simple Minds has rekindled the magic that made them a vital artistic force in their early days, found themselves referenced by younger artists and playing to tens of thousands of people every year, all over the world. They have been the recipient of the Q Awards Lifetime Achievement and received universal critical acclaim for their recent albums. 2015’s Big Music was described by MOJO magazine as “their best album in 30 years”, and 2018’s Walk Between Worlds saw Simple Minds play their largest US tour to date and, along with 2022’s Direction Of The Heart, charted at number 4 in the UK.
Simple Minds are: Jim Kerr (vocals), Charlie Burchill (guitars, keyboards), Gordy Goudie (acoustic guitar), Ged Grimes (bass), Cherisse Osei (drums), and Sarah Brown (vocals).
