Quite how previous singles such as "I Travel" "Love Song" and "The American" had failed to get enough air play to put Simple Minds into the Top 40 and on Top Of The Pops is still beyond me but "Promised You A Miracle" did the trick and ever since I've been a card carrying member of the Simple Minds Apprecation Society.......it didn't hurt that the 12'' b side of "Miracle" had "Theme From Great Cities" and "Seeing Out The Angel" instrumental which I played over and over and is probably why "Theme From Great Cities" is one of if not my ALL time favourite Simple Minds song.
While I missed the "New Gold Dream" tour I did buy the album along w/ the previous album "Sons And Fascination/Sister Feelings Call" but when "Sparkle In The Rain" was released in 1984 I not only bought the album but also went to see them live at Hammersmith Odean on that tour,it would be the first of three Simple Minds tours in three years for me,in 85 I saw them at Wembley Arena on the "Once Upon A Time" tour and the following summer at Milton Keynes Bowl in front of 50,000 fans.......little did I think that it'd be over a quarter of a century b4 I'd enjoy a Simple Minds tour again!
The 90's were not as kind to Simple Minds after the success of 1989s "Street Fighting Years" there followed a lull in their commercial success,while 1991s "Real Life" and 1995s "Good News From The Next World" still spawned minor hits in "See The Lights" and "She's A River" but the all conquering success Simple Minds had enjoyed was now only a memory,in fact by the release of "Good News...." Simple Minds were only a duo of Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill........
1998's "Neopolis" saw the return of Derek Forbes and Mel Gaynor to the fold but somewhat surprisingly was never released here in the US and was followed by "Cry" in 2002,in my opinion the low point of their career,in 2005 "Black & White" saw the light of day......but like "Neapolis" not here in America B4 their last studio release "Graffiti Soul" in 2009,I did overlook their "comeback" cd "Neon Lights" from 2001 which was a series of covers but perhaps the most notable release was last years "5x5".
Having elected for a 14 date European tour that focused on 5 songs off of the first 5 albums{now that's a tour I wish had come to America!!!!} EMI reissued the first 5 albums on cd in a boxed set.....which delighted yours truly given I only owned them albums on vinyl and my Simple Minds collection began at "Sparkle In The Rain" on cd.......
The 5x5 tour also spawned "5x5 Live" a double live cd b4 the end of last year b4 a three disc retrospective collection"Celebrate" released this year celebrating the bands now 34 year career and affording the band a "Greatest Hits" tour.......which thankfully brought them back to America for the first time in 11 years.....having been out of town the weekend they last played in Philly in May of 91 on the "Real Life" tour and then not known about the 2002 show at The Beacon in New York City w/ Inxs I had to be at The Roselands last Thursday....even though I have tickets for their show in London at the O2 Arena w/ Ultravox at the end of next month this was too great a show to pass up.
The general feeling via "social media" was these American Simple Minds shows were going down a storm in New Jersey,Boston,Washington DC,Los Angeles,Toronto,and Montreal so the antisipation going into the final show of the tour in NYC was high.
In this day and age of the internet the lure of being able to go on line and look up previous dates set lists is tempting but I lke to be surprized so I avoided the setlist sites prefering to be surprized on the nite.
The risk of seeing a band w/ such an extensive back catalogue of material even w/ a "Greatest Hits" tour is if you go in saying"I want to hear this,this and this song" you leave yourself open for disappointment so I limited my wish list to two songs ''Promised You A Miracle" because it's the song that started it all off for me w/ Simple Minds and '' Belfast Child" which I've always loved but never seen them perform live.
Pre show over dinner the discussion lead to what would they open w/ I've always felt "Waterfront" w/ it's pulsating intro would make for a good show opener but instead they went w/ one of their new songs "Broken Glass Park"....I say new it's been around since 2011 if you happen to own "Live At Northern Meeting Park" or 2010 from Jim Kerr's solo "Lostboy AKA Jim Kerr" although it never did make it onto the album instead it became a Simple Minds song,followed by "Waterfront"
In the build up to the Roselands show I'd read an interview w/ Jim Kerr where he'd said the American tour was geared towards their "MTV" era which I took to mean "Sparkle In The Rain" and "Once Upon A Time" so it was no surprize to hear "Once Upon A Time" and "All The Things She Said"
It was during one of those songs I got a "shout out" of sorts from Jim.....in honour of this show I wore my Scotland soccer jersey and being close to the front of the stage it caught Jim's eye....he patted his heart in acknowledgement of the that which I returned w/ a "it's all for you" point of my finger......people always claim they make eye contact w/ performers but I can honestly say my Scotland shirt caught Jim's eye on Thursday nite.
"War Babies" off of "Neapolis" followed b4 a cover of The Call's "Let The Day Begin" a shout out to former lead singer Michael Been who had opened for Simple Minds on prior US tours back in the day.
If there'd been any hesitency on either side of the stage about the 11 years since Simple Minds last New York concert it didn't show"I thought you'd never invite us back" joked Jim Kerr as the sometimes difficult to please New York fans welcomed him and the rest of the band back w/ open arms.
"Glittering Prize" and "New Gold Dream" brought the first set to an end b4 a 10 minute as both band and audiance caught their breath and maybe a beverage or two.....
The instrumental of "Speed Your Love To Me" by Andy Gillespie and Charlie Burchill hearlded the second set which read like a geeks dream "I Travel" off of "Empire & Dance" b4 "Someone Somewhere In Summertime" another nod to "New Gold Dreams"
"This Fear Of Gods" another "Empires & Dance" song preceeded "Let There Be Love" the first of two "Real Life" songs b4 back to back trips to "Sons & Facsination/Sister Feelings Call" "The American" and "Love Song" b4 "See The Lights" an apt song for midtown Manhattan.
It was a "no brainer" that they'd perform "Don't You{Forget About Me}the song that helped make them a bigger name around the world in 1985 from "The Breakfast Club" soundtrack,the 3,000 strong audiance sang the "la la la la's" as if their lives replied upon it.
Jim Kerr again apologized for being away for so long and told the Roselands crowd "we'll be back to tour American again.....while we still have hair and teeth" maybe a veiled reference to his thining hairline a far cry from the bands "MTV Heydays" back in mid to late 80's.
Fittingly for me at least "Promised You A Miracle" ended their set,the song that started it all way back when in April of 82.
"Theme From Great Cities" opened the encore,I've always loved that song,I've done my best Derek Forbes "airbass" for years to that song tonite was no different and even though Ged Grimes now plays bass for them it'll always be a Derek Forbes song for me.
Not a total surprize "Sanctify Yourself" and "Alive & Kicking" brought the nite to it's climax as the band waved goodnite but not goodbye to the crowd{I belived they will return to American w/in a few years} the familiar strains of Bowie's "Jean Genie" played them off stage....why "Jean Genie" you may ask...ever wonder about the line"he's so simple minded"???? and how Johnny & The Self Abusers became Simple Minds?????
Ok so I didn't get "Belfast Child" but really I was hardly in a position to gripe w/ such gems as "I Travel" ''The American"''Love Song" AND "Theme From Great Cities" in the set list and plus I'm off to London to see them at the end of November,no 27 year gap between shows this time,try 37 days.....and I'm counting each and every one of them!!!!!!
