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I was at the MEN on Thursday watching Simple Minds, supported by Deacon Blue*
Jim Kerr made a bit of a sarcy comment about Manchester, but he did dedicate 'Factory' to 'the Late Anthony Wilson', which was a nice touch.
What do people on here think of Simple Minds?
* I realise I could be ridiculed for this but I was a massive fan of both in the 80's
Dodjem wrote: I was at the MEN on Thursday watching Simple Minds, supported by Deacon Blue*
Jim Kerr made a bit of a sarcy comment about Manchester, but he did dedicate 'Factory' to 'the Late Anthony Wilson', which was a nice touch.
What do people on here think of Simple Minds?
* I realise I could be ridiculed for this but I was a massive fan of both in the 80's
Loved 'em up until about Once Upon a Time, which got a bit wanky and was a fore taste of shite to come. Still really like some of their downright weird earlier stuff, I mean come ON, what's not to like about "The American" or "Theme For Great Cities"?
I did bought their Dance Barefoot CD-EP back in 2001... because it had a housey LWTUA cover and the CD was a sort of an emulation of a black 7" vinyl
I'll stick my head above the parapet to support you on this one, Jem 
Early Simple Minds is really very good... New Gold Dream is a brilliant synthpop album pretty much from start to finish (Big Sleep a personal fave). Street Fighting Years from '89 bar one or two dodgy attempts at stadium rawk is pretty good too... I'll even go the whole hog and say there are parts of Real Life that are ace 
it's a guilty pleasure.
I think it was towards the end of the 80s/early 90s they started to lose it badly which is where most of the ridicule comes in. Bare chested, air punching tributes to Nelson Mandela, songs with a "political" slant and impersonal stadium gigs etc sort of finished them off as a band you could relate to. Although it is interesting U2 did the exact same thing and they emerged twice as popular whereas Simple Minds were completely and utterly derided into obscurity. Bono is twice the knob Jim Kerr could ever hope to be.
Last album I checked out was Good News From The Next World in '95 which isn't that bad actually... the band look unrecognisable on the inner sleeve (think a long haired grunge look) haven't bothered following them that much since...
Hat off to them though for having the balls to play an album like New Gold Dream live in it's entirety 25 years on... say what you will about Simple Minds, you couldn't exactly see New Order doing that with PC&L or Low-life so a bit of respect there 
they know what their fans want and duly oblige.
Rather than playing the same tired greatest hits set list all the time
Their last good LP is sparkle in the rain. In short, I agree with Steve and Ally.
Edit : They released a boxset a few years ago. The first CD is a must have.
Jesu wrote: Somehow, Jim Kerr is a relative of mine...
Oh the shame...
Is your real name Wayne? 
Yeah I used to like them right up to Sparkle In The Rain,liked Belfast Child,but didn't lke their ascension to US Stadium ror-ck (no offence you Septics!)
Faves..I TRAVEL,THEME FOR GREAT CITIES,UP ON THE CATWALK,SPEED YOUR LOVE TO ME,NEW GOLD DREAM.
Jemmie,what did he say about Manchester...the bugger?
This is one of the best songs of all time as far as I'm aware...It's great live! Did they play it last week Jem?
Jim Kerr is the Scottish Bono only even more cringeworthy. That affected mid-atlantic drawl and the posturing really rip my knitting. I think he lost touch with reality circa 1984, round about the same time as his band's music went down the shitter.
As for Deacon Blue.......one of my most despised bands of all time! I remember growing up when the likes of them, Hue & Cry and Wet Wet were held up as the 'sound of young Glasgow'. It was fucking embarassing. None of the 'young Glasgow' I knew could stand any of them.
And see that song 'Dignity'? It's the closest a lyric has ever got to making me throw up.
GlasVegas wrote:
As for Deacon Blue......
And see that song 'Dignity'?
Aye,I've seen that one..
It is fucking ace! Easily their best.
GlasVegas wrote: Jim Kerr is the Scottish Bono only even more cringeworthy. That affected mid-atlantic drawl and the posturing really rip my knitting. I think he lost touch with reality circa 1984, round about the same time as his band's music went down the shitter.
As for Deacon Blue.......one of my most despised bands of all time! I remember growing up when the likes of them, Hue & Cry and Wet Wet were held up as the 'sound of young Glasgow'. It was fucking embarassing. None of the 'young Glasgow' I knew could stand any of them.
And see that song 'Dignity'? It's the closest a lyric has ever got to making me throw up.
I'm having that
Monty, I can't remember exactly what he said, leave it with me - I shall investigate.
Ermmm... not really been keen on Simple Minds or Deacon Blue.
Promised you a Miracle was alright. Always thought Kerr was a bit of a pretentious tosser. I also found it amusing when he went all podgy after Patsy Kensit left him. Poor lad.
EDIT: Oh I remember having being educated in a pub over many beers in the late 80's, that a Deacon Blue song (was it 'Chocolate Girl'), was about a lass that loves it up the arse.
Don't you forget about me.
As if, eh?
The most remarkable thing about Jimm Kerr was his coke habit. Fact
GlasVegas wrote: Jim Kerr is the Scottish Bono only even more cringeworthy. That affected mid-atlantic drawl and the posturing really rip my knitting. I think he lost touch with reality circa 1984, round about the same time as his band's music went down the shitter.
As for Deacon Blue.......one of my most despised bands of all time! I remember growing up when the likes of them, Hue & Cry and Wet Wet were held up as the 'sound of young Glasgow'. It was fucking embarassing. None of the 'young Glasgow' I knew could stand any of them.
And see that song 'Dignity'? It's the closest a lyric has ever got to making me throw up.
When did that ugly witch marry Jim again?
I don't think Deacon Blue were as awful as the other two painful ear bashing outfits you mentioned, they had their moments......then again, it wasn't my home city they were making cunts of (if you're right in what you say). Look at this way, you didn't have fucking D-Ream to contend with.
As for Glittering Prize....WHAT A BASSLINE! (can't even tell if that's Derek Forbes or John Giblin or who the fuck playing it in that vid). Belfast Child was probably the last straw for me, fucker made it sound like the streets of Belfast were covered in starving naked urchins.
No votes for Love Song?
Simple Minds were great until the early 90's. Deacon Blue were great for about a year. BTW G-Man, Dignity is a classic
Dodjem wrote:
Jesu wrote: Somehow, Jim Kerr is a relative of mine...
Oh the shame...
Is your real name Wayne?
Its his Spanish cousin,Juan
Cant fucking stand Deacon Blue,
I would happily strangle Ricky Ross to death
and that ugly cow he left his 8 month pregnant wife for 
Loved everything up to and including New Gold Dream but evreything afterwards was total shite.
hmmmm, i think every band mentioned here are and always have been shite. but wet wet wet are surely the worst of all time, marti pellow really is a spanker.
Dodjem wrote:
What do people on here think of Simple Minds?
Check my profile. I'm Simple Minds fan since 1985. Jim Kerr was my first love 
.
Jiphy wrote: Their last good LP is sparkle in the rain. In short, I agree with Steve and Ally.
Add me to the agreeing score.
[Fave SM tune - "Glittering Prize." Fcuking awesome.]
Love Song was the first one I really took notice of, Pips/Rotters/Berlin/DeVilles way back in pre-madchester Manc played it quite a lot, invariably followed by Kick in the eye/Searching for Satori by Bauhaus, or that maybe me remembering wrong, however..
thought that Glittering Prize was a perfect pop record
thought the drumming on the 12inch version of Speed your love was brilliant
lost me with the stadium stuff and Belfast Child
Heard 'Someone Somewhere In Summertime' on the radio at about 5.30am on, erm, a freezing cold frosty December morning the other day.Talk about taking the piss. But fantastic to hear again.
Early stuff was good, some cracking songs - The American, Promised You A Miracle, Waterfront, Speed Your Love To Me, Glittering Prize and the fabulous I Travel. It all went downhill from Don't You Forget About Me onwards.
also love early Minds and one of their earlier lyrics always makes me laugh (but in a good way), the one from 30 Frames a second ( "go back to father.....father where's my food?....your food is on the table........that can't be food, it's DIRT!"
themes from great cities, the american, premonition, etc. 
have heard a description of how the set started, with waterfront.
now that's a bass line
that & the american ftw
