05 Jul, 2009 THEY TRAVEL !
25 years ago the then 13 years old Antonio Chemi stood in the kitchen of his family’s restaurant, literally in tears he begged his father Giovanni to take him on a trip from Sicily to Rome to see his favourite band Simple Minds who were set to play in a few days time in the Italian capital. Unbelievably and totally out of character according to Antonio, Giovanni who was a conservative man by nature with very little time for rock n roll and those types who played it, relented the pressure that his beloved son was putting him under and suddenly the trip he dreamed of was on. The happiness Antonio experienced on learning that he would after all be setting out by train in a couple of days, heading for the first time to the “Big City”, and his first ever rock concert, was almost too much to contain. He promised wholeheartedly to his father that in return he would work even harder in the restaurant in between his school studies. That he did.
A couple of days ago, Antonio yet again made an early start from his home. He set out for Catania airport and the two hour flight to Milan, where his still favourite band would later that day play a concert that not only featured so many songs that he had grown up with, but also a bunch of new songs from their recently released Graffiti Soul album that according to Chemi is “fantastico!” I smiled in Milan as Antonio described to me once again what it was like the first time he had seen Simple Minds play. Relating easily, he recalled for me the power of the sound and the excitement generated by the crowd, as he left his father standing at the back of the arena while making his way through the crowd to attain a position near the front – just metres away from where Charlie Burchill stood mouthing every lyric to every song – as he does still!
A charismatic man with a huge heart, theses days Antonio is easily one of my best friends. He works his socks off for months on end, year in and year out, with barely a day off. But when he does decide to snatch the odd break he certainly knows how to enjoy himself, that evidently still involves travelling to see Simple minds play. Patently he considers our band “his music and part of his life!” He is not the only one who thinks that way either. Simone Vollero another long time fan has just driven a whole seven hours with a few other friends – all the way from Monte Cassino to Milan. Simone has supported Simple Minds as far back as he can remember and still recalls with every detail seeing the band play in the famous San Siro football stadium in’86.
Marco from Garda is yet another who has an intense passion for the Minds that stretches way back. Although extremely busy and loyal to the responsibilities that go with his profession, he makes sure that he can get to see his band whenever he can. He was milling around in Milan, also excited at the prospect of hearing the new songs as well as the old. In addition he never lets slip past the opportunity to promote SM, as happened recently when he bought not one but – a handful of copies of Graffiti Soul – so that he could hand them out to colleagues that were unfamiliar with the music that he holds dear. As in fact do the ‘three girls’ who made it to Milan and have been travelling all over the continent for the last two decades to be there as Simple Minds have continued down their long road.
“Big John” from Finland will see about a dozen minds concerts this year and has probably lost count of the times he has travelled in hope of hearing his favourite song Hunter and the Hunted” being played live. He may get lucky when he turns up later this week in Paris. Stephen Robinson likewise will be in Paris along with a few of his mates. He might live and work in the UK but he does not dare to miss the Olympia show that we are all looking forward to. Tokyo needs to be mentioned also. http://ameblo.jp/smjp/
Having recently started a Japanese site dedicated to the Minds, the thousands of miles that separate Japan from Europe will not stop the fan who lives in the Japanese capital from seeing even more Simple Minds concerts in Europe this year. Last but not least, I have to mention the two couples from Glasgow making the trip to France, combining birthdays, anniversaries and the chance to see the group that they have followed since the early days when Simple Minds played the pubs in the streets that they hung out in as teenagers.
The remarkable thing about all those people is not just the amount of support that they have given SM throughout. Equally remarkable is the fact that they are not unique with this passion of theirs and that at any given concert of our band you will find many people with the same dedication including those that travel from every corner of the globe.
We appreciate all who make the effort to come and see us, as well as the sacrifices that they make to do so. The amount of new and young fans that are now appearing at the shows is also a great thing to witness. Our gratitude to all who support us and encourage us to continue creating this music and in turn playing the shows, genuinely knows no end. That appreciation extends in particular to those that have carried the band through the long years that have brought us right up to where we are today.
Jim Kerr