09 Aug, 2010 Cyclical Things!
The gig in The “Fete de l’humanit’e” on September 11th in La Courneuve Paris is set to be special in that it will be the last Simple Minds show for the foreseeable future.
With a crowd of up to 100,000 expected at this famous event, I cannot think of a better way to stop this current cycle of gigs that in someway began nearly two years ago with the 30th anniversary shows in ’08, then continued right through the release of Graffiti Soul and the shows to coincide which began in May last year.
Obviously there were a number of breaks in between, (I busied myself with Lostboy! AKA) but by enlarge we have been carrying the live mindset around with us for almost two years now, continuing even as it chopped and changed organically and without much fanfare. E.g. we began the cycle playing the New Gold Dream album in its entirety, we finish the cycle playing only one or two songs at most from our perceived landmark album. All of it possible with so many songs in the catalogue to choose from!
And so after what will be around circa 120 gigs since ‘08, it is now nearing time to stop, time to let the cycle run it’s course and let the new thing emerge without much interference or reference to the past – something unavoidable when you are playing catalogue songs each night on tour.
Time also for us to disappear before you all get sick of us. Or. We get sick of ourselves even! Either way I promise something very special when we do re emerge, something novel. Some fresh changes! A better band than ever.
Jim Kerr