23 Mar, 2012 Simple Minds Live This Summer?
5X5 LIVE!, 5X5+HITS or 5X5 Festival? Many of you will be wondering if Simple Minds will playing their critically acclaimed 5X5 LIVE! show or perhaps a compilation of hits from their entire career?
There will be three different types of Simple Minds Show this summer., dependent upon whether it is a festival (in which case the festival promoter gets some say in what is played and also stipulates the length of time the band are on stage), and also whether it is an indoor or outdoor show.
The type of show is mentioned within the listing of each date on Tour Dates Page and hopefully this will give you some idea of what to expect:
5×5 Festival Set – Mainly comprising of songs from the 5X5 era plus a couple of surprises – set length determined by the festival
5×5 Full Set – These shows will have longer sets and will include more of the 5×5 tracks (but may also on occasion include some more recent hits)
5×5 + Hits – A mixture of 5X5 tracks plus hits from throughout the bands career
For details on which show at which venue, view each item on the TOUR DATES PAGE.
Here is the general press release regarding the festival shows:
SIMPLE MINDS TAKE TO THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT TO PERFORM SONGS FROM THEIR UNIVERSALLY ACCLAIMED 5X5 LIVE! SHOW
“As Bobby Gillespie, James Dean Bradfield and The Horrors’ Rhys Webb recently confided to Mojo, the cool kids kind of dug them all along.” Mojo Magazine
“Simple Minds are suddenly alive and kicking again.” 4/5 live review, Guardian
“Once upon a time Simple Minds were a great band, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.” 4/5 live review, Daily Telegraph
“It’s official, Simple Minds are cool again.” Metro
Following the universal acclaim for Simple Minds’ recent landmark 5X5 shows – where they played 5 songs from each of their first 5 albums – and the accompanying X5 box set, the band will this summer take to the road to play festivals and, as a special treat to those who missed out on these shows, play a set comprising of songs from the 5X5 period plus some of their classic anthems.
The sets will include songs from Life In A Day, Real To Real Cacophony, Empires and Dance, Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call and New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84), which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year – all of which were released in a prolific period from 1979 to 1982. These five albums have had a massive cultural impact from the time of their release during the birth of the new wave electro scene in the late 1970s, through the dance revolution of the ‘80s and ‘90s, to the music of the Manic Street Preachers and the recent sound of The Horrors’ Skying album, making them five of the most vital albums of the post-punk period and the last 35 years.
The band are incredibly excited about the opportunity to be able to share this experience with more people.
Jim Kerr said
“One of the great things about playing these festivals is that it lets us get in front of younger generations and we have to get up there and prove that our music’s timeless, that it’s got something for all ages and that the power and hopefully the authenticity of the music will strike a chord with people who haven’t witnessed Simple Minds before or don’t know much about us.”