Assorted Images

We are now into the 3rd week of this current tour and the shows are whizzing past faster than we can quite grasp. Playing as much as 5 -6 shows a week that was always going to be the case, but to witness it happen is always something of a surprise.

Highlights so far? As ever, the highlight is to observe how much the people who come to see us are seemingly enjoying the experience. Nothing new about that, but at the same time, nothing matters more.

From a music perspective, we are delighted how good the newer songs such as Blood Diamonds and Broken Glass Park are working out. Equally so the songs that we have not played so much in a decade or so, namely Space, War Babies, This Is Your Land. All are coming on very strong.

Personally I am taking pleasure in some of these classy venues that we are visiting. Dundee Caird `Hall, Aberdeen Concert hall, Leicester De Montford, Brighton Dome, Belfast Waterfront, in particular. These must be great places to see the band, least I imagine so.

Negatives? Only one I can think of is the fact that I cannot hang around and talk much with fans who wait for us before or after gigs. The least I could do for people who have given me this life is to try and give them some moments of my time, to chat or sign, or have a photo. And indeed I do.

But it is only a few moments that I can give and the genuine reason is that when we are playing so many shows that consist of nearly two and a half hour sets, I simply have to first of all make sure that I rest the voice completely afterwards, while also making sure that I don´t catch a cold etc.

I enjoyed last night show in Brighton very much and the evening was made even more pleasurable afterwards when I got the chance to meet up with Malcolm Garret whom I had not seen in a very long time. As many may know Malcolm and his company Assorted images were the design team behind so many of our album sleeves throughout the `80´s in particular. I cannot express how much their efforts impacted on the image of Simple Minds, as I said it was great to meet up again.

Jim Kerr