Jim’s Diary

Ask anyone what a Simple Minds concert is about and for sure there will be some common responses. Some of those responses will centre on tunes, words, rhythms, sounds and atmospheres. Others meanwhile might respond by saying it is all about the crowd, the lights,...

Train travel has played more than a part in the career story of Simple Minds. Back in ’77, it was the Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverly express that would regularly hurtle both Charlie Burchill and myself as we made countless trips through to the...

I am always getting asked - what and who is you all time favourite song? Artist? Album? Gig? Venue? Such simple questions, and yet due to an abundance of possibilities, they are never that easy to answer. Being so, my answers vary in accordance to mood...

My little break is over, there will be another during the summer, but right now the bags are in the car and someone who knows how to drive better than I do is taking me to the airport. I’ve had some days in Sicily and...

Most groups can usually recall specific gigs that for some reason of importance were “career defining” or “career changing” for them. In our case there are quite a few, notwithstanding our first ever gig of course. After all, it is said that every journey begins...

I recall back in the day when you could envisage a "gig" being in a pub, club or theatre. I then recall the excitement when our gigs first took place in arenas and stadiums. These days a gig can take place in all manner of...

After more than ten weeks straight of rehearsing and touring, writing and recording, we stopped for a break. The first thing I did was sleep almost continually for two days, and when I was not sleeping, I ate like a pig. 48 hours later, I felt...

Starting almost seven weeks ago in a raw and bitterly cold Dublin, and due to end this weekend in what is predicted to be a gloriously sunny Ipswich, I cannot recall any previous tour being so good. That of course is really saying something bearing...

As those who have experienced any of the current dates on this tour will already know, we leave the stage each night to the raucous sound of David Bowie´s `Jean Genie". A barnstorming tune, the audiences seem to delight in it as it booms out...

Just like fans who go to concerts and for various reasons decide this or that show is the best that they have attended, we in the band also discuss amongst ourselves which show we preferred most within a tour. Likewise we consider many factors and...

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...