25 Mar, 2013 Soaked To The Skin
It's been God - awful weather In Dublin over the last two weeks. Good job then I am fortunate enough not to have to work outside as my father did for most of his working life, and as I did for a few years when...
Jim’s Diary
17 Mar, 2013 Getting Started!
As per usual I was up and out early, or at least out earlier than most. Dublin was getting ready for the St Patrick’s Day celebrations and before the crowds started gathering I felt like getting some air by walking through the fine grey drizzle...
12 Mar, 2013 The Doors Inside My Head!
"How did I get here?" to quote David Byrne in "Once In a Lifetime" is the question that I have asked myself on many occasion when I am in Sicily. Course the answer is that like millions before me and since, I got to Sicily...
04 Mar, 2013 Jim Live On RADIO 2
Jim is going to be live on the Simon Mayo drive-time show on BBC Radio 2 tommorow [Tuesday 5th Mar] at around 5.30-6.00pm. ...
22 Feb, 2013 Version Immersion
Whenever I search for a Simple Minds song on my laptop I am usually overwhelmed by how many different versions appear. For example with any given song of ours, it is commonplace that I will come across umpteen various demo versions occasionally listed as “very early”...
10 Feb, 2013 Broken Glass Park
"How else do you account for the return of the fountain pen--as an object of consumer luxury--in the age of the computer, when we have all but forgotten how to write?" A good question no doubt. Likewise and more in context with this site, how do...
07 Feb, 2013 Midnight Walking
Almost a year ago Simple Minds travelled 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. Our destination was the Norwegian city of Tromso; the mission was to take part in the city festival. We spent a few days only, but it was sufficient time to know...
21 Jan, 2013 Cover Me
I have particularly enjoyed listening to Billy Sloan´s last couple of shows on Radio Clyde. The theme was all time favourite cover versions and it is fair to say that some included in his selection would also be in mine. That in turn led me...
13 Jan, 2013 New Sounds
It often happens like so, just when I am starting to mildly panic, thinking that popular music no longer impresses etc. Along comes something new that has me transfixed, listening again and again on manic repeat. It happened not once but twice over the last...
09 Jan, 2013 Who Knows?
Arriving at Ca Va studios, 201 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, in July 1977, I had no idea regarding the experience that was to unfold or what it would lead to. How could I? Not only had I never set foot in a recording studio previously, I...
06 Jan, 2013 Missing Out On The Shortbread Show
Judging by the on line posts from many of our fans it would seem that there was a fair amount of disappointment regarding the fact that BBC Scotland chose to overlook Simple Minds Hogmanay performance in Edinburgh’s Princess Gardens. I can understand the disappointment from...
12 Dec, 2012 Goodbye Australia – Hello New Zealand
In a few hours we will set out from Sydney on a 90minute drive to Wollongong for what will be the last gig of the Australian tour. Mixed emotions are running high because whilst everybody no doubt is looking forward to being home for Christmas,...