Simple Minds
Hordern Pavilion
Sydney 9 February 2017
On the same night that Bruce Springsteen is playing across
town, why would you choose to spend your evening with Simple Minds?
Well, one reason is, before they became a byword for bloated
stadium rock, Simple Minds were cool. How cool were they? They were an
art rock indie dance band before anyone knew what one of those thing was (OK,
I’ll admit that I barely know what one of those things is now). But they
were ice cold cool. Their name would fit seamlessly beside uber-cool
bands like Kraftwerk and Can (look them up) and, yes, Bowie.
But then they were tempted by stadiums had a small dalliance
with the Breakfast Club (Don’t You Forget
About Me was confidently played mid set) and they seemed to have left their
cool roots behind them. In came big
choruses but what went out the door was that feeling of underground edge (for
want of a better term). For many that’s
not a problem – they like the singalong songs - but for some they miss the
interesting arty music of the early years.
How did Simple Minds approach this problem while keeping
everyone happy? The set relied heavily on their greatest hits from the
stadium rock years, but also the seminal New Gold Dream album with a few other
early classics as well (Love Song was an early highlight). They nicely
balance the songs that are keeping them playing to large venues such as the
Hordern Pavilion, but also reminding the faithful that they were a pretty interesting
band to begin with. A couple of tracks played from their latest album
illustrate the point best. They have a foundation in art-rock, but still
manage to bring in the big choruses when necessary.
This approach was best summed up in the three song
encore. One song from the new album, one
singalong hit and then they finished with a storming version of the title track
from New Gold Dream.
As I said, something for everyone.
At one point in a singalong chorus when the crowd wouldn't stop, Jim Kerr said "it's alright for us, we don't have to go to work tomorrow". Maybe if Simple Minds had let us sing all night we might have had to explain to two bosses our choice in seeing the band. But if you were there, no explanation was necessary.
At one point in a singalong chorus when the crowd wouldn't stop, Jim Kerr said "it's alright for us, we don't have to go to work tomorrow". Maybe if Simple Minds had let us sing all night we might have had to explain to two bosses our choice in seeing the band. But if you were there, no explanation was necessary.
