Simple Minds - Sydney Opera House

 

Simple Minds 2024

Sydney Opera House

8 February 2024

 

“Stick with me kid, and we’ll play there”. 

 

These are the words that Jim Kerr said to Charlie Burchill, pointing to the Sydney Opera House, on the night they first arrived in Sydney from Glasgow in 1981.

 

It took 43 years, but they finally did it. Ever since then, it has been a mutual love affair. Australia have taken the band to heart and the band clearly love being here. There’s a warmth to the stage banter that is impossible to fake. If we have learned anything in the last few years, it’s not to take anything for granted. The band certainly didn’t.

 

The gig felt a bit like a victory lap.

 

For a band that have had a 40-year career they did a remarkable job of covering all the bases. It’s no secret that I think the early years of Simple Minds were when they were actually cool. Hard to believe I know. But songs such as Love Song, I Travel, Themes For Great Cities are all early art rock classics. They remind us what an innovative and experimental band they were.

 

Then, Simple Minds became a bit like U2 (not necessarily a compliment) and their catalogue started to fill up with stadium anthems, Alive and Kicking, Sanctify Yourself and Don’t You Forget About Me. Without them, you doubt they’d still have a career 40 years later, and everyone was very happy to hear them.

 

Then there’s the undisputed classic album New Gold Dream. The band are no fools, so about half of this album makes the set. A great decision as these songs were all highlights. How can you go past the timeless title track, or Promised You a Miracle or Someone, Somewhere in Summertime?  

 

There are a few songs from the 90s (not a particularly fertile period for the band) and, of course, they throw in a couple of new songs. They’re not bad. They show that there’s still life in the band and while not reaching the heights of the classics, show they’re still a creative force. 

 

They must have played every other venue in the city, from the smallest bars, to the Entertainment Centre and everywhere else in between. But when they got their chance at one of the most prestigious venues in the world, they did themselves proud.