On the strength of our “Month of Music“, in which we went to four gigs, I booked some more tickets and last night we went to see Simple Minds at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena.
This was on a completely different scale to what we saw last month at The Cluny, which is tiny with a capacity of only 300. The Arena accommodates over 11,000 people. It was a completely different experience, with a massive stage in a very tall space which gives plenty of scope for some pretty spectacular staging.
Simple Minds formed in Glasgow in 1977 and gained popularity in the 80s with hits including “Promised You a Miracle”, “Alive and Kicking”, “Glittering Prizes”, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” and the atmospheric “Belfast Child”.
Only front man Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill remain of the original line up, but they have recruited some great musicians – standout performer for me was dynamic drummer Cherisse Otei.
Add state-of-the-art light lighting effects and an adoring audience, eager to sing along to those 80’s anthems and we had the whole package. Even K (who is known to be critical if the sound engineer is not up to the mark) couldn’t fault the mix. Jim Kerr’s vocals are as powerful as ever and he really held the crowd for what was a very long show – well over 2 hours, divided into two sets, with a short break in between.
We had a great night. No more gigs now until July for us…unless something else grabs my attention!
Stitches by the Sea 