Don't You Forget About...

Simple Minds, Blickling Hall, 17 July 2009

Hitting 30 may be a bit of a watershed for many, but for eighties rockers Simple Minds it is clearly where life begins.  Celebrating their thirtieth anniversary with their Graffiti Soul tour, the band proved that they can still cut-it to a very appreciative, albeit extremely damp, crowd at Blickling Hall this summer.

Persistent rain didn’t quell the spirits of the crowd as the band bounced on stage, opening with the blistering track Waterfront and setting the scene for a high energy performance that musical counterparts 20 years their junior would have been proud of.

Expertly integrating a smattering of new material from the band's latest album with a range of old classics Simple Minds delivered hit after hit which the crowd enthusiastically responded to.  A magisterial Belfast Child, a pumped-up See The Lights, and a joyously warm rendition of Promised You A Miracle were punchy and musically tight and received a rapturous reaction.

Ever the old-fashioned rock-showman, front-man Jim Kerr fed off the fan’s enthusiasm putting in a gutsy show with much finger pointing and an athletically flexible performance almost suitable for a fitness DVD.

As the evening got wetter and wetter no-one seemed to care with Simple Minds lighting up an otherwise miserable summer's night. As the evening drew to a close after the 110 minute set and encore, the 3,000 strong crowd headed off clear in their minds that the band had affirmed their status once again with a formidable quantity of anthems and a pretty fine light show.

All words and photos © CAT 2009, written for Norfolk On My Mind