Easy Minds are on their approach again to the Bay Space, set to thrill ‘80s music followers with a songbook that features such gems as “Alive and Kicking,” “Sanctify Yourself,” “Waterfront” and — oh, yeah, — just a little tune referred to as “Don’t You (Neglect About Me).”
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You most likely know the latter, whether or not or not you had been born when it got here out and touched hundreds of thousands of hearts within the 1985 coming-of-age movie “The Breakfast Club.” The music was successful then and it stays one at this time, having garnered over a billion — sure, billion with a “b” — streams on Spotify alone.
That landmark tune will probably be a main purpose why tens of 1000’s of followers will end up to see the Scottish new wave rock act on its Alive & Kicking Tour 2025.
But, there are lots of different causes as nicely — notably, the group’s longstanding fame as an unbelievable stay act. See if the group can stay as much as that advance invoice when it performs on Might 20 at Toyota Pavilion at Harmony. The band, which is the topic of the 2023 music documentary “Simple Minds: Everything Is Possible,” is accompanied by fellow ‘80s acts Gentle Cell and Trendy English on the invoice. Showtime is 7 p.m. and tickets begin at $46; livenation.com.
I not too long ago had the possibility to speak (and chortle) with Easy Minds vocalist Jim Kerr, who was in nice spirits because the group was about to embark on its North American run.
Q: Hiya, Jim. It’s Jim. The place are you at this time?
A: Los Angeles — on the brink of rehearse. We simply got here in from Latin America – we did a couple of exhibits there. We have now a couple of issues to tighten up earlier than we begin these weeks forward of us within the U.S., which is one thing we’re very a lot wanting ahead to.
Q: It’s your greatest North American headline tour in 4 many years. I suppose you simply needed to soak in as a lot of North America as you can.
A: Yeah, why not? It’s time to exit and show ourselves. Let’s exit and do it. Let’s exit throughout the nation and reward these individuals who already like Easy Minds and know Easy Minds and have seen Easy Minds. And let’s try to blow away those that are coming alongside maybe not figuring out what to anticipate.
Q: I’ve to admit that — one way or the other, someway — I’ve by no means seen Easy Minds in live performance in all my years going to exhibits. So, I’ve to ask: Are you guys nearly as good in live performance as folks say you might be?
A: If I mentioned no that might be bizarre, proper? Let me simply say that we relish the problem of residing as much as what we all know exists — there’s a optimistic picture of Easy Minds taking part in stay. From the earliest days, we significantly dreamed about being a terrific stay band. In fact, to be a terrific stay band you need to have nice songs and you need to have good data on the market if you’d like folks to come back and see you.
We ourselves grew up seeing numerous nice stay music. And that’s the place we needed to go.
Q: And it sounds such as you’ve gotten there. The query is how do you discover the motivation to remain there?
A: We’re a band that doesn’t must attempt to inspire ourselves on tour — regardless of what number of nights there are on that tour. We’re a band that manages to rise to the problem each night time, figuring out that, for the viewers, it’s just about the one night time on that tour and it is perhaps the one night time they get to see you — who is aware of?
And when that’s at stake, you wouldn’t need to give lower than one hundred pc.
Q: Normally while you hear the “you’ve got to see them live” tag thrown round it’s with somebody like Phish or Bruce Springsteen. I’m not used to listening to it related to an ‘80s new wave act.
A: (Laughs) You say, you’re not used to listening to that in regards to the ‘80s stuff where they all sucked. That’s actually what you’re saying. (Extra laughter) Effectively, we’re old fashioned. We began within the mid-‘70s, messing around just after school. But you’re fairly proper — by the point we obtained any success, we had been nicely into the ‘80s. But prior to that success, we spent four or five years at every dive, every pub, every bar in the U.K. and Europe — building (our career) up through pubs then theaters and clubs, finally arenas. We did it the old school way. And it’s held us in good stead.
Q: Within the 80s — thanks largely to MTV — numerous new artists had been thrust into the intense highlight proper initially of their careers, often with out the fabric to again them up. However that wasn’t the Easy Minds story. By the point your band hit it massive, you guys had been already on album No. 7.
A: That’s proper. And we had toured. We had opened for Peter Gabriel for like eight weeks in Europe. We had put within the onerous jobs. And I’ll inform you why — as a result of we beloved it. And that’s what we needed to do with our lives.
In fact, you needed to have the songs. So, you needed to write the songs and make the data. And there was nice pleasure in that. However there’s something rather more visceral to your life if you end up getting on the stage that night time.
Q: Thus the deal with the stay present began approach again firstly.
A: In fact, it didn’t all the time go nice. We needed to be taught. We needed to fail. We needed to screw up. Typically you had been taking part in to 3 males and a canine. However very often, even when we had been taking part in to 3 males and a canine, the promoter would say, “I’ve never seen three men and a dog go that crazy for a band.”
Q: And other people can get a great style of the Easy Minds live performance expertise with the newly launched “Live in the City of Diamonds.” You don’t see many stay albums nowadays — not to mention double stay ones like “City of Diamonds.”
A: Effectively, once more — old fashioned. We grew up when nice bands put out stay albums. This tour we’re about to do right here is admittedly the second a part of a tour that began final 12 months. And there was magic within the air. Sure gigs — you simply knew the band was cooking. So, (we determined) let’s seize it.
Q: I’m glad you probably did. It’s fairly good.
A: This point in time, you don’t often get numerous kudos for a stay album. However we’ve been getting it. It’s within the High 10 in numerous nations. The opinions have been nice.
It’s one thing, I suppose, for tremendous followers — and so they deserve it. It’s a great second captured of the place the band is at this level and time. And all I can say at this level is that it’s wonderful that it nonetheless sounds so sort of vibrant and we’re actually into it. There’s no going by means of the motions, that’s for certain.
Q: Is it satisfying to see folks, ones who may solely know the band from “Don’t You (Neglect About Me),” come to the conclusion that Easy Minds truly has a very deep songbook?
A: To exit in entrance of 12,000 folks in Europe — and so they know each phrase — is one factor. If that’s not the case, it’s a special problem.
The proof of the take a look at is that we very hardly ever tour after which come again and there are much less folks.
Q: They inform their mates.
A: They inform their mates. And that’s the most effective publicity. Somebody goes into work, or emails their mates, and says, “Man, you missed it. You need to go next time.”
Q: I’ve skilled that myself. I’ve obtained a good friend named Dina who goes to a number of Easy Minds exhibits, on the identical tour, after which comes again raving in regards to the band.
A: What a praise. You inform Dina I used to be asking for her.
Q: Is it onerous to nonetheless get enthusiastic about taking part in “Don’t You (Neglect About Me)” for just like the 9,000th (and counting) time?
A: Right here’s the factor: If you’re taking part in it in a rehearsal room, simply you, it feels just like the 9,000th time. However as quickly as you play in entrance of somebody, it’s not the (expletive) 9,000th time for them. It is perhaps the one time. And also you’re solely there for the folks in entrance of you.
If you’re happening tour for your self, why hassle? Keep at dwelling. You’re going on the market to be of service. And when that’s at stake, you need to not solely play the music — you need try to play it higher than ever that night time. That’s our perspective.
Q: Effectively, I can’t wait to expertise that perspective in individual after I lastly appropriate my Easy Minds scenario and see the band in live performance at Harmony.
A: Now, you might be placing me underneath strain.
Q: (Laughs) I feel you’ll be able to deal with it, sir.
A: I don’t learn about that. After providing you with all of the excessive hat right here, we’d higher ship.
