Simple Minds to celebrate 40 years with a world tour, including 3Arena

Music
30 Sep 19

With 40 years of hits under their belts, the Glasgow band are headed across the globe. Of course, they’ll be making a stop in Dublin.

Simple Minds celebrate 40 years in music with a major world tour in 2020. Today the band announce details of the tour’s European dates, which covers 38 shows across 12 countries, including a night at Dublin's 3Arena on 22 April 2020.

Simple Minds have experienced a remarkable journey since releasing their debut album ‘Life in a Day’ in 1979. Constantly evolving, the band’s rousing choruses and booming atmospherics made them one of the most iconic bands of the '80s. Along the way, they’ve landed five UK #1 albums, topped the singles charts on both sides of the Atlantic, sold over 60 million albums, and packed stadiums across the world.

“Simple Minds are different now,” says co-founder and vocalist Jim Kerr. “We’re not a stock rock band, but we haven’t changed our line-up to be cool. We’ve done it because it’s great to have so many amazing players on board. I’m grateful for the career we’ve had, but I’m mad enough to think we can still hit new levels. This is what we do – write, record and play live.”

After taking some time out, Simple Minds returned revitalised and resurgent with the 2014 album Big Music and have maintained that upward momentum ever since. They claimed the Q Inspiration Award that same year, which was followed by an Ivor Novello in 2016.

When last year’s Walk Between Worlds album crashed into the UK charts at No. 4, it represented their highest position in 23 years.

“The perception that we're now gathering pace is down to our attitude to playing live,” remarks fellow co-founder and guitarist Charlie Burchill. “There have been lots of different incarnations of Simple Minds, but we’ve always kept our identity. A legacy can be a burden if you allow it to be. For us, it's been empowering.”

Simple Minds will further mark their 40th anniversary celebrations with the release of the career-spanning compilation 40: The Best Of – 1979-2019 on November 1st via UMC. Collating their early fan favourites with their era-defining hits and their essential recent material, the album is now available to pre-order. The collection also includes a new track: a cover of King Creosote’s celebration of weekend revelry ‘For One Night Only’.

In addition, the new live album Live In The City of Angels will be released this Friday and is also available to pre-order here.

Tickets from €50.20 will go on sale here this Friday, 4 October at 9AM.