It seems as if more often than no that the 17th January (in my experience) here in Glesga seems to be a lovely sunny day. Always cold, mind! But invariably sunny. What it was like in 1978, I cannot tell you. No doubt equally as cold as it is today.
A newly formed band of southside stragglers comprising of Messers Tony Donald, Duncan Barnwell, Brian McGee, Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr are, I believe, the second act on (or was the third? I cannae tell) after the Nu Sonics (pre-Orange Juice) had their set.
As Jim is always quick to remind us the band “walked on to the sound of our own feet.” Sounds a pretty dead scene to me and I can’t imagine a venue being THAT quiet. If anything, I can imagine it being quite lively and had they been bad, they’d have just been pelted off with god knows what kind of projectiles thrown at them. But hey, it isn’t MY story to tell!
All I know is that, as a fan, I am forever grateful that this was the first stepping stone of the existence of Simple Minds, in their ever-changing phases “and changes and faces” (to paraphrase a line from a certain Kerr penned ditty) over the past 45 years. Always moving. Never stagnant – at least ever-trying to deflect the danger of stagnation, at least.
So, here’s to 45 years of music, from, what are to the present day, one of the best live bands in the whole world (if not the best outright).
Cheers me dears!
