When I was 14, my “go to” concert footage at that time was U2’s Live at Red Rocks. Our nearest video store that stocked it was in the major suburban city where I grew up, a part of Sydney’s south-west called Liverpool. The video rental place was called VideoEzy and they were the only video rental shop I knew that had a rental copy of Live at Red Rocks to borrow. I had it on near permanent loan until such time as I was able to afford to buy my own copy. Buying videos in the early to mid 80s was expensive! That is why the video rental market was so HUGE. You had to be REALLY keen on a film to want to own it.
Live at Red Rocks had a very special place in my heart for many years. It was as near to getting to see U2 live as I was ever going to get back then. Oh, they toured Australia regularly enough during that time, but I was young and not a very brave soul and needed to be chaperoned to a gig. Also…I had no money! The centre of Sydney was 30 miles away. The only person I knew going to their gigs was my brother, Quince (real name Gary – it’s a looong story! Lol. No one has called him Gary for at least 30 years now. I finally gave up when I started working with him in the mid 90s. I was the only one hanging on. Even my mum was calling him Quince by that time). He was the one responsible for getting me into U2 but would he take me to a gig with him? Would he f*ck! To this day I’ve still not been to a U2 gig.
So, for me, Red Rocks was it. I played it to death. I knew every little bit of it. You could have blindfolded me and I could have told you what was taking place on the stage just by sound alone.
When I became a diehard Simple Minds fan, Rockpalast 1982 quickly established itself as my “Simple Minds at Red Rocks.” I watched it over and over. Each time seeing something new, some other move Jim made, finding him more and more intoxicating with each replay and just DREAMING I could go back in time and be in amongst that crowd…experience them, experience HIM in that feline sleek sensuality he had back then. I could have imagined literally getting drunk on the experience of being right in front of him, watching him hypnotise a crowd and then be hypnotised myself.
I know there are better gigs out there. Better sound, better performances. I mean, the Newcastle City Hall footage from November 1982 stands the test of time as it was shot on film. It’s a shame that all we ever get is a 35 minute section of it. One day we might see the full concert. But in terms of giving a more “true to life” experience, the early sound problems in the set, the band still in that transitional phase between the tried and tested tracks from SAF/SFC and moving into the opulence of the New Gold Dream phase…and Jim being at the absolute HEIGHT of “sex god Adonis” – Rockpalast was my absolute “go to” for wanting to submerge myself into 1982 glory! I have those same feelings as I did for U2 Live at Red Rocks when I see the Minds Rockpalast footage now. I could watch it blindfolded and visualise so many bits and tell you what’s happening, how Jim’s moving, etc.
I delved into other footage before and since, of course: Hurrah’s 1979, Hear Here 1980, Folllies 1980, Old Grey Whistle Test stuff from 1979 and 1982, The Tube in 1982 and 1983, PinkPop, Roskilde 1983, not to mention Top Of The Pops appearances and official music videos – but there is just something about the Rockpalast set. Most likely because it is a complete concert and because of its placement within the Simple Minds story – and because Jim is FUCKING HOT AS FUCK!
Tuesday sees the 41st anniversary of the performance and well, it’s as good excuse as any to choose it for Minds Music Monday. Over the years this footage has given me much joy (and a few tears too). May it continue to do so for many years to come.
Happy MMM and Happy Anniversary Rockpalast 1982.
UPDATE: I had no idea about the date of this when making references to U2 – I only saw this on my Facebook feed this morning (Tuesday morning). Wow!
