Bringing Back The Good times?

As the Glasgow shows inch ever closer, I don’t think I have been this excited for Simple Minds gigs since that warm, splendid weekend in the middle of August in 2022. Everything about that weekend was incredible. And it’s going to be hard to top it. But right now, by God are they giving it their best shot!

At Manchester I was floored by the setlist. I was harsh with my score of 8/10 for it because I still feel the ending is a little …. ‘safe’ and uninspired. I understand why Alive and Kicking stays there. But I’m still not comfortable with Sanctify Yourself any more. I wish it would be changed for Ghostdancing. That they ended the encore with Alive and Kicking instead and had Ghostdancing as maybe the penultimate song of the night. If I had my way, they would give Sannyfy a rest. I’ve been to 32 shows since 2015 and they have performed Sannyfy, Alive and Kicking and DYFAM at EVERY SINGLE SHOW! Every. Single. Show. Just saying.

Back to the bubbling excitement for what’s at the top of the setlists! For Manchester I will be forever grateful for that trio of songs in the set; The American, Premonition and This Fear Of Gods. Since then, the band have continued to really mix up the setlists. I genuinely give them MASSIVE plaudits for that. Unlike what I have experienced in the past when just one song, possibly two, would be switched around after about 5 shows (or more), this has been a fantastic showing of a what a GOOD mix up of a setlist can be like. Already they’ve switched the top of the setlist around several times. And that’s absolutely fantastic. I’m teetering on giving them a 9/10 based upon the regular changing of the first part of the set. But it still it leaves that bottom part – in particular the encore – pretty stagnant.

Last night at Bournemouth a new song appeared on the set. And, OH MY DAYS, did I nearly flip out when I saw it! The first alert I had to it being there was watching Cherisse’s wee Instagram video backstage. There was a setlist pinned to her dressing room wall and I had assumed it was for the show. I could see what was on the list and…I spotted Sons And Fascination on it. What was behind her was a bit blurry so I wasn’t 100% sure and tried to zoom in. To my astonishment and joy – there it was! It was what I was seeing – SONS AND FASCINATION was on the set last night!

Since that moment, I have been nearly wetting myself with anticipation for the weekend. I am PRAYING that…as much as they have been mixing up the top part of the setlist, that Sons and Fascination makes it to Glasgow. Please, please! For the love of God. Jim…if you ever, ever, ever visit this sad excuse for a fan blog, PLEASE – play SAF for me!?! PLEASE!

Last night’s setlist at Bournemouth was amazing. Not only was SAF a feature but Sweat In Bullet was played too and I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen that performed live, either. But, for me – SAF has set my heart aflame. I can’t remember being this excited in an AGE. Scrap what I said earlier about 2022 and Edinburgh. I’m not even sure I was that excited then. I was probably a little more excited at the earlier shows. Although I can still feel all the anxiety that came with those shows as well. Manchester, I was still very anxious and wary and trying to keep myself in check.

Now? I am just a rush of adrenalin and I don’t know how I am going to keep myself stable and level-headed enough to do the things I need to do before Friday arrives. It scares me to be this excited. I’m not sure my wee heart can take it. I can’t tell you how devastated I’d be in SAF is not on the set for either of the shows in Glasgow this weekend. It doesn’t have to be played both nights. And if it’s only played at the soundcheck, please let it be Friday’s soundcheck! I’m not attending Saturday’s one.

It’s been playing in my head ever since. I ADORE this era of Simple Minds. I adore this song. I’m going to link to a previous post from my 40th Anniversary celebration in 2021 of SAF/SFC about the title track and what it means to me and its history. Take a read of it HERE – reading over it, I’m really proud of this piece. I can write something very good when I put my mind to it.

I need to bring this post to an end now. I have so much to do and so little time in which to do it, but I had to post about what I’m feeling today and how excited I am about the weekend and how much I am praying to see this song be performed on either Friday or Saturday night in Glasgow. I wanted to write so much more about these setlists. To summarise: I’m in praise of they way they’ve been handling them with that sticking point being the encore – and primarily Sanctify Yourself being that sticking point. Like a high jumper raising the bar another 2.5cm and their butt cheek just only slightly bumping the bar and the momentum of that being enough to knock the bar off completely – Simple Minds are very, VERY near getting over that bar. So near!

My excitement, my anticipation, my expectations are high! BRING IT ON! Give me your A Game, Mr Kerr! The gauntlet has been thrown down….