People of the Americas (South, Central and North) – this is your one month call to say Simple Minds are headed to you starting one month from today!
The first port of call is Santiago, Chile on 29 April, followed by dates in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 1 May, Sao Paolo, Brazil on 4 May (unfortunately a concert for Rio de Janeiro the night prior to Sao Paolo has been cancelled) and Mexico City (Mexico) on 7 May.
The band then head to North America for dates across the country, starting at Ridgefield, Washington on 16 May and ending at Noblesville, Indiana on 22 June. Having a look at the tickets available at selected venues, there are PLENTY on offer in the U.S.A and Canada (Well, I looked at Montreal and not Toronto so there might not be as many available there?) with tickets as cheap as $35 in some venues – but they are WAY WAY back – like, right at the back! Anything remotely decent is going to set you back at least $100, with good view non-VIP tickets ranging from around $190-$240. Of the venues I looked at, I’d say the best value venue is looking to be on 31 May at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, Texas – approximately 50kms north of Houston. If you live around that area, that is your gig to go to!
Some venues seem to offer discounts of groups of 4, so for example, the $35 lawn tickets available at The Woodlands become $25 each when booking 4 tickets.
If Texas is too far south, then looking at a venue in the north of the country – North East – the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey (11 June) is offering some reasonably priced good view seats for under $100. North West – Seattle (17 May) is looking good price-wise for good seating that isn’t up in the gods. Back over to the North East – the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts (15 June) has good seating around $100-$120. Back to the South but further West – the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre (that rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) in Chula Vista (near San Diego) California (24 May) has some affordable seating nearing the front as well. Also the old ‘lawn section’ tickets for $35. Fill your boots, Cali peeps!
You can find all the ticketing information links HERE at the Simple Minds website.
As a fan, the amount of seats available at these venues I find alarming with such a short time to go before the tour starts. Money is tight, and the political situation in the United States is pretty bloody scary. I’m not going to get political here but suffice it to say the political and financial climate has changed significantly since the last time Simple Minds toured North America in 2018. I know of fans who in 2018 went to several gigs and followed the band around the country. This time they just don’t have the finances to do that again. Fans that happily went to 4-5 gigs on the tour in 2018 will now be lucky to get to just the one, perhaps two at most – and that will be pushing the boat out.
In all likelihood, this will be the last time Simple Minds tour North America – certainly a tour of this scale anyway, that’s for certain. So, if you can make one gig, please go. If you’re happy to just be there and two low ticket shows is doable for you, consider it. If not, go big and do the one good seat show.
Anyway, I think I’ve done my best “good fan” turn in trying to sell this tour to you all.
The support acts? Meh – yeah, I know. I wouldn’t be particularly interested in them either … but I think this was one of the only ways the band could make a tour on this scale viable. Not sure just how many Soft Cell or Modern English fans will be drawn in to going to any of the shows – or even how many fans they actually have over there. Who knows?
I really don’t want the tour to fail, or appear mediocre. Simple Minds do continue to be a great live band – believe me I’m swallowing my pride saying that. I’ve been giving them so much stick of late – my own personal hurts affecting what is true. Jim Kerr is still a great frontman – knows how to engage a crowd and performs pretty darn well. (Albeit can have some rather frustrating traits with it – “upturned tortoise” limbo moves, dodgy banter and endless lyric fluffs that make it feel like he can’t really be arsed at times – “We give 100% every night” – hmmm, really? I’d say 95-98% would be more accurate, at least when it comes to you, Herr Kerr. Sorry, bitchy rant over!)
The gist of this is – go see them if you can – it may just be your genuine last chance.
