Simple Minds set for return
Scottish new-wave group Simple Minds, a heavyweight on the rock circuit especially during the mid- and late 1980s, will be returning to Athens – following a lengthy absence here – for two shows at Club 22 (22 Vouliagmenis) on April 14 and 15. Tickets for both shows went on sale earlier this week at the Metropolis music store’s main downtown outlet (54 Panepistimiou) and at Tickethouse (22 Panepistimiou). Formed in Glasgow back in 1978, Simple Minds started off as a new-wave, art-rock band before developing an epic rock style that eventually drew a considerable number of fans in many parts of world. An anti-apartheid concert at London’s Wembley Stadium in the late ’80s, rallying for the release of then-imprisoned black South African leader Nelson Mandela, coincided with the band’s heightened popularity. Nearly 100,000 concertgoers had attended the London event, for which Simple Minds featured as one of the main acts. The popular Scots seemed destined for super-group status along the lines of their Irish peers U2. But the rising trajectory stopped there. Unlike U2, Simple Minds failed to make an impact in the USA. Other than one major hit, «Don’t You Forget About Me,» which featured on the soundtrack of the mid-’80s hit film «The Breakfast Club,» the Scottish band failed to make an impression in the US market. By the early ’90s, not long after their performance at London’s anti-apartheid rally, Simple Minds began to fade from the picture, despite maintaining a steady work rate. Throughout the ’90s, the band released several albums, though these generally failed to impress critics and hold on to its fan base. Just months ago, however, Simple Minds released a new album, «Black and White 050505,» that has managed to generate favorable reviews and catch disinterested listeners by surprise. Concertgoers can expect a mix of old and new material at the band’s two upcoming shows in Athens.
