Simple Minds today unveiled plans for a 16-date European tour early next year dubbed “5X5 Live” that will see the band each night perform five songs off of each of its first five albums — Life In A Day, Real To Real Cacophony, Empires and Dance, Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Calling and New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84), which celebrates its 30th anniversary next year.
That trek will be preceded by the release, on Feb. 13 via EMI Music, of a new box set called Simple Minds X5 that will feature those five albums spread across six CDs — Sons and Fascination and Sister Feelings Calling will be packaged as separate discs in a gatefold sleeve — and include “bonus material on each disc including rare and previously unavailable CD, B-sides and remixes.”
A tracklist has not yet been released.
The tour opens Feb. 14 in Portugal and runs through March 4 in Dublin, with four U.K. dates interspersed, including in London and the band’s hometown of Glasgow. Tickets go on sale 9 a.m. Friday; watch simpleminds.com for more details on tickets and pre-sale offers.
According to the announcement on the band’s website:
“These five albums have had a massive cultural impact from the time of their release during the birth of the new wave electro scene in the late 1970s, through the dance revolution of the ‘80s and ‘90s, to the music of the Manic Street Preachers and the recent sound of The Horrors’ Skying album, making them five of the most vital albums of the post-punk period and the last 35 years.”
Adds frontman Jim Kerr: “This is the set that so many who appreciate Simple Minds have been begging us to play and finally this is that one-off chance to see it.”
Simple Minds ‘5X5 Live’ tour dates:
Feb. 14: Coliseum, Lisbon, Portugal
Feb. 15: Riviera, Madrid, Spain
Feb. 16: Razzamatazz, Barcelona, Spain
Feb. 18: Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Feb. 19: Admiralpalast, Berlin, Germany
Feb. 20: Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark
Feb. 21: Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Norway
Feb. 23: Cirque Royal, Brussels, Belgium
Feb. 24: Academy, Birmingham, UK
Feb. 25: Barrowland, Glasgow, UK
Feb. 27: Casino De Paris, Paris, France
Feb. 28: Alcatraz, Milan, Italy
Feb. 29: Komplex 457, Zurich, Switzerland
March 2: Roundhouse, London, UK
March 3: Ritz, Manchester, UK
March 4: Olympia Theatre, Dublin
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Free MP3: Simple Minds, ‘Stagefright’
- Simple Minds set ‘Greatest Hits U.K. Forest Tour’ of ‘spectacular woodlands locations’
- Simple Minds dig up, re-record old songs for ‘more alternative’ hits set in 2011
- Vintage Video: Simple Minds’ ‘Waterfront’ from 1990’s ‘Verona’ concert film
- Lostboy! AKA: Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr preps debut solo album, sets U.K. club dates
- Video: Death Cab for Cutie’s ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ tribute to John Hughes
- Video: Simple Minds and OMD perform Kraftwerk’s ‘Neon Lights’ together
and STILL no US dates. WTF!?
Will Simple Minds ever come back to the U.S. again? I had a ticket to see them on their 2002 Floating World Tour. Unfortunately, I could not attend the show on account of a back injury. I am so bummed I missed that show. The setlist was amazing!
Scott – I feel for you man. I did make it up to D.C. for the Floating World tour and it was a stellar repudiation of the dismal “Once Upon A Time” tour in ’86 where I was actually depressed that I finally saw Simple Minds after five years of loving their music under such repellent circumstances. They were washed up in ’86 and hungry men in ’02. But seriously, this tour just slays me. I can afford <$1000, but I can't afford the several thousands it would cost me to attend. If Derek Forbes rejoined for this tour I would sell a kidney to attend!