Simple Minds: Global Tour 2024

This eight-month-long Simple Minds tour genuinely is global (they started in January in New Zealand: Dubai is a stop between Australasia and Europe) and they expect to play to over one million people worldwide, showcase their eighteenth studio album Direction of the Heart along with some of their classic hits. The setlist for past shows on the tour has a dozen songs, many of them seriously long, climaxing (of course) with Don’t You (Forget About Me).

The nucleus of Simple Minds remains Jim Kerr (vocals) and Charlie Burchill (guitars and other instruments), who have been together since their short-lived late 70s punk incarnation as Johnny & The Self-Abusers. Now they tour with a full band, including Ged Grimes (bass), Cherisse Osei (drums), Gordy Goudie (guitar and keyboards), Erik Ljunggren (keyboards), and Sarah Brown on backing vocals.

Fun fact: Simple Minds took their name from a David Bowie lyric – “He’s so simple-minded, he can’t drive his module” from Jean Genie.