Simple Minds live up to name of Alive and Kicking tour in Toronto

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Simple Minds
Budweiser Stage
Wednesday night
RATING: ***1/2 (3.5 out of four)

Simple Minds are still alive and kicking — and them some.

Thus the name of the veteran Scottish rock band’s latest North American tour, Alive and Kicking — their biggest trek on the continent in four decades and in honour of the 40th anniversary of their breakout and biggest ever hit (which they didn’t write) — the anthemic Don’t You (Forget About Me) used in John Hughes’ 1985 Breakfast Club film and soundtrack.

No wonder the crowd’s spirited singalong of the tune’s chorus — “La, La La, La” — on Wednesday night at Budweiser Stage seemed to go on forever as the song triumphantly wrapped up Simple Minds’ set before the encore.

“I should be paying YOU to sing,” joked frontman Jim Kerr, dressed in head-to-toe black save for a white star on his black T-shirt.

“But since I’m Scottish, it’s not likely.”

Seriously, he’s genuinely funny but Kerr should keep his day job as his soulful croon is still intact at age 65 as are his interpretive dance moves to the point that he got down on both knees and then bent backwards flat onto his back a few times during the hour-and-50 minute show.

“Don’t try that at home kids,” Kerr joked afterwards. “Try that at someone else’s home. I’m getting too old for this malarky.”

Not really.

The group, which still includes original lead guitarist Charlie Burchill, also 65 — still sounded vibrant from the very first song, Waterfront, with lots of lights and visuals from multiple screens up on stage and getting some major juice from female drummer Cherisse Osei and big-voiced backup singer Sharon Brown — “This is Simple Minds version of girl power!” said Kerr, adding; “We’re just getting warmed up.”

Also good was Love Song, Let There Be Love — with Kerr now at the front of the audience on the floor — Someone Somewhere in Summertime, the instrumental Theme for Great Cities followed by Osei’s stunning drum solo (both of which allowed Kerr to take a break from the stage), Promised You a Miracle, and Book of Brilliant Things (completely handled by Brown on lead vocals), the latter which kicked off the three-song encore rounded out by crowd-pleasers Alive and Kicking and Sanctify Yourself.

Opening for the Glaswegian rockers were two ‘80s British New Wave acts, Modern English and Soft Cell, who both showed off their biggest hits — I Melt With You and Tainted Love, respectively — in half-hour sets before Simple Minds took the stage.

Of the two acts, Soft Cell stretched out a slightly more with frontman Marc Almond (still with the black bowl haircut and shades) taking the crowd through a ballad like Say Goodbye, Wave Hello (covered more recently by British singer-songwriter David Gray).

SET LIST:

Waterfront

Love Song

Glittering Prize

Let There Be Love

Once Upon a Time

This Fear of Gods

Oh Jungleland

Someone Somewhere in Summertime

New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)

Theme for Great Cities (Instrumental) Drum Solo (followed by band introductions)

Promised You a Miracle

All the Things She Said

See the Lights

Don’t You (Forget About Me) (With extended singing from the crowd)

ENCORE:

Book of Brilliant Things (Sarah Brown on vocals)

Alive and Kicking

Sanctify Yourself

jstevenson@postmedia.com

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