By Ben Shatz
“It’s been a long wait,” says long-time Simple Minds fan Matt(51). His self-proclaimed coolest daughter, Maya(16), agrees: “I’ve been waiting a long time, but not as long as him.” Fans crowded Ball Arena Tuesday night, bringing their decades-old vintage T-shirts, their enthusiasm, and even their offspring to catch three of the most innovative and successful British bands of the 1980s.
Modern English, best known in the US for the song “I Melt With You”, opened the show in fine style. Among their classics, the post-punkers played “Long in the Tooth”, a track from their latest album, 2024’s 1,2,3,4. Clad in leather, industrial black, and sunglasses, the avant garde synth duo Soft Cell took the stage next, entertaining the crowd with medlies and covers of 60s dance grooves, including their megahit version of “Tainted Love.”
The evening came to a climax when the Scottish headliners finally appeared. Frontman Jim Kerr and original guitarist Charlie Burchill, both 65 years old, shared the stage with a talented group of musicians, including percussionist Cherisse Osei, whose drum work provided muscle to tracks such as “Theme for Great Cities”. Alongside this instrumental surprise, Simple Minds played fan-favorites, including “Waterfront” and the Breakfast Club standard “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” By the end of the last song, Jim Kerr was conducting the entire arena in an horizonless vocalization of the classic “la, la-la-la-la’s.”
For long-time devotees and new fans alike, Simple Minds’ 2025 Alive and Kicking Denver tour stop will be a show they won’t soon forget. The three iconic bands will continue their tour through the midwestern US before heading to Europe later in the summer.