SIMPLE MINDS ARE ALIVE AND KICKING AT MISSOURI'S HOLLYWOOD CASINO AMP

Taking the name from their 1985 hit of the same title, Scottish rock band Simple Minds are currently on their Alive and Kicking Tour throughout North America. This is their most extensive North American tour in over four decades! The Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, MO marked the halfway point of the U.S. portion of the tour.

An iconic band of the 80s, Simple Minds is still going strong, promoting old and new music. Currently touring with them is English synth pop duo Soft Cell, most widely known for their 1981 hit “Tainted Love.” Also joining them on tour is English new wave/post-punk band Modern English, best known for their 1982 hit “I Melt With You.”

Simple Minds founding members Jim Kerr (lead singer) and Charlie Burchill (lead guitar) shared the stage with the talented Erik Ljunggren on keys, guitarist Gordy Goudie, bassist Ged Grimes, drummer Cherisse Osei, and female vocalist Sarah Brown.

Simple Minds took the stage at 9:10 p.m., and opened their set with the 1983 hit “Waterfront,” a song from their sixth studio album, Sparkle in the Rain. On March 14, 2025, they released a new live version of this song, recorded for their newest album, Live in the City of Diamonds, and is quickly becoming a new live favorite. Smoke, strobes, and jumbo-vision were in abundance throughout the show, enhancing the entire concert experience. The amphitheatre was loaded with fans who were relishing in this music with the same energy they had back in the 1980s when Simple Minds was topping the charts.

After the first three songs, female vocalist Sarah Brown joined lead singer Jim Kerr on stage for the remainder of their set. Touring with bands Roxy Music and Duran Duran, Sarah has been with Simple Minds for almost ten years, contributing her powerful voice to this decades-old band. Belting out the 1981 hit “Love Song” with Jim Kerr, this was only the second time this song has been performed live on this North American tour. Halfway through their set, the lights became much darker, with now only a purple glow of light shining behind drummer Cherisse Osei. The instrumental “Theme for Great Cities” set a mellow tone for the midway point of the evening. Segueing into the following number, Cherisse then livened things up with a jaw-dropping drum solo! Her passion as a drummer radiates with her infectious smile while playing, braids flying, and her overall energy level while beating those drums. This moment amped up the crowd for more!

Rounding 10:30 p.m., the end of their set was coming to a close, and fans knew what was in store for them next. The anxiously awaited song “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” took the final spot on the set list. By far their biggest hit, this 1985 iconic single gained its popularity from the John Hughes film from the same year, The Breakfast Club. Fans were singing along to this classic, and Kerr took it one step further. Aiming his mic towards the audience, he encouraged separate sections singing the “la la la la” coda over and over again, one section at a time, then jocularly had them sing it in unison in other languages…as it translates the same regardless of native tongue. This went on for several minutes, and was quite fun for everyone in attendance being immersed in the moment.

The night didn’t end there. They repeatedly exclaimed later into the night, “We don’t want to go home!” Fulfilling that statement, three songs were performed for their encore, including the title song to this tour, “Alive and Kicking.” They ended the night with “Sanctify Yourself,” which was highly anticipated by me personally, as it’s one of my favorites, and had me leaving the venue on a high note. The remainder of their North American tour concludes this June, and takes them along the east coast of the United States, a couple of dates up in Canada, then down to the Upper Midwest, concluding their tour in Noblesville, IN on June 22 at Ruoff Music Center, a 25,000-seat amphitheatre.

I’ve been listening to these bands at the height of their popularity in the 80s during my high school years. While I was never blessed with the opportunity to see them perform live during that time period, this evening more than made up for that. The music brought me back, and helped me relive that decade.