On May 24th Simple Minds, backed by Modern English and Soft Cell, brought their “Alive and Kicking” tour to Chula Vista in support of their recently released “Live in the city of Diamond” live album delivering a two-hour masterful show that brought the crowd to life.
Before we got to the headliners, the openers were as notable openers as it gets. First up was Modern English. This English new wave / post punk band was up for the task.
The crowd was still filling in when they took the stage but quickly perked everyone up opening with “Gathering Dust,” and segued into other classics, “Long in the Tooth,” and “Someone’s Calling.” The band sounded great, and due to being an opener, they sadly had an abbreviated set, but closed to their opus, “I Melt with You.”
After a very short intermission, Marc Almond took to the stage. Soft Cell opened with crowd favorite “Memorabilia.” With an infectious and devilish smile, Almond had a commanding presence and delivered his signature and borderline haunting vocal stylings to “Torch,” “Monoculture,” “Purple Zone,” “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye,” and “Bedsitter.”
By this time, the crowd was near capacity and ready to explode, which they did when Almond closed his short set to “The Night,” and the band’s calling card, “Tainted Love.” The band sounded so good, it would have made Gloria Jones smile.
As Soft Cell exited, the excitement to see the Scottish icons was palpable. The buzz was definitely in the air; fans could be overheard talking about just how much the band meant to the fans sitting near me. While Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill are the only original members remaining, the bands collective and undeniable chemistry shines strong adding an extra layer to an already remarkable catalog.
Opening with “Waterfront,” Jim Kerr shined with an unmatched charisma that somehow doesn’t shade the rest of the band. Instead, he catapulted each member into the spotlight right beside him.
“Once Upon a Time,” fueled the already fiery energy on stage, creating a breathtaking musical journey that transformed the classics into new and relevant experiences that transcended nostalgia.
Large screens and even larger sounds rippled through the amphitheater creating this amazing intimate energy among fans, the kind of energy often lost in such a large venue. Kerr delivered with “This Fear of Gods,” “Oh Jungleland,” and “Promised You a Miracle.”
Longtime bassist Ged Grimes , guitarist Gordy Goudie, keyboardist Erik Ljunggren each added a vibrant layer to each show that beautifully balanced with Kerr and Burchill , but it was drummer Cherisse Osei that took the evening to a whole new level of jaw dropping greatness through an amazing drum solo, which left Kerr wide-eyed and mesmerized.
“See the Lights,” “All the Things She Said,” and their era-defining masterpiece “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” which led Kerr to joke about the la – la -la part which he had fans jokingly repeat in Spanish, Japanese, French and Italian saying these were the “best lyrics he ever wrote.” And well, while obviously they are not, they serve as testament to the unique powerful unifying force of great music.
I have been privy to many great shows and unlike Simple Minds I have been to the Chula Vista amp quite a few times before, and I have never seen the entire crowd sing along like that. The crowd’s energy was so powerful my husband jokingly texted me from outside saying “ la la la la I can hear you guys.”
Simple Minds exited the stage to an excited crowd. As expected, the ovation was so great, the band had to return for an encore. Kerr led the return but shared the stage with Sarah Brown who amazed to “Book of Brilliant Things.”
The amazement was not in short supply as another surreal moment took place as the baseline engulfed the venue to “Alive and Kicking,” followed by a final push to an epic moment in time as Kerr closed out the night with “Sanctify Yourself.”
