SFTWmeetsSIMPLEMINDS

ANDYOUCANANDYOUCANGOTOOGOTOO

By MATT BENDORIS

SUPERGROUP Simple Mindshave played at the biggestgig on the planet — whenthey took to the stage atLive Aid in front of a TVaudience of 1.9billion.They followed up theiconic 1985 event by per-forming at the second larg-est concert in history — theNelson Mandela Day tributethree years later at Wembley sta-dium for 600million viewers.But amazingly, after a glittering35-year career selling more than 60mil-lion albums, the Glasgow band havenever played at Hogmanay — until now.Simple Minds, fronted by Jim Kerr,will headline Edinburgh’s spectacularConcert In The Gardens event thisyear. And Jim insists it will be rightup there with the band’s mega gigs.The 53-year-old says: “We’re fortu-nate we’ve done so many iconic con-certs, from Live Aid to Nelson MandelaDay, but this will be a new experience.“It’s our first ever Hogmanay concertand where better to do it than Edin-burgh — which is THE number one Hog-manay gig the world over.”However, Jim — whose ex-wivesinclude Pretenders singer ChrissieHynde and actress Patsy Kensit — hashad a few Hogmanays to remember.

FortuneLike the time he ended up seeing inthe bells with The Boss, below. Heexplained: “We were in New York in1985 meeting our producer JimmyIovine, who was also working withBruce Springsteen.“Jimmy said to us, ‘Come to a partyat a mate of mine. But it’s in NewJersey.’ I was thinking, ‘I can’t be both-ered travelling all the way out there’.“Of course his mate turned out to beBruce and the party was at his house.“My friends and family asked what itwas like and the best way to describeit, it was like a party in Bellshill!“Bruce was just there with all hispals and he’d even rolled up the carpetso it wouldn’t get fag burns wheneveryone was dancing. The big differ-ence is unlike a party in Bellshill, thecops didn’t get called to break itup. The place was surroundedby security guards.”Jim adds: “I’ve had loads ofgreat Hogmanays. When I waswee in Toryglen the mostmemorable New Years weregoing first-footing. But as anadult I have to say it was Hog-manay at The Boss’s that sticks

most in my memory. I’ll never forgetthat, especially because it was at thetime his album Born To Run was out —he was as big as Elvis.”Jim and guitarist pal Charlie Burchillformed their first, shortlived punk bandJonny & The Self Abusers in 1977.They changed their name to SimpleMinds and landed their first recorddeal the following year.By the mid-80s they had topped thecharts in America with Don’t You(Forget About Me), from hitmovie The Breakfast Club.They followed it up the top-five US single Alive And Kick-ing, before their first UK No1with Belfast Child in 1989.Jim — who has an estimated

fortune of £40million — hasproperties in Italy, France, Lon-

don, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

But the thrifty star has never stayed inhis plush pad in the capital. Heexplained: “Since I was a kid, Edin-burgh was a mythical place with thecastle and the Forth Road Bridgewhich I know is unusual for a Glaswe-gian to be so enthralled with.

Humble“So I bought a place a few yearsback but have never spent a nightthere. I won’t even be staying in it forthe Hogmanay gig as I’d need to throwthe lodger out.“I’m no daft — you get double rentfor a Hogmanay hire.”But no matter Jim’s wealth or thesophisticated company he keeps, hecan’t escape his humble roots — espe-cially at New Year. He says: “I remem-ber having Hogmanay once at my placein the South of France. I invited

friends from Japan and all over and ofcourse all my family from Scotland.“One of my aunts put on a SydneyDevine album — it wasn’t me, I canassure you! They were like, ‘Let theJapanese lassie hear a bit of old Steakn’ Kidney’.”Jim is normally back home in Scot-land for New Year’s Eve — althoughthat presents problems for the clean-liv-ing rocker. He says: “It’s tough for meto have a traditional Scottish Hogma-nay as I’m a vegetarian, so I can’t havethe steak pie on New Year’s Day.“Secondly, I don’t drink. I gave it upat 22 when I started getting hangovers.I know everyone gets them but mineknackered me for days, so I said, ‘Rightthat’s it’ and quit.”Despite a career spanning fivedecades, Jim insists he NEVER tires ofplaying his old classics. Unlike

Madonna, who played just a hand-ful of her greatest hits in the capi-tal earlier this year.He says: “I heard aboutMadonna and don’t understand it.That’s the story of her life — sheshould be telling it.“I know it’s always important toadd a new chapter.“Life can’t all be about nostal-gia. You can’t live constantly look-ing in the rear-view mirror. Butyour own life is intertwined withother people’s — they may havemet their partners at your gigs.“As far as I’m concerned it’s anhonour to have played such ahuge part in people’s lives.“I guarantee when you see Sim-ple Minds at Hogmanay you willhear the hits. It’s just good man-ners.”

IT’S first come, first served onedinburghshogmanay.com,0844 573 8455, or in person atThe Fringe Office, 180 HighStreet, Edinburgh.The Street Party costs £15

plus booking fee. Entry isstrictly by ticket only. TheEnclosure for the Concert inthe Gardens has already soldout. Limited other tickets arepriced £37.50 plus booking fee.Tickets to the concert also

give access to the Street Party.

KERR IN THE COMMUNITY. . . Jim played Live Aid,below, but reckons

Edinburgh’s Hogmanaywill be just as special

ByJIM

ByJIM

GELLATLY

GELLATLY

NEWMUSIC

NEWMUSIC

FLUTESWHO: Godfrey McFall (vocals, gui-tar), Rob Marshall (guitar), AndyBruce (bass, vocals), Alex Walker(drums), Roger Hany (piano)WHERE: LondonFOR FANS OF: Frightened Rabbit,The National, Admiral FallowJIM SAYS: The letter of introduc-tion I received from Flutes couldwell have put me off the band. God-frey wrote he’d once peed next tome at a Coldplay gig!Once I released he wasn’t a

stalker, a Flutes track was straighton my next New Music podcast.Flutes foundations go back 10

years when Godfrey and Andywere at St Andrews University.They formed band Kilburn Parkand gigged with fellow students,indie favourites Kid Canaveral.By their final year they’d formed

a covers band and even played Wil-liam and Kate’s graduation ball!After uni Godfrey headed south

and met Rob and Alex, forming aband called Runner. Andy joinedthem a year or so later and theychanged their name to Pushboxer,Godfrey said: “We were gigged

out by the end of 2009 so decidedto make an album. Nearly fouryears on, we’ve created somethingwe’re all tremendously proud of.”Rechristened Flutes, they’ve won

rave reviews for the self-titledalbum and UK-wide play on Radio1. Despite being based in London,

there’s a Scottish thread to theirmusic — atmospheric indie folkwith epic orchestral arrangements,coupled with stripped-back acous-tic numbers and good old indie-rock stompers. I had to ask, ‘AreFlutes actually a Scottish band?’Godfrey said: “Our record was

recorded by Jamie Savage atChem19 in Blantyre, our favouriteplaces to play are in Glasgow andLondon thinks we’re Glaswegian.”With brilliant new single Kilburn

set to feature a cover of Hadda-way’s cheesy 90s hit single What IsLove as a B-side, “predictable”isn’t a word to describe Flutes.From indie rock to darker soundslike those of The Twilight Sad, theyare a band to be reckoned with.MORE: uptheflutes.com. Jim willplay Kilburn by Flutes onIn:Demand Uncut this Sunday from7pm on Clyde 1, Forth One, North-sound 1, Radio Borders, Tay FM,West FM & West Sound FM.

indemandscotland.co.uk

62 Friday, December 21, 2012 1S