[…continued from last post]

Following the never ending rendition of “Belfast Child,” the set list began its sprint towards the inevitable. Their three biggest selling singles would inevitably manifest, but they were shot through with some more thrills from the band’s quiver of classics. I always think that “Someone, Somewhere, In Summertime” should begin with the classic Charlie Burchill solo riff on that fat delay, but no one asked me. After that song the playlist of the actual concert and this CD begin to differ. The CD has these performances from the Amsterdam show:

• See The Lights
• Book Of Brilliant Things
• Don’t You [Forget About Me]
• Alive And Kicking
• Sanctify Yourself

But the actual concert setlist that followed “Summertime” was as follows:

• Don’t You [Forget About Me]

Encore

• Book Of Brilliant Things
• See The Lights
• Alive + Kicking
• Sanctify Yourself

That’s why when Jim Kerr kicks off “See The Lights” here he growls “please let us play some morrrrrre…!” In any case, moving “See The Lights” doesn’t do any damage to the song arc. And this song always gives me pleasure. For an Art Rock band who slummed in Pop for a long, decade, this song still stands to me as evidence of their ability to meet Pop head on for once and walk away with their head up. Though this song has a gentle vibe, Burchill’s solo explores the tune’s bittersweet sentiments in an admirably fiery fashion. Kerr only looses the third [and final] “let me see your hands” from the entire concert following it. I like the extended coda it ended with here.

The band performed the 1985 arrangement of “Book Of Brilliant Things” with Sarah Brown taking the lead vocal here. Remember, this was originally the first Encore song, so Jim Kerr was getting another 6:30 to chill out! The last time I saw the band in 2018, Ms. Brown sang the first encore song as well, so this seems to be well established, and fortunately for us, Sarah can sing the song [any song] to the rafters. Some fans might balk, but I appreciate the new spin Sarah gives on taking the lead. After as many years as she’s spent in service to Simple Minds, she deserves the lead mic for a bit.

Then the “Big Three” close out the show. There’s not much I can add here, save for thanks that Kerr made the choice to take the climax of “Don’t You [Forget About Me]” down to the level of a whisper before tearing into the climax; all within the space of four bars. No coy stringing the audience along for the better part of a minute. Milking the cow until it gave powder. Proof that this band are older and wiser! I can remember this song getting padded to ridiculous levels in the 80s.

Then the CD thoughtfully provided six more song [only on the CD] to flesh out the program with tracks not played at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on April 6th of last year. The “Live In The City Of Angels” deluxe CD of 2019 featured two discs of bonus material that accounted for every song that went into that 2018 tour’s setlists. “Live In the City of Diamonds” doesn’t go that far, but it does address what would have been a head-scratcher for me had I been in Amsterdam and caught Simple Minds at the Ziggo Dome that night on the “Direction Of The Heart” tour. Namely, the fact that no songs from that album figured in the Amsterdam set list! Now that I consider it, I think that might just be a failure of some kind. I know that I would have felt ripped off. I treasured material from the “Cry” and “Walk Between Worlds” shows on those respective tours. Particularly since they seem to not manifest in subsequent tours as performance options.

“Vision Thing” had a taut chugging energy that served it well. Giving Sarah Brown another chance to duet with Kerr to their benefit. “The American” never failed to add triumphant power to any Simple Minds set. I liked how Kerr altered the stresses of his phrasing in the show to play with the beats and move them resultant songs in slightly different directions. That chant still sends me after over 40 years of hearing it. I think that the live arrangement of “Solstice Kiss” here managed to make a good thing even better by trimming the song’s intro of its Celtic aspirations. Its only failing on disc for my ears. Here it was all pleasure as the shimmering, anthemic power of the song was underscored by Burchill’s rondo riff and the rousing vocals of Kerr and Brown.

Next an all time Minds fave-rave of mine figured in the program. “Premonition” will always be their first classic to these ears and it never fails to excite in the 44 years I’ve been listening to it. Charlie’s guitar played off the tension of that monolithic bass line with shards of light shooting from the song at oblique angles. Here was one instance where Gord Goudy got his backing vocals in the spotlight as he carried the call and response with Kerr in the song’s climax. The abrupt grinding halt of the song’s ending was a new one for these ears. New and appropriate.

Finally, two more songs from “New Gold Dream [81, 82, 83, 84]” were added here in a move that surprised, considering that the last Simple Minds album [and it was also a live one] was that full album recorded live for a TV concert! Personally, I would have preferred some other material getting the love. “Hunter + the Hunted” is in danger of getting played out. Fortunately, it’s so damned beautiful that it managed to finesse a pass from me! Kerr was really biting into the lyric here and maybe that was why the more polite version from Paisley Abbey might have needed the supplementing here. Another nice factor about Kerr’s singing here is that he’s certainly moved on from the period where he emphasized certain syllables in his phrasing in a more heavily affected way. It’s refreshing not to hear the lyric as “the side effect of living in tempta-SHAWWWWWN!“

And if we must have a sixth track from “New Gold Dream [81, 82, 83, 84],” better that it’s the dazzling “Colours Fly + Catherine Wheel,” which is second only to the title track on my list of favorites. Kerr was singing fantastically here and getting superb support from Sarah Brown. Their interplay is getting more and more integrated over time and I have to say that I heartily approve. She’s not just a factory option bolted onto the band. And I also loved how the song dropped to let Ms. Ossei’s hard beats take front and center until the synth began its ascent from the basement of the song to end the middle eight.

I have to admit. It was audacious for the band to program the set in the manner by which they did this “Live In The City Of Diamonds.” Opening with a mini “5×5” set right up front was kind of astonishing. For these ears, they ran the risk of peaking early as I have little interest in hearing the “Big Three” that I know will close the set. So the drama and hooks are in what comes before. But the difference between these renditions of the early classics, and what made it to the “5×5 Live” album was that here Sarah Brown was able to add her voice to the mix and I have to say that she elevates everything she touches.

I understand why the only tour she had not participated in since joining the band was the “5×5” tour. Given that those songs were originally bereft of any backing vocals and “purists” may have raised a ruckus. But after hearing the evidence here, I’ll suggest that they were playing it too safely by not letting Ms. Brown add her voice to the results. Their power was only enhanced by her accompaniment.

So while the “5×5 Live” album will always be my favorite Simple Minds live album, “Live In The City Of Diamonds” is my second choice for an official Simple Minds live album. The bonus material on “Live In The City of Angels” was often transformative, but the main Los Angeles concert lacked the excitement of this set. Even with the big damper of “Belfast Child” figuring in the mix.

If one wants to hear a Simple Minds concert that hits across all of their eras in a strong fashion, this set can’t be topped. The set choices [save for one] are well considered, though I would have reversed the play order of “Let There Be Love” and “She’s A River” due to the stylistic and vibe gulf separating “Let There be Love” and the preceding “This Fear Of Gods.” But that’s why we have the ability to program playlists and CD players. We can correct this oversight. And furthermore, swap “Belfast Child” for the two songs from “Direction Of Tthe Heart!”

They have completed their live album “trilogy” and it exits of a fairly high note. The series began in 1987 in the doldrums for these ears. I know that many swear by “Live In The City Of Light,” but I am not among those fans. For me it’s a painful reminder of the set I saw live the year prior. It represents the band at what I consider their near-nadir. Surpassed only by the horrorshow that was the “Verona” concert. I think that now Simple Minds can finally give the live albums a rest from here on out.

Unless they finally hit the live archives from ’79-’84” and give us a box with the early lineup. I can imagine a “5×5: Mk I” that would take residence in my CD player and possibly never leave!

-30-