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LIVE REVIEW: Simple Minds Alive & Kicking North American 2025 Headline Tour

On June 11th, 2025 at the PNC Bank Arts Center on Holmdel, New Jersey with the support from Modern English and Soft Cell Scottish legendary rock band Simple Minds are rounding up their biggest US tour in decades in major cities. They are joined on this tour by Soft Cell and Modern English. On June…

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On June 11th, 2025 at the PNC Bank Arts Center on Holmdel, New Jersey with the support from Modern English and Soft Cell

Scottish legendary rock band Simple Minds are rounding up their biggest US tour in decades in major cities. They are joined on this tour by Soft Cell and Modern English. On June 11th they came to the New Jersey, where we were able to catch up with them.

Written by Andris Jansons

Promotional poster for Simple Minds' Alive & Kicking Tour 2025, featuring Soft Cell and Modern English as special guests, listing concert dates and locations.

One hit wonders. I really hate this term. It has some sense of failure added to it. Some have labeled the nights opener as such. In 1982 the bands single form their second album After The Snow caught fire in US. It was called I Melt With You. If you can’t sing it from top of your head, then for sure you have heard it many times in your life. Song is still a regular on many classic rock stations. Some argue that beyond this song there is not much. Not much that cought the top of charts but surely band has some amazing music in hits in their long career. Nine studio albums in with the latest called 1234 released last year band has something to be proud of. These gents were amazing this evening and provided positive feels and for some trip down the memory lane.

Modern English links

https://modernenglish.me

Photo Gallery of Modern English band performance below. Photo all rights reserved by Andris Jansons.

A guitarist performing on stage during a live concert, wearing sunglasses and a black outfit, with amplifiers and musical equipment visible in the background.
Two musicians performing on stage, one is dancing and the other is playing drums, with a focus on their energetic interaction and the backdrop of stage lighting.
A performer with white hair is on stage, passionately engaging with the audience, wearing a graphic t-shirt and a scarf, with drums visible in the background.
A musician performing on stage, wearing a black shirt and hat, playing an electric guitar.
Lead singer of Modern English performing live on stage with a drummer in the background at the PNC Bank Arts Center.
A singer performing on stage with a microphone, wearing a T-shirt with an image, while a drummer is visible in the background. The stage has lighting equipment and musical instruments.
A musician in a black suit and glasses playing a silver bass guitar on stage during a live performance.
A musician performing on stage wearing a black hat and sunglasses, holding a guitar while singing into a microphone.
A singer from Modern English performs on stage, gesturing with both hands while a bandmate plays drums in the background. The stage is set for a lively concert atmosphere.
A performer wearing a white 'Eraserhead' T-shirt, energetically engaging with the audience on stage, with drums and a microphone in the background.
A musician wearing a black hat and sunglasses performs on stage while playing an electric guitar.
Lead singer of Modern English performing live on stage with a band in the background, capturing the energy of a rock concert.
Two musicians performing on stage, one gesturing and the other playing guitar, during a live concert.
Two musicians performing on stage, one playing an electric guitar and the other playing a bass guitar, both engaged in their performance.
A musician on stage playing an electric guitar while another person kneels beside him, appearing to be interactively engaged in the performance.
A guitarist in a black hat and sunglasses plays on stage while a lead singer wearing a shirt with a vintage print sings into a microphone, both performing in front of a drum set marked with '1234.'

Another British band called Soft Cell hails from the same new wave era as Modern English and Simple Minds, though they are synth band rather than rock band. They collectively ruled dance floors with likes of Bronski Beat and Pet Shop Boys. Though sandwiched between two rock bands on this tour seemed a bit unusual. Trust me I am all for mix and match, my playlist in a day can go from electronic to country to metal. I did not feel the same movement from the crowd as earlier, though by the end it all changed, with the haymakers like Where Did Our Love Go and Tainted Love everyone got on their feet. Bands performance was great. It was a pleasure to see them live.

Soft Cell links

https://www.softcell.co.uk

Photo Gallery of Soft Cell band performance below. Photo all rights reserved by Andris Jansons.

A musician playing keyboards on stage during a live performance, wearing a black hat and a t-shirt with the logo 'Space Force', engaged in the music setup.
A vocalist performing on stage with a microphone, wearing sunglasses and a black shirt, with a dark backdrop behind.
A performer in sunglasses stands on stage, holding a microphone, with a backdrop of black curtains.
Two singers performing on stage with a microphone, one wearing sunglasses and a black outfit, while the other is dressed in a black ensemble, with a concert backdrop behind them.
A performer in a black shirt and sunglasses stands on stage holding a microphone, with a backdrop of dark curtains.
Two vocalists performing on stage at a concert, with dramatic lighting and smoke effects in the background.
Performers from the band Soft Cell singing on stage during a concert, with one male vocalist in a black outfit, another male vocalist, and a female vocalist beside them, all engaging with the audience.
A performer playing a keyboard on stage during a live music event, wearing sunglasses and a casual outfit, with purple lighting in the background.
A performance by the band Soft Cell, featuring a keyboardist in a black cap and sunglasses, playing a synthesizer while the vocalist, also wearing sunglasses, sings energetically on stage.
A male singer performing on stage, dressed in black attire and sunglasses, with a microphone in hand.
Keyboardist from Modern English performing on stage wearing a 'Space Force' shirt.

I did have a chance to see Simple Minds live a few years ago, back in 2018 at The Count Basie Center For The Arts in Red Bank , NJ. I knew the more modern version of the band. I heard them first back in 1995 when they released their tenth studio album called Good News from the Next World. The songs like She’s A River and Hypnotized quickly made the list of my favorite songs. Only then I started to go back in time and get more acquainted with their earlier work, in many cases realizing that I know those songs already.

So, I knew what was coming. Already then in 2018 the band struck me as one heck of the live rock band. The songs came to live with energy, lights and colors. The bands longstanding vocalist Jim Kerr, as I don’t like to use the word old-timer as I am quietly becoming one, so I’ll say the gentleman, was moving around the stage like he just graduated the high school. And now, the seven years like, nothing changed. I really want to know what he does to stay this young. The bands other founding member Charlie Burchill not only played an excellent show, but just as Jim was all over the stage. With Simple Minds you get taken back in time and feel young all over again.

Everyone this night gave the fans their all from bassist Ged Grimes, acoustic guitarist and multi instrumentalist Gordy Goudie, Erik Ljunggrenon keyboards and with beautiful Cherisse Osei on the drums.

The songs that the band played for the fans on this night included: Waterfront, New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84), I Wish You Were Here, Let There Be Love, Once Upon a Time, This Fear of Gods, Oh Jungleland, Someone Somewhere in Summertime, Midnight Walking, Theme For Great Cities, Promised You a Miracle, All the Things She Said, See the Lights,
Don’t You (Forget About Me), Book of Brilliant Things, Alive and Kicking,
Sanctify Yourself and Dance to the Music. Six songs are from the bands seventh studio album Once Upon a Time released forty years ago.

This was an amazing rock show, that hopefully we will be able to witness again.

Simple Minds links

https://www.simpleminds.com

Photo Gallery of Simple Minds band performance below. Photo all rights reserved by Andris Jansons.

https://linktr.ee/andrisjansons

A performer from the Scottish rock band Simple Minds stands on stage holding a microphone stand, smiling at the audience during a concert.
A lead singer of a rock band performing live on stage, with a background of vibrant lights and instruments, gesturing enthusiastically to the audience.
A performer on stage passionately singing into a microphone during a live concert.
A male performer on stage passionately singing into a microphone, wearing a blue shirt with a white star, with a cheering crowd visible in the foreground.
A musician performing on stage, playing a gray guitar with an energetic expression, surrounded by colorful lighting and stage equipment.
A musician playing acoustic guitar on stage with a drummer in the background, both are performing energetically during a live concert.
A guitarist performing on stage, dressed in a black leather jacket, passionately engaging with the audience during a concert.
A musician performing on stage with a guitar, illuminated by colorful stage lights.
A musician performing on stage with an acoustic guitar, wearing sunglasses and a black jacket, with several guitars visible in the background.
A female drummer energetically performing on stage with the band Simple Minds, surrounded by vibrant lights and musical equipment.
A musician performing on stage with a white guitar, wearing a black leather jacket, with drums visible in the background at a Simple Minds concert.
A performer passionately singing on stage with a microphone, wearing a blue jacket and beige scarf, during a live concert, with guitars visible in the background.
A musician on stage performing with an acoustic guitar, wearing sunglasses and a stylish outfit, with colorful stage lights and musical instruments visible in the background.
Musician performing on stage at a concert, playing a keyboard with a heart and wings design, under theatrical lighting.
A musician passionately performing on stage with a bass guitar, wearing a stylish jacket and shouting into a microphone, set against a smoky background.
A lead singer performing passionately on stage during a concert, with band members and lights in the background.
A musician performing on stage at a concert, playing a keyboard with a decorative design featuring wings and a heart.
Musician performing on stage with an acoustic guitar, wearing sunglasses and a stylish outfit during a concert.
Scottish rock band Simple Minds performing live on stage, with the lead singer engaging the audience, surrounded by musical instruments and dynamic lighting.
A musician playing a bass guitar on stage during a live concert, with stage lights and another guitarist in the background.
A musician performing on stage with an acoustic guitar, dressed in a black jacket, sunglasses, and standing in front of bright stage lights.
Scottish rock band Simple Minds performing live on stage, with the lead singer energetically engaging the audience and a guitarist playing in the background.
Musician performing on stage with a guitar during a live concert, wearing a leather jacket and displaying expressive facial emotions.
A female drummer performing on stage with the band Simple Minds, surrounded by a sparkling drum set and vibrant stage graphics.
Lead vocalist of Simple Minds performing on stage, engaging with the audience during a concert.
A performer on stage enthusiastically engaging with the audience, dressed in casual attire, with a band setup visible in the background.
Legendary rock band Simple Minds performing live, with the lead singer kneeling and engaging the audience at PNC Bank Arts Center.
A musician performing on stage holding a guitar, dressed in black leather and a dark outfit, with a keyboardist in the background and colorful stage lighting.
Simple Minds performing live on stage, with band members actively engaging with the audience and bright stage lights illuminating the scene.
Simple Minds performing live on stage with vibrant lighting effects.
Live performance of Simple Minds at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, featuring the band on stage with vibrant lights and a cheering crowd.

The tour is entering its final stages with a handful of shows left. For complete details and ticket availability, please visit www.simpleminds.com/tour

JUNE

14 – Philadelphia, PA – The Mann Center

15 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

17 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell

18 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage

20 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

21 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre

22 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center

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