LOCHGELLY based Rubber Stamp Promotions and Weekend Revolution have booked excellent Simple Minds tribute band ‘Simple Minded’ to play their first gig at PJ Molloys, Dunfermline, on Friday 4th April.

Doors open at 9pm and entry costs £5. There will be other bands playing on the night also.

Simple Minded was thought up in the summer of 2008 and surfaced early 2009. Born and bred in the heart of Scotland, Simple Minded was put together with the aim of recreating the sound of the “classic” Simple Minds line up of Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil, Derek Forbes and Mel Gaynor.

Rather than advertise for musicians, each member was hand picked knowing they were the right person for the job.

With a wealth of Simple Minds material and styles spanning over 30 years, it was a very difficult choice what to play and what to leave out.

With the concept of wanting to have the sound of the New Gold Dream tour and the energy of the Tour du Monde it was only fitting to base the set around the landmark album “New Gold Dream”, but also thrown in are classic songs from the Simple Minds back catalogue, as well as a few surprises and the big hits.

Going back to the early punk days of “Chelsea Girl” and “Changeling”, through the Euro beats of “I Travel” and “Love Song” and New Romanticism of “Glittering Prize” and “Someone, Somewhere (In Summertime)” to the stadium anthems of “Waterfront”, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” and “Alive and Kicking”, finally to the later day classics of “See the Lights” and “She’s a River”. Also the recent singles “Home” and “Rockets” were thrown in for good measure.

Early rehearsals at Sub Station, in Rosyth, went really well and it was obvious from the start what worked and what didn’t. A rehearsal “recorded at a very low temperature” was put online and the response was far better than expected. Positive feedback came from no other than original Simple Minds bassist Derek Forbes, legendary former Simple Minds manager Bruce Findlay, as well as the online Simple Minds community. Even Simple Minds front man Jim Kerr got behind the band and liked their Facebook page.

After relocating rehearsals to a new HQ in Livingston it was time to take to the stage. Simple Minded debuted at the Saltcoats Rock Festival in July 2009 on the west coast of Scotland, winning over the crowd with a powerful set, even the clouds cleared and the sun came out. The same night the band headed to Edinburgh to watch Simple Minds at the castle in the pouring rain!

Simple Minded’s first full headlining gig was at Falkirk’s Behind The Wall. All, the usual pre-gig nerves and pressure were added to when the tall figure of Derek Forbes entered the bar during the sound check. The gig kicked off with “King is White and in the Crowd” setting the tone of what Simple Minded are all about, and “I Travel”, “Premonition”, “Sweat in Bullet”, “Promised you a Miracle”, “Speed your Love to me”, and “Book of Brilliant Things” had the crowd gripped. After “Theme for Great Cities” the band were joined on stage by Derek Forbes and the performance of “Changeling” brought the house down.

Further gigs followed in the fall of 2009, climaxing with the invite to play pre and after shows at Rockers, Glasgow, for the Simple Minds SECC gig on their Graffiti Soul tour. The band went down a storm in front of a crowd of Simple Minds fans from across the world, as well as original Simple Minds drummer Brian McGee.

More gigs came in 2010 with former H2O bassist George Sinclair replacing original bassist Stuart Binnie, and also saw Simple Minded’s first appearance in England.

When Simple Minded played Ivory Black’s Glasgow in 2011 they were joined on stage by Brian McGee who sang backing vocals on “Chelsea Girl”, which brought the house down. It was also bassist’s Ian Chapman’s debut with the band.

In 2011, George Porter was approached by Ex Simple Minds (Derek Forbes and Brian McGee) to be their lead singer, replacing Owen Paul. Simple Minded took a hiatus, but returned in 2012 after a chance meeting at Simple Minds 5x5 Barrowlands gig.

Simple Minded returned with a blistering performance at Maggie Mays sharing the stage with the ultimate U2 tribute band U2-2. Further gigs followed including a sold out gig at the Dreadnought, Bathgate.