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Single Minds band members
were Interviewed by Dana. |
Dana; |
TJ, when did you first discover about the Simple Minds music ? |
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TJ; |
Around ’83-’84, my last year of school in the UK, listening to all the New Wave stuff that was coming out then. You could say that I actually grew up with the Simple Minds Music, they have always been an important part of my musical background. |
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Dana; |
What did you like about Simple Minds ? |
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TJ; |
The music was so ‘different’ – It’s hard to put them into one category of sound – but the power, the wall of sound they create, just sparked me inside! I really like the vocal expressions of Jim , it is very distinct and together with the overall sound, it makes their music quite unique. |
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Dana; |
How would you describe their music ? |
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TJ; |
Over the years they have experimented with a lot of styles, even into the “pop rock”, but I think they do it best with songs like ‘Glittering Prize’ and ‘Waterfront’. I guess New Wave is as good a term as any. Musical evolution is a character of great bands, to have the ability to maintain a ‘modern’ sound throughout different decennia: ‘Glittering Prize’ for instance is typical for the 80’s – ‘Stay Visible’ and ‘Moscow Underground’ have a contemporary feel. Their music keeps on being ‘Alive & Kicking’. |
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Dana; |
How do you experience the Simple Minds arragements or vocals? |
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TJ; |
Some weird lyrics sometimes!! It’s a pain in the ass to learn because most of the songs have no logic to follow. It’s more like poetry, even Zen-like, sometimes the words evoke images and emotions but not a real story.. In a way that’s what I like because you can let your mind drift and create your own images and moods. The arrangements are not easy with complex tempo changes and timing is crucial if you want to get the right sound. Luckily Jim’s voice has a fairly easy range, so for me the challenge is changing the tone in songs like Criminal World or adding overdrive to get the power behind Waterfront or Jungleland. |
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Dana; |
Which band members inspire you ? |
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TJ; |
The sound they create is bigger than one person – so no one is the hero by themselves. (laughs) |
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Dana; |
Which are your favorite 3 songs ? |
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TJ; |
‘Waterfront’, ‘Someone Somewhere in Summertime’, ‘Glittering Prize’, … uhm maybe ‘Up on the Catwalk’ ties for 3rd place. Off course, every song has unique elements bu these 3 songs – for me – are the most appealing. |
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Dana; |
What was your first Simple Minds Album ? |
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TJ; |
Sparkle in the Rain. |
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Dana; |
What was your best Simple Minds concert ? |
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TJ; |
That must have been Werchter 83-84. The weather was hot, the ambiance amongst the huge audience and fans together with the great sound, was exhilarating … I can still feel the fantastic vibes going round. Marino can definitely confirm this, since he was also part of that experience. No doubt and not knowing what to come later, I came across Marino back then |
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Dana; |
Which instrument would you still want to have ? |
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TJ; |
I’m happy with Shure Beta 58, buts some good in-ears would be nice – Simple Minds can get pretty loud! |
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