STAR QUALITY
Simple Minds go back to their roots for inspiration as they mark 40 years since first gig
SIMPLE Minds have often written about their home city Glasgow but their new song is a tribute to its most celebrated music venue.
Barrowland Star mixes memories of the famous ballroom with the decorative stars that used to hang from the ceiling and the fear of playing there for a young band.
It follows the group’s songs such as Waterfront, Oh Jungleland and Honest Town which were all odes to the city.
Frontman Jim Kerr, who plays the Barrowland again with the band next month, said: “It’s a terrifying place to play because it means so much to you.
“As a performer you feel the pressure. Not just of the audience but of all the great people who have played there. If you speak to Iggy Pop, John Lydon or the Foo Fighters and ask them to name their favourite three gigs I know the Barrowlands will be there.
“Our mums, dads, aunties and uncles went there in the 50s. It’s holy ground.
“We filmed our video for Waterfront there. It had these decorative neon stars on the ceiling and, when they refurbished the ballroom a few years ago, they presented one to me. It’s a great piece of rock ’n’ roll memorabilia and now hangs on my office wall.
“When Bowie played there, one of the stars fell off and he picked it up and took it with him. After his tragic passing, the little star that was given to me started calling out to me and I felt it was the time to write about it.”
The band, who formed in 1977 and celebrate their 40th anniversary as a live act this year, are credited with re-energising the old ballroom into a top gig venue in 1983 when they used it for the Waterfront video.
Before then, the building had fallen into disrepair and was more famous as the place where Bible John stalked his victims in the late 60s.
Jim said: “When we were growing up the Barrowland was ominous. It had closed down. It was synonymous with Bible John. Then we got the chance to reopen it. The Waterfront video was a test ground with the police wondering whether it should be opened again.
“It went great and the Barrowland has been going ever since.”
The Barrowland Star is full of nods to the band’s past and the venue’s legacy – such as Jim’s connections and the Bowie story. The 58-year-old added: “There’s too many stories but they’re all in the pot.”
His son James, from his marriage to second wife Patsy Kensit, also loves the famous ballroom.
Jim said: “James lives in London but if his favourite bands are touring, even if they are two miles from his house, he says, ‘No I’m going to the Barras to see them’.”
James, 24, works in London for a production company but is well aware of his roots.
Jim – who had a daughter Yasmin with his first wife, the Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde – said: “He feels Scottish, as do my twin seven-year-old grandsons.
“Every school holiday they are up in Scotland. Expat dads often push the Scottish connection but I’ve never done it and they’ve got it themselves.
“They have got that Scotland is cool and Glasgow is cool.”
With Simple Minds, Jim has had five UK No1 albums, a UK No1 single with Belfast Child, a US No1 with Don’t You (Forget About Me) and have seen the world.
He bought a hotel in Sicily but his heart has always belonged to Glasgow.
He said: “I never really left Glasgow. No doubt I’ve spent most of my grown-up life away from the city but I’ve always had somewhere to lay my head.
“About seven or eight years ago, my mother passed away and my dad was the only family member left there. None of my brothers are in Glasgow. My kids came up for the funeral and they said, ‘You know what, we need to be back in Scotland’.
“So I ended up getting a place and recently I bought a holiday home not