For a band that has sold tens of millions of albums, you might expect Simple Minds to be taking it easy these days, happy just to play the hits every few years in huge arenas. Instead, the Glasgow rockers are getting their hands dirty with a 29-date UK tour that kicked off last month that takes in the whole of Britain.

The five-piece are vowing to play their greatest hits, as well as tracks from new album Big Music. The band is hungry to get in front of audiences who would never normally get to see such a huge band.

Simple Minds reach the O2 Academy Bournemouth on April 19. The band have enjoyed ten Top 10 albums since releasing their debut in 1979, and a string of hit singles including Promised You A Miracle, Waterfront and the chart-topping Belfast Child.

“I can understand why people say ‘You’re probably sick of playing the hits,’, but that’s honestly never been the case,” singer Jim Kerr explains.

“As soon as we walk on stage, those songs don’t belong to us anymore. They’re for the people who’ve grown up with them – fallen in and out of love to them, accompanied them on their Saturday night or their bleaker moments.

“We’ve a lot of fans who’ve seen us many times, but we think about the person who’s there for the first time, who’s thinking ‘That’s my favourite song, and this is the only time I’ll ever see this.’” says Jim, 55.

Jim revealed the band examine their old setlists from the previous time they’ve played a town, so that they ensure they play at least three different old songs every time. Simple Minds will also play songs from new album Big Music, which was released last year and saw the band return to the synth music style of their earliest days.

Critics have already begun describing it as the band’s best for 25 years.

“It’s unfortunately very rare for records to turn out exactly as you want them,” admits Jim.

“But this one sounds like what we had in our heads all along and I’m delighted with it.”

The shows will become emotional for Jim when the band plays new single Honest Town, which describes a conversation the singer had with his mother Irene shortly before she died from cancer.

“It’s a beautiful song,” says Jim.

“I think it’s one that will become a Simple Minds classic in time.”

It was co-written by Jim with Iain Cook, the keyboardist with hip synthpop band Chvrches, after they were introduced via a mutual friend. Iain played Jim six demos which the pair spent a fortnight working on.

“I told Iain ‘I can work with any of these songs, I love them,’” says Jim.

“I went to his place almost every night. We didn’t even talk much, we just worked. A lot of songs came out of it, and there are definitely others as well as Honest Town that merit going back to one day.”

As well as Chvrches, bands such as Radiohead, Manic Street Preachers and Primal Scream have recently said how much they admire Simple Minds, who were sometimes mocked by critics in the band’s stadium heyday.

“It’s a great bonus to be where we are,” says Jim.

“The creative imagination of the band is very special, and it had been overlooked for a long time. But it’s been rediscovered by an audience who are looking for something else, something more. You want to be relevant and, at the same time as people are rediscovering our old music, we’re adding new chapters too.”

Before working on new music, the band will carry out a lengthy tour for the album – and they vow they’ll be in the best possible shape so they can stay entertaining.

“I don’t want to tempt fate, but we’re one of the few bands who can play for four nights in a row,” Jim laughs.

“It amazes me when singers don’t look after their voice. We take care of ourselves, because there’s nothing worse than going on stage when you’re not in shape. Back in the wilder days, it was expected that you got up on stage without worrying about the next night.

“But people have paid a lot of money to see us. We might be doing over 50 dates in all, but the audience doesn’t care about that. As far as they’re concerned, tonight’s the night – so you have to be in the best of nick.”

Whatever else happens, it can be guaranteed that Simple Minds will be in peak condition by the time the tour reaches Bournemouth on April 19. And there’ll be plenty of big music along the way.

  • Simple Minds play the O2 Academy in Bournemouth on April 19