Simple Minds Clearly Alive and Kicking at Toyota Pavilion

Simple Minds
Toyota Pavilion, Concord
May 20, 2025

Photos by Raymond Ahner

Currently out on the road with their biggest US Tour in over four decades, Scottish legends Simple Minds brought their Alive and Kicking 25 Tour into the Toyota Pavilion in Concord, bringing along both Soft Cell and Modern English. Although this would have been easy to bill as an “80s” tour, all three bands are still making quality music, and offering something for their older fans who want a slice of nostalgia, as well as newer fans who may just now be getting into these bands. Either way, the show offered something for everyone in attendance.

Taking the stage to Gary Numan’s “Are Friends Electric,” Simple Minds opened their set with “Waterfront,” from their 1984 release Sparkle in the Rain. Original vocalist Jim Kerr sounded great, and still knew how to work the crowd. Highlights from their set included “Promised You a Miracle,” “Let There Be Love,” and, of course, “Don’t You Forget About Me.” After a brief rest, the band returned to the stage for a three song encore, closing the evening with “Sanctify Yourself.”

Marc Almond and Soft Cell opened their set with “Memorabilia,” (which morphed into a Madonna medley,) and from there put on a brief but entertaining set that, while including new songs, was more about nostalgia to East Bay soccer moms than anything else. It was rather unfortunate, as Marc clearly seemed to be enjoying himself on stage, especially noted during Soft Cell’s lesser known songs “Bedsitter” and Soft Cell’s cover of “First Hand Experience in Second Hand Love.”

Opening the show on this tour is Modern English, who despite playing in daylight to a still filtering crowd, put on a great set of both old and new songs, highlighted by “Swans on Glass” and “Hands Across the Sea.”

By the time it was all said and done, the Alive and Kicking tour proved to be much more than a nostalgia tour, and proved that all three bands can still deliver. It was the perfect way to kick off the Summer, so don’t miss it when it comes to your town.

Here’s a slideshow with more photos of all three bands by Raymond Ahner: