Simply Red - 'Stars' 25th anniversary tour - Review

Mick Hucknall - Simply Red

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Simply Red - 'Stars' 25th anniversary tour - Review

Manchester Arena - Friday, November 18, 2016

WHEN I left school in 1982 the punk and latterly new wave storm had pretty much passed me by, then there was the new romantic/techno maelstrom which briefly floated my boat at the same time as I first tasted the mod scene.

The late 80s then saw Manchester truly burst into life in spectacular fashion, and while James and the whole 'Madchester' phenomenon swept me along at the much-revered and now bulldozed International venue - in tandem with both Manchester and Salford university gig halls - I also came across that special voice which belonged to our city's very own Mick Hucknall.

I'd heard the 'Picture Book' and 'Men and Women' albums and it was clear after those offerings that main man Mick and his mega talented band were set for super-stardom.

I did watch Simply Red live during that late-80s haze and that piercing yet crystal clear voice was something that has always stayed with me.

Of course the quite brilliant and arguably best album of them all - 'Stars' - was purchased and as soul boy Mick and the various forms of his band have continued on through THREE more decades, I have watched with interest, and at times, wonder.

The single 'Stars' was my wedding song in '92!

So this particular full circle of mine culminated with Friday's jam-packed Simply Red gig at the Manchester Arena, and clearly, now at the age of 56, Mick Hucknall has still got it (maybe one of my favourite tracks, 'You've got it', was thrown into the first set purposely?).

THAT voice is still wonderfully crisp and clean as the proverbial whistle, and the current backing line-up of 'his old mucker' Ian Kirkham, Steve Lewinson, Kenji Suzuki, Kevin Robinson, Dave Clayton and Roman Roth, did not miss a single beat.

This was a wonderful show and not surprisingly the crowd were on their feet, but somehow I exited the Arena feeling as though I wanted more - and judging by the reactions of fellow fans I met in the Printworks bars post-show, I wasn't alone.

The theme of the current tour is the 25th anniversary of the release of the epic 'Stars' album, and the band eased seamlessly through (the majority of) the tracks in the second set, but the first set - which included 'Home' (of course), 'Heaven' and 'Enough' amongst others - was only around eight numbers long.

The 'Stars' set culminated with the brilliant 'Wonderland' - though I wasn't getting the Margaret Thatcher big screen backshots - but it was during the encore I felt Mick missed a trick.

The band kicked it off with the magical 1995 smash 'Fairground' and the place erupted, but they then closed the night with 'Ev'ry time we say goodbye'.

Understandable I guess, but it's a slow, melancholic Cole Porter number, and halfway through it many people were heading down the exit corridors.

Mick Hucknall still clearly has that golden voice, though, and this writer still relished another 'I was there' moment.

A 'Star' this guy will always be in my eyes.