Concert Review: Bush and Simple Minds

I can’t think of one thing that I’d rather do on the night of Valentine’s Day than go see some live music. (Okay, I can think of one thing I’d rather do!) On February 14th, Simple Minds came to town and with them came a band called Bush. Anyone who has heard their CD Sixteen Stone has to admit that at first listen, these guys sound like another one of those “Seattle Bands” that we all know so well. Anyone who has seen Bush live has to also admit that they don’t, in any way, sound like or look like a band from the state of Washington. Gavin Rossdale (the vocalist) made it clear from the start, with the huge British flag on his shirt, that he and his crew were Brits and proud of it. The first word that came to my mind as they took the stage and roared out their first tune was confidence. They sounded better live than they do on their disc! Their energy didn’t come from a lot of movement on stage or fancy lightning, but from the music itself. They were tight as they ripped through renditions of “Monkey,” “Swim” and “Machinehead.” Absent to my dismay was the tortured sound of “Glycerine.” Not being particularly impressed with their disc, I didn’t know what to expect live, but I was pleasantly surprised—they put on a great show!

With the crowd nice and warmed up, Simple Minds took over at a little after 9:30p.m. Salt Lake City waited too long to see these guys, and it was well worth the wait. Over ten years worth of innovative work was expressed in an incredible performance. It was a joy to see them at a location offering general admission where we could get up close and personal to hear classics like “Someone, Somewhere (In Summertime)” “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” and “Up On the Catwalk”. Jim Kerr possesses an energy on stage that is easily felt and appreciated by the crowd. He summed up his feelings about the Salt Lake crowd during the final encore when he said, “I think I may come and live here!” If only we could be so lucky!  

Read more from the SLUG Archives:
Concert Review: February 1995
New Band Review: February 1995