an evening with Simple Minds in Taormina

Taormina has always been renowned as a destination for visitors from the British Isles ever since the 18th Century with many leaving a legacy of history and romance. From the aristocracy on the Grand Tour to poets, writers, movie stars and pop idols. Many of these visitors decided to stay and make the town their home.

In the 1980's, aka my teenage years, pop stars were charmed by Taormina with one so much so that he built a hotel.

Scottish singer/songwriter Jim Kerr the lead singer of the band Simple Minds fell in love with Sicily when he visited on tour and later set up a hotel on the hillside above Taormina and the town became his second home just like us. He named the hotel Villa Angela.

Simple Minds are one of my all time favourite bands and I apologise profusely now to my neighbours in Giardini Naxos for playing their Greatest Hits CD repeatedly on my roof terrace.

Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles becoming best known internationally for my all time favourite song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" which was released in 1985 and which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Other successful singles include "Glittering Prize", "Someone Somewhere in Paradise", "Waterfront" and "Alive and Kicking" as well as the UK number one single "Belfast Child" in 1989 and they have sold over 60 million albums. They are the most successful Scottish band of the 1980's which is well deserved.

In early 2020 the news was announced that Simple Minds would be embarking upon a major world tour to celebrate 40 iconic years in music. The tour would cover 80 shows across more than 18 countries and great news for me, they would be playing in Jim Kerr's adopted hometown of Taormina at the Ancient Greek Theatre in July. I immediately booked two tickets and booked my flights for July. But tragedy struck when the world was hit by Covid19 and heartbreakingly the concert was cancelled and rescheduled for July 2021. Then as we all know the pandemic hung around and once again the concert was rescheduled for a second time to July 2022. So last week I boarded my flight to Catania back to our Sicilian house ready to finally see Simple Minds perform.

Woo hoo !!!!

As I mentioned before Jim Kerr is the proud owner of Villa Angela which is located on the main road that leads up to the hilltop hamlet of Castelmola from the centre of Taormina. In May we had the pleasure of visiting this gorgeous hotel for an aperatif with thanks to our friend Katherine who works on reception at the hotel.

Villa Angela is a small and friendly boutique hotel with 27 rooms, with more in the process of being added. The hotel has an intimate atmosphere. It is set in a stunning location with a spectacular panorama overlooking Taormina across the sparkling Ionian Sea and a breath taking view of Mount Etna. The hotel has been lovingly decorated and furnished with a Sicilian touch and a hint of Simple Minds influence. The hotel has a tempting swimming pool with the Simple Minds band logo designed in mosaic at the bottom of the pool. It also boasts a restaurant with fine Sicilian cuisine and offers warmth and Sicilian hospitality.

A few years back when Simple Minds played in Taormina my friend Liz Gaan of Bouquets and Bows Wedding Planner Taormina had a bride and groom who eloped to Taormina to get married and who were huge Simple Minds fans. They married during the day and then headed to the concert at the Greek Theatre and of course they stayed at Villa Angela. The perfect romantic wedding for fans of Simple Minds don’t you think?

On our visit to Villa Angela we sat outside on the terrace with our dog Daisy soaking in the views of Etna whilst looking down to our town in the Bay of Naxos. As I sipped my glass of Sicilian wine I started to get excited about the concert in July and the famous lyrics "La la la la la ... La la la la la" from Don’t You Forget About Me popped into my head.

The Teatro Antico (Greek Theatre) of Taormina is a stage to a sea of beauty. The theatre was built in the 3rd Century BC and has captured the hearts of many tourists, actors, poets and artists. Each year it plays host to the Taormina Film Festival and has welcomed famous names in the past such as Ingrid Bergman, Laurence Olivier, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Sofia Loren, Bridgette Bardot, Cary Grant, Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich, Gina Lollobrigida and Audrey Hepburn, just to name a few. Today the theatre still plays host to many famous names every year. Many bands and artists from the British Isles have performed there including Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Simply Red, Elton John, Boy George and James Blunt.

The theatre is one of Sicily's most unmissable sites and is a magnificent example of ancient architecture dating from the 3rd Century BC and has a seating capacity of around 7000. Nothing can prepare you for the natural beauty when you visit. Carved out of the hillside the theatre gives a full panoramic view of the Ionian Sea and coastline and Mount Etna. Though founded by the Greeks the existing remains are almost entirely Roman dating back to the 1st Century BC when Taormina was under Roman rule. They used the theatre for gladiatorial shows. Its unique position provided natural scenery for Greek tragedies with Mount Etna and the bay of Naxos as a backdrop. The Romans added the arched niches and columns which now slightly obscure the views of the theatres original Greek setting. The stage and lower seats were cut back and a deep trench dug to accommodate animals and gladiators. Today it is used as the orchestra pit for events. The atmosphere is mythical and entrancing and I never need an excuse to visit and sit on one of the steps with a good book whilst looking down towards our town Giardini Naxos. A perfect venue for me to see one of my favourite bands perform.

The day of the concert arrived and of course I spent the day topping up my tan under the watchful eye of Mount Etna up on our roof terrace whilst listening to my 40 Years of Simple Minds Hits CD. Apologies again to my neighbours.

My companion for the concert was my lovely friend Isabella of Wedding in Sicily Taormina. Yes I am blessed to have two amazing friends who are the best wedding planners in town. After an aperatif we headed excitedly for the Greek Theatre.

Under a summer full moon Isabella and I plus Lizzie and Katherine, who were also at the concert, eagerly awaited for Simple Minds to come on stage and we felt like we were entering a new and exciting experience and I am sure that the people around us felt the same, especially those on their first visit to Sicily.

As the band appeared the audience went crazy. Some of these guys had travelled from all over the world as far as Australia and have waited over two years to see them play in Jim Kerr's adopted town.

The lighting effects were eye popping with bright blue beams and florescent pinks highlighting the niches on stage that were built by the Romans all those centuries ago. Between the ancient columns the lights from down in Giardini Naxos twinkled and you just know that Etna was out there somewhere in the darkness. The Greek theatre is unique in ambiance as its shape allows the perfect acoustics in all sectors. The quality of the music and Jim Kerr's singing was outstanding and you could see the effect of the music on the crowd. We could hear each instrument and feel the beat of the drums and you could see that Jim was enjoying every minute of playing at home in Sicily.

The band belted out fourteen hits including Act of Love, Love Song, Waterfront, Glittering Prize, Promised You a Miracle, Book of Brillant, Mandela Day, Let There Be Love, Belfast Child, Someone Somewhere, See the Lights, New Gold Dream and of course my all time favourite Don't You Forget About Me plus their new song due for release later this year Vision Thing. As the finale we heard Speed Your Love, Alive and Kicking and to finish Sanctify Yourself. It was absolutely fantastic.

The concert came to a magnificent end and Simple Minds confirmed why they are one of the most successful and legendary pop bands of the 1980's and 90’s.

After leaving the Greek Theatre Isabella and I headed to the Time Out Pub in Taormina which is owned by Isabella's husband Tony. We were joined by many ecstatically happy Simple Minds fans who enjoyed watching on the large TV screens a historic concert whilst reminiscing about their evening with Simple Minds in Taormina.

P.S. Mr Kerr I will forever now be singing and practicing “La la la la la, La la la la la" in the shower

Now enjoy our photos from the night 🎸🎤