Sneaky Performance As Major Rock Band Film In Paisley
It started off as there first visit in 1977 at the Silver Thread hotel in Paisley with Johnny and the Self Abusers in one of there earliest gigs, a few years later it was at the Bungalow Bar in Renfrew Road in Paisley that the band was now known as Simple Minds.
After forty years Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill made the return trip to Paisley last night (06.10.22) with a few band members, the ones spotted were Sarah Brown, Gordon Goudie, Ged Grimes and Bernice Scott in what was supposed to be a covert operation to film footage for SKY TV as part of SKY TV’s ‘Greatest Albums Live’ series, Simple Minds performed their breakthrough 1982 album ‘New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)’ at the stunning Paisley Abbey right here in Paisley Scotland.
In the run up to the performance Simple Minds were in the studio rehearsing for three days in the lead up to the Paisley Abbey performance.
It was on Wednesday that hoists, lighting and other machinery could be seen at Paisley Abbey and later on Wednesday night eight massive beams of light shone through the windows just before midnight enlightening the splendour of Paisley Abbey and its magnificent stained glass windows.
On Thursday evening at 5pm it was two black stage hire vans that appeared into the rear car park of Paisley Abbey and for Jim , Charlie and the other band members to appear from the side door of the van.
The band played their breakthrough 1982 album ‘New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)’ as we sat at the front doors of the Abbey in the sparkle of the rain ( well it was actually a storm ! ) in an almost hauntingly sound that sounded through the Abbey and would have even left the founding monks of Paisley Abbey being melomaniacs.
During a break we had the chance to catch up with Gordon Goudie who reminisced about the early days of the Paisley music scene with fond memories of the Bungalow Bar.
The filming came to an end just after 9.30pm. The episode will be broadcast on July 21st 2023 on Sky Arts.
Paisley Photographs 