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Jim Kerr
This is an iHeart podcast.
Podcast Sponsor/Announcer
This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the Club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply. Every music lover has that moment you hear or read something that stops you in your tracks. A forgotten B side, an offhand comment in an interview. A connection. Nobody else noticed that. Curiosity. That's where Claude comes in. Claad is AI for people who don't stop at the surface. It helps you explore the real stories behind the music, not with quick answers, but by working through the discovery with you, matching your level of curiosity. Try Claude for free at Claude AI Buzz Lexus believes in the importance of standards One of my standards I never want to be late. I always want to show up on time. For Lexus, the standard is simple experience. Amazing. Their benchmarks aren't stats or specs, they're feelings. Exhilaration. Joy. That sense your car was designed just for you. Machines built to make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing experience. Amazing at your Lexus dealer. This episode is brought to you by 20th Century Studios New Film Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere don't miss the movie. Critics are raving as the real deal. An intelligent, deliberate paced journey into the soul of an artist. Scott Cooper, director of the Academy Award winning movie Crazy Hard, brings you the story of the most pivotal chapter in the life of an icon. Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere Only in theaters October 24th. Get your tickets now.
Narrator for Sacred Scandal
Sacred Scandal is Back, the hit true crime podcast that uncovers hidden truths and shattered faith. For 19 years, Alayna Sada was a nun for the Legion of Christ. This season, she's telling her story.
Elena Sada
When I first joined the Legion of Christ, I felt chosen. I was 19 years old when Marcia Almasel, the leader of the Legionaries, looked me in the eye and told me I had a calling.
Narrator for Sacred Scandal
Surviving meant hiding. Escaping. Took courage. Risking everything to tell her truth Listen to Sacred Scandal, the Many Secrets of Martial masiel on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Jim Kerr
Taking a walk if you go on with a bit. Yeah, I'm not really. It's a Tuesday night in some. In the boondocks. There's no boondocks. There's no Tuesday night. It's the only night in the world when you go on stage because it's the only. You're in the there and then you're in the here and now. The there and tomorrow night doesn't exist. Last night's history. And I think when you attack it like that, the rewards come back 10 times.
Podcast Host Intro/Outro
Welcome to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. And today we're joined by one of the most iconic voices in music, Jim Kerr, the charismatic frontman of Simple Minds. Known for their hits like don't yout Forget About Me and Alive and Kickin, Jim has been a driving force in the music industry for decades. Jim Kerr joins Buzz Knight now on the Taking a Walk podcast.
Buzz Knight
Jim Kerr, it's an honor to have you on Taking a Walk, sir.
Jim Kerr
Well, how could. How could I resist a title like that? Taking a Walk? I mean, I still. From the earliest days, that was my whole thing. And I'm still a walker, I'm still a hiker, I'm still a whatever. That's how I get around. So for that reason alone, although I hear many great things about your. Your show, but for that reason or all, you. You had me at the title.
Buzz Knight
Oh, you're so kind. Thank you. So, since it's called Taking a Walk, though, I do have to ask you this devilish question of mine that I do start out the podcast with. If you could take a walk with somebody, living or dead, who would that be? And where would you take a walk with them?
Jim Kerr
Oh, wow. God, that is a devilish question. You're absolutely right. For all the obvious reasons, right now, I'd love to take a walk with my old dad, that's for sure. He's no longer here, but he was a walker and he and I were very fortunate we got the chance, especially once my band got successful, I was able to take him with me on quite a few trips, and we would go off piste. You know, there would be the gig and the tour and all that, which, of course was what it was all about. But as soon as there was a day off, we would go off around whatever city or whatever desert or whatever national park, walking and talking and thinking was our thing. So I'VE been very lucky in my life, the amount of people I've met, everyone from Nelson Mandela to Dalai Lama. And if I had mentioned those names, you would have, I'm sure you would have said, yeah, well, I can understand that. But I'm still going to go with my old dad.
Buzz Knight
That's a good one. And I will tell you, many folks who I asked the question, they either bring up their, their dad or their mom as someone they would like to take that walk with. So, you know, and I can't disagree.
Jim Kerr
The people who taught us to walk, the people who taught us to take our first steps.
Buzz Knight
Yeah, that's so great. Well, congratulations on the City of Diamonds release live in the City of Diamonds, which goes across four decades, which clearly shows how much joy you have in performing live and continue to have in performing live. There's also a documentary we'll talk about as well and the making of that. But I did want to ask you what was the earliest moment you knew you were connected with music for a lifetime?
Jim Kerr
I had a great opportunity last year where I was able to BBC asked me to do a program, BBC Radio on essentially my favorite ever rock group, who just happened to be American, the Doors. And the reason they asked me was that the producers had heard me elsewhere telling the story of being in the back of my dad's car. He had just got. It wasn't a new car, it was a second hand car, but it was our new car. And it was a Friday night, summer night and he came back with the car, we were all excited and while mum was making dinner, said, come on, I'll give you a ride. And we went. The big thing about the car, you will laugh because I know being American, you the idea of cars not having a radio. But when I grew up, the first few years I grew up, most cars didn't have a radio. So not only was it his new car, the new family car, but it had a radio. And so we drove to the outskirts of the city and being very Scottish, he said, I just gotta go into this pub and see a friend. He's always in there. And I'm just gonna have a 10 or 15 minute chat. You and your brother, you know, listen to the radio, big deal. Great. And he came out and borrowed some chips and crisps and stuff. And as we. I tell you, this is so unlikely. The weather in Scotland can change like that. And within, he said it'd be 10 minutes, he was probably there an hour. And within that hour the weather changed. And as we were sitting in the car, the clouds got kind of doomy and gloom ladened and thunder. Didn't hear a lot of thunder. With thunder, it was kind of scary. Lo and behold, as we're listening to the radio, this song comes on with the sound of thunder and rain at the beginning of it. And then there's this haunted voice and there's a killer on the road his brain is squirming like a toad Take a long holiday Let the children play oh, man. Raiders on the storm Now I would have been 10 and that's when I knew there was another kind of music other than just the pulpits that we listened to on the radio. And it's amazing, a couple of days later, driving in the same car, my dad, it came on. I said, I love this song. And my dad said, that's a great song. And then he went, that young fellow just died. And I said, what? He said, yeah, he was in the newspaper, he just died. I said, what's his name? He said, jim. Same as you. Same as me. My dad's a Jim as well. And listening to that, there's such a haunted, the echoes, the whole thing. Beautiful poetry. Something bad's about to happen. I think in terms of your question, that's when I first developed a deeper curiosity about music.
Buzz Knight
Oh, what a beautiful story. And I always wanted to go back to Scotland from a trip about a year ago because we had this cool driver who had a soundtrack, actually that he put on to kind of accompany us on the drive. And that's the only thing that was missing. I mean, we had our share of great music, everything from Simple Minds to Genesis to the Straubs, but we didn't have any doors.
Jim Kerr
Wow. There you go. Well, I would have liked that because I'm a Genesis fan. And the Straubs was also a band that everyone respected.
Buzz Knight
So what inspired you then to form Johnny and the self abusers in 1977?
Jim Kerr
There was this just. I don't know what happened, but out of nowhere came this thing that was called punk rock. So obviously there was a huge music element to it, but it was more a philosophy. And the philosophy to mostly young British working class kids was like a bolt of lightning. Because not that we resented our stature in life or anything, the working class communities. And it was a great pride and that. But there was a feeling that if you were from working class, that you couldn't be an artist, you know, you had to come from Paris or Vienna or you have to go to the great art schools in London or whatever. It Was just a step beyond. Not very many working class, certainly no people we knew. But out of nowhere, somehow this punk thing came along with the theology, very simple theology that said, you know what? Anyone can give it a go. And anyone kind of gave it a go. And we were one of those who gave it a go. It wasn't like you were going to be judged because you couldn't play like Eric Clapton a year before. You'd be judged because you couldn't play like Eric Clapton or you couldn't play keyboards like Rick Wakeman, or you didn't go to music college. It was something much more visceral like that. Have you got something to see and can you see it? And whether you said it through music or kids were starting their own fashion labels, some of which have become world beating. And still people were making little documentaries, publishing their own fanzines, public. There was this great energy and we were swept up in that. We being Charlie Burchell, my songwriting partner, who lived in the same street as me in Glasgow. We met when we were 8 years old and in our case, we took our whole passion for music. And this punk wave that came swept us up in it carries us along to the extent of. Rather than just sitting saying one day we're going to get a band, we got a band. We knew we didn't have the chops. We knew that we hadn't done the 10 years of wood shedd. But we got up, we plugged in, we did our thing and something happens that usually never happens when people start a band. The audience went mental, they went crazy. When I say the audience, I'm talking about 50 people. But you know, it was a little pub. They went crazy like. And we know because we used to go and see the bands playing in bars and the audience never went crazy. They went crazy, which made us think we had a vibe. And before we came off, I found myself already haggling with the bar owner to try and get her free up from £10 a week to 12 pound a week. Because I could see, I could see her value instantly. Beers were being bought.
Buzz Knight
That's amazing.
Jim Kerr
How.
Buzz Knight
How do you maintain such a great, great creative energy, you know, all these.
Jim Kerr
Years I think, well, it's great that you mentioned energy because it all comes down to that, I think, you know, your spiritual energy, your physical energy, your creative energy, you name it. But I think it comes through a combination of things. We don't even have to try to remember how lucky, how fortunate we are. And when you feel like that you're Already, you know, you're just. You retain the early energy that you had, does it? It doesn't diminish as well as realizing how lucky we are. Because who wouldn't want to be, you know, who wouldn't want to have a life doing something that you love, Never mind the success and the extra rewards that alone. So the great fortune in, in, in. Because the amount of you they know, the amount of people that start bands and want to be musicians and want to, you know, we're in the 0.0.01%, so we're incredibly fortunate. But along with that and to an equal amount, there's a fantastic sense of purpose, especially when you're touring because, well, what do you do? You know, you go, you turn up in a town and you go out that night and it's always at the end of the night. Although actually I quite like watching the audience coming in as well. They come in and they have a certain kind of energy because they've been excited and the gigs there and maybe they haven't seen you for a long time, maybe never seen you at all. They're had, they're going to a show, they're going to forget their problems of the day, but if you can go on and you can deliver beyond the odds to the extent that, you know, they came in with a spring in their feet, but by the end of the night they're actually physically jumping up and down, regardless of their age, holding each other, hugging each other, something is. Some transformation has happened in that. Let's face it, a lot of these venues are pretty cold, dank places when there's no people in them, something beautiful has happened. And at the end of the night, you get the chance to take 20 seconds and see what you've done, it's a fantastic sense of purpose. And so I don't know how other people look at it or think about it, but. But those things alone have helped us maintain the approach and the energy that I'm glad that you may notice.
Buzz Knight
Isn't it amazing, though, how a constant among so many things is when one leads with gratitude as well?
Jim Kerr
I mean, you know, people ask for advice quite often, interviews, people will say, what piece of advice would you. I mean, I tell you what, what we found, gratitude and, and it's not easy. Nothing's easy. But we found out this. When you attack things with 100%.
Narrator for Sacred Scandal
But.
Jim Kerr
Also with gratitude, with love, in our story, the doors did actually open easier than we thought. Now, whether that's, you know, this karmic thing of Just energy that you give off attracts a certain kind of energy as well. People say that. I tend to believe it because it's. It's the story. I mean, if you go on tour without. You go on tour. Go on tour and you think it's all about you. It's not about you. That's the last thing. If you. All about you stay at home playing your garage, you know, people say, well, I don't want to play those songs. I'm out. He won't stay in your garage and do that. You're going out to be of service. And I think when you have that attitude, people might not articulate it, but they sense it, they buy into it and they go into work the next day and they become your biggest sales people because they say to their friends, man, we were at this thing last night. It's the story of our career. They blew us away. Or it was great or I can't wait to see it again. On the other hand, if you go on, I mean, a lot of people retired and tour or, you know, things got. I didn't have a good sound or. Get over yourself. Just get over yourself. Someone has invested so much to come and see you, and I'm not even. It goes without saying they've invested financially, but they've invested emotionally. Their time, they're looking forward to. They're coming with friends from school who they saw you back 20, 30 years ago. And if you go on with a bit. Yeah, I'm not really. It's a Tuesday night in some in the boondocks. There's no boondocks. There's no Tuesday night. It's the only night in the world when you go on stage because it's the only. You're in the there and then you're in the here and now. The there and then tomorrow night doesn't exist last night's history. And I think when you attack it like that, the rewards come back 10 times.
Podcast Host Intro/Outro
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.
Podcast Sponsor/Announcer
This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. Travel is one of the most precious things in my life, and the memories of each of the experiences live on forever. Chase Sapphire Reserve allows me to travel with ease, with a $300 travel credit and access to a curated collection of hotels through the edit. So no matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding. With Chase Sapphire Reserve Discover more with Chase sapphire reserve@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply. Every music story has layers most people never discover the session musician who created that signature lick, the studio accident that became a classic sound, the cultural moment that made a song possible. That's when you need Claude AI built for minds that can't stop at the first answer. Comb through interviews, biographies, recording session notes. Claude analyzes up to 200 pages instantly and can reveal connections across decades of music history. Need to verify claims about music legends? Claude searches the web and cross references sources with citations you can check. But here's what's different. Claude doesn't just give you quick facts. It works through the problem with you step by step. It's built for people who know that understanding music means understanding the culture, technology, and human stories behind the sounds. Whether you're researching your favorite artist, exploring genre evolution, or discovering untold music history, Claude matches your curiosity about what really happened. See why the world's best problem solvers choose Claude as their thinking partner and try for free at Claude AI Buzz Lexis believes in the importance of standards One of my standards I never want to be late. I always want to show up on time. For Lexis, the standard is simple experience. Amazing. Their benchmarks aren't stats or specs, they're feelings. Exhilaration, joy. That sense your car was designed just for you. Machines built to make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing experience. Amazing at your Lexus dealer. This episode is brought to you by 20th Century Studios New film. Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere don't miss the movie. Critics are raving as the real deal. An intelligent, deliberate paced journey into the soul of an artist. Scott Cooper, director of the Academy Award winning movie Crazy Hard, brings you the story of the most pivotal chapter in the life of an icon. Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere Only in theaters October 24th. Get your tickets now.
Narrator for Sacred Scandal
At 19, Elena Sada believed she had found her calling. In the new season of Sacred Scandal, we pull back the curtain on a life built on devotion and deception. A man of God, Martial Maciel, looked Elena in the eye and promised her a life of purpose within the Legion of Christ.
Elena Sada
My name is Elena Sada, and this is my story. It's the story of how I learned to hide, to cry, to survive, and eventually, how I got out.
Narrator for Sacred Scandal
This season on Sacred Scandal, hear the full story from the woman who lived it witness the journey from the vow to follower to determined survivor as Helena exposes the man behind the cloth and the system that protected him. Even the darkest secrets eventually find their way to the light. Listen to Sacred Scandal, the mini secrets of Martial Maciel as part of the My Cultura podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast Host Intro/Outro
Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.
Buzz Knight
So let's take it to, first of all, you know, Live in the City of Diamonds and use that as a backdrop to this major series of tour dates that Simple Minds is going to have. I think it's a brilliant way to sort of pump everybody up for what they're about to see and get them all super excited. And you're playing a lot of big, big venues and places you probably have been and maybe some places that you have not been. So talk about, first of all, how much fun it was going back over City of Diamonds and then how you're looking forward to this tour.
Jim Kerr
Well, I mean, the very act of putting out a live album and putting together a beautiful package and whatever, you know, the various formats, whether it's a double or a quadruple and all that. Live albums by the very nature are old school. You know, that's what you grew up my generation. And if your favorite band put out a live album, I mean, it was intrinsically a fan thing, a specific fans thing. Live tracks usually didn't get played on radio or anything. So it was usually capturing a moment, a band wanted to capture a moment in time. Maybe in that moment in time there would be songs, songs the fans knew, but maybe there would be three or four where the live arrangement knock spots off the record arrangement, or the band happened to be playing really great at that moment. Because when you think, you know the way it's a bit back to front. You write songs, you've never played them and you go and record them and then you go and play them live. Well, it's not till you go and play them live you think, you know what? There's something about this live version. It could be the looseness of it or it could be the tightness of it. There's something in that spirited thing. And through the year, simple Means. I mean, our first ever live album was. It's quite a nice little thing we got going here. Our first album was recorded in Paris in 1986, 86 or 85. It was called Live in the City of Light. And then we recorded, at a certain point, an album in Los Angeles Live in the City of Angels Amsterdam is quite. Actually has quite caused a bit of a furori because right now, as we speak, people from Antwerp and Belgium will jump up and down and say, we are the City of Diamonds. But historically, historically, historically, historically, Amsterdam was the original City of Diamonds. So that's not why we recorded there. We recorded there because of all the great places and of all the great audiences, they just happen to have this amazing venue there, which is purpose built. It's purpose built for music. Not many venues are. So the logic there is quite easy to understand. But there's also a fantastic crowd and the band, we have a heck of a popularity for some reason in Holland, so all of that. But yeah, it was a moment in time and. And in this world where since we have our career, things have come and gone and the changes that we've seen, tech mostly based on technology. Society's changed everything. The one thing I'm glad that has not changed for Simple Minds is playing live. We use technical tools, but essentially you turn up in town, you get up on stage that night and you put the band together and you try to catch some lightning in a bottle. And that's what the live records attempt to do. They try and capture a moment and.
Buzz Knight
They pump people up to go out to see you all over the world.
Podcast Sponsor/Announcer
Right?
Jim Kerr
There you go, yeah. They go, that's a great live band. Which is still something to be.
Buzz Knight
That's right, yeah. Well, in closing, I wanted to ask if you could take us back to June 27, 2008, the performance there for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday party. What was that experience like?
Jim Kerr
I mean, you know, we've been, as I say, very fortunate. We've been able to play some amazing gigs. And especially that, you know, when you play Wembley Stadium or, you know, even back in the day, to turn up playing at live at JFK Stadium. But to play at these concerts, the first one which was calling for the release of Nelson Mandela, I mean, the political situation in South Africa was. Things were on the move, but certainly our government was dragging its feet. And there was a few things our government could have done politically that would have speeded up the protest. So when Jerry Damos came and asked us to get involved in this concert, it was kind of based. The year before had been live, the first big global concert. And Jerry saw how you could really. There had always been the great American, there always been great agit prop and protest singers and stuff, but to put on where they were really calling for the end of apartheid, this was something. Something. There comes a time in your life where you think it's got to be about something more than just selling records and selling T shirts. We have a microphone and we're being asked to, I mean, you, you wouldn't want to do it every year and you wouldn't want to do it every album. But we are being asked to add our voices to something that really was important to us and important to a lot of people of a generation. So it was an amazing thing. And obviously to, to, to then subsequently, because there is a voice in your head as well. Sometimes you think, well, we're getting a bit too big for a boots here or we're getting out of our lane or, you know, does it really matter? Does the world really listen? And I'll never forget that when Mandela was eventually able to be freed and on his way to becoming the president of South Africa, he came to London to thank the artists involved. And he said, he said when there was no voice allowed, somehow we always could hear the voice of the artists, the poets, the filmmakers, the documentary makers, the writers, the journalists. And he said that gave us the very oxygen we needed to continue. So it was an amazing experience.
Buzz Knight
Mr. Kerr, Mr. James Kerr, I absolutely love speaking with you. I feel like we were just almost, you know, like we were at one of the pubs there in, in Glasgow just hanging out and.
Jim Kerr
Yep.
Buzz Knight
Having a conversation. I appreciate everything you continue to give us and that Simple Minds continues to give us. And thank you sir for being on Taking a Walk.
Jim Kerr
I thank you. I enjoyed every minute talking to you. All the best.
Podcast Host Intro/Outro
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast Sponsor/Announcer
This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan, Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply music History is full of hidden connections, just like everything else worth understanding. If you're someone who can't help but dig deeper, who sees problems as puzzles worth solving, Claude is for you. It's built for people that don't settle for surface level answers. Claude works with you on whatever you're curious about, helping you explore ideas and connect dots in ways that might surprise you. Not by thinking for you, but with you. See why the world's best problem solvers choose Claude as their thinking partner and try Claude for free at Claude. AI Buzz Lexus believes in the importance of standards. One of my standards I never want to be late. I always want to show up on time. For Lexus, the standard is simple experience Amazing. Their benchmarks aren't stats or specs, they're feelings. Exhilaration, joy that sens your car was designed just for you. Machines built to make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing experience. Amazing at your Lexus dealer Sacred Scandal.
Narrator for Sacred Scandal
Is back, the hit true crime podcast that uncovers hidden truths and shattered faith. For 19 years, Elena Sada was a nun for the Legion of Christ. This season, she's telling her story.
Elena Sada
When I first joined the Legion of Christ, I felt chosen. I was 19 years old when Marcia and Macel, the leader of the legionaries, looked me in the eye and told me I had a calling.
Narrator for Sacred Scandal
Surviving meant hiding. Escaping. Took courage. Risking everything to tell her truth. Listen to Sacred Scandal, the many secrets of Martial Maciel on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Jim Kerr
In early 1988, federal agents raced to track down the gang they suspect of importing millions of dollars worth of heroin into New York from Asia. Had 30 agents ready to go with shotguns and rifles and you name it. Five, six white people pushed me in the car.
Elena Sada
I'm going, what the hell?
Jim Kerr
Basically, your stay at home moms were picking up these large amounts of heroin. All you gotta do is receive the package. Don't have to open it, just accept the she was very upset, crying. Once I saw the gun, I tried to take his hand and I saw the flash of light.
Elena Sada
Listen to the Chinatown sting on the.
Jim Kerr
Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast.
Podcast: takin' a walk
Host: Buzz Knight
Date: October 5, 2025
Guest: Jim Kerr (Simple Minds frontman)
Episode Theme: Exploring Jim Kerr’s lifelong journey in music, his connection to performing live, personal inspirations, and the enduring spirit of Simple Minds.
This episode of "takin' a walk" features an engaging conversation between host Buzz Knight and Jim Kerr, the charismatic lead singer of Simple Minds. Kerr reflects on formative musical experiences, the power and philosophy behind live performance, and the enduring value of gratitude in an artist’s journey. The discussion also touches on significant personal memories, the origins and creative energy of Simple Minds, and Kerr’s thoughts on their live album "Live in the City of Diamonds" as well as their pivotal role in global causes.
"There's no boondocks. There's no Tuesday night. It's the only night in the world when you go on stage. You're in the here and now. Tomorrow night doesn't exist. Last night’s history." (03:08, 19:29, repeated for emphasis)
"I'd love to take a walk with my old dad... We would go off around whatever city or whatever desert or whatever national park, walking and talking and thinking was our thing." (05:04)
"There's this haunted voice and... 'There's a killer on the road / his brain is squirming like a toad'... That's when I knew there was another kind of music." (07:19)
The Democratic Spirit of Punk
"The philosophy... to mostly young British working class kids was like a bolt of lightning... Anyone can give it a go. And anyone kind of gave it a go." (11:54)
Early Gigs and Audience Reaction
"We knew we didn’t have the chops... but the audience went mental, they went crazy... 50 people, but they went crazy, which made us think we had a vibe." (11:54)
"You go on stage and you deliver beyond the odds... By the end of the night, they're actually physically jumping up and down, regardless of their age... Some transformation has happened." (15:51)
"You’re going out to be of service... If you go on and you think it’s all about you, that’s the last thing... If it’s all about you, stay at home and play in your garage." (19:29)
Old-School Fan Service
"Live albums by the very nature are old school... capturing a moment in time... where the live arrangement knocks spots off the record arrangement." (26:58)
Why Amsterdam?
"Amsterdam was the original City of Diamonds... they have this amazing venue, purpose built for music... fantastic crowd and the band has a heck of a popularity for some reason in Holland." (26:58)
"There comes a time in your life when you think it’s got to be about something more than just selling records and T-shirts. We have a microphone and we’re being asked to add our voices to something that really was important." (31:10)
"He said, when there was no voice allowed, somehow we always could hear the voice of the artists... That gave us the very oxygen we needed to continue." (31:10)
On performing live:
On choosing his dad for a walk:
On humility and gratitude:
On the role of the artist in protest:
This episode offers a candid window into both the personal and musical philosophies that have driven Jim Kerr and Simple Minds across decades. Kerr’s humility, sense of purpose, and celebration of the connection between artist and audience shine through. For fans and newcomers, the episode is a heartfelt exploration of how music, memory, and gratitude interweave on and off the stage.