CityLife

Simply Red's last hurrah

FINALE: Hucknall

AND now, the end is near and so I face the final curtain… It’s a line that must be ringing in Mick Hucknall’s ears almost every night in 2009.

Because his band, Simply Red, are officially on their last tour. In 2010, after 25 years of hits, hairdos and line-up changes, Hucknall is putting his band to bed for the final time.

It’s been on the cards since 2007, when Manchester’s most famous red head first made noises about the band’s impending 25th anniversary.

“That’s long enough for anybody,” the singer told the media, and he seemed to mean every word. 

But we’re not so sure. Because, at 48, we reckon Mick might find retiring from music is easier said than done.

The Denton lad has been immersed in performance from the age of 16 – ever since he was one of the few people that turned up to watch The Sex Pistols play their Lesser Free Trade Hall gig in June 1976. 

Global level

Over the past two and a half decades, he’s tasted success on a global level, scored a top five position in the UK pop charts for every one of his band’s albums and collected 130 platinum and gold discs for his efforts.

Which all means that Mick is widely regarded as a leading writer of British ‘blue-eyed’ soul (so called to acknowledge its debt to America’s predominantly black Motown and Stax artists), a reputation his debut solo LP last year – Tribute To Bobby, an album of covers by the US blues great Bobby Bland – further cemented. 

He’ll no doubt miss the performing, too. Who wouldn’t, when there’s so many hit singles to go at? Money’s Too Tight To Mention, Holding Back The Years, If You Don’t Know Me By Now, Something Got Me Started, Stars, Fairground – you can probably expect to hear them all when the band play the M.E.N. Arena this weekend.

Sure, there’s tough times to say goodbye to as well; no more hiring and firing – around 30 names have graced Simply Red’s roster – and no more living out of a suitcase. 

But CityLife has a feeling it won’t be the last you’ll be hearing from Mick Hucknall.

Somehow, he just doesn’t seem like the retiring kind…

Simply Red play the M.E.N. Arena on Sunday, April 5. £40, £45. For tickets, call 0844 847 3401 or click on the link to the right.