For over forty years, Simply Red has remained one of the biggest bands to come from the north. The Manchester act is often overlooked when considering influential bands from the city; however, their reputation remains strong across the Pennines at the Sheffield Arena.

The fortieth anniversary tour setlist is loosely in chronological order, with some of the bigger hits saved until the end. Tellingly, there were no tracks performed from their 2023 album, Time, which contains some of their best work.

As Sad Old Red and Jericho, tracks from their debut album Picture Book, opened up the set, it demonstrated the often jazzy path the band might have trod if they had not discovered their more soulful and pop sensibilities.

The two tracks were more suited to a more intimate setting like a small concert hall, where the songs were originally performed when released forty years ago – before Sheffield Arena was even built.

Mick Hucknall’s voice was pitch-perfect throughout the show, maybe too perfect, as his vocals never sounded to veer too far off track.

The band always relied on cover versions early on in their career; The Valentine Brothers’ Money’s Too Tight (To Mention) and the Barry White cover It’s Only Love Doing Its Thing were both in good hands, making both sound like Simply Red originals.

Hucknall has co-written many of the Simply Red hits with an esteemed pedigree, including Motown writer Lamont Dozier, besides Joe Sample from The Crusaders – a fact that he was keen to emphasise in each song’s introduction.

When Stars was released in 1991, it catapulted the band literally into the stratosphere – the success of the album meant the band was able to play multiple sold-out concerts at this very venue at the time of the album's release. The laid-back feel of the song contrasted well with the earlier jazzier cuts, the former never really appearing to be appreciated by the South Yorkshire audience while the latter seemed to be one of their favourite Simply Red songs.

By the time the band had arrived at Sunrise, followed by Fairground, the carnival atmosphere had brought rays of summer sunshine into the chilly autumnal evening. As Holding Back The Years closed the two-hour set, this particular merry-go-round looked likely to spin around for years to come, as Hucknall and his band certainly painted Sheffield red.

The tour visits the folllowing date in the north:

3rd October Liverpool Arena

https://www.simplyred.com/tour-dates/