Mick Hucknall spills 40th anniversary UK tour details for Simply Red.

Editor Stephen Hill 10/04/23

Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall spills details of the up and coming 40th anniversary UK tour. 

Hucknall announced major news on BBC The One Show the singer  now 62-year-old

 wasn't holding back on the years as he revealed the Manchester-formed band are turning 40 in 2025.  

The singer, was on the BBC One chat show to talk about their new album Time and new single Better With You, which the Denton-raised singer-songwriter said was inspired by the coronavirus lockdown. 

He told hosts Alex Scott and Emma Willis and fellow guest Nick Grimshaw that he was 'strumming around' on his guitar and watching TV when he came up with the new music, saying Better With You is about how being around people helps to make difficult situations better.  

Mick then made the exclusive announcement that the band, whose huge hits include Holding Back The Years, Something Got Me Started, Stars and Fairground, would be performing an intimate gig at the Shepherd's Bush Empire on Monday June 5, featuring songs from the new album and Simply Red classics. 

 "We've got to do a bit of a warm up to get into the swing of it and so we decided we're going to do a bit of a warm-up show," he explained.  

Simply Red will be back on the road in Europe this summer after bringing their Blue Eyed Soul Tour to UK audiences last year. 

Mick, who formed Simply Red in 1985 with his manager Elliott Rashman after he was a member of the punk band The Frantic Elevators, then said they'll have something special planned for their big 40th anniversary.

When Scott  asked him about going back on tour he replied: "I was last on tour in the UK last year and I don't go back on tour in the UK again until 2025, which will be our 40 anniversary." As Emma gasped: 

"Wow." He quipped: "I know, I know. I should have a walking stick." When Emma remarked that this will be a 'phenomenal tour' he agreed: "Yeah, I'm just going to have to dig out very best of what we've done over years and represent it," he said.