STRIPPED back Simple Minds? Acoustic interpretations? Not the disaster you might imagine.

Simple Minds, the core of Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill plus supporting cast, have almost by stealth sought to keep moving forward musically. Heading towards their 40th anniversary, they have presumably long ago accepted that there is no escaping their enormous hits from the Eighties and Nineties, so re-presenting them acoustically is one of the few options to keep it interesting.

As ever, the band put everything into their performance, with Kerr repeatedly thanking the near sell-out crowd for coming. He was in talkative form, with a good line in putdowns when required. Having sacrificed fish and chips to his rock star diet, he set about roaming the stage like the top-flight frontman he is. Support act Catherine AD’s new venture The Anchoress was in contrast leaden and dull.

Minus the synth and electric bombast, the glittering Simple Minds back catalogue had to work harder, and the format suited some songs more than others. Waterfront, for example, really missed the electricity whereas Chelsea Girl sounded better backed by acoustic guitars than she has in years.

If the material has hidden depths, they remained undiscovered, but Kerr’s brilliant knack for a slogan or chant kept the audience singing. Burchill remains a fine guitarist, with Promised You A Miracle the best example of taking the song in a slightly different direction With no Mel Gaynor, percussionist Cherisse Osei cut a powerful figure, her back-lit hair billowing as she stood in total command of her domain, strikingly like Prince’s drummer, Sheila E.

The atmosphere may have been a notch or two lower than their April 2015 set at the same venue, but beneath their gaudy chandelier, the spectacle was quite something, and the band were certainly Alive And Kicking (an apt encore).