Simply Red at The O₂ Arena – 40 Years On and Still Glowing
Nearly three decades after first seeing Simply Red live, I returned for their 40th-anniversary tour at London’s O₂ Arena — a night that proved Mick Hucknall’s voice and songbook remain timeless.
It’s been twenty-seven years since I last saw Simply Red. That night, at Wembley Stadium, they performed Stars — one of my all-time favourite albums. Fast-forward to 9 October 2025, and here we are again: a gift of tickets for their 40th-anniversary show at the O₂ Arena. I hadn’t followed the band closely since Life and Love and the Russian Winter, so I arrived curious rather than nostalgic.
Concert Review
From the moment Mick Hucknall walked on stage, any doubts disappeared. His voice — unmistakably rich and soulful — filled the arena with the same warmth it had all those years ago. The show ran for nearly two hours, a confident, career-spanning set that reminded everyone just how many hits Simply Red have quietly amassed.
The Set List started in broad chronological order with songs from Picture Book, Men & Women, A New Flame then Stars. The evening began with Sad Old Red and Jericho, quickly picking up pace with Money’s Too Tight (To Mention), The Right Thing, and A New Flame. Each song flowed effortlessly into the next, building towards the Stars era highlights — For Your Babies and Thrill Me and of course the title track.
Visually, the stage was simple: a few back projections, gentle lighting, and a band content to let the music do the talking. There were no follow-spots or extended solos, just a tight ensemble led by Hucknall’s voice — still supple, still utterly his own. Occasionally Mick would tell us a story, about writing with Motown greats or expressing his love for these classic songs but mostly it was a sing along.
Midway through, a soulful Motown-inspired segment paid homage to the classics that shaped him. The Air That I Breathe and You Make Me Feel Brand New showcased his love of that sound — reverent but never imitative. The tempo lifted again for Sunrise before the main set closed, fittingly, with Fairground from Life - his biggest hit to date.
The encore brought Something Got Me Started and a rousing take on Reach Out I’ll Be There — a Four Tops cover rarely performed live — before closing, inevitably and beautifully, with Holding Back the Years.
There were no gimmicks, no reinventions — just a band at ease with its legacy. For me, it was an unexpectedly brilliant evening: timeless songs, a flawless band, and a frontman still very much in command of his gift.
Watch more full tracks on our YouTube channel.
Simply Red Set List - 40 Years
Sad Old Red
Jericho
Money’s Too Tight (To Mention) (The Valentine Brothers cover)
The Right Thing
A New Flame
It’s Only Love Doing Its Thing (Barry White cover)
You’ve Got It
Enough
If You Don’t Know Me by Now (Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes cover)
For Your Babies
Stars
Thrill Me
Say You Love Me
The Air That I Breathe (Albert Hammond cover)
You Make Me Feel Brand New (The Stylistics cover)
Fake
Sunrise
Fairground
Encore:
Something Got Me Started
Reach Out I’ll Be There (Four Tops cover)
Holding Back the Years
A Year of Live Music Worth Remembering
Simply Red’s O₂ show was the perfect finale to a fantastic year of live music — from Bruce Springsteen in Berlin to Lana Del Rey lighting up Wembley Stadium and Robbie Williams at the Royal Crescent. There was the intimacy of Marshall Gilmour Webbs at the piano in Smithfield, and a moving tribute to David Crosby at the Barbican.
Next year already looks promising: one, perhaps two, chances to see Florence and the Machine, and who knows what else might appear on the calendar. Will The Cure return to the stage? Could we see more Radiohead dates? Whatever unfolds, I’m excited to find out.