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derek forbes
musician: bass
birthday: 22nd June 1956
associated with band: 1978 - 1985, 1987, 1997 - 1998, 2005

Derek in 1978

Life In A Day photoshoot

Real To Real Cacophony photoshoot

Empires And Dance photoshoot

Sons And Fascination photoshoot

New Gold Dream tour programme

Tour Du Monde tour programme

Derek Forbes, the Big Dan himself, shotos straight from the hip and never regrets it. On a British Airways Tristar flying from Toronto to London recently, he caused considerable confusion by barging into the First Class section and asking if this was where the disco was happening. On being told to return to "the third class section", he retorted that he was worth more than "all these bald-c**** put together" and threatended to sue the snooty stewardess for assault.

Derek hates class segregation. Anything else? Midge Ure perhaps? "I don;t really even hate Midge Ure," he admitted.

Derek loves music, women, animals and history. He's also an expert on names. "I've told you before, probably, how the name 'Forbes' was derived." Well, no actually. "Well, the Forbes clan used to rule all around Aberdeen, a big section up in the north-east of Scotland, and 'Forbes' was a toast for Bess, Queen Elizabeth the First - For-Bess." See?

('Kerr', by the way, is a completely Scottish name meaning sheep-thief from the border lands.)

We digress. Derek, of course, is responsible for those spine-rattlign bass riffs which form the core of most of Simple Minds' songs. Equally adept on either freless or fretted bass, Derek started his muscial career as a wild and flashy lead guitarist, and at one time or another playing in groups with such names as Moby Dick and Big Dick And The Four Skins ("I was Big Dick but it was only a rumour").

Luckily he found a new home with Simple Minds and has never looked back. "It was great for me playing with them 'cos it was totally different. I used to have an old white bass speaker called 'The Fridge', 'cos that's what it looked like."

"Simple Minds in the old days was pretty magical, to look back on it - maybe it wasn't if I'd been able to watch us from the audience, but it was just a small pub in Glasgow and you'd never seen bands with lights and all that and taking the time to put on a show."

"That's how we became so hip with the make-up - I looked like a panda. I used to wear girls' sandals 'cos I was a big New York Dolls fan. I even wore my grandmother's lurex top one night - it was metallic blue."

How do you feel about Simple Minds now Derek? "Is 'euphoric' the right word?"

Adam Sweeting
New Gold Tour Programme




Derek Forbes (born 22/6/56). Bassperson, cartoonist, life-saver, animal lover, painter and decorator. Possesses large repertoire of unprintable one-liners. Football fanatic.

Goals in life: "My ultimate aim would be to get something like a lion or a tiger or a black panther or something like that. Just take it into the street and frighten the shit out of people, it would be amazing."

Adam Sweeting
Tour Du Monde Tour Programme







discography
Life In A Day single Life In A Day LP Chelesea Girl single Real To Real Cacophony LP Changeling single Empires And Dance LP I Travel single Celebrate single The American single Love Song single Sons And Fascination LP Sisters Feeling Call LP Sweat In Bullet single Theme For Great Cities LP I Travel single Celebration LP Promised You A Miracle single Glittering Prize single New Gold Dream LP Someone Somewhere (In Summertime) single New Gold Dream single I Travel single Waterfront single Speed Your Love To Me single Sparkle Through The Years promo LP Sparkle In The Rain LP Up On The Catwalk single Don't You (Forget About Me) single All The Things promo LP Alive And Kicking (84,85,86) EP Simplemente LP Promised You A Miracle Live single Live In The City Of Light LP The Very Best Glittering Prize 81/92 LP Promised You A Miracle promo single Don't You (Forget About Me) promo single Don't You (Forget About Me) promo single 81/95 DJ Copy CD The Promised CD Glitterball single Neapolis CD War Babies single The Early Years 1977-78 CD The Best Of CD The Best Of Night Of The Proms CD Early Gold CD Seen The Lights - A Visual History DVD Don't You (Forget About Me) single Silver Box Seen The Lights - Live In Verona DVD Don't You (Forget About Me) single The Platinum Collection Gift Pack CD/DVD




family tree

Simple Minds #5
Simple Minds #6
Simple Minds #7
Simple Minds #8
Simple Minds #9
Simple Minds #10
Simple Minds #11
Simple Minds #20
Simple Minds #21
Simple Minds #23




live appearances

Simple Minds 1978
Life In A Day tour
Real To Real Cacophony tour
Empires And Dance 1980 tour
Empires And Dance 1981 tour
Sons And Fascination 1981 tour
Sons And Fascination 1982 tour
New Gold Tour
Tour Du Monde
Barrowlands 1985
Festival Tour 1997
Neapolis Tour