WIN: tickets to Simply Red, Durham County Cricket Club

We’ve got a pair of tickets to give away for the band’s Big Love tour which touches down in Chester-le-Street on Friday, June 3

The tour will see the band celebrate more than 30 years in the music industry, with the Riverside gig being one of only a handful of live shows for 2016.

Frontman Mick Hucknall’s voice became one of the most defining of British R‘n’B in the ’80s and ’90s, with one in five British households owning a Simply Red album.

Culminating in more than 60 million worldwide sales, the band’s landmark albums include Picture Book, Men and Women, A New Flame, Stars, Life and Blue.

Mick said: “We are delighted to be performing in the open at the Durham County Cricket Club. It’s a superb ground in a great location and we have many fans in the area. We will ensure that this night is really something special and hope you can join us in celebrating over 30 years in the music business.”

It’s the latest in a series of open air gigs at the venue, which has also hosted Jessie J, Madness and Tom Jones.

David Harker, group chief executive of Durham County Cricket Club, said: “We love bringing music to Durham and after the success of the Madness Concert in the summer in 2015 in partnership with promoters LHG Live, we needed to ensure that the next show we put on was of the highest calibre.

“We are delighted to be working with LHG again in bringing Simply Red to the Durham County Cricket Club.”

Thirty years after their rendition of the Valentine Brothers’ recession-themed classic Money’s Too Tight To Mention, Simply Red are still releasing albums and performing all over the world.

Next month’s gig promises to be a mix of tracks from latest album, Big Love, as well as a selection of their greatest hits, such as Money’s Too Tight (To Mention), Holding Back The Years, If You Don’t Know Me By Now, Something Got Me Started, The Right Thing, Stars, Fairground, Angel and Sunrise.

Big Love is the band’s first album since 1995’s Life to feature only original songs. Fans thought they had seen Simply Red for the last time when the band played what was to be their final concert at the O2 Arena in 2010.

However, the opportunity to mark 30 years since their iconic debut album, Picture Book, was one Mick says he couldn’t resist. “Thirty years! It’s incredible,” he said. “What a great thing to celebrate. Once I began wondering how Simply Red were going to sound, I started writing songs and that is how the album Big Love came about. We’re called Simply Red for a reason. I want to keep it simple. Our fans know who we are. They have been loyal to us. Now I’m ready to

go out there and give them what they want.”

•Tickets for Simply Red at Durham CCC are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk, www.simplyred.com and www.durhamccc.co.uk. Tickets are all standing with disabled tickets available direct from the club. Gates are at 4pm.

To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets, answer this question, which of these is a Simply Red hit?

A) Stars

B) Moons

C) Suns

Fill in your answer on a postcard and return it to Simply Red Competition, Katy Wheeler, North East Press, 2nd Floor, Alexander House, 1 Mandarin Road, Rainton Bridge Business Park, Houghton, DH4 5RA. Alternatively, email your answer and contact details to [email protected]. Closing date: May 12.