Rocker Jim Kerr has spent more than 30 years as the frontman of Simple Minds. He discusses the band’s upcoming UK gigs, which include Dalby Forest, life with the group, and his love of Italy.

Is this your first experience of playing gigs in UK forests?

Yes, they seem very popular. I guess there’s quite a few of them in England. There doesn’t seem to be any in Scotland, so it’s a bit of an unknown concept to me in terms of experience, but certainly among the fans, when we announced it they said: ‘Oh those gigs are great.’ Will fans get to hear any new tracks?

We always try to stick in something current, and I know we will play something new. We’ll go through the whole story really, touching on all the different chapters from the very start up until currently.

In the early days did you have any idea how successful Simple Minds would become?

We had no concept. We just lived for the next gig, and the next gig was exciting enough. When you’re 18, 19, 20, you’ve got no concept of time and you can’t see beyond the end of the week or the end of the month. As long as we had a new song and a couple of new dates we were okay.

Although we didn’t have a meteoric breakthrough, it took some years, there was always the feeling of increasingly making the right steps and being appreciated and more importantly being encouraged, and that was enough.

Tell us about the track Don’t You Forget About Me, which helped push the band into a different league.

That’s one where we literally had no idea, because it was done separately and done for a movie, The Breakfast Club. We were wrong to say it was forced on us, but the record company were really hassling to get us involved, but our minds were in a different place.

We were writing other stuff at the time. We actually saw the movie in a roughly edited form and we were a bit nonplussed. At that time we’d had a few albums that had done well and we were probably going through the door into the big league, but that song smashed the door wide open.

What made you invest in Italian hotel the Villa Angela?

I first went to Italy with my school when I was maybe 14. I realised that the world was in colour after growing up at the end of the industrial age in Glasgow where the world was not in colour.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Glasgow, but there was something about Italy. Then when I got to play there and tour it became a place that I wanted to stay. About 12 years ago I thought ‘that’s where my life is going to pan out’, and Sicily in particular was a part that I loved.

People really seem to enjoy being there (the Villa Angela). I do a lot of work when I’m there ironically. I go there to rest, but when you feel good you’ve got energy and before you know it you’ve written a few songs.

Finally, what’s happening with Simple Minds’ upcoming studio album?

We’re not really due to start it until the latter part of the year. It is a work in progress, but already I’m excited about it. The band keeps moving on. It’s nice for the group’s story and to be continually adding chapters.

• Simple Minds, Dalby Forest, near Picking, June 24. Forestry Commision Box Office: 01842- 814612 or buy at: forestry.gov.uk/music £35 tickets are also on sale in advance at Dalby Visitor Centre, YO18 7LT (open 10am-4pm every day, admission charge may apply) or at Forestry Commission Office, Outgang Road, Pickering YO18 7EL (open 8am-5pm, Mon to Fri).