ONE of the most successful bands of the 1980s, the 60 million-selling, international chart-toppers Simple Minds are the latest act lined up to play Blenheim Palace this summer.

The band, still fronted by founder members Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill will play a hit-studded set as they headline Nocturne Live on June 19.

Support will come from fellow Scottish pop-rockers Deacon Blue.

Best known for hits Don’t You (Forget About Me) – used on the soundtrack to the film The Breakfast Club – Alive And Kicking, Sanctify Yourself and Belfast Child, Simple Minds are currently celebrating 40 years in music. With five UK album chart number ones, they were the most commercially successful Scottish band of the 1980s and fouryears ago received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors.

Deacon Blue were also big in the 80s, selling over seven million albums and notching up 14 UK Top 40 singles and two UK number one albums along the way. They’ll perform a career-spanning set including music from their soon-to-be-released new studio album City Of Love.

Jim Kerr said: “You’ll hear all the classics, and all the big songs. And for the hard core we’ll be playing songs that we haven’t played for the longest time.

“Simple Minds are different now. We’re not a stock rock band, but we haven’t changed our line-up to be cool. We’ve done it because it’s great to have so many amazing players on board. I’m grateful for the career we’ve had, but I’m mad enough to think we can still hit new levels. This is what we do –write, record and play live.”

Simple Minds and Deacon Blue join Lionel Richie, who headlines on Saturday June 20, and David Gray, who celebrates the 20th anniversary of his seminal album White Ladder on Thursday June 18, with support from 12 million-selling Lighthouse Family and Nerina Pallot.

Tickets for Simple Minds and Deacon Blue start at £35 and go on sale on Friday from nocturnelive.com.