Good to see you back, Simply Red

British band Simply Red will be back in Hawke's Bay on their Big Love tour in February. Photo / Supplied

Farewell wasn't goodbye for British band Simply Red.

The group, who last performed at Taradale's Church Road on their final Farewell Tour in October 2010, are back and buoyed by Big Love.

They return to the venue on February 28, with tickets on sale from midday on Monday, September 14.

Simply Red finished an unbroken 25-year run with a farewell concert at London's O2 five years ago after a run of performances in New Zealand and Australia.

With a positive response to new album Big Love they're hitting the road bringing new flame to an old name, with the release of Song Book - a four-CD package marking 30 years.

"I like an anniversary, and this is a big one," frontman Mick Hucknall says.

For the New Zealand leg Hucknall will be joined by long-standing bandmates Ian Kirkham (sax), Steve Lewinson (bass), Kenji Suzuki (guitar), Kevin Robinson (trumpet/flute), Dave Clayton (keyboards) and new drummer Roman Roth.

The talent behind Holding Back the Years, Money's Too Tight (to mention) and If You Don't Know Me By Now will draw on four decades of pop, rock, jazz, lovers' rock and blue-eyed soul to woo the winery crowd, in what's becoming an increasingly diverse summer of sound in the Bay.

As Hucknall prepares to set off on one of the biggest tours of Simply Red's career his sense of purpose is clearer than ever.

"We're called Simply Red for a reason," he says. "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."

The Church Road performance will join a UB40 concert at Black Barn's new offsite venue on Friday, January 8 as the start of an exciting summer line-up.

-For complete tour and ticketing details, visit: livenation.co.nz.