A SUPERGROUP made up of musicians who have played with bands which have sold millions of albums around the world will be heading to Barnoldswick next week for a very special cause.

Big Minds, featuring original Simple Minds bassist Derek Forbes and Big Country drummer Mark Brzezicki, are to play a show at Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre for the Concert for the Kids charity which raises money for the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Joining Derek and Mark on stage will be two current members of Big Country - singer Scott Hough and guitarist Scott Whitley - plus keyboard player Brian McNeill who has worked with China Crisis and The Proclaimers.

“We have got a set together which features many of the hits from both Simple Minds and Big Country,” said Derek, who had a hand in many of Simple Minds best known songs.

“It’s probably easier for me as I was also with Big Country so I just need to refresh myself on that as it’s about three years since I played with them.

“With the Simple Minds songs, I’ve just got to make sure that the motor is working and I can split the brain in two to play bass and sing them at the same time.

“I might have to let Scott sing one of them as I’m very pernickity about the bass parts, they have to be just right.”

As well as his time with Simple Minds, Derek has also worked with Propaganda, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel and Iggy Pop.

He was even name world’s best bassist in 1982 and the best Scottish bassist ever in 2010.

“I voted for Jack Bruce for that one,” he laughed. “Now he really could play bass and sing at the same time.”

Yet for all the albums he has appeared on and all the accolades, Derek admits he’s really ‘a frustrated lead guitarist’.

“I ended up being a bass player by default,” he said. “I had started to play lead but went with a band to Spain for five months and they needed a bassist so I ended up taking it up. We’d rehearse from 2 until 6 and then play from 10 until half four in the morning every night in Lloret de Mar,

“The only break we got was that there weren’t any rehearsals on a Sunday.”

Returning to the UK Derek stood in for a while with Simple Minds as bassist.

“I told them I wanted to go back to being a lead guitarist but then my Gibson Les Paul was stolen and that was it.”

Derek believes his distinctive bass sound is a direct result of his desire to be a lead guitarist.

“My style of playing is that of a frustrated lead guitar player, I just want to shine!” he said. “I regard the bass as a lead instrument and I always tell that to the sound engineers, it has to be up there with everything else, especially in Simple Minds songs. When I was in the band, the bass was in your face.”

Derek is hoping that the Barnoldswick gig will be one of many Big Minds shows. He is also hoping to tour with his own band following the success of his solo album Echoes.

“My thing now is to do that and Big Minds,” he said.

Big Minds, Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre, Thursday, May 3. Details from 07712 628366 or www.barnoldsdswickmusicandartscentre.com