With more than 50 million albums sold throughout a 25 year career, British soul outfit Simply Red are set to say goodbye to Australian fans in October, when the band’s Farewell Tour 2010 touches down.

The Manchester group – the inspiration for which actually got its spark the night the Sex Pistols played a legendary show at the Lesser Free Trade Hall back in 1976, when a young Mick Hucknall was in the crowd – will play their very last show ever at London’s O2 Arena in December. Before then, the “Holding Back The Years” outfit wlll cross Australia as part of the A Day on the Green concert series.

“I could never have imagined my career would bring me so far,” frontman Hucknall says. “We want to share this closing anniversary with all the people who have enjoyed our sound throughout the years. Celebrate it and gently move on to the second half of a musical story. We all hope to see you at a show somewhere soon.”

Since the band’s very first tour in 1985, thanks to hits like “A New Flame”, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” and “Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)”, Simply Red when on to rack up over 31 Top 40 hits in the UK, two number one singles in the USA, a MOBO Special Achievement Award and over 1,100 live shows. Now Simply Red are bringing one of Australia’s most legendary soul singers on the road with them for their Farewell shows – disco diva Marcia Hines.

Tickets for the tour go on sale Monday 12 July and dates are:

Friday 1 October – Brisbane, Entertainment Centre, QLD
Wednesday 6 October – The Plenary, Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Melbourne, VIC
Tuesday`1 October – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, NSW
Saturday 23 October – Sandalford Estate, Swan Valley, WA