I had seen that Simply Red was performing at the Bullring in Murcia & being a big fan when I was younger, I got myself a ticket to go & see them. I decided to go to Murcia earlier in the day, have a look around, see the show, stay overnight in Murcia & go home the next day. 

Simply Red in Murcia.

Journey to Murcia & Hotel.

I left my apartment around 2:10 pm to walk to the bus stop near me to catch the bus to Murcia. When I arrived at the bus stop I only had to wait for around 10 minutes for the bus. I was glad it was not late as it was very hot standing waiting for the bus. I settled in my seat on the air-conditioned bus, got out my Kindle & read until we arrived at the bus station in Murcia.

I got off the bus at the station & set off on the short walk to the Hotel Hesperia in the centre of Murcia. It was easy for me to find because I remembered the walk from my visit to see Rod Stewart a couple of weeks ago. When I got to the hotel there was a queue of people waiting to check in but I didn't have to wait long before I was checked into a nice room on the fourth floor.

I left my baggage in the room & then walked to the restaurant I had been in the last time I was here. It was more of a local bar than many of the obvious tourist bars by the Cathedral. I again had the pork cheeks with potato for dinner & a pint to wash it all down. It was gorgeous, I enjoy this meal so much that I would consider getting a bus here from Los Alcazares just for dinner.

When I had finished my dinner I walked to the bullring just to remind myself of the way there. Once I was sure I would easily find it again I took the 15-minute walk back to the hotel, stopping only to buy some bottled water to take to the show with me tonight. Bottled water at the show was €2 a bottle & I bought 6 bottles in a supermarket for €1.50. I was pleased to get out of the heat for a while when I got back to my room, & I had a siesta before getting up for a shower & going back out to see Simply Red.

I arrived back at the bullring at about 8:15 pm & after queuing for a short time I went inside & went to the same spot I was at a few weeks ago to see Rod Stewart. I was in the front of the stage area & there were some seats that were part of the fencing that allowed me to sit down for a while. I drank one of the bottles of water I had taken with me & watched other people coming in. As I sat there my friends, Lynda, David, Gaynor & Kevin, who are all from Los Alcazares, walked in & joined me. 

We all got ourselves a drink from the bar & had a drink whilst we chatted waiting for the show to start. Simply Red started on time at 9:30 pm & thankfully the temperature had dropped a little before they started to play. Mick Hucknall sounded as good today as he ever did & I really liked the way that he mixed the set-up playing newer & older songs throughout the night. Simply Red was always one of my favourite bands & I can honestly say, of all the bands & singers I have seen live all over the world, they were one of the best. In terms of the set, live music & Mick Hucknalls´ singing, it was a great show. For their final song, after they had come back on for an encore, Mick paid tribute to Tina Turner & sang Nutbush City Limits. It was a great tribute to Tina & he sang it really well.

After the show finished we sat inside the bullring & had another beer while we waited for the crowds to leave before we all left. I left my friends at the bullring & walked to the Monkira Apostles bar where I went after the Rod Stewart show a couple of weeks previously. I ordered a Pina Colada & sat down to rest my legs for a while before then continuing on back to the hotel.

I slept very well & woke up at around 9 am the morning after the concert. I lay in bed until around 10 am when I got up & took a shower before going down to the buffet breakfast that I had ordered. I was disappointed to see there was no bacon this week, it had been replaced with cheap cocktail sausages & the scrambled egg was horrible. I did enjoy the cappuccino, the meat & cheese selection, & the fruit, toast & pastries. I sat there until around 11:30 am reading my Kindle before I went back to my room, backed up my bags & then left the hotel.

It only took me about 10 minutes to walk to the bus station & as I had arrived an hour before my bus was due I sat reading my Kindle & hydrating with a bottle of water. I got on the bus as soon as it arrived, sitting near the exit door halfway up the bus, ensuring I could get off quickly when we arrived in Los Alcazares. I opened my Kindle back up & continued to read the book I started a few days ago. The time shot past, & before I knew it I was back in Los Alcazares & I got off the bus at the Town Hall.

My Video of Simply Red at the Murcia bullring.

Summary.

I really enjoyed seeing Simply Red & I will definitely go to see them again if I get the chance. I like the hotel I stayed at in Murcia, it is a great place in easy walking distance of most of the city centre & I will stay there again when I book to see my next show. The buses that go from Los Alcazares are cheap, clean, air-conditioned & run on time. They are a great way for someone like me, who hasn't got a car, to travel.