Few artists have CVs that read as impressively and variedly as Midge Ure's. From his emergence from the Glasgow music scene in the mid-seventies via the group Slik, whose debut single Forever and Ever reached Number One on the singles charts, to then becoming a member of the punk group The Rich Kids, and then a few years later, he diversified musically with Ultravox. Before a successful solo career and being a co-organiser of the 1985 Live Aid concerts alongside Bob Geldof, Ure enjoyed a distinguished career.

“There aren’t many artists whose musical careers started out in what was perceived as a teeny bubblegum pop band and were allowed to grow up and then go on to have a very successful career, one which you couldn’t sit down and write," agreed Midge.

At one point Midge even became, for a short time, a member of heavy rock band Thin Lizzy. “I was in the studio putting the finishing touches to the Visage album (another band Ure was a member of), and I had only just joined Ultravox when I got a phone call from Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy, who asked me to fly over to America to finish their tour as their guitarist Gary Moore was no longer in the band.”

Considered one of the pop classics of the early eighties, the Ultravox single Vienna didn’t quite make it to the Number One slot, as if it were often mistakenly remembered, as Midge recalled with a hint of irony.

“John Lennon had just been shot; his song Woman held Vienna off the top slot for a few weeks, which we were not concerned about. Then it was replaced by Joe Dolce's novelty hit Shaddap You Face – only the great British record-buying public could do something like that," he laughed.

With a new album, A Man of Two Worlds, and a tour to follow, having ticked so many boxes in the past, a double album is something that is new to him. “One album which is completely instrumental along with one of my new vocal songs is a prospect that I found very exciting – far more so than just releasing one of my ordinary records."

In an age when new and original albums from established artists are becoming a rarity, the idea of a double album might appear to be an ambitious prospect. “The younger generation tend to listen to something for thirty seconds and then move on; it is all just short sound bites. They don’t listen to the radio; they will not sit and listen to an album in its entirety, unlike my generation. I am not trying to compete with the likes of Harry Styles – what I am trying to do is compete with myself and create something where the songs are better along with the production."

Along with how music is consumed these days, the way acts become discovered has also changed. Whilst bands used to learn their craft by touring and playing in small venues, things are distinctly different now. “Back in the day you had to be discovered by a record label before you were allowed to go anywhere near a recording studio, then technology changed – everyone now has a laptop or computer, and with a bit of software you could record an album in your bedroom. Trying to find an audience for that is not as easy as you might imagine – you have to point people where to find your music. The skills set that you need today is not necessarily about being a good musician but more about being good at social media because that is how you gain an audience these days – not by playing sticky-carpeted venues on a Tuesday night when no one is listening."

Touring and live music are one aspect of the music business that cannot be replicated by the internet, something Midge is still excited about. "When I am alone in the studio, it is quite an insular life; I want to be out there playing live. For me, that is the whole point of being in a band – the joy of having a party whenever you play a live show."

“The idea of this tour came about even before I contemplated releasing a new double album; I wanted to play more of the instrumental music that I had recorded over the years and try to incorporate those with my hit songs and to take the audience on a musical journey and go with the flow."

In a career that has lasted over fifty years, I wondered whose Midge’s audience was in 2026. “We have a real cross section of ages coming to the concerts – a lot of the younger ones have discovered my music via video games. Many years ago I did a cover of the David Bowie song The Man Who Sold The World, which made its way onto a video game which has now become my most streamed song on Spotify – despite all the other hits I have had!”

The tour visits Bradford Live, a venue that Midge is particularly excited about playing. "It is so rare to hear of venues being reinvented; the great thing about these former Gaumont and Odeon cinemas is that they were designed for amplification. The idea of Bradford Live being brought back into the touring circuit is brilliant and a real joy – I am really looking forward to it."



Midge Ure: A Man of Two Worlds visits the following northern venues:

Monday 18th May - Sheffield City Hall
Tuesday 19th May - Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Friday 29th May - Bradford Live
Friday 5th June - Gateshead Glasshouse
Friday 20th November - York Barbican
Sunday 22nd November- Hull Connexin Live

http://www.midgeure.co.uk/