While adolescent daydreaming about a favorite band or performer playing a private at-home concert is usually just wishful thinking, many fans had that very vision come almost completely true last night. Midge Ure, veteran singer and songwriter most popular for fronting New Wave/new romantic pioneers Ultravox, treated a sparsely attended Local 662 in downtown St. Petersburg to a veritable walk-through of his lengthy songbook with the aid of only a acoustic guitar. And that voice; that bold, soaring, powerful voice that hasn't aged a bit and can fill a room without the aid of a microphone — yes, Ure's among the lucky few '80s-era frontmen who still has his vocal chops running on all gears. Tuesday night's fantastic show more than exemplified that.
Starting just after 9, Ure took his place on the tiny stage, guitar already in hand, and wasted no time getting right into the program. Opening with "Waiting Days," a cut from an early '90s solo album, Midge effortlessly displayed his impressive guitar skills and unfaltering, ringing vocal prowess instantly. The small weeknight crowd in attendance (most of whom had hung at the back of the bar before Ure took the stage) slowly started making their way to the front of the room to get closer to the action. For many, this was more than likely the first time getting to hear Midge Ure perform live as his visits to the States have been limited to say the least. And, it's probably safe to say that many didn't expect to hear that the 61-year-old Scottish elder statesman was still capable of belting a tune like he did.
Bathed in eerie green lights, the comical and upbeat singer made a crack about resembling and sounding like cartoon ogre Shrek. He was even a good sport about the barrage of requests that were screamed out, making reference to a common title he always gets asked to play, Ultravox's 1982 smash hit "Reap The Wild Wind." "But I tell them," Midge chided, "…how do you play that on just a fucking guitar?" referring to its highly orchestrated and layered instrumentals. He did, however, turn in a sparkling performance of "Hymn," another Ultravox hit from that same year, which more than made up for the omission.
While the night consisted of selections from throughout Ure's solo career and his many fine albums with Ultravox, we were also treated to a sparse, stripped-down rendition of the swirly, keyboard-heavy new romantic anthem "Fade To Grey," the 1980 signature song by British band Visage. Ure co-wrote it and seamlessly transformed the moody, atmospheric, layered dancefloor tune to a powerful acoustic ballad. While sadly, the rare treat was nearly ruined by an extremely LOUD conversation two attendees decided to have near the front of the stage, Ure made no bones about asking the couple to please "shut the fuck up!" which was met with a roar of applause … and not a peep was heard from either for the duration of the night.
Ure shared plenty of anecdotes throughout the night, discussing the pitfalls of playing newer material and how audiences normally react, the last Ultravox reunion tour, the unorthodox way band members chose and agreed upon the tour's setlist, and how much the music industry has changed. This was a point he focused on when delivering "Become," the first single off his current solo album Fragile. "What is it now?" he pondered, referring to how digital media and files have replaced something tangible.
He then referenced how important MTV was in getting Ultravox musically recognized in the U.S., joking about how a channel that once prided itself on featuring so much music had now relegated itself to playing nothing but "shite." The strongest ovations came when Ure delved into some of the tunes that were music channel staples: 1980's stirring "Vienna" and 1984's uplifting "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes."
For those of us who grew up listening to Midge Ure in any of his many incarnations (as a member of Ultravox, Rich Kids, Thin Lizzy, etc.), or as the respected solo artist who's had an impressive amount of hit singles in his own right, this was a special night that we won't soon forget. While we didn't have Midge sitting in our respective living rooms playing the songs we'd asked him to play, this came pretty damn close.
This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2015.