It was a pure journey back to synth 80s when Midge Ure made his long-awaited return to The Roundhouse in Camden on Saturday.
After two years of delays through Covid, the legendary Visage guitarist played the second in a long line of gigs in his Voice and Visions tour, which will see Midge and his band Electronica travelling across the UK and Europe.
For avid fans of Midge and Ultravox, it was a real treat as they were transported right back to the release of two of the band’s major album successes – Rage in Eden (1981) and Quartet (1982) - alongside landmark hits from Ure’s incredible back catalogue.
Understandably, Midge had some trepidation in remembering the songs’ lyrics, having not revisited some of them for four decades. Echoing what he had posted on social media just before the gigs, he told the expectant crowd:
“I know you guys will know the songs, whether I know them or not is another story.
“It’s kind of hard to believe that some of these songs are now 40 years old… they’re ancient, but I try to remember them as being fun.”
Many of the crowd knew the words inside out, having been on Midge’s journey with Ultravox since the very beginning. To hear one of the most defining acts of 80s music, perform Rage in Eden and Quartet was like being right back in their teenage bedrooms or concerts of that era.
There’s no doubt that both albums made an impact on the 80s music scene, defining the synth pop sound along with the electric new wave movement, taking the charts by storm.
Rage in Eden hit the Top 5 in the UK album charts while Quartet followed a year after, famously being produced by Beatles legend George Martin and achieving not only Top 10 status but featuring four Top 20 singles including the anthem ‘Hymn’, which went down a storm with the Camden crowd.
Midge opened the show on a dramatic note as he sang Dear God, while cloaked in semi-darkness on the stage, really setting the mood for what was truly an atmospheric, moving and thought-provoking set.
It’s probably fair to say that like a fine wine, Midge’s songs have matured along with the audience, with songs like Hymn, If I Was and No Regrets taking on new layers of meaning for the fans.
Midge’s prowess on the guitar shows no signs of diminishing with age. He is truly mesmerising on his solos and with a talented band around him, the sound throughout the gig was just as polished and vibrant as it was back in the day.
In fact, two of Midge’s Electronica band are an outfit in their right – India Electric Co. - and had already impressed the Roundhouse by opening as Midge’s support act. Hailing from Devon, the multi-instrumental duo consisting of expressive frontman Cole Stacey and talented musician Joseph O’Keefe gave a captivating performance, which no doubt left the crowd wanting to find out more about this stand-out new act.
The young duo expressed their joy at supporting the legendary Midge on this long-awaited tour, and seamlessly delivered Midge’s hits as if they’d been in his band for years.
One of the highlights of the night was the performance of Fade to Grey, a song which has one of the most iconic synth bases of the entire 80s and helped to set the scene for the electronic era.
Another of Midge’s songs that has also reached phenomenal heights during and since the 80s, Vienna, was hotly anticipated by the expectant fans and did not disappoint. Played as part of the encore, along with Astradyne and All Stood Still, Vienna brought the Roundhouse crowd together as they sang in unison, at the top of their voices in mutual appreciation.
As he always was back in the day, Midge was sharply dressed, this time in a smart grey suit, demonstrating that his meticulous detail to both style and music remains undiminished, even after the passing of four decades.
He had somehow managed to rekindle the Midge magic of that glorious synth era for a precious hour and a half in Camden Town, and we’re sure that for Midge’s faithful fans, there were no doubt many of them dancing with tears in their eyes.
Details of Midge’s tour can be found at
midgeure.co.uk