Midge Ure: A Man Of Two Worlds but in one place, York Barbican, on November 20
MIDGE Ure will deliver an “immersive live experience” at York Barbican on November 20 on his visionary A Man Of Two Worlds Tour.
Tickets for this “bold new chapter from one of the UK’s most pioneering musical forces” will go on sale on Friday at 9.:30am at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/midge-ure/.
Scottish musician, producer and songwriter Ure, 72, promises a “rare and deeply personal concert experience on a tour that will “blend classic album tracks and fan favourites with cinematic instrumentals in a seamless, emotionally resonant journey through his expansive career”.
He last played York in April 2023, joined by Band Electronica on his Voice & Visions Tour at the Grand Opera House to mark the 40th anniversary of Ultravox albums Rage In Eden and Quartet, released in September 1981 and October 1982 respectively, backed up by landmark songs from Ure’s back catalogue.
Ure & Band Electronica first performed there in November 2017 when headlining a 1980s’ triple bill with The Christians and Altered Images, returning in October 2019 on The 1980 Tour, when Ultravox’s 1980 album, Vienna, was performed in its entirety for the first time in four decades, complemented by highlights from Visage’s self-titled debut album, .
Having celebrated his 70th birthday with a sold-out Royal Albert Hall show in 2023, followed up with a major UK tour in 2024, Ure now challenge musical expectations with a new live concept for 2026.
“This is my two worlds coming together,” explains the Slik, Rich Kids, Ultravox and Visage musician. “Almost every album I have made over the last 40-plus years has featured at least one instrumental track. Instrumental music is one of my main loves.”
For the first time, these often-overlooked instrumental pieces will share the stage with the songs generations know and love. Interspersed throughout the performance, they will act as sonic bridges.
“I realised most of these have never been performed live,” reflects Ure. “So my intention on this tour is to seamlessly insert some of these atmospheric, cinematic instrumentals between a selection of hits and favourite album tracks.”
The result is a curated show designed not only as a set list of songs, but also as a multi-sensory narrative “to take the audience on a journey rather than just play a list of individual songs,” adds Ure. “This will be an immersive experience for the audience both visually and sonically.”
From his glam rock days with Slik, through the punk-tinged energy of The Rich Kids (also featuring Glen Matlock, later of the Sex Pistols), to encapsulating the electronic sound of the 1980s with Ultravox and Visage, Ure has been at the forefront of innovation.
His role in co-writing and producing the 1984 global anthem Do They Know It’s Christmas? and helping to orchestrate Live Aid at Wembley Stadium remains among the most significant moments in modern music history.
After a career crowned with Ivor Novello, Grammy, and BASCAP awards and a legacy of gold and platinum-selling records, Ure now brings fans something completely new.