Midge Ure taking Birmingham back to 1980

At the end of the 70s, momentous change was afoot in Britain and the world – in society, politics, fashion and culture – and the musical landscape was also about to change forever.

The guitar-driven dominance that had propelled rock and punk throughout the decade was about to end, as synths signalled the sound of the future and video transformed the look of the pop charts. In essence, the 80s were about to explode into life and nothing would be the same again.

At the heart of this seismic leap were two records that set the template for much of what was to follow. Visage’s single Fade To Grey from the band’s debut eponymous album and Ultravox’s single Vienna from the album of the same name were global hits.

Both records were co-written, recorded and produced by one of the leading characters in British music, Midge Ure, and not only transformed the charts around the globe but his life in the process.

“Autumn 1979 was a pivotal point in my career trajectory,” Midge recalls. “Over the previous two years I had grown from ‘pop band’ (Slik) to ‘post punk band’ (The Rich Kids) to being a stand-in guitarist for Thin Lizzy.

"Over the course of autumn into winter 1979, while working on the Visage project with Billy Currie, I was invited to join Ultravox. The work we did that winter on the Vienna album was an exhilarating rush of creativity the likes of which I had never experienced before.

“Forty years later I want to celebrate this period and play the Vienna album in its entirety along with highlights from the eponymous Visage album. Join me and my Band Electronica celebrating 1980."

Brought to life by Midge Ure and Band Electronica, this is the very first time in the 40 years since it was made that the Vienna album will be performed in its entirety. It is also the first time that many of the songs from the debut Visage album will be played live.

The 1980 Tour stops off at Birmingham's Town Hall on October 7, 2019. For tickets, priced from £30.50 to £35.50, click here.