Midge Ure at Pocklington Arts Centre - Wednesday 13th April 05 contd By Steve Rudd

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As well as hurtling headlong into a stunning selection of tunes from both his Ultravox days and his solo albums, Midge presented an astonishing array of cover songs. Midge used to be friends with the late and the great Phil Lynott (yes, the genius behind Thin Lizzy), and he played two Lizzy songs note-for-note, before recalling an amusing anecdote that arose from the Live-Aid day when the equally as late and as great Freddie Mercury mistakenly thought Midge was one of the guitarists in Bob Geldof's Boomtown Rats!

Despite Midge having been gutted that Freddie didn't realise who he was, Midge still feels indebted to Freddie and his music and thus duly performed one of his tunes to stunning effect, while Peter Green's beautiful Man Of The World also got the distinctive Midge Ure treatment.

It's amazing how well all those old Ultravox hits sound on Electro-Acoustic guitar. When the music is stripped back to such a degree, Midge's soul-saturated voice genuinely stands out all the more. His voice really is exquisite. The majority of such hits came late in the set, but were more than worth waiting for when Dancing With Tears in My Eyes and Vienna gushed forth, as fresh as the day they were first unleashed into the world.

Vienna, in my opinion, is one of the most extraordinarily moving pop songs ever written and, even in 2005, there is still nothing to rival the song's unique power to thrill and quicken the pulse. Vienna is a masterpiece, and in an acoustic format it sounds even more so.

Music should be about passion, confides Midge on his Intimate Moments Bootleg album. Music should be about making you think, making you feel happy, making you feel sad. Making you feel... And, as ever, the man has a point. Dear God, from Midge's Answers To Nothing album (that came in the late 80's following the band break-up), always hits the right note as Midge heartily appeals for a safer and more secure world.

Call of The Wild meanwhile, further proves just how sheer pop music can be thrashed out by an acoustic guitar. No Regrets and If I Was also made an appearance, as well as the emotion-packed wonders that are I See Hope (that, when he first started writing it was in tribute to Nelson Mandela, but Nelson was thankfully freed before the song had been completed, so Midge had to change bits to fit!), Alone, the Anti-War themed beauty Beneath A Spielberg Sky and the wonderfully heart-rending title track to his Breathe studio album that was released at the tail-end of the last century.

If I had the time to spare I could write reams about Midge and his music. His attitude to his work, to himself, and to the music industry at large is hugely inspirational. His gigs - that are deftly crammed with always touching and uplifting stories and songs from past, present and future - have to be witnessed to be believed. His singing and guitar-playing are imbued with a raw power and emotional edge to such an extent that his performances never fail to be thoroughly life-enhancing experiences, and unforgettable ones at that.

Quite simply, Midge Ure is mesmerising. And surely one of the most exciting singer-songwriters doing the rounds in the UK, if not the world. He believes in the redemptive power of music, and his passion for love and life is naturally infectious. So stand up, lend an ear, and get out and see him for yourself... www.midgeure.com

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