Midge Ure

We catch up with a friend of Tomorrow and a regular visitor to the Algarve – the legendary Midge Ure. 

Midge Ure has a well-earned (and justifiable) reputation for being “one of the nicest men in the music industry”. It’s been a year since we last spoke, and I discovered that Midge is also one of the hardest-working people in the industry. At 70 years of age, he shows no signs of slowing down, with concerts scheduled for later this year and next in the USA, the UK and mainland Europe, including Portugal.

The last time I spoke to Midge we met in Moncarapacho, near Olhão. This time it’s a little different with Midge ‘zooming’ in from the USA where he’s been busy touring. It’s like catching up with an old friend, albeit one whose work ethic far outstrips mine and that of many of his contemporaries! I asked Midge if he ever felt like slowing down. “Not really, no,” he laughs. “Why would I want to retire from doing something I enjoy so much?”

Midge Ure was born on the outskirts of Glasgow. “I was a young lad from a working-class background,” he said. “The expectation was that you would take on some form of manual labour, but music has always been part of my DNA and I enjoyed nothing more than playing live with my mates. I still do.”

Along with his band Ultravox, Midge dominated the 80s’ music scene. Their 1981 single ‘Vienna’, with its haunting tones and outstanding video, was a massive hit and remains one of the most iconic songs of the modern era. Midge was not only the memorable face (and voice) of the noir-themed video, he was also the song’s writer and producer. With Midge at the helm, Ultravox made eight Top-10 albums and sixteen Top-40 singles. It was in 1984 that Midge co-wrote and produced ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ It became the fastest-selling single in UK chart history, selling an astronomical one million copies in its first week, raising millions of pounds for good causes. In 2005, Midge received an OBE in recognition of his work supporting good causes and, to this day, Midge still serves as a trustee with the Band Aid Charitable Trust.

In 2022, Midge and his wife rented a delightful property in the hills north of Tavira. They spent much of the year here in the Algarve, finding it the perfect place to recharge their batteries. Since then, they’ve moved to another property, nearer Tavira. I asked Midge what he enjoys most about being here. “The warmth, the food, the people, and how unspoilt certain areas still are, especially further inland. We love it there, my wife especially so.”

Midge told me the The Band in the Box tour in the States was “hard work” but “great fun”, , with just Midge and two band members sharing the driving, and the trials and tribulations of life on the road.  The tour ended just a few weeks ago but there’s no relenting, with Midge’s next engagement being here in the Algarve at the Costa Festival Portugal, in Albufeira. After that, it’s two more shows in mainland Europe before returning to the UK for the Catalogue Hits Tour. Thirty dates are scheduled, taking in the length and breadth of the UK. The tour will offer a complete retrospective of his remarkable career and promises to be great fun. Dates are also scheduled for Sweden, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, stretching well into 2025.

It was great catching up with Midge again. Despite all his fame and success, he remains one of the most down-to-earth (and busiest!) people in the music industry.

Did you know?

Midge’s birth name is James Ure. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim.

Midge will perform at Costa Festival Portugal, 1–7 October in Albufeira.

www.midgeure.co.uk

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