Midge Ure - A Man Of Two Worlds

Midge Ure plays York Barbican on Friday 20 November, as part of his A Man Of Two Worlds tour. It's a solo show, and the title points to exactly what he's doing on stage: bringing together the two distinct sides of his musical life.

One side is the one most people know. Ure was the frontman of Ultravox, the band that helped define the sound of the eighties, and he's been charting since his early days with Slik and The Rich Kids. He also co-wrote 'Do They Know It's Christmas?', the global charity single that became a huge part of the decade's cultural landscape. That's the side of the set that draws on his hits.

The other side comes from his solo albums, and it's the part of the night that might be new to you. He's playing the atmospheric instrumentals from those records, many of which he says have never been performed live before. So the set moves between the songs you'll recognise and the quieter, more textural work he's kept mostly to the studio.

Beyond the performing, Ure is a producer and a songwriter with a long run behind him. He's picked up an Ivor Novello, a Grammy, and a BASCA award over the years. The A Man Of Two Worlds tour is built around that double life — the public hits and the more private, instrumental side of his solo work — and he's playing them both in the same evening. It's at York Barbican on 20 November.