STANDING TICKETS (front of stage) for 'The Greatest Hits Tour' at Glasgow Hydro
Wednesday 27th November 2013 Simple Minds will be joined by very special
guests Ultravox Tickets will be posted out during October 2013; these cannot
be reissued so will be sent by recorded mail Venue plan is available below
in detailed images, with the floor level the standing area Doors open 6.30pm
No under 14's please Maximum of 6 tickets can be purchased per household
for each venue Price includes £4.50 booking and admin fee All tickets
are for personal use only and cannot be resold under any circumstances. Resale
or attempted resale is grounds for seizure or cancellation without refund or
other compensation. The Event Partner and its affiliates, successors, or assigns
may enforce these terms in accordance with the provisions of the Contracts
(Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 (the Act) Once purchased, tickets cannot
be transferred, exchanged, refunded or returned unless the event is cancelled or
moved to another date
"There was a reticence about doing this as we didn't know what the
public response would be, and especially with a band like us, Ultravox
just seemed to be a fantastic punch-bag for the media back in the day
and we tended to think: "Do you really want to go and stick your head in
the lion's mouth again?"
"But I think all that disappeared when we started working together
again, it just felt natural, it felt right, it felt, not easy but
comfortable and it was exciting because it was new technology. It was
even more exciting when we decided to stand up for ourselves and say:
"You know what? We're going to do it the way we want to do it. Whether
it's for anybody else, this is how we want to do it." And there was
something really nice about that. So the process of getting it right
musically, first and foremost, was imperative.
"What happens to it now, when you give it to the wide world, is
completely out of our hands so the response from people, the reviews,
whether they like it or hate it, there's nothing we can do about it now,
that's what making music is all about, you make what you think is right
and then hopefuly it will translate into somebody else's life.
"The great thing about Brilliant I think, I'm not sure what Billy thinks
about this, I think it's quite possibly the best collection of songs
that we ever did. Period. And it's because Billy's continued writing,
I've continued writing all the way through the twenty odd year break
that we've had and I think that you can hear that. So that, in a way
makes everything else redundant, it takes it really back to: 'Is this an
intersting piece of music, is this an interesting lyric, is this a good
melody, does this do something to you, does it make you cry or laugh or
smile or dance or whatever?' That's the core of what it should be, and
that's why we stopped talking to Universal because they didn't want
that, thay wanted an X-Factor version of that and we weren't prepared to
go there. It became very obvious to us they wanted a record with
Ultravox's name on it, some signature sounds and my voice on it, but
they weren't really interested in what the music was other than the fact
was it commercially successful?, and that really hasn't made an awful
lot of difference to us. When we got together in the first place, Vienna
wasn't a commercially acceptable track, it was completely and utterly
out there, it's only become successful and seen as an obviously
commercial track in hindsight, but at the time it was radically
different, so I don't think our attitude to that process has changed."
Tom Artrocker
Extracted from a full and fascinating interview with Midge Ure and Billy Currie, featuring more of Keith Martin's wonderful photos. Read the whole piece in the new issue of Artrocker available today from all good shops or direct from us here: artrockermagazine.com
Seminal electro pioneers Ultravox have issued the artwork for their first new album in 28 years, ‘Brilliant’ which is released on May 28th through EMI. The legendary quartet of Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Chris Cross and Warren Cann have created an album that not only stands alongside the finest work of their career but firmly places them as both a huge influence upon, and a vital contemporary force within, today’s musical climate.
Recorded in Canada, Los Angeles and the UK, ‘Brilliant’ is a stunning tour de force. “I think this record is probably the best one we’ve ever done,” explains Midge Ure, “because the songs are so much stronger than before. There’s a lovely naivety you have when you start out where you throw things together and think that they’re great and somehow that affects other people, but I think the fact that we’ve been working away separately over the years perfecting our art comes out on this record.”
The writing process for the twelve songs on ‘Brilliant’ started when Billy and Chris joined Midge at his house in Canada. “I have a house in the middle of the woods by a lake in Montreal and we realised if the three of us went to my house out there and sat down with some laptops, keyboards and guitars with no outside distractions at all, we could find out whether we were actually capable of writing something together again. And it was a phenomenal experience, a great bonding thing for the three of us; we just ate, slept and breathed music. It was a very, very instant thing, like getting back onto the horse again. We climbed back onto the saddle again and we were off and running.”
It was this sense of starting again that, according to Midge, really inspired the band. “That’s what we were trying to do when we first started, make something unique, something that came from the four of us. You can hear directly from what we were doing thirty years ago stuff that was coming out of deepest, darkest Germany - bands like Kraftwerk and Neu - but you can also hear the pop of Roxy Music and David Bowie and you put that mixture together and it becomes unique because nobody else sounds like that collective. But over the years we had an awful lot of followers and you can still hear some of that influence running through music today with other bands, the melody and the structure and the atmospherics.” Yet the fact that the four members of Ultravox have come together again means that ‘Brilliant’ has the singular, unique sound which has inspired so many of today’s artists, but never been bettered.“If it was Ultravox with a slightly different line-up, if one of us wasn’t there it wouldn’t have that link but because the four of us are there together it has that link. Something about the persona of these characters coming together and those emotions turns it into something else.” Further sessions in Canada and LA to record Warren’s drum parts followed leaving Midge, Billy and Chris to finish the recordings in their home studios. With the album almost complete they decided to bring in an outside producer to bring the whole album together. “We didn’t want to lose the momentum and dry up after this amazing flurry of activity and great creative bubble,”recalls Midge. “So that’s when [producer] Steve Lipson came into the process at the end and helped us fine-tune everything. He’s very much a musician and became almost a fifth member of the band for a while, and he would challenge and question us on everything. We’d done about a year’s work on our own, very isolated and insular, and nobody else had heard anything. So once he came on board and got involved it just worked incredibly well.” And the result is astonishing. From the opening, swelling barrage of ‘Live’ with its instantly identifiable piano motifs through the epic rock of ‘Flow’ to first single and title track ‘Brilliant’, there is no mistaking the sound of Ultravox; the huge choruses, the impassioned vocals, the driving rhythms and pulsing electronics. ‘Rise’ is a modern computer-pop classic while the likes of‘Remembering’, ‘One’ and ‘Change’ evoke the cinematic atmospheres Ultravox do so well. Coupled with the widescreen drama of ‘Lie’, the chiming exoticism of ‘Satellite’, the sinister tension of ‘Hello’ and the chilling heartbreak of ‘Fall’, Ultravox have crafted an album that may well be ranked as their finest work to date.
The final part of the jigsaw puzzle was choosing which record company to release the album through, as the band had a number of offers on the table. But it was EMI, the band’s home for many years that they decided to return to. “We’ve always had the EMI connection through being signed to Chrysalis and EMI did such a fantastic job with the reissues around the ‘Return To Eden’ shows that it felt very natural. EMI got it, and understood what we were doing and understood the standards we have. We spent six weeks rehearsing for a three week tour to make sure it was as good as it could be and EMI are able to work to the same high standards.”
More info on the European tour dates below, with further details to follow on a few of the shows to follow where marked tomorrow.
Please note that Italy is the ONLY show in Europe which will have a presale. This presale will start on Wednesday 30th May for 24 hours only (link in listing below, no password required).
SEPTEMBER 2012 21 Bristol Colston Hall 22 Oxford New Theatre 23 Portsmouth Guildhall 25 Nottingham Royal Centre 26 Birmingham Symphony Hall 27 Hammersmith HMV Apollo 29 Guildford G Live 30 Manchester Palace Theatre
OCTOBER 2012 02 Southend Cliffs Pavilion 03 Ipswich Regent Theatre 04 Sheffield City Hall 06 Blackpool Opera House 07 Glasgow Clyde Auditorium 08 Gateshead Sage
07.11.12 - Germany, Köln, E-Werk - on sale now / +49 (0)1805 570000
08.11.12 - Germany, Bielefeld, Ringlokschuppen - on sale now / +49 (0)1805 570000
The Brilliant microsite has now launched, and you can either pre-order the album from there or directly from www.ultravox.org.uk/store.shtml. These are the same Amazon (worldwide), Townsend, HMV, Play & iTunes links that appear on the EMI microsite, and there is no difference to ordering from either; your order will be helping EV either from either location (thank you!). You will still be able to view the video clips and competitions (all worldwide this time) which will appear on the microsite; no purchase is necessary to see them or to take part.
(AGI) - Roma, 18 apr. - Emi e' orgogliosa di annunciare il grande ritorno degli Ultravox con il loro primo album di studio, "Brilliant", dopo 28 anni con la storica formazione che include Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Chris Cross, Warren Cann. La stessa con cui pubblicarono "Lament" nel 1984. A seguito del successo del tour "Return To Eden" con cui nel 2009 la line-up classica della band si e' ripresentata dopo 25 anni sulle scene, Midge Ure e soci si sono ritrovati in studio e hanno registrato una serie di brani inediti, dodici canzoni in tutto, che fanno parte appunto dell'album "Brilliant" in uscita il 29 maggio, che sara' seguito poi da un fitto tour inglese nei mesi di settembre e ottobre. Drammatico, passionale ed epico sia nei testi che nei suoni, "Brilliant" non solo e' una testimonianza concreta di quanto grande sia questa band, ma rappresenta un ulteriore valore aggiunto per uno straordinario catalogo di musica che oggi suona piu' attuale e influente che mai. Emersi dalla scena punk, new wave ed elettronica dei tardi anni 70, gli Ultravox si sono inventati una forma straordinaria di musica rock elettronica dalla potenza unica che consegno' alla storia degli anni Ottanta grandissimi canzoni quali 'Hymn', 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes', 'The Voice', 'Reap The Wild Wind', 'Love's Great Adventure', 'We Came To Dance', 'One Small Day' e naturalmente l'atmosferica e intramontabile 'Vienna'. "Brilliant" porta gli Ultravox ad ampliare il loro modello classico ricordandoci la loro forza come compositori di altissimo livello. Tutti i dettagli sul nuovo album verranno rivelati presto assieme alle date del tour che la band intraprendera' entro la fine dell'anno.
Gary Numan is a unique breed of electronic animal. Relentless in output and evolution of sound in a career now going into its 33rd year, to describe Numan as a tour de force of electronic music is not hyperbole. One of the most reassuring things about Crack’s conversation with Numan is that despite his position as an elder statesman of the electronic music community, he maintains a humble and honest approach to crafting music. With the ticking clock of age against him and his time as a musician, he has adopted an attitude which is stripped-down and unmuddied. Previous variables such as fashion, attitude and the self-consciousness of youth which can clutter the creative process inevitably wither with age, leaving Numan a carefree open book, able to express himself with a degree of nonchalance. The style and image conjured by Numan throughout his rise to prominence influenced countless 80s fashionistas, emanating a coldness and detachment that perfectly complimented the methodical nature of the synth arrangements employed on first two solo records, The Pleasure Principle (1979) and Telekon (1980). Numan became a pin-up for the era. However, it’s the man’s ability to remain varied and contemporary that has seen him leave many of his 80s electronic peers in the shade with a career has maneuvered with the decades. Dalliances in straight-up pop music, experimental electronica and hard rock spread across 18 albums have made Numan more than qualified to contextualise music in its broadest sense, but it’s the vigour and enthusiasm with which he does this that makes him such an endearing character. You get the impression that if Numan is ever to extinguish his creative fire, he will do so kicking and screaming, and based on latest offering, Dead Son Rising, it will be a significant loss. On this new album, smouldering industrial rock suggests a pairing off of influences with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, who open cites Numan as a significant influence on his work. Dark machinery clatters and is married with brooding undertones that sees Numan return to his austere best. As opposed to his aloof creative persona, Numan in person is warm, welcoming and congenial, a fact kept under wraps by the degree of mysticism that has always run alongside his music.Ladies and gentleman: Mr Gary Numan.
So how did the new record come about?
"It actually started out as a load of out-takes that I’d put to bed for a while. I listened back to them and thought ‘blimey, these are quite good.’ So what started out as a load of filler material ended up being a brand new album. Because of that it’s much more varied. I’m actually writing a book, a science-fiction book which I’ve been working on for the last 10 years. Every day I write out little notes for it and try to develop the story. It’s become a never ending thing. I hope it’ll finally see the light of day at some point. But some of the ideas from that have bled into this record. There are also more conventional themes that have gone into it, such as the fact I had a massive falling out with a close friend of mine a while back, which unfortunately has got worse as time has gone on. Normally when I do an album I have a pretty clear idea where I want it to go, and all the songs musically and lyrically fit in that direction. But I think because of the way it came about and ambled along, being fitted together from these bit parts, it’s a little more varied than my normal record".
So has anyone else been involved?
"While I would say this record is still very much Gary Numan, it’s much more of collaboration. It’s the first properly collaborative album I’ve ever done. In my opinion, it should have gone out as a Gary Numan and Ade Fenton album, but he didn’t think that was a good idea, so it’s gone out as a Gary Numan album".
Was he quite happy to sit in the background and not take credit for anything?
"I’m certainly at pains to make it clear when I’m talking to people that it’s very much a collaboration, though it is true they are all my melodies, all my chord structures. The fact they have gone on from there with Ade showcases the fact they should be labeled as co-written; he’s done more than a producer should do".
So have the songs morphed and changed significantly from what you intended?
"Well, this was meant to be a bit of filler between my last album, Jagged, and the new album I was due to release next year, Splinter. There is a big gap, so the idea was to pop something out that wouldn’t take up too much of my time or interfere too much with what I was doing with Splinter. It’s strange, because when I came back to this music a year and a half later, it was exactly the same, Ade had done nothing to it. So I think it was a confidence thing. You get a bit down on something and your confidence plummets and everything you listen to sounds like shit. Then you hear it again a year and a half later in a different frame of mind and suddenly it sounds alright".
Is that to do with your personal situation at that particular time distorting the quality of music that had been produced?
"I don’t know really, because for quite a while now career-wise, things have been great. I have a much better relationship with the media than I had before. I have lots of people doing cover versions and sampling my stuff and talking about me. From a confidence point of view I should’ve been riding high. I can’t imagine what else it was though. It just doesn’t make any sense for me at all".
Over the years the regularity of your releases has remained ever consistent. You seem to be a workhorse. What keeps you going at such a pace?
"For me it was always a hobby that became something else. I was chatting to someone else the other day and they were saying that if they didn’t think they had an audience to play to they wouldn’t do it. I just couldn’t understand that. Surely you loving doing it, and having an audience should be the icing on the cake. From my point of view if I didn’t have an audience to play this stuff to, I’d still do it, because first and foremost I like it. The fact that I’m able to take the music out on tour and play it in front of people is the most amazing piece of luck. From an incentive point of view, or a desire point of view, getting motivated doesn’t seem to be a problem at all. I’ve really, really wanted to make records and record songs since I was 18 or 19. Your goals and ambitions just change".
So is making a new album a relatively pain-free process for you then?
"I actually find touring more enjoyable at the moment. I find the thought of being stuck in a room on my own for a month recording an album a little bit daunting".
You just finished a tour where you were performing your debut album The Pleasure Principle in its entirety, so are you looking forward to be touring the new album?
"I got into touring the retro album very begrudgingly. It wasn’t really top of my list of things I wanted to do. When I tour normally, I do very little older stuff, which causes a bit of friction between myself and the older fans who want to hear as much of the older stuff as possible. I don’t want to be tied down to doing a Greatest Hits set. It became a real issue for some fans, so I said how about if I do all the songs from one album so I can avoid diluting my conventional tour. It seemed that if I did that then some of the fans would get off my back. So I did one for my 50th birthday and my 30th anniversary of being in the music business. Then the 30th anniversary of The Pleasure Principle came along so I did that one. So I just try to pop these things in once in a while".
Do these tours afford you a bit of breathing space then?
"It’s a great compromise to keep the older fans happy. The Pleasure Principle thing got a bit out of hand and ended up going all round the world when it was only meant to be a handful of shows in the UK. I won’t be doing any of that for quite some time. It is very nice to be coming back and have something new out. We’re doing the September and December mini-tours to promote this and then in the new year Splinter is coming out which I’m really excited about. Then for the bulk of next year we are going to be primarily touring the world doing Splinter and Dead Son Rising. We’ll be doing that for the next couple of years I reckon".
So are those old album gigs made up of older people then?
"Not at all, the demographic is really split. One thing I didn’t realise is that a lot of the younger audience haven’t heard of this material before. It was 60-70% kids under-25 who know the album because it’s a big part of my history, but they haven’t ever heard any of the songs live. It’s also because people like Trent Reznor talk about it being a particularly large influence on them. So you’ve got people coming along who weren’t even born when the record was released. I thought it would be all about 55-year-old people reminiscing about their youth but it wasn’t like that at all, so I had to stand corrected there".
As you’ve got older do you still find yourself drawn to keeping abreast of modern music and modern fashions, or has this got less important to you as you’ve got older?
"It’s easier than it’s ever been, especially with the internet. If you follow fashion then it’s easy enough. You can just pick up a magazine and find out what the latest trends are. But to be honest, I actually don’t give a shit about fashion. Although I did fashion shoot for All Saints yesterday! (laughs) But in all seriousness, I really don’t care about that I look how I look. Keeping up with it all isn’t difficult, finding something you like really is. It’s always been like that. Take 1979 when I first started having success: look at the Top 40 then, and I only liked about two of the records in there. It’s exactly the same today. The chart in 1979 was full of utter shite. Very few things in the chart last for a long time and that’s what makes it such a scary business".
What is it about you that has meant you’ve been able to have such a good run, and sustained such success over an extended period of time? You’re quite a rare breed. How have you survived in such a credible way?
"I’ve always believed you’re only as good as your next album, and you can never have a career based on past glories. It’s obvious, but you always have to continue doing something new and something interesting. I’m not saying I’ve always done that, cause I’ve put out some pretty dodgy albums in my time. It is always my intention, however, to go into the studio and do something I’ve never done before, and come up with some sounds that no one has ever heard before. The reason I got into electronic music in the first place was because it seemed to have an unlimited potential for creating new sounds. I love guitar-based things, but they are inherently limiting to some degree. In electronic music we are lucky as there is always new technology so the potential is neverending. The thought of going in and repeating the same sounds used before seems pointless to me. I juts don’t get it. It’s like entering a Formula 1 race on your bicycle, it’s fucking pointless. I also just don’t get some people who have long careers that mellow and start doing ballads, and it gets bland and middle-of-the-road. You end up saying ‘what on earth happened to you?’ My music for the last 10 years has got heavier and heavier each album that I’ve made. I’m quite proud of that, and I think I still do enough interesting things to keep them coming back. There are probably people who sell more than I do, but that’s probably because they’ve done more ballads".
So who in the main is Gary Numan enjoying at the moment and musically, who has had the biggest influence on you over the years?
"I love Battles, with whom I recently did a single. I love them because I can’t place them. I love everything about what they do and it was great to work with them. Nine Inch Nails will always be a massive influence for me, as will Ultravox when I first started. Depeche Mode too are a huge part of my world and changed my way of looking at music".
"Memories fade but the scars still linger,
I cannot grow,
I cannot move,
I cannot fell my age,
The vice like grip of tension holds me fast,
Engulfed by you,
What can I do,
When history’s my cage...
Look foward to a future in the past".
