We’ve gotten quite a bit of chatter on teh interwebs regarding an ultrabox for the first Midge Ure solo album, “The Gift.” We’ve looked at the 2010 DLX RM in some detail, but rumors have manifested over a 4xCD edition coming our way in advance of the SDLX boxes for “Lament” and “U-Vox.” I can see it coming between them, since that’s how it played out historically, but this premature announcement [let’s call it a lazy leak – there’s no shortage of those these days] that was allegedly on Amazon UK but is now gone, had detailed the content of the four CDs. As commenter negative1ne had left comment on yesterday.
The album, the released extras, the early mixes/demos, and the live concert were all accounted for in the proposed content, but not the 5.1 DVD that usually comes with these sets as already established. So I think that it’s premature to discuss the topic beyond this paragraph or two. I’ve [grudgingly] grown to like “The Gift.” and the 2010 2xCD is moving towards two solid figures, so I’m understanding of the need to get this one back into print in a even bigger edition. But would I be down with dropping a solid two figures for even more of it than I already have? Maybe not. The 2xCD I have is a nice fit, and it was actually a …gift from a late friend of mine and it feels right to stop there.
MIDGE URE 70th BIRTHDAY SHOW @ RAH October 3 2023
But the real topic of today’s posting was what smacked my eyeballs when I went to Midge Ure’s website to follow up on this rumor of “The Gift” SDLX. In recent years we’ve seen many PPM core collection acts playing the RAH to tick the sort of boxes that’s on every musician’s checklist. OMD have recently done it, but other PPM stalwarts like Simple Minds and even Midge Ure, have done it earlier in their careers. So Midge has had the pleasure both solo and with his Prince’s Trust shows many times already. Still, one only turns 70 once, and having a career spanning gig on your birthday [or 6 days early, to be honest] at the Royal Albert Hall seems like a right and proper way to celebrate a life. Particularly one as interesting as Midge Ure’s.
Tickets went on sale almost a month ago and there are a few dozen left in the circle and the SRO areas. Ticket prices are modest and top out at £54.80 but they will probably be gone in a week or two. I’ve got every suspicion that Ure will have a full house on his 70th birthday gig.
Of course there will be Ultravox and Visage songs on the bill. Probably Rich Kids as well! And solo material from the last 41 years. What I’d like to know is how long has it been since Ure has sung ‘No Regrets” live? Has it ever happened??! If not then this would be the perfect opportunity for that line to get crossed! But perhaps the elephant in the room would be… will there be any material from Slik in the set list? The nature of the show leads me to hope so! I think that Midge is man enough to confront “For Ever And Ever” head on and come out on top. If you would like to find out in person then D.J. Hit that button!
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![Want List: Visage DLX RM […finally!]](https://i0.wp.com/postpunkmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/visage-dlxrmuscda.jpeg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1)
Post-Punk Monk 
hi mr monk,
well good luck and have fun to the people that get to go.
would like to, but i’ve never travelled overseas for a concert.
i’m sure there will be a video and cd afterwards, so that will
have to do for those that can’t make it.
later
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ne gative1
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negative1ne – I’m so thankful for those CD/DVD combos. It’s how I experienced so many wonderful UK concerts that maybe I should have gone deep into debt to experience. Concerts like:
• Claudia Brücken @ Scala
• John Foxx @ The Roundhouse
• Magazine @ Manchester Academy
How I wish that I had incurred the costs of seeing the Simple Minds 5×5 tour! Which sadly, didn’t make it to DVD, but at least was a live CD.
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I wish more things like this were streamed in movie theaters. IMO they are leaving a ton of money on the table for lack of effort and probably devotion to the idea the live in person is the one and only way
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thank you Mr Monk
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hi there PPM. just to answer your question about No Regrets, i saw Midge back in May this year on his Voice And Visions tour and i can confirm that he definitely played it then. i believe it appeared in all the dates of the tour. unfortunately it doesn’t appear in the Voice And Visions Live cd that was sold at these dates (but i would still recommend trying to get your hands on this cd)
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lieutenant 030 – Good to know but I’ll bet the licensing costs for the CD were a sticking point. Too bad since I think it’s an interesting facet of his career… and a UK top 10 single to boot. At any rate, it’s good to hear that he doesn’t neglect it.
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Midge has managed to release it several times throughout the years on his Enviromental Records label, from the Intimate Moments and One Night In Scotland releases of 2002 to most recently on the Band Electronica Live cd of 2018. the Voices And Vision cd concentrated on Rage In Eden and Quartet tracks along with the tour regular opener, Dear God (which was a very good version in Aberdeen)
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lieutenant 030 – Ah… I don’t have any of Midge’s self-released material. Though I have a great interest in the “1980” disc. I made my own CD-R from the great VOD concert but would also like to hear the live with audience recording he released.
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Midge also played ‘No Regrets’ at the Liverpool gig. We also got ‘Dear God’ which is one of my least favourite songs of his. We got ‘Fade To Grey’ of course and ‘If I Was’ before the Ultravox tracks kicked in.
I was pleased that he played ‘We Came To Dance’. I wonder if he’s ever played this live before as I don’t think Ultravox ever did. Certainly not on the ‘82/‘83 tour.
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Andy B – Interesting! I like “We Came To Dance.” It’s the best Visage track Ultravox ever did! It’s got to have Warren on the middle eight, though. I never quite accepted the 7” edit.
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Monk – I agree with you that ‘We Came To Dance’ is very Visage like. The track makes a nice contrast with the rest of ‘Quartet’. I too was disappointed that Warren’s spoken piece was dropped from the 7” edit. I wonder if that pissed him off.
I received the ‘Quartet’ box set last weekend but have only had a chance to listen to the first two discs once as my better half and I are away for a week in Germany and France. I need to listen to Steven Wilson’s mix again before making my mind up on it.
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Ahh, I had an inside oppo for those front row tix at RAH, but alas I had other plans for that day… I would have been there otherwise and given you a front row report. I saw him last year at the WDR show and loved it. Break, break -got to see Pet Shop Boys in Leeds – what an *amazing* show – outstanding…worth it.
I do play the Best of Midge Ure and Ultravox CD a lot around the casa – great songs that span so much time and great music. Weirdly, to me, his “Spielberg Skies” sounds a lot like Robbie Williams….
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Deserat – I still have not heard Robbie Williams. In spite of being a Stephen Duffy collector! I last saw PSB nine years ago. Always a treat. Their stripped down performance is anyone else’s extravaganza!
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Just bought second row tickets at London Palladium for 17 Feb 24 – ABC is doing The Lexicon of Love – should be good….I will be moving back to the USA soon, so want to exhaust these opportunities over here while I can – the prices are *much* better over here….I am flabbergasted by what I’m seeing for ticket prices in the USA….
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Deserat – You are wise to strike while the iron is hot. Yes, concert tickets, like health care costs in America, are skyrocketing in price. When my wife was buying the tickets for the show we are attending in Amsterdam next year, she was astonished at how affordable good tickets for a music concert were. She couldn’t decide which seats were better…so she bought them all! When I buy tickets on TicketMobster™ my nerves get shattered and I have PTSD for weeks afterward. Enjoy ABC★★★. I’m thinking that it will never happen for me at this point. He comes to America every now and then but nowhere near here. I just checked and I see that he played Atlanta’s Chastain Park in 2018! But at that time I was traveling to L.A. for my friend’s memorial concerts, so it couldn’t have happened.
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