Latest news with #RustyEgan
Sydney Morning Herald
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
What happens when New Romantics grow old? Just ask Midge Ure
It was so polarising that it led to the group's demise. Undeterred, Ure and Rich Kids bandmate (and influential club DJ) Rusty Egan co-founded Visage, the New Romantic frontrunners who had a hit in 1980 with the song Fade To Grey. In the decades since, Ure has become one of music's most reliable practitioners, successfully proving there is a world in which guitars and synthesisers can co-exist, first with his post-Visage band Ultravox, and then as a solo artist. And though the days of releasing hit singles may be behind him, his catalogue is blessed with enough fan-friendly deep cuts – solo chart toppers such as If I Was and mainstream hits like Ultravox's Vienna – to sustain a healthy touring schedule. In October, it will bring Ure to Australia for the aptly named Catalogue tour, in which he will perform music from throughout his career, including tracks from the ill-fated Rich Kids. (There may also be a few Thin Lizzy songs, given Ure was drafted in by frontman Phil Lynott to replace guitarist Gary Moore on a US tour supporting Journey in 1979.) 'I wanted to avoid 'the hits' tour, so I called it 'Catalogue', but 'the hits' managed to squeeze its way onto the tour poster,' he says. 'You're expected to play a lot of those anyway. But I dug deep and started looking at songs that should have been singles in retrospect, and other key tracks for me. 'They're not all three-minute pop songs. I do things like [Ultravox's] Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again), which is a long, atmospheric, filmic thing.' The idea for the Catalogue tour stemmed from a similarly themed 2023 concert at London's Royal Albert Hall to mark Ure's 70th birthday. Given Ure has now joined the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Robert Plant in the ranks of septuagenarian musicians still going strong, it raises the question: is rock'n'roll no longer just a young person's game? 'It's totally changing!' says Ure. 'I'm reading a book called Hope I Get Old Before I Die [by David Hepworth], and it's all about the fact that at Live Aid, something changed. There were no youngsters on Live Aid, the youngsters were in their mid-to-late thirties. Ultravox and Spandau Ballet were the youngsters. 'McCartney was 48 when he did Live Aid, and we all thought of him as an old guy! So it all changed at that point and became more about whether you were good or not as opposed to whether you were new or not.' No matter the magnitude of Ure's achievements, the spectre of Live Aid – which this month marked its 40th anniversary – and 1984's Band Aid charity single Do They Know It's Christmas? will forever loom large. Ure co-wrote the song with Bob Geldof, who spearheaded the project to fight famine in Ethiopia. 'Bob came to mine with a song he didn't tell me at the time that he'd kind of half written and played to The Boomtown Rats, who thought it was shit,' laughs Ure. 'It wasn't a great song. It felt like we were trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It had no chorus, there were no repeating bits, there was nothing that people could latch on to.' Ure recorded the music and arranged Do They Know It's Christmas? over a four-day session in his home studio. Geldof, meanwhile, set about enlisting some of Britain's biggest pop stars to sing on it, including Bono, Boy George, George Michael, Simon Le Bon and Sting. 'Maybe tenacity and desperation of trying to get [the song] done and out there was what drove it through in the long run,' says Ure. 'As a record it worked incredibly well, and that was due to the fact we had some of the best artists that the UK had to offer lending their name and their fan base.' Though well into his sixth decade as a performer, Ure says he will get the same buzz walking onstage at his Australian dates that he felt as a teen watching artists such as Led Zeppelin and The Carpenters at The Apollo in Glasgow. 'If you don't, you're dead,' he says. 'There's something not right. I'm still enthusiastic about it. You know why? Because it's too much like hard work if you don't feel it.'
The Age
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
What happens when New Romantics grow old? Just ask Midge Ure
It was so polarising that it led to the group's demise. Undeterred, Ure and Rich Kids bandmate (and influential club DJ) Rusty Egan co-founded Visage, the New Romantic frontrunners who had a hit in 1980 with the song Fade To Grey. In the decades since, Ure has become one of music's most reliable practitioners, successfully proving there is a world in which guitars and synthesisers can co-exist, first with his post-Visage band Ultravox, and then as a solo artist. And though the days of releasing hit singles may be behind him, his catalogue is blessed with enough fan-friendly deep cuts – solo chart toppers such as If I Was and mainstream hits like Ultravox's Vienna – to sustain a healthy touring schedule. In October, it will bring Ure to Australia for the aptly named Catalogue tour, in which he will perform music from throughout his career, including tracks from the ill-fated Rich Kids. (There may also be a few Thin Lizzy songs, given Ure was drafted in by frontman Phil Lynott to replace guitarist Gary Moore on a US tour supporting Journey in 1979.) 'I wanted to avoid 'the hits' tour, so I called it 'Catalogue', but 'the hits' managed to squeeze its way onto the tour poster,' he says. 'You're expected to play a lot of those anyway. But I dug deep and started looking at songs that should have been singles in retrospect, and other key tracks for me. 'They're not all three-minute pop songs. I do things like [Ultravox's] Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again), which is a long, atmospheric, filmic thing.' The idea for the Catalogue tour stemmed from a similarly themed 2023 concert at London's Royal Albert Hall to mark Ure's 70th birthday. Given Ure has now joined the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Robert Plant in the ranks of septuagenarian musicians still going strong, it raises the question: is rock'n'roll no longer just a young person's game? 'It's totally changing!' says Ure. 'I'm reading a book called Hope I Get Old Before I Die [by David Hepworth], and it's all about the fact that at Live Aid, something changed. There were no youngsters on Live Aid, the youngsters were in their mid-to-late thirties. Ultravox and Spandau Ballet were the youngsters. 'McCartney was 48 when he did Live Aid, and we all thought of him as an old guy! So it all changed at that point and became more about whether you were good or not as opposed to whether you were new or not.' No matter the magnitude of Ure's achievements, the spectre of Live Aid – which this month marked its 40th anniversary – and 1984's Band Aid charity single Do They Know It's Christmas? will forever loom large. Ure co-wrote the song with Bob Geldof, who spearheaded the project to fight famine in Ethiopia. 'Bob came to mine with a song he didn't tell me at the time that he'd kind of half written and played to The Boomtown Rats, who thought it was shit,' laughs Ure. 'It wasn't a great song. It felt like we were trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It had no chorus, there were no repeating bits, there was nothing that people could latch on to.' Ure recorded the music and arranged Do They Know It's Christmas? over a four-day session in his home studio. Geldof, meanwhile, set about enlisting some of Britain's biggest pop stars to sing on it, including Bono, Boy George, George Michael, Simon Le Bon and Sting. 'Maybe tenacity and desperation of trying to get [the song] done and out there was what drove it through in the long run,' says Ure. 'As a record it worked incredibly well, and that was due to the fact we had some of the best artists that the UK had to offer lending their name and their fan base.' Though well into his sixth decade as a performer, Ure says he will get the same buzz walking onstage at his Australian dates that he felt as a teen watching artists such as Led Zeppelin and The Carpenters at The Apollo in Glasgow. 'If you don't, you're dead,' he says. 'There's something not right. I'm still enthusiastic about it. You know why? Because it's too much like hard work if you don't feel it.'
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Andrew Sachs's granddaughter Georgina Baillie, 39, makes rare appearance with 1980s rocker boyfriend 28 years her senior at book launch
Andrew Sach's granddaughter Georgina Baillie made a rare appearance with her 1980s rocker boyfriend as they attended Anthea and Wendy Turner's new book launch on Friday. Georgina, 39, stunned in a red jumpsuit as she cosied up to her boyfriend Rusty Egan while attending the event at the Kew Gardens in London. She stunned in the stylish one-piece while packing on the PDA with her new partner, 67. Georgina - who has been the subject of the infamous prank phone call between Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross - also rocked oversized glamorous shades. Meanwhile the 1980s rocker and former DJ flashed a happy beam, opting for a conventional all-black ensemble. The post-punk singer looked in jovial spirits while making a stylish appearance at the launch of Wendy and Anthea's third book called Finding Treasure. Also in attendance was Lizzie Cundy, who showed off her incredible figure in a chic denim ensemble. The former WAG, 57, turned heads making a stylish entrance, as she posed on a bike with plenty of floral decorations. Lizzie showcased her ageless physique strutting the street as if it was her own catwalk, sporting a denim vest and fitting matching trousers. She finished off with red stilettos and accessorised with dark shades and a nude Yves Saint Laurent shoulder bag. Inside the event, she posed beaming next to presenter and author Anthea, 64. Meanwhile the TV host and star of the event looked in her highest spirits as she was snapped larking around with pals and guests in attendance. Bros frontman Matt Goss didn't miss a chance to display his sense of style in an aviator jacket and sand fedora hat. The singer, 56, added sunglasses to his look as he posed with the newly-launched book, before stopping for a snap alongside Anthea. Elsewhere Loose Women legend Jane Moore, 62, was all smiles as she opted for a navy roll-neck jumper and denim. Inside the event, she posed beaming next to presenter and author Anthea, 64 Meanwhile the TV host and star of the event looked in her highest spirits as she was snapped larking around with pals and guests in attendance Bros frontman Matt Goss didn't miss a chance to display his sense of style in an aviator jacket and sand fedora hat Wendy's husband Gary Webster (R) was also seen rubbing shoulders with fellow TV stars at the event Wendy's husband Gary Webster was also seen rubbing shoulders with fellow TV stars at the event. Georgina previously found herself at the centre of a media storm when Brand prank called the former Fawlty Towers star to brag about having sex with her. At the time of the allegations in September 2023, the singer declared that she does not believe he is rapist - but insisted his accusers must not all be written off as liars. She spoke out shortly after it was revealed the comedian turned wellness guru faces a police probe over claims he sexually assaulted a woman in London. He was also accused of raping a woman in LA, attacking two others and grooming a 16-year-old girl at the height of his fame. Speaking to MailOnline, she told at the time: 'From my own personal experience I do not see Russell as a rapist, however, the evidence is compelling so one has to keep an open mind. I'm not saying they are lies, it was a long time ago and they [the women] should be believed and get some help'. Georgina spoke to Piers Morgan on his TalkT V prior to that, and erlier she had revealed to MailOnline that Brand paid for her rehab in 2018 to make amends for what he had done to her.
