PARADISO, Amsterdam, support-act: SONJA HAERING

Bijna dertig jaar geleden scoorde Ultravox met Vienna een megahit. De vier heren die destijds begin jaren tachtig furore maakten, gelden als pioniers van het new wave genre. Als je verder weet Ultravox al in 1973 werd opgericht, is het duidelijk dat de heren Midge Ure (gitaar, zang, toetsen), Billy Currie (toetsen, viool), Chris Cross (bas, toetsen) en Warren Cann (slagwerk, elektronische percussie) al aardig op leeftijd zijn.

Voordat deze vijftigers echter het podium op mochten, was er eerst een lieftallige Belgische, genaamd Sonja Haering die samen met Fedra Coppens onder de naam Mitras recentelijk een interessant album uitbracht. Zij bespeelde iets wat op een simpele melodica leek, maar vooral ook op zowel een klassieke als een elektrische viool. De begeleidende percussie en synthesizers kwamen via de Apple laptop en daaroverheen speelde Sonja prachtige melodietjes en aardige solo's. Het licht was een ramp: schijnwerpers recht op het publiek gericht, maar de muziek mocht er zijn!

Daarna was Ultravox aan zet. De bekendste nummers uit die fameuze jaren tachtig werden met verve gebracht en als je deze muziek nu beluistert, zoals ze die avond op het podium werd gepresenteerd, had het evengoed Muse of misschien wel Coldplay kunnen zijn. Feit is dat Midge Ure wat moeite had met de hoogste nootjes en feit is dat deze heren niet de meest virtuoze muzikanten zijn, maar zij hebben wel een nieuwe stijl helpen creëren en de nummers staan als een huis. Van New Europeans tot Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, van Rage In Eden tot White China en van Vienna tot Sleepwalk: alles klonk strak en zeker in het normale bereik bleek Midge Ure nog een zeer begenadigd zanger. Na krap een uur en drie kwartier was het tijd voor The Voice als laatste toegift. Het publiek in de nagenoeg volle poptempel heeft meer dan genoten, geklapt en meegezongen.

 
Voor de fotografen was er helaas wat minder succes. Na enkele nummers in de sfeervolle, maar erg mager belichting, moesten de camera's worden opgeborgen terwijl een paar honderd mensen met allerlei kleinere toestellen maar bleven schieten, vaak met flits. Een vreemde benadering van hoe je de artiesten goede publiciteit kunt geven!

ENGLISH:

Ultravox has been around for over three decades, dating back as far as 1973. Originally, the line-up featured a vocalist later known as John Foxx but Billie Currie (keyboards, violin), Chris Cross (keyboards, bass) and Warren Cann (drums, electronic percussion) were part of the line-up that recorded the first albums. The big hits came after 1979, when singer-guitarist Midge Ure entered the band as a replacement for of John (Dennis Leigh) Foxx. In those early eighties Ultravox recorded songs like Vienna, Lament, Dancing With Tears In My Eyes and are regarded as pioneers of the new wave genre. Nowadays, with dance music and modern technology, in my opinion Ultravox's music still stands the test of time and I'm inclined to call their music 'progressive' because of the melodies, the violin and the use of multiple electronics, both on stage as well as on their albums.

As always, Paradiso was full of enthusiastic fans, in this case mostly people in their forties and fifties. The support act was the lovely Belgian musician Sonja Haering. Recently, she put out an interesting album together with Fedra Coppens under the monniker of Mitras. Barefooted, she played a classical violin, an electric violin and a melodica, accompanied by electronic keyboards and percussion, provided via her lap top. Because of the really horrible lighting, namely some six spotlights at the back of the stage pointed directly towards the audience and thus making it virtually impossible to see Sonja really clear. The melodies and solos she played were tasteful and the appreciation of a big part of the audience was understandable and completely justified.

Then it was time for the four guys from Ultravox, responsible for all those lovely songs in the eighties. Featuring their most successful album Rage In Eden, the band played professionally and with concentration. The major role was of course for the now bald Midge Ure, who sang most but not all the lead vocals during the performance. Although he experienced some difficulties with the highest notes, for me his voice was remarkably well preserved and most of time the renditions of all the songs were pretty close to the original recordings, including the sound of the synths!

Chris Cross switching from his Rickenbacker bass to keyboards, Warren Cann from drums to electronics, Billy Currie from keyboards to violin and Midge Ure from guitar to keyboards: it was quite busy on the stage. Although none of the musicians can be regarded as virtuoso on their instrument, it's the combination of the melodies, Ure's voice and the arrangements that makes the sound of this band still unique. It might well be some of the music by bands like Coldplay or Muse have been inspired by Ultravox. Songs like opener New Europeans, Rage In Eden or White China are all little gems in the genre of symphonic pop music. The audience clapped, danced and sang along with hits like Lament and were ecstatic when after almost two hours the last encore The Voice filled the venue. It was the right time and the right place for Ultravox in the Netherlands. Personally, I really hope the band will try to record a new album because there's still a place for new wave from the eighties in 2011!

Epilogue from a frustrated photographer: it makes no sense to me to allow hundreds of people to use little flash cameras throughout the whole concert, while people like me with bigger camera's, not using flash, trying to promote the bands and their music, are forced to stash away their gear after fifteen minutes of music while in that period, except Midge Ure, the members of the band were in the dark for almost the whole time! During the time frame photographers were allow to 'shoot' the performing artists, the lighting was truly crap.

Setlist Ultravox: New Europeans, Passing Strangers, We Stand Alone, Mr X, Visions In Blue, Thin Wall, Death In The Afternoon, Astradyne, Rage In Eden, Lament, White China, Hymn, One Small Day, All Stood Still, Vienna, Reap The Wild Wind, Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, Loves Great Adventure.

Encores: Sleepwalk, The Voice