2010年 May 4日 Tuesday, 11:32
The third time in a year that I saw the "classic line-up" perform. The 2CD and DVD of Return To Eden, the registration of the Return To Eden concert at Camden Roundhouse, which I visited last year April, hadn't been out of my players, after they arrived in early April and the released setlist through the forum of the Ultravox website promised a nice evening of great music. And it turned out to be a great evening.
This time the Belgium violist Sonja Haering, known for her contributions on records of André Rieu turned out to be a much better support, than the singer of last year. Her performance was static, but the songs were promissing.
At 8:30 Ultravox opened their set with New Europeans, one of the "new" tracks compared to the setlist of last year. It turned out the opening of a very strong concert. Midge Ure's vocals were great, certainly he has grown during the year. Even the high pitches of Vienna and Dancing With Tears In My Eyes went well. The band was in great shape, very enthousiastic and playing with a very positive drive. It was great to have White China and Love's Great Adventure in the setlist, but unfortuantly they weren't the strongest songs of the set.
That turned out to be Hymn, in which the audience participation turned out to be great. Other highlights were Passing Strangers, the slow songs Visions In Blue and Rage In Eden and One Small Day.
Compared to the first leg of Return Of Eden the digital walls were replaced by white blankets and lots of lights which turned out an improvement. Now and then slides were showed on the blankets, which gave a nice effect.
After 22 songs, nearly one hour and fifty minutes later, the band left the stage of a damp Paradiso. They had shown that the music of the eigthies is still very much alive and the audience showed that Ultravox still is a great band to watch and cheer with.
For pictures check out Ultravox at Paradiso (2010)
Setlist:
New Europeans
Passing Strangers
We Stand Alone
Mr X*
Visions In Blue
Thin Wall
I Remember (death in the afternoon)
Astradyne
Rage In Eden
Hymn
Lament
One Small Day
All Stood Still
White China
Vienna
Reap The Wild Wind
Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
Band:
Midge Ure - Vocals, guitar, synths
Billy Currie - Synths, violin, backing vocals
Criss Cross - Synths, bass, backing vocals
Warren Cann - Drums, percussion, vocals on *, backing vocals