SWINDON'S top shopping destination is a favourite for Midge Ure, the Band Aid legend revealed ahead of his long-awaited debut headline show in the town.

The Ultravox frontman was chatting to the Adver about both his career and his May 31 gig at MECA in the town centre.

Midge lives not far from Swindon in Bath but despite a career in music stretching back five decades has only ever appeared on stage here once before.

“I come to the town quite a lot - it is easy to pop down and go to the Outlet centre,” he said.

“It’s only 45 minutes down the road so I’ll be tucked up in bed that night [of the gig]!

“I have been to Swindon many times but I just don’t play there very often,” added Midge.

“I guested with Howard Jones at his gig at the Oasis years ago.”

The MECA date will be the final gig in Midge’s Voice and Visions tour, which celebrates 40 years since the release of Ultravox’s Rage In Eden and Quartet albums.

The dates have been delayed due to the Covid pandemic but Midge is happy to be back on the stage performing his music.

“When you have this enforced retirement from something you have always done naturally and to have that taken away from you was horrendous,” said the 69-year-old star.

“Psychologically it takes it toll and I hadn’t really sung for two years and my voice was atrocious when I tried to sing.

“We are well up and running now though and it is fantastic being able to work on stage and be in the same room as an audience and do your thing. Its amazing how quickly you slip back into it.”

When asked about his most memorable moments in his musical career - which includes co-organising Band Aid with Bob Geldof - the Scottish singer reeled off a list of famous names.

“When you do get to sit down and meet your heroes one on one or work with them, that is just the best feeling ever,” revealed Midge.

“Doing a duet with Kate Bush and she’s singing one of your songs and you just think how did this ever happen?

“Playing with David Bowie as well as playing guitar one on one with Eric Clapton was a pinch-me moment.

“Being a massive David Bowie fan knowing that David Bowie knows you is just mind-blowing.”

Perhaps the most iconic song of Midge's a long career is Ultravox’s Vienna, which charted at number two in 1981.

It was one the biggest hits of the decade but Midge revealed the band never got chance to perform the song in the Austrian capital itself.

“I think it is appreciation or perhaps abject hatred as Vienna was on the map long before this song came around as it was a cultural centre of Europe for many decades,” laughed Midge.

“Ultravox tried to play in Vienna many times back in the day but something always happened like the truck get snowed in on the Italian Alps and we were there but the equipment wasn’t. Things happened that stopped us from doing it!”

As part of the singer’s current tour, Midge Ure and Electronica did play a show in Vienna back in October 2022 and the Scottish singer shared his memories of the experience.

“Now that I have, there is something special about performing the song there and you couldn’t really play in Vienna without playing Vienna,” he remarked.

Ticket prices for Midge’s Swindon gig range from £21.50 for unreserved balcony standing to £29.15 for unreserved tier two seating and can be bought at www.mecaswindon.co.uk