ULTRAVOX News - Live DVD on the Way, New Billy Currie Album

by Jus Forrest

MUSIC NEWS - Electronic rock pop synth pioneers Ultravox have recently completed their
hugely successful UK 'Return to Eden' tour, having sold out venues up and down the country. Those who missed the celebrations of Ultravox's most successful line-up reunited, can catch the electro fireworks on the forthcoming DVD (thru EMI, release date tbd) which was filmed live at Camden's famous Roundhouse venue. The extra London show which was in addition to their appearance at Hammersmith Apollo, was added to the schedule in response to public demand.

The power of this particular tour was under-estimated to say the least. Ultravox exceeded way beyond expectations with a blinding set of performances, sophisticated stage set design, complete with a world class lighting show courtesy of their original lighting genius Chris Curran. Their original sound was re-crafted into the present with spectacular results, and with the outstanding work of their sound engineer, every single note rang with clarity during every performance. The band and crew equalled one very clever team.

With a rush of somewhat flaky 80's comebacks, you'd be forgiven for being tentative, however Ultravoxproved that they exist in a class of their own. Fansites went into meltdown, and the demand now hits red for their return to the stage - showing no signs of dying down any time soon.

The shows were not a case of a few 'old blokes' coming back to skim half-heartedly through the hits - these guys can actually play, having opted for the brave move of showcasing some of their more intricately composed, classically influenced & non commercial album tracks, rather than a 'get out of jail quick' approach to the greatest hits. The extravagent instrumental opener 'Astradyne' proved the perfect vehicle to demonstrate such musical excellence.

Following a couple of Summer festivals, its not yet confirmed what lies ahead for Ultravox, however the good news is the band is re-vigorated after the recent live dates and are reviewing the next steps, with a USA tour always a possibility. Also, their classically trained instrumentalist Billy Currie is set to release a new solo album in June via digital shops. More details on the forthcoming release from Billy are available on his official website. Visit BillyCurrie.com.

The Ultravox live DVD will be available later in the year, while the definitive re-masters of the classic Ultravox albums are available now.