Midge Ure and Paul Young are musical figures you cannot avoid.

Midge wrote Do They Know It’s Christmas and co founded Band – Aid and Live – Aid along with Sir Bob Geldof. He was also part of Thin Lizzy and Ultravox. The former a band which cut new ground in a decade where many artists sounded the same.

Paul Young, although not a hit-maker on the same level of some of his contemporaries such as George Michael, did have one of the most played videos and songs of the 1980’s ; ‘ Every time You Go Away ‘.

The pair seem a good match to hit the road together. On their own – in a landscape filled with short attention spans and ‘ what have you done for me lately’ mentalities; the concerts would be difficult to sell on their solo status’.

Who’d a thunk the double bill would suffer the same fate in Montreal?

Ure was fine. Churning out the tunes he  is known for and backed by a state of the art band. Ultravox’s Passing Strangers, his solo offering Dear God and his debonair hit; Dancing with Tears in My Eyes.

Ure was at ease on stage with the confidence of a musician who doesn’t need the gigs to pay his internet bill. His humor as fresh as the light dancing off his head. Even  a few technical problems couldn’t dim his enthusiasm for being on stage and doing what he loves.

Paul Young was a completely different story.

If you have not seen Young since those nights on a  couch eating Doritos and watching Friday Night Videos – guess what? Young has aged just like you. Greyer and more wrinkled but the body is in shape as the  ‘brand’ must be kept on track. After all – nobody wants another Elvis circa 1976 …

It’s a great thing that Young looks young- ish because his voice ( at least last night) sounds as if someone woke him up and said ‘get on stage’.

Backed by the tight band that held Ure together, Young struggled from the get go through his set-list.

Some People, Love For the Common People and No Parlez – a few of the songs that sounded mismatched and out of sync. Young trying his best to grab the tones and the moods for each one. His vocals throwing all of the tightness behind him into some sort of an abyss. Remember those old Godzilla movies that were overdubbed into English? Paul Young’s performance was almost as comical. His voice set the unity of the band off by a nano second.

One of the covers Young performed; Slipped, Tripped and Fell in Love, at least relaxed the musical ear as the band and Paul slipped – but did not trip, into a funky Bluesy jam. It’s very hard to screw up the Blues so there appeared to be greatness lurking in the shadows. Unfortunately not …

Ure joined Young for a musically great rendition of The Boys are Back in Town – a tune by Ure’s ‘other’ band. With the help of another singer on stage – Young was adequate.

Those few who were in attendance at Club Soda last night left with one song in their heads which Young performed sounding nothing like his former self.

Unfortunately – most altered the lyrics …

‘Every time you go away – please do not come back again …’

 

East of Sunday are opening for Carvin Jones June 21st at Club Soda

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