BAND Aid hero and Ultravox frontman Midge Ure is touring with The Christians and Altered Images with a number of local dates announced.

In recent years Midge Ure has focussed on stripping his influential catalogue of hits back to their acoustic forms, but now he is ready to build them right back up again, as he embarks on a huge UK tour with a new show that takes influence from the forward-thinking pop music with which he originally made his name.

Ure will perform his most loved hits such as ‘If I Was’, which went to No.1 in the UK Singles Charts ‘Fade To Grey’, and, of course, ‘Vienna’, which was recently voted by BBC Radio 2 listeners as the greatest ever track to reach No.2 in the charts and by listeners of Absolute 80’s Radio as the song of the decade.

Midge with Band Electronica will enthuse these songs with the fresh sound of modern synthesisers to create a unique and atmospheric experience.

The collaborative tour features special guest opening act Altered Images - fronted by Clare Grogan and famed for their hits ‘Happy Birthday’, and ‘Don’t Talk to Me About Love’, and The Christians, who will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of their eponymously titled debut album.

The nationwide tour includes: Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre, October 13; The Anvil, Basingstoke, October 28; Portsmouth Guildhall, November 9, and Salisbury City Hall, November 10.

On the concept of the tour, Midge said:

“I want to revisit some material that I've not really been able to perform with the recent acoustic line up, so you can expect to hear songs that haven't been aired for a while as well as the classics and a couple of surprises! I've really enjoyed touring with a band and now I want to expand back to a four piece and return to a more electronic based format.”

The Christians said in a statement:“The Christians were thrilled to be invited on this tour with Midge Ure and Altered Images. Its our 30th anniversary and we thought what a great way to spend 30 dates in and around the UK belting out our hits Harvest for the World, Ideal World, and many more in the company of this lot ... can't wait to see you guys on the road!”

And Clare Grogan of Altered Images said:“It's been quite some time since I've toured so it's going to be a very special event in my calendar this year - especially as I'm getting to share a stage with the equally mighty Midge Ure and The Christians. We are going to have beautiful music, fun, and in my case maybe some tears and we'll be taking the whole audience with us.”

Having performed in various bands throughout the mid-late 1970s, Midge Ure rose to fame producing and creating the New-Romantic Synth-Rock sounds of bands such as Visage and Ultravox, before embarking on a successful solo career – all whilst writing film music, directing videos for other artists, and co-organising Band Aid & Live Aid.

Tickets available at http://www.flyingmusic.com/box-office/

Dates maybe subject to change.