Visage

I got out of my seat like a rock.

A Visage song?

Hmm.

Yeah, well, he was in Visage.

His Visage was his vehicle.

He is Visage.

I thought he was Midge.

Huh? I thought he was Midge.

It's actually difficult or maybe unfair to say what he's best known for because he's done so much.

There's been Ultravox, probably best known for Vienna, the hit song Vienna, Visage, big hit with Fade to Grain, of course, Band Aid and Live Aid.

And Midge is going to be performing in Christchurch on Thursday night.

And I am delighted that he is with us now.

You were DJing, were you?

We were DJing.

Well, my friend and co-conspirator in Visage, Rusty Egan... was the drummer in the band I was in at the time.

And he ran this little place, but when he'd go off and do other things, I would step in as a temporary DJ, you know, before it became cool or profitable.

He tells us about his time in Thin Lizzy, Slick, and how working in a music store led him to almost being a member of the Sex Pistols, of which he later was in a band with Glen Matlock called Rich Kids.

Midge discusses his band Visage, and how that led to Ultravox and eventually his solo career.

Midge tells us about his iconic, if not unconventional, guitars and his adventures in finding his tone.

And finally, Midge tells us about videos, MTV, and the story of his biggest hit, Do They Know It's Christmas?, as well as his passion for cooking.

Yeah.

And we were never given time to grow up, you know?

[laughs] So Visage, how did Visage come about?

Ah, the, well, it harks back to The Rich Kids again.

Good news for him.

Uh, but if you are going, uh, you can enjoy a set list that spans his entire career, from Rich Kids to Thin Lizzy to Ultravox and Visage.

You know, choosing between Ultravox's Vienna and Visage's Fade to Grey-

Pretty hard

... is like choosing your favorite child-

I was listening to it the other day.

And then I got into the electronic music movement through my meeting with a guy called Rusty Egan, who was in a band called Visage and the Rich Kids, but the Visage part of it was really fundamental to me.

So I wanted to combine soul and funk with electronica, which was not being done so much then.

I was a big fan of Rick James, so he was kind of, he was my lightning rod.

[chuckles] Nobody's gonna argue over 5%." And this is the point.

When you get told after you've finished, and it's in the can, and you're onto the next project, see, with me, after Visage finished, meaning was recorded in Martin Rushent's studio with him sitting there watching us, and suddenly it's like Midge is producing.

Well, only 'cause how many people can you fit around this desk? You know, so Barry's sitting there, and I'm there, and Midge is where you are, and the sound engineer, which is Martin Rushent's guy, and we're putting together all the songs, and I'm going, "Oh, I want to do that," and, "Let me do that." And Barry's like, "Well, actually, I've got a gig.

I don't need to be here 'cause you have done me bass." You know, "I'll let you know if I can fit in." He goes off with Nick Cave.

That's why I'm here, and I like the music, you know.

Anyway, so the point was the manager of Thin Lizzy said, "This idea of you joining Ultravox is really good, and some bloke in America, Jerry Jaffe, likes the idea, and he's heard the demos that you've been doing," 'cause they've got together now.

We're making Visage, and Billy and Mi- Midge have got together.

And I went with them.