Went to see Ultravox at the Birmingham Symphony Hall last night. I won't post any details in case it spoils things for folks going to the later shows, but suffice it to say the guys were on fabulous form.
Not sure about this venue for gigs though. I arrived just after 7:30 and the support (Anne-Marie Helder) was already being piped through the tannoy system. What time did she come on
Anyway, got a pint from the bar and went up many stairs to the Upper Circle hoping to take a look. Only I'm not allowed in with a drink
This pint was meant to last most of the night. So I end up sitting in the Upper Circle reception area sipping my drink listening to Anne-Marie Helder over the tannoy.
Got slightly confused when other punters arrived (without drinks) and were not let in either. Then it dawned on me; they were only being let in between songs. What the ?!? Surely there are only a handful of people in the place? Would she not appreciate some extra fans?
Anyway the tannoy music stopped at 8:00 and she was gone.
Ultravox played to a full house from around 8:45 to 10:15. The atmosphere could be best described as reserved. I had expected the place to go wild when they first came on, but it was more polite applause than anything else. Maybe the ambience of the place was playing a part? And everyone remained seated.
It took until about song 7 or 8 for Midge to query if there was a house rule that meant "everyone had to sit on their arses" (I expect there probably was a rule). Anyway, at that point the atmosphere got more energetic and half the place was on its feet.
I left the place with mixed emotions. As I said, the performance could not be faulted, but it just didn't feel like a normal gig to me. Maybe being in the Upper Circle played a part. Plus I would have liked to have seen some of the support act.
