Midge Ure: ‘I’ve got my mother’s nose, and it seems to be getting bigger’

Born on the outskirts of Glasgow, Midge Ure, 69, had a UK No 1 with his band Slik in 1975. He joined Rich Kids and then became frontman of Ultravox, whose hits included 1981’s Vienna. In 1980, he co-wrote and produced Fade to Grey for Visage, and in 1985 he had a solo hit with If I Was. In 1984, he collaborated with Bob Geldof to record Do They Know It’s Christmas? for Ethiopian famine relief, which led to Live Aid. On 4 October he celebrates seven decades of music with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He is married with four daughters and lives in Somerset.

What is your greatest fear?
Apathy, either from an audience, the people around me or myself.

Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Carol Vorderman, because she’s stuck her head above the parapet to try to hold our bizarre politicians to account.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Sitting on the fence – I will do anything to avoid confrontation.

Aside from a property, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?
A 28ft motorboat, which sat in the water for two years because I was so busy working.

What is your most treasured possession?
I keep all the cards that my four daughters write or draw for me.

Describe yourself in three words
Content, assured, indecisive.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I’ve got my mother’s nose, and it seems to be getting bigger, but I’m not vain enough to do anything about that.

If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
Record royalties – wouldn’t that be nice?

What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
I stopped drinking 18 or 19 years ago, and in an argument someone who will remain nameless said: “Oh just go and have a drink.” It was nasty.

Would you choose fame or anonymity?
I’m fortunate to have a bit of both. I seem to be the invisible man of music. I can play in front of 100,000 people, then that afternoon pop out to the shops and nobody bothers me.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?
My wife is a health freak and will only eat good-quality food, but when I go back to Scotland, I’ll have a square sausage, also known as a Lorne sausage.

What does love feel like?
It’s not all soft focus and wheat fields. Love songs can be about hate, fear, envy, lust and anger, because that’s part of love as well.

What was the best kiss of your life?
The most memorable was at the Ivor Novello awards. Elton John spotted me across the room and came up and kissed me straight on the lips. I thought: “OK! I’m in!”

Have you ever said ‘I love you’ and not meant it?
Loads of times on phone calls. It doesn’t mean love, it’s goodbye or see you later.

If not yourself, who would you most like to be?
I’d like to be a younger version of myself, knowing what I know now.

What would you like to leave your children?
Exactly what my parents left me: the knowledge of the difference between good and bad and right and wrong. Everything else is entirely up to them.

What keeps you awake at night?
Those mad thoughts. Did you turn off the air fryer? Have I booked my plane for tomorrow?

Would you rather have more sex, money or fame?
Fame, because that brings the others.

What happens when we die?
Other people get sad.