MIDGE URE

Midge Ure, born James Ure, was born on October 10, 1953, in Cambuslang, Scotland. He is a Scottish musician, vocalist, composer and record producer, best known as the leader and frontman of Ultravox in the 1980s.

He began his musical career in the 1970s, playing in various bands, including Rich Kids, Slik and Visage. He also spent time with Thin Lizzy. In 1979, he joined Ultravox, where he co-created a distinctive sound that fused rock, new wave and electronica. With the band, he released several outstanding albums, most famously Vienna in 1980, which brought him international fame.

Midge Ure also co-wrote and organized the famous Live Aid charity concert in 1985, which aided the famine in Africa. In addition to his work with the band, he also pursued a solo career, releasing subsequent albums and singles. In 2005, he co-organized Live 8 with Bob Geldof.

His contribution to 1980s music and humanitarian work earned him worldwide recognition.

Discography:
with Ultravox:
Vienna (1980)
Rage In Eden (1981)
Quartet (1982)
Lament (1984)
U-Vox (1986)
Revelation (1993)
Ingenuity (1994)
Brilliant (2012)

solo albums:
The Gift (1985)
Answers To Nothing (1988)
Pure (1991)
Breathe (1996)
Move Me (2000)
10 (2008)
Fragile (2014)
Orchestrated (2017)
A Man Of Two Worlds (2026)

Photo: Stefan Brending, Creative Commons

WEATHER SYSTEMS

Weather Systems, a band led by Danny Cavanagh and Daniel Cardoso, immediately captured the attention of Anathema fans. The project grew out of material Cavanagh had been working on after the release of The Optimist, with the intention of continuing Anathema's story.

When the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2020, Daniel did not abandon these compositions. He completed them with the help of producer Tony Doogan and a group of musicians and vocalists, including Daniel Cardoso, Soraia Silva, Petter Carlsen, Oliwia Krettek and Paul Kearns.

The new band adopted the name Weather Systems, a reference to one of Anathema's albums. Their debut album, Ocean Without a Shore, was released on September 27, 2024.

In 2025, the band embarked on an extensive European tour, including a stop in Poland. The setlist features material from the new project, but classic Anathema compositions, from Fragile Dreams to Springfield, also feature prominently.

Band members:
Daniel Cavanagh - vocals, guitars, programming, keyboards, bass, vocoder
Daniel Cardoso - drums
Soraia Silva - vocals
Andre Marinho - bass, vocals

Discography:
Ocean Without a Shore (2024)

KWOON

Kwoon is a post-rock quartet from Paris led by Sandy Lavallart. The band debuted in 2006 with the album Tales and Dreams, which featured the song I Lived on the Moon. The music video won awards at Berlin's Webcuts Festival and Barcelona's Art Futura Festival, among others.

Early in their career, Kwoon began to be compared to bands like Sigur Ros and Explosions in the Sky, gaining popularity outside France. In 2009, they released their second album, When the Flowers Were Singing, and two years later the EP The Guillotine Show, which was also promoted with concerts in Poland.

In the following years, Sandy Lavallart developed a series of unusual solo projects, recording music in remarkable locations and settings, from volcanic peaks to a haunted lighthouse off the coast of Brittany.

Their third full-length album was not released until 2025, but Odyssey proved to be a resounding comeback. It is a poetic exploration of soundscapes, evoking associations with Pink Floyd, Archive, Arcade Fire, Mogwai and Radiohead.

Kwoon's concerts are not only about music, but also about refined visuals that enhance the multi-sensory nature of the performance.

Band members:
Sandy Lavallart - lead vocals, guitar
Nicolas Foucaud - guitar
Katia Jacob - bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Gregoire Galichet - drums, samples

Discography:
Tales and Dreams (2006)
When The Flowers Were Singing (2009)
The Guillotine Show EP (2011)
Odyssey (2025)
Unplugged From the Moon (2025)

HEDONE

Hedone was formed in Łódź in the early 1990s and is one of the most innovative, difficult-to-categorize Polish rock bands. They have remained a key part of the Polish alternative scene for decades.

The band debuted in 1994 with the album Werk, followed by the albums SancTVarium and Playboy. After a 15-year hiatus, the band returned with the album 2020, released on December 31, 2020.

After their return, Hedone began touring regularly with a new line-up featuring keyboardist Wojciech Król and vocalist Izes. The band performed at festivals such as Castle Party, Jarocin, Opole Alternatywa and Summer Dying Loud.

In 2022, GAD Records released the long-awaited reissue of the debut album Werk. On July 12, 2024, the album 600 Years of Solitude, co-produced and mixed by Marcin Bors, was released. A year later, the material was supplemented with a remix EP, Do You Sometimes Feel What I Feel Now?

Currently, Hedone is working on their next album and will perform at the Ino-Rock Festival at the end of August.

Band members:
Maciej Werk - guitars, vocals
Izes - vocals
Wojciech Król - keyboards

Discography:
Werk (1994)
SancTVarium (1998)
Playboy (2005)
2020 (2020)
600 Years of Solitude (2024)

SAD SMILES

Sad Smiles is a band composed of four teenagers from Tarnów. The average age of the group is only 18, but the musicians are already writing mature lyrics, composing and recording their own songs, combining freshness with high stage energy.

The group has played over 150 concerts, including opening for Paweł Domagała, Raz Dwa Trzy, Pidżama Porno and Happysad. They have also performed at CieszFanów Festival, OFF Festival, Męskie Granie, Inside Seaside, Music Week Poland and international events in Germany and Serbia.

Their singles have been played on numerous radio stations, including Czwórka, Trójka, Radio 357, Antyradio, Eska Rock and Radio Nowy Świat. Two years ago, Sad Smiles won the Jarocin Festival, beating 388 bands from across Poland, and industry commentary highlighted their passion, charisma and maturity.

Their debut album, Bunt, was released in the summer of 2025, and the band is already working on its next release. One thing is certain: their music is filled with passion and energy, and they even enjoy swapping instruments at concerts.

Band members:
Szymon Jarmuła - vocals, guitar, bass
Patrycja Szawica - guitar, bass, backing vocals
Tymon Łuszcz - drums, backing vocals
Filip Abram - guitar, bass, keyboard

Discography:
Bunt (2025)