23rd Aug - Spain - Puerto de Mazarron (Murcia) - Leyendas Del Rock - Pete Way on Bass
10th March 2008
OFFICIAL UFO Announcement
With Pete having been denied a working visa to the USA
the bassplayer who will be standing in for Pete
on the April/May tourdates
will be ROB De LUCA
from the Sebastian Bach Band and Spread Eagle
Rob De Luca is the bassist/backing vocalist in the SEBASTIAN BACH BAND.
The Bach band toured as direct support for GUNS N' ROSES on their "2006-07 Chinese Democracy World Tour".
Rob has also toured and/or recorded in HELMET, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, GEORGE LYNCH (DOKKEN/LYNCH MOB), MIKE CHLASCIAK (HALFORD, PAINMUSEUM), SPREAD EAGLE, OF EARTH, OUIJIPIG, and has recorded for Grammy winning Producer Of The Year STEVE LILLYWHITE
10th April 2008
First USA gig last night at Club Mate in Baltimore with set list containing
'Long Gone', 'Aint No Baby', 'Pushed To The Limit' and my favourite, 'Heavenly Body'
Full Set List - Long Gone - Mother Mary - Hard Being Me - Pushed to The Limit - This Kids
Only You Can - Ain't No Baby - Heavenly Body - Baby Blue - Too Hot To Handle
Lights Out - Love to Love - Rock Bottom - Doctor Doctor - Shoot Shoot
Andy Parker, Phil Mogg, Vinnie Moore, Paul Raymond and Jeff Kollman
photo copyright: Photograph Your Mind / Joe Dichtl, all rights reserved
Thanks to Joe D. for the photos - Some of the best that can be found on this website
and to his friend Keenan Johnson for putting us in touch to share them.
Thanks to Glenn Tredinnick , Aurora, Illinois, USA for the ticket, poster and Vinnie performing with BOC, photos:
..........
Vinnie Moore appearing as 'Special Gues't to Blue Oyster Cult on the Friday Night (1st August 2008)
Glenn Tredinnick - Photos, copyright 2008
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UFO performing at Downtown Alive Rocks The Fox in Aurora, IL
SET LIST
Lights Out
Natural Thing
Mother Mary
Long Gone
Hard Being Me
Only you Can Rock Me
This Kids
Aint No Baby
When Daylight Goes To Town
Baby Blue
Too Hot To Handle
Love To Love
Rock Bottom
Doctor Doctor
Shoot Shoot
Russ also sent the ticket and photos for House Of Blues, Dallas, TX 75202 - SEE BELOW - Tour Date: 23rd April 2008
Thanks to Jimmy Krabbe for the following review and photos
----- UFO sighting in Fort Worth Texas -----
I had originally planned to take my wife to the show but she decided to save money and stay home and play with the kids. So I ended up taking a good friend of mine instead. Now my friend Darren is 10 years younger than me so he had never really heard of UFO. We got to the show about an hour early and sat out in the parking lot listening to a 2 CD set of UFO that I made. The collection has at least one song from each studio album (including both Mogg/Way albums) and 1 song from SITNT. As we skimmed through all the songs I went over who was in the band at the time, when it was released, and so on. Once I felt that Darren was properly educated, we proceeded in to show. We stopped at the merchandise booth to say hi to Batttttty and then went and sat at a table in time to watch the second opening band. We missed the first band that I later found out has an old friend of mine in it. Both of the opening bands are somehow affiliated with Vinnie Paul (Pantera) who was sitting at the table in front of us along with his entourage of body guards. Can?t really blame him after what happened to his brother.
UFO took the stage at about 9:30PM and played for close to 2 hours. Just like the last show in Dallas, it was so good it felt like they only played for 20 minutes! The sound was perfect and everyone was in top form. I ran into several people that I?ve meet at other UFO shows. Being I small venue, it felt like I was watching the band in my own living room with a bunch of friends. We hung out after the show and got to meet the band. This is my third time to meet the boys and I?m always amazed at how down to earth and nice they all are. All in all it was a perfect night from start to finish!
Organisers of the Rocklahoma Festival have released the following press update following the storms that savaged the festival site over the weekend, causing the two side stages to collapse.
After a 2 ½ hour rain delay and two side stages collapsing, Rocklahoma and eighties rock would not be denied as all bands will be performing! At 5:45pm on Saturday, July 12th, a storm consisting of five different cells converged on Pryor, OK and the Catch The Fever Music Festival Grounds.
"In just three minutes, we went from rain showers to a storm that I have not seen in my thirty years” said Rocklahoma’s on site weather expert Mike Orange. “There was not enough time to warn everyone in advance.” Winds in excess of sixty-five miles per hour appeared from nowhere causing the collapse of two temporary side stages. No one was injured due to the collapse.
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Two short clips of UFO performing at Rocklahoma, shot off the huge festival monitors:
....
Too Hot To Handle
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Vinnie on stage with UFO at Rocklahoma - Photo copyright 2008, Wayne Stoll
Andy Parker on stage with UFO at Rocklahoma - Photo copyright 2008, Wayne Stoll
UFO on stage with UFO at Rocklahoma - Photo copyright 2008, Wayne Stoll
Thanks Wayne (Wayne at D.O.A. 2008 with the VINMAN2000 guitar
Club Mate
3612 Hanover Street
Baltimore, MD 21225 Tour Date: 9th April 2008
First USA gig last night at Club Mate in Baltimore with set list containing
'Long Gone', 'Aint No Baby', 'Pushed To The Limit' and my favourite, 'Heavenly Body'
Full Set List - Long Gone - Mother Mary - Hard Being Me - Pushed to The Limit - This Kids
Only You Can - Ain't No Baby - Heavenly Body - Baby Blue - Too Hot To Handle
Lights Out - Love to Love - Rock Bottom - Doctor Doctor - Shoot Shoot
I was fortunate to see UFO for the first time ever back in April
in the Twin Cities. They did not disappoint and I had a blast!
A week prior to the concert I had the pleasure of speaking
with UFO guitarist Vinnie Moore. Here is the transcript of
that conversation:
Mark Skaar: The latest UFO cd is "The Monkey Puzzle" and it's
technically your third record with the band. Vinnie, how did
you get involved with UFO in the first place?
Vinnie Moore: I heard they were looking for a guitarist through
a mutual friend who had worked with both of us. I sent off a
cd to Phil Mogg, the singer and didn't really think I'd hear
anything and I got call about ten days later saying "hey, Phil
wants you to do it...he thinks you're the guy...he liked your
stuff". He got the right vibe from it. That was it. We started
talking on the phone and I started writing songs and sending
them to Phil and it sort of just shaped up like that.
M.S.: You've been in the band about 5 years now...
V.M.: Yeah, we've done two studio records plus a live record and
live DVD and lots of touring!
M.S.: That's what your doing now and last night was the opening night
of the tour and you're rolling on. This will be my first time seeing UFO.
V.M.: Awesome. It's a really good show. We just added four new
songs and we do a lot of the old classics. It's a lot of fun. We have
a lot of fun on stage and I think people really dig that whole vibe.
M.S.: You were mentioning the songs. I believe UFO has something
on the order of 19 studio albums. How does the band get together
and collectively say "this is what we're going to play throughout the
night?"
V.M. : It's tough because they have have so many songs...and so
many GOOD songs that people recognize so you have to leave
something out. That's hard to do. There's just not enough time
in one night. You have to choose what is strongest and what makes
the most cohesive set. There were some complaints recently about
us doing a lot of the old classics songs that have been in their set
for years and so we just added four new songs that we haven't been
doing just to mix it up a little bit. (Laughs) I'm still sure we're gonna
hear complaints about some of the ones we dropped. You can't make
everybody happy when there's so many good songs.
M.S.: That's right...there are a lot of great songs, including the songs
from "You Are Here" and "The Monkey Puzzle", the records that you
really helped shape. If you thought UFO was just about the 70's and
"Strangers In The Night" you really need to check out the aforementioned
cds. You're telling me about the new songs...what new songs are
in the set now?
V.M.: We're doing "Heavenly Bodies" and "Hard Being Me" from the new
record and we just added an old one called "Ain't No Baby" from the
"Obsession" record that I don't think they've ever done live. I was a
big fan of the band growing up and that was my favorite record that
they did and I really twisted Phil's arm to do "Ain't No Baby". I got
him to do it and got that in the set so that's a nice addition, even
though it's not a "new" song it's something that's never been played
live. We added "Pushed to the Limit" (from "Walk On Water") and
"Long Gone" from the (Paul) Chapman era (from "The Wild, The Willing
& The Innocent").
M.S.:Obviously you were a fan growing up?
V.M.: Yeah, I definitely was!
M.S.: How is it trying to learn Michael (Schenker) and Paul (Chapman)
stuff and adapting it and putting your own flavor in it?
V.M.: Well, there's two approaches. One is when there's something
that's part of the song like a little bit in the solo or a melody that
is more composed it has to be there. If it's part of the song then you
can't avoid it, it has to stay. Then there are other bits that I
improvise more where it's not so much a part of the song. I
approach it pretty much the way I approach my own stuff when I
go out and do shows live as a solo artist. I copy certain bits
that are important from my songs and certain parts I just kind of
improvise and go for it live so I'm playing more "in the moment"
then playing something planned out.
M.S.: Vinnie, how would you say your style differs from that of
Micheal or Paul?
V.M.: Wow, it's really hard to put your finger on that type of thing.
You kind of lose perspective about your own stuff. I was definitely
into UFO so I think Micheal's playing was an inspiration on me as
well as many others and so there's a certain common ground and
that's kind of why fitting into the band wasn't really stretch for
me because they were an inspiration to me growing up so I kind
of fit in without really having to adapt. It was more effortless.
Whereas if it was something that I wasn't into or inspired by or
influenced by when I was younger, I would have had to adapt.
With this I felt like I fit in pretty easily.
M.S.: Vinnie, would you say that carries over then when you and Phil
get together and write and that it's a comfortable fit?
V.M.: Yeah. Basically I record a bunch of ideas and I think for this
new record I recorded 19 different song ideas and I give them to
him and he kind of goes through and listens to it and picks out
the ones that he's into the most and he takes it home and starts
working on his lyrics and melodies and then we get together in the
studio and start laying it down. It's been a very natural and
comfortable fit.
M.S.: I think next year is 40 years for UFO. That's just an unbelievable
amount of time to be in this business doing it...
V.M.: Wow...I didn't know that and that's insane, which is pretty amazing
considering the guys are only 45! (Laughs)
M.S.: We're coming up on 30 years since "Strangers In The Night"
(UFO's classic live album) came out...
V.M.: Yeah, you're right. That's a classic live record. They get so
much feedback everywhere from that record. It really was good.
I definitely had it when I was younger as a kid growing up and it's
just classic.
M.S.: The live album you are associated with, "Showtime" just came out
on HD and has been released again. I saw the original version and
I thought it was fantastic...
V.M.: Thank you very much. I have not even seen the HD version. I
don't know if it looks any different or not. Maybe we look a little
better! (Laughs)
M.S.: What was it like working with Jason Bonham last time on "You
Are Here?:
V.M.: It was a good experience and a lot of fun. He's a cool guy and
very funny and a really good drummer. I enjoyed playing with him
and enjoyed hanging around with him.
M.S.: Of course now you have been re-joined by the original drummer
Andy Parker after so many years away and he just fits like a glove...
V.M.: Yeah. I mean, I think in a lot of ways he's just the perfect
fit because, well, he's the original guy but, his style is just...UFO!
When he's there it's right. It just feels right.
M.S.: The question everybody's probably tired of answering is...
Where's Pete? Of course, he's not on this tour...
V.M.: We thought he was finally gonna make it into the U.S. this time
he basically got denied with his visa again. I don't really know
exactly why and I'm not sure that I'm hearing all the information
or not but apparently there's a history and some prior baggage
from the U.S., overstaying his visa when he lived here and maybe
something else that I don't know about but it's gotten so much
more strict since 9/11 and they are just not approving the guy.
M.S.: So now you have deputized Rob DeLuca (from Sabastian Bach's
band) for bass duties on this tour. How did you hook up with him?
V.M.: I had known about him through a few different sources. One was
my friend Bumblefoot from Guns N Roses and I had heard all the
right things about him. That he was a great guy and a great player
and it turns out he's a UFO fan and had seen them when he was
younger and he just seemed like the right fit. Now that we've rehearsed
and done a gig with him, we know for sure that it is. He's a great guy.
A great player and it's just really good playing with him. He's a good
singer too.
M.S.: But he probably doesn't dress like Pete does he?
V.M.: No! It's funny, last night he wore a pair of black pants with some
pin stripes down there as a joke, just a little nod to Pete Way. I don't
think anybody in their right mind would go the full distance and wear
the striped trousers that Pete wears! (Laughs)
M.S.: Vinnie, "The Monkey Puzzle" came out in 2006 via SPV. Any plans
yet for the next record?
V.M.: We haven't really talked about it but we should start talking about it.
I'm one of those guys that always has ideas laying around. I keep
a cassette player close by and I'm always coming up with things
and recording them so there are tons of bits for me to start going
though when the time is right. At this point we've been touring so
much that we haven't shifted gears back into that frame of mind.
It's something that we have to start talking about soon because it
is getting to be time.
M.S.: You alluded to the fact and a lot of people probably know that you
have a vast solo career and you've been in some other bands as well
and I'll give you and opportunity to plug your projects. I know you have
have a presence on MySpace and you're always busy doing something...
V.M.: vinniemoore.com. Vinnie Moore at MySpace. I have seven solo
records out and actually, I just finished a new solo record with John
DeServio from Black Label Society on bass and Van Romain on drums.
That's going to be out sometime soon. That's on the horizon.
M.S.: Who's going to put that out Vinnie?
V.M.: At this point, I don't know. I did the record myself and now I'm
talking to labels.
Starland Ballroom
570 Jernee Mill Road
Sayreville, NJ 8872 Tour Date: 11th April 2008
UFO Lands in Jersey!
LONG GONE
MOTHER MARY
HARD BEING ME
LET IT ROLL
AIN'T NO BABY
ONLY YOU CAN ROCK ME
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
LIGHTS OUT
LOVE TO LOVE
DOCTOR DOCTOR
ROCK BOTTOM
BABY BLUE
PUSH TO THE LIMIT
HEAVENLY BODY
THIS KIDS
THESE ARE THE SONGS UFO PERFORMED FRIDAY 4/11 AT THE STARLAND BALLROOM.
THEY ARE NOT IN ORDER, BUT THAT'S THE SET LIST.
PHIL WAS IN A GREAT MOOD TALKING & JOKING W/ THE AUDIENCE ALL NIGHT.
THEY HAD A COUPLE OF TECHNICAL PROBLEMS,
MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE 2 SUPPORT ACTS HAVING ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT BEING BEING REMOVED
FROM THE STAGE & UFO'S ROAD CREW RUNNING AROUND LIKE HEADLESS CHICKENS GETTING EVERYTHING UP!
NOW, I'M OFF TO NY TO SEE THEM AT BB KINGS IN TIMES SQUARE!
PEACE,
RT
Thanks Ritchie for your comments
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Just got back from the Starland Ballroom, what a kickass show, go see them it will be the best $20 you have spent!
Eddie Trunk taped his syndicated show to be there and bring the band onstage,
Vinnie Moore is a guitar god, magnificent! Took the Schenker stuff to a new level of virtuosity.
While the 2nd opening band was playing I went to the monitor mixing board and who is standing there but Mr Phil Mogg,
luckily I remembered to bring a Sharpie and the CD insert to Essential UFO which he signed,
I thanked him for coming back to the states. Made my night.
I waited until the opener had finished at 9:30 and while everyone went for their bathroom break I made my way
to direct center, one person behind the barrier. UFO played from 10 to 11:45. Not a bad bang for little bucks.
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
237 West 42 Street
New York, NY 10036 Tour Date: 12th April 2008
photo copyright 2008 - Batttttty
Vinnie Moore and Rob De Luca - Photo copyright 2008 - Patrick Elliott
and thanks for the ticket scan below
The ticket above was Erich Wentzel's ticket, sent via Patrick - Thanks Guys
Thanks Richie
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Eddie Trunk, reviews both the Starland Ballroom and BB Kings NY city gigs
A weekend with UFO! A review.
4/14/08: Had an amazing couple nights in NJ and NYC with one of my all time favorite bands UFO. This bands music is most special to me and in my opinion they are probably the most underated rock act of all time. Anyone who has listened to me for any period of time knows how special their music is to me. Incredible albums with Schenker, Chapman and now Vinnie Moore, unreal live band, and they are the artists behind what is probably my favorite song of all time "Love To Love".
Friday night I recorded my NYC/Q104 show in order to attend the UFO show in my home state of NJ at Starland Ballroom. Hung out a bit with the guys pre show and had a chance to talk to all of them. Beyond actually seeing and hearing the bands music, I love having the chance to just sit and have a beer with them and hear the INCREDIBLE stories they have from 40 years of making music! Not even possible to touch on some of this here, but I will over the coming radio shows where I can. Yes Pete Way is missed (still can not get a US visa!), but fill in bassist Rob DeLuca is a great guy and does a great job playing the parts. He doesn't try and be Pete, he just does the job, which is what you want. There is a brand new UFO collection just released titled The Best Of 1974-1984 and I gave the band copies (they had not even seen it). The guys took the stage and blasted through an amazing set that leaned heavy on the Schenker years but FINALLY included a song from the Chapman era, and not one you would expect! After I introed the band on stage they opened with "Long Gone" from Wild, Willing & Innocent". I was blown away! Not the song I would have ever expected from the Chapman period, but happy to get it just the same. Also not the song at all you would expect them to open with. Sadly the only song from this period, but as I talked about with the band post show, how do you please everyone? You can't. 40 years of music, and people will get upset if all the Schenker classics aren't there, so what to do? This set the band at least did touch on some of their other history by including Long Gone, playing "Pushed To The Limit" from Walk On Water, and maybe the shocker of all; "I Ain't No Baby" from Obsession! So cool I got chills. They featured two songs from the newest CD The Monkey Puzzle (Hard Being Me, Heavenly Body) and one from the previous CD You Are Here, the future UFO classic "Baby Blue". Please do NOT underestimate the bands last two studio CDs with Vinnie, they really are great future classic hard rock albums from this band. The rest of the set was many of the usual suspects and hits like Too Hot To Handle, Lights Out, Love To Love, Only You Can Rock Me, Mother Mary, This Kids, Rock Bottom, etc. Vinnie played off the charts and nails the Michael solos while still putting a bit of his own style in them. As much as it sucks that Pete is not here, it is great to have original drummer Andy Parker back. Andy is a founding member of the group and played on almost every CD and really plays everything just the way it should be (since he created the originals!). Andy seems thrilled to be back in, told me he lives in Texas now, and is in UFO again because Schenker is not. I heard this also last tour from the great Paul Raymond, who said something similar. Apprently these guys were so drained from years of drama that they were leary to jump back in, but now with Vinnie getting the job done and re-establishing them as a world class band with no drama, we now have the classic lineup with Vin doing a stellar job. I'm not here to pile on Michael, what he did in UFO was brilliant beyond belief and nobody will argue that. But everyone from every band he ever has played with has acknowledged his issues (most recently on my show Klaus from Scorpions). He has cancelled shows at BB Kings in NYC three times last two years alone with his own band! I am so happy that UFO is now an active, touring, recording band that shows up, plays on time, and all seem to be happy and stress free. Phil Mogg is a total freak of nature also. He has been doing this 40 years and is in top shape physically and vocally. Easily one of my favorite singers and frontmen ever, Phil was in a really joking mood at both shows I saw. Talking with the crowd, telling jokes and stories, and just being as cool as anyone can imagine on and off stage. In NJ he even went out in the crowd and watched the opener for a bit. Told me he likes to do that to get the vibe of the room and see what UFO have to follow. Simply put, one of my all time heroes! Both NJ and the BBs/NYC gig on Saturday were the same set except for in NYC they opened with Mother Mary and played Long Gone second (better) and in NJ they did not end with Shoot Shoot, but did add it in NYC. If I had to pick I would say the NYC gig was a bit better as they jelled a bit more (these were the 3rd and 4th shows of the tour). The BBs gig was also pretty much packed and I believe sold out if not close to. I could go on and on about how amazing this was for me. I do have plenty of photos that will be posted soon of UFO and all sorts of new shots from all kinds of stuff once the site update launches.
Perhaps the most crazy moment of the weekend (and there are plenty of pictures of it you will no doubt see!) was after the BBs show ended. I was sitting backstage outside the bands dressing room a few minutes after they came off talking with different people. Phil Mogg walked out of the dressing room dressed in a T Shirt and a black leather jock strap and stumbled toward me and sat on my lap. Nobody expected it at all and about 10 people started snapping away! It was all a big laugh and Phil was just being Phil and having a laugh. I explained that I always loved his band, but never needed to see that! Again, photos coming no doubt. Thanks to all who showed up. If you haven't, do yourself a favor and discover this bands music and go see them on tour. Next stop for me is this Saturday in Chicago at House Of Blues. The band told me I can intro them there also, which means I can actually say; "Hello Chicago, will you please welcome from England, UFO!". For those that don't know, that is how the classic live CD (and the greatest live album ever to me) Strangers In The Night starts. Can not wait, hope to see you there. Also, don't forget UFO is also on Rocklahoma this year on Sunday!.
UFO at B.B. King's 4/12/08
Ah yes..the second show in what will hopefully be a string of great shows this year....UFO rolled into NYC for the first time in quite a while..I saw them last in 1995 down at Malibu Beach Club for the "Walk On Water" tour.
A few bumps and shuffles later...
The crowd was pumped; the tables were taken off the floor and by 8:30 the floor area was packed as were all the tables surrounding the floor....I was about 3 feet from the lip of the stage. The DJ from 104.3 introduced the band by saying "I've always wanted to do this...Hello New York....would you please welcome from from England...." and the crowd joined right in...
It was a show of certainty and surprise....You knew they would open with "Mother Mary" but they followed that with "Long Gone". Phil Mogg fumbled a few lyrics here and there but he was chatty and jovial, quite a change from his somewhat distant demeanor in 1995. And as for Paul Raymond...does he or doesn't he? I have more gray hair than he does and I am young enough to be his son. Since Pete Way is still persona au gratin with US Immigration, Rob DeLuca played bass. And on the drums....Mister Andy Parker! Vinnie Moore was just dynamite and he provided a comic foil for Phil Mogg.
You got the usual suspects but you also got two songs from "The Monkey Puzzle" and they dusted off "Ain't No Baby" from "Obsession"....now that was a curve ball! An epic workout on "Rock Bottom" followed by the closing one-two punch of "Doctor Doctor" and "Shoot Shoot" and they left the crowd satisfied....
Phil sounded pretty strong throughout the set and Paul Raymond threw in some greasy slide guitar on "Hard Being Me" while doing his usual switching between keyboards and guitar. Andy was having a blast driving the band from the back and the interplay between the players showed a lot of fun and enthusiasm.
The coolest thing was just sharing stories with people in the crowd before the show began..it is great to meet up with like minded folks..a great time. The meet and Greet afterwards was by pass only but I didn't care....I got every penny's worth!
CaptMidnite1962 (Bill Redford)
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Well, not quite 30 years to the day, but close enough to have some meaning. It was 1978 the first time I got to see UFO live. Probably had to be the “Lights Out” tour since it was the ‘classic’ lineup – Mogg, Way, Parker, Schenker, Raymond. So, was going to see them in 2008 simply an act of nostalgia? I’ve often railed at old rock stars preening around on stage as hair-plugged and dyed shadows of their former selves. Was this just like all those people who flock to doo-wop shows to catch a glimpse of their former heroes?
I figured they would be good. They made their reputation as a live band. Their last few albums were really good. Vinnie Moore is a class guitar player, though I confess I like him best when he leaves his shred past behind. I wasn’t really expecting them to be great, though. But great they were. With Schenker gone it’s Phil’s’ band. Also with Schenker gone, you can depend on them actually showing up and playing (though I hear they had to cancel at least one date, not sure if it’s due to illness or low ticket sales). So, it’s Phil’s gig, and he makes it a good one.
Is he just another old rock star strutting as if he were still in his 20’s? Hell NO! He even made a few cracks about being shown on the big video screens on either side of the stage, complaining that he’s not a young Johnny Depp, and that he knows he’s bald. This is less like Mick Jagger doing the chicken walk, and more like seeing an old bluesman out doing what he does. No one ever really thought it was weird for Muddy Waters to perform into his 60’s. No one thinks twice about B.B. King hitting the road into his 80’s! These aren’t rock stars. These are rockers. This is what they do. I would bet that none of them really have enough money to not do it anymore. But to me that just adds to the urgency to really deliver. It’s more about delivering the music than it is about delivering a show. Old rock stars preen and count the box office. Old rockers rock and head to the bar!
Phil sounded great. I think his delivery has matured and he’s turned into a great singer. He also isn’t just going through the motions. He puts everything he’s got into every note. Even when he screws up the words (it’s always funny to hear the crowd sing the right lyrics and him sing the wrong lyrics), there’s an honesty that’s there. It’s not some over-rehearsed spectacle, it’s a bunch of musicians playing music as hard as they can.
Andy Parker back on drums was a joy. My brother in UFO (and in many other things, too) Vinny said that he thought he sounded better than he did 30 years ago, and I have to agree. His groove is more relaxed, more on. His brings a different thing to the band than Jason Bonham did while he was playing with them. It just sounds more like UFO with him again. The grooves are the right grooves, the tempos are just a little more right, the fills all catch the vocal and instrumental parts a little better. It’s just more right.
Paul Raymond deserves more love than he gets. Just like it took me a long time to realize that John Paul Jones was a huge reason Zeppelin sounded as good as they did (especially live), the same goes for Paul. His rhythm guitar sound is full without ever becoming over-saturated. The keyboard parts are spot on. (He could do with a new hairstyle). And how many songs did he really write?
We missed Pete Way. Mostly because it’s always an adventure to see what might happen when he’s around, but Rob De Luca did a fine job of holding down the bottom. (Probably plays better than Pete, though he’s not Pete, know what I mean?).
Vinnie Moore – here’s a guy with a tough gig. Yet, he manages to fill it better than anyone could imagine. He treats the original parts and solos with just enough reverence. He plays the really iconic parts, suggests the important parts, and gives you his own stuff whenever he can. I respect the way he handles this. My buddy Vinny was even won over by the end of the night.
Speaking of which – I kind of forgot what Vinny’s like at a concert. He’s sort of like a NY Times food critic at a restaurant. Critically taking everything in, showing little or no reaction. After about the first 4 or 5 songs I’m wondering to myself – “Does he hate it? He’s not clapping. Is he disappointed?”. Then they played “Only You Can Rock Me”. When Andy Parker played THAT fill, Vinny turned and gave me a look. OK, things are looking up. Then, when Vinnie Moore played the studio solo note-perfect (better than I ever heard Schenker play it live) he turned and gave me an actual smile. He’d been converted!
The band is certainly back in town, giving it as good as ever. Here’s to many more!
UFO - Lights Out@ B.B. King Cafe, NY city, 11th March 2008
Lights Out
UFO - Too Hot To Handle @ B.B. King Cafe, NY city, 11th March 2008
Too Hot to Handle
UFO - Rock Bottom @ B.B. King Cafe, NY city, 11th March 2008
Rock Bottom
The Tangier
532 W. Market Street
Akron, OH 44303 Tour Date: 13th April 2008
Here is a review posted on the VM Forum, thanks to Joe for letting me post a copy here:
Just saw them last night at Tangier's in AKron, Ohio. My wife and I had awesome seats where we could watch VInman's hands as he blazed through those stunning solos!! The show was just amazing....Phil was really funny He was really witty, kept drinking from a Heineken bottle after making the comment "I'm parched!!" in that infectious British accent following the first song. We wondered if he really was drinking Heineken, or if he jsut had lemon water for those vocal chords, as the band performed pretty much continuosly for two hours
The drummer is amazing, as are all of the members of the band. The guy who plays guitar and keyboard definitely rips on the keys! Vinman was even more amazing than I expected him to be. He was in absolutely top form!! Almost every song had blistering solos or really long improv sections where he got to show off his awesome axemanship.
One of the coolest things was watching Phil during VInnie's long solos. He'd get this look like "Wow!! This dude is amazing!!", and when the solo got really long he'd get this look like he wondered when he'd get to sing again. Sometimes, he's go behind Vinnie and get this look like "Wow, dude, look at him go!! He's just our young virtuoso!!", and at one point he reached around Vinnie from behind like he'd try to play the guitar. This was obviously planned, as Vinman didn't so much as miss a beat, just kept rocking out.
Another really cool thing was the encore at the end. We thought they were done, but everyone cheered for more. Myself and a dude behind me had been cheering to hear Doctor Doctor. They came back out, and the keyboard guy launched into that cool solo. Vinman was awesome on this tune just like on everything else. Vinman Rules!!!!
By the way, Phil changed t-shirts a couple of times throughout the show. For most of the night, he had a shirt on from Starland Ballroom. YOu guys must have been a really cool audience!!
I really don't know where to start. How about at the beginning, which was waiting in line for an hour with a bunch of other geezers. A surprising number of them were hoping to hear a big selection of Chapman era tunes. I clued them in that there would only be one. There was a guy at the front of the line wearing a Mindcrime T-shirt, identical to the one I gave my daughter for a nightshirt when she was little. She said he looked like Dimebag Darrell except alive. It turned out he was a guitarist from the opening band, Grave Situation, Grave Indifference, Grave something-or-other. I told my daughter that when the door opens she was to turn left and grab a seat while I turn right and grab a Bat.
I have to tell you all that our Fearless Leader is as nice as pie. As if we all didn't know that already. When the doors first opened she had no shirts to sell because the sales the previous couple nights were much better than expected. She had managed to find a local T-shirt making guy earlier in the day and he was running late with his delivery. When they finally arrived they were still warm. Sales seemed to be pretty brisk but if I could offer a suggestion it would be to bring tons more merchandise to the shows. People will buy almost any conceivable item that has the name of a band on it. I spent a lot of my evening hanging around with Battttty because it's not often that I can get that close to greatness.
As far as the show, I think they opened with Mother Mary, although I could be totally wrong. I was having too much fun to try to write down the set list. Long Gone was second, a rousing rendition indeed, followed by Hard Being Me. I think Ain't No Baby was next. I had never seen that one performed live, and wow! does it jump out at you. They did a bunch of Strangers stuff like Too Hot to Handle, Lights Out, and Love to Love all in a row in the middle of the set. The band was very tight, very loud, and obviously having fun. Rob the bass player did a superb job, Phil's voice was in excellent shape, and it was great to see and hear Mr. Parker again. The highlight for me, however, was Vinnie. As someone mentioned in a previous post, it seems like he has turned down the widdling a bit. I've also gotten used to hearing him play the Schenker material. Once I was able to block out the Schenker notes that are in my head and just listen to what Vinnie is playing I was able to realize how brilliant this guy is. He just doesn't play the exact same notes that Schenker played in 1978. I'll bet dollars to donuts that if Schenker had been there last night he wouldn't have been playing the exact same notes that he played in 1978 either. The greats play by feel and not always exactly the same from night to night. That's what makes them the greats. In any case, all of the notes that Vinnie played were pleasing to my ear. He has earned our gratitude, not our criticism.
Some other things that pop into my mind are Paul playing the slide on Hard Being Me and a near miss with a rare oddity. When they came out for their final encore they broke into the first verse of All or Nothing. This lasted for maybe 30-45 seconds then they abruptly stopped. I'm not sure what that was about but I think it may have been a gag they were playing on Rob. Like "Hey, lets go out there and play a song he couldn't possibly know." Personally, I wish they would have kept going with the song even if some of them had to wing it. That's about it from here but I would like to mention once again how lucky we are to have this great band functioning at this high level after so many years. It's something we wouldn't have dared to dream back in the day. These guys have not slipped even a little bit in any area.
Last night UFO were fantastic in Milwaukee. Just to let you know they opened the show with Mother Mary and then did Long Gone. I was surprised that I quite a few in the crowd went nuts. As the boys come out for the encore, they had a impromptu meeting and Phil said “We were just discussing what to play next and decided to mix things up a bit” They then ripped into Let It Roll followed buy Doctor Doctor and then Shoot Shoot.
Glenn Avery
Medina Entertainment Center
500 Highway 55
Medina, MN 55340 Tour Date: 18th April 2008
I caught hard rock legends UFO last Friday at the fabulous Medina Ballroom. A once in a decade opportunity. It was a great show, as UFO rolled through classics like Too Hot To Handle, Lights Out, Doctor Doctor, This Kid's, Only You Can Rock Me, and beautiful ballads Love to Love and Baby Blue. Of course, after much requesting, UFO hammered us with a 15 minute take of Rock Bottom.
-- Vinnie Moore, Phil Mogg, Paul Raymond --
Truly the highlight was hearing Phil Mogg in superb voice. The 60 year old frontman and constant in UFO, showed his age physically but sounded tremendous. He was a delight, witty and provided the power needed for the UFO catalog.
The crowd was in raucous form, as if they had waited 40 years to see UFO. For many of them, that was the absolute truth, as they've probably never stopped playing vinyl. Air guitar, devil horns, and rock god adulation was plentiful. It's been a while since I've seen that many drunk, middle-aged men. There was even a dude secretly recording the show on his rubber-banded Sony Walkman cassette recorder. What a flashback!
I just returned from Chicago where I saw the guys for the third time on this tour at HOB. Phil Mogg was really sick and almost had to cancel, but somehow made it through. To be honest, because Phil was not well (flu, stomach, cold, etc) he was not himself on stage and the band was forced to drop 3 songs; Let It Roll, Lights Out & Shoot Shoot. He sang fine, but had issues during the set and left right from the stage to his hotel. Otherwise the band was incredible. Bassist Rob Deluca is really settling in and doing a great job. The crowd was INSANE! I always new Chicago was a stronghold for UFO, but this place was totally oversold! Way to sold out which made it hard to see and very uncomfortable. I'm thrilled UFO is so popular in this city, but the venue was just to full. HOBs are great places if they are not super full, but horrible sight lines and sound when they are packed, and this was packed! I managed to find a place by the soundboard and enjoyed the show, but with Phil being ill and the amount of people, it was hard to deal with. Still, awesome to see UFO on a big stage with great lights and more. UFO's tour continues for a couple more weeks here in the US, then they come back (hopefully with Pete) for Rocklahoma and some other gigs.
Some other things: Great time with Andy Parker of UFO who was my guest on the XM show this past Monday. You all know how much I love this band and it's great Andy is back.
1. Mother Mary Force It
2. Long Gone The Wild, The Willing and the Innocent
3. Hard Being Me The Monkey Puzzle
4. Pushed to the Limit Walk On Water
5. This Kid's Force It
6. Only You Can Rock Me Obsession
7. Ain't No Baby Obsession
8. Heavenly Body The Monkey Puzzle
9. Baby Blue You Are Here
10. Too Hot Too Handle Lights Out
11. Lights Out Lights Out
12. Love To Love Lights Out
13. Rock Bottom Phenomenon
14. Let It Roll Force It
15. Doctor, Doctor Phenomenon
16. Shoot Shoot Force It
It's shades of La Semana Alegre — the long-gone but still lamented (in some quarters, at least) Fiesta rock concert series. In fact, there'll be a flashback to Fiesta 1994's La Semana show when UFO takes the stage at HemisFair Park on Thursday for night one of the two-night Siesta Fest. Jokester is set to open.
Siesta Fest is an unofficial Fiesta event that's working toward gaining official status. Gates open at 5 p.m. Admission is free, but $25 VIP tickets, which entitle the bearer to seating in the first 30 rows and access to VIP beer booths and restrooms, are available via www.kzep.com. Siesta Fest continues April 25 with Great White and Mothers Anthem.
This edition of UFO is founding members Phil Mogg (vocals) and Andy Parker (drums), keyboard player Paul Raymond (with the band since 1976), guitarist Vinnie Moore (a member of UFO since the early '00s) and, on bass, subbing for co-founder Pete Way, Rob DeLuca of the Sebastian Bach Band and Spread Eagle. According to www.ufo-music.info, Way was denied a working visa to gain entry into the U.S.
"Pete's got some skeletons in his closet that the American government doesn't like," said drummer Parker from a Pittsburgh tour stop. "He's not been able to come to the States the past few times. We miss Pete, and Pete and I have played so much together that we can kind of read each other's minds. But Rob's done a great job. He fits right in."
The band came together in London in the late '60s as Hocus Pocus before changing to UFO.
"We met in a pub in about 1968, Phil, Pete and Mick Bolton, the original guitar player. They were looking for a drummer. I joined the band and I've been in and out ever since," Parker said, laughing. "Next year will be the 40th anniversary."
Originally a quartet, the band released its debut album, "UFO 1," in 1971. The band's art rock/space rock sound caught on first in Japan, Germany and France. When guitarist Michael Schenker joined the fold about 1974, UFO's harder guitar sound earned audiences in the U.S. The band hit with prototypical arena rock.
"It's serious music, but the band isn't serious," Parker said. "We like to have fun. We're playing smaller venues these days, of course, but the great thing about that is the connection with the audience. We wouldn't turn down the arena shows, but it's great to interact with the audience."
UFO has had its ups and downs, particularly in the guitar chair, but it ruled part of the hard rock roost from the mid- to late '70s.
There have been hiatuses and reunions, subs and new players, but UFO keeps landing on its rocking feet. In the early '00s, when Moore, known for his flash, fire, technical prowess and music educator chops, joined the fold, guitar freaks swooned and returned to the UFO camp.
When original drummer Parker rejoined after Jason Bonham left for Foreigner, UFO again rocked with a purpose. That lineup released "Monkey Puzzle," the latest disc of new material, in September 2006.
"My feeling, and the band's feeling, is that we have to consider what the people who are out front paying the bills want to hear," Parker said. "The band has a huge back catalog, but we only have an hour and a half, maybe two hours, to play. We look at comments from the fans on Web sites and take them into consideration. In '05, the criticism was the band was still playing the 'Strangers in the Night' set. So this time the set is pretty well spread out."
Parker has been out of, and back in, UFO several times. He turned in a long stint in California where he worked as a general contractor while he co-owned a recording studio. He then went back to England and toiled in the family manufacturing business. Parker has been based in Granbury for a little more than two years. His wife's family is from the Dallas area.
"I love it in Granbury," Parker said. "It has a small-town feel, but it's booming because of gas exploration in the area."
This week the EMI/Chrysalis label released "The Best of UFO (1974-1983)," a 19-track CD that revisits the likes of "Rock Bottom," "Let It Roll," "I'm a Loser," "Love to Love," "Too Hot to Handle" and "Only You Can Rock Me." UFO music is reaching another generation.
"In Europe, our fans are getting up there like we are," Parker said, laughing again. "When we toured in Europe I noticed youngsters with their parents. On this tour I've been doing a lot of signing, old vinyl records mainly, because I haven't toured in the States since 1982, except for the odd gig in San Antonio in '94"
"In Poughkeepsie, a guy who wanted me to sign some albums said he was born in '82 and that his dad turned him on to our music. I'm getting the idea that the late '70s/early '80s metal rock is getting an underground following among a new generation. It works for me."
So Siesta Fest '08 just might sound like La Semana Alegre '94
Siesta Fest
• Featuring: UFO and Jokester, April 24; Great White and Mothers Anthem, April 25
• Where: HemisFair Park, South Alamo Street, downtown
• When: 5 p.m.-midnight both days
• Admission: Free. $25 VIP tickets at www.kzep.com
Web Posted: 04/17/2008 02:44 PM CDT
The Railhead, Boulder Station Casino
4111 Boulder Highway
Las Vegas, NV 89121 Tour Date: 26th April 2008
Majestic Ventura Theater
26 S Chestnut Street, San Buenaventura
Ventura, CA 93001 Tour Date: 27th April 2008
The Clubhouse
1320 E. Broadway Road
Tempe, AZ 85282 Tour Date: 28th April 2008
Great to see UFO play in Arizona for the first time in a very long time.The band was in fine form. Phil sang strong and was in good spirits.
Andy in particular was impressive,slamming hard and clearly enjoying himself. I would have loved to have seen Pete,but Rob is a solid and professional replacement. Now I'm pretty much a Schenker guy, but he isn't coming back.I don't think UFO could hope to find a better replacement than Vinnie. We all know he's got the chops, but I was pleased that he was true to Michael's parts when it was important for the song. That's one thing that turned me off to Chapman, because he was not. Vinnie knows when to improvise and when to keep it close to the original. Vinnie's really been a blessing to the band.
Now of course the real highlight for me was meeting our slim, sexy, perpetually young,fearless,tireless and benevolent leader. She is holding up to the rigors of the road, the scorching desert heat, and intoxicated patrons like a trooper. It was like meeting an old friend. I failed to bring the required stash of FRs, but she graciously let me slide because I had come directly from the airport to the gig, having flown back from the east coast. Bless her.
She said it was the smallest room and smallest crowd they had played so for. I also was happy to meet my fellow Phoenix SITN sister Mary (aka Belladonna). Kate got me backstage after the show to meet the guys, but they were all crammed into this small room and were swarmed with other fans. I did see Jeff Agins, who is Uli's production manager and fellow Phoenix-area resident,and was able to pick his brain about Uli's plans for a tour after the Sky Academy in L.A. But as I told her,I was most happy to just hanging out with our supreme ruler and power. Was a great night. Review by Rich at s-i-t-n@yahoogroups.com
“UFO” rocks the Key Club
Live Review
Review and Photos by Ernie Manrique
Rock veterans “UFO” returned to Los Angeles on Friday night May 2nd to perform for a jammed pack audience at the Key Club in Hollywood. One of my favorite bands of all time, UFO rocked the house! From the very beginning, the band captured the crowd’s attention.
Phil Mogg, lead vocals, Paul Raymond on keys and rhythm guitar, were joined on this tour with original drummer Andy Parker. It was great to see Andy Parker pounding on the drums again. Vinnie Moore was on lead guitar and shredded on the guitar solos. The band was also joined by “Rob De Luca” who filled in on bass because Pete Way could not make the US tour.
There was a lot of energy on stage and throughout the night, the audience chanted “UFO, UFO, UFO”. The band covered many songs in their set from various albums. They performed heavy hitter classic songs like “Natural Thing”, “Only You Can Rock Me”, “Too Hot To Handle”, “Lights Out”, and two of my favorite UFO songs “Rock Bottom” and “Love To Love”. Phil Mogg’s voice sounded great and the band was very tight.
The band finished their set and left the stage for a brief moment only to be called back by their fans who continued to chant “UFO”! The band returned to the stage to perform one of their most popular songs of all time, “Doctor Doctor”. The Key Club was rocking! UFO finished the evening with yet another one of their classic songs and show closer, “Shoot Shoot”. It was a great night of classic rock and roll.
I was pleased to meet original drummer Andy Parker back stage after the show. He was gracious enough to take a picture with me. I was fortunate to meet Phil Mogg and Paul Raymond on the last UFO tour here in LA and congratulated them on yet another great performance. I met Michael Schenker a while back when he was out here performing with his band “MSG”. Just missing one more, Pete Way. I hope that I’ll get a chance to meet original bassist Pete Way on UFO’s next time out in the U.S. It is indeed a pleasure to meet in person, the members of one of my favorite bands that I grew up with and that played a vital part in influencing me to start playing music back in the day. For those of you who may not know, I played bass in “Lights Out” over the last 4 years. A tribute to one of the best rocking bands of all time, UFO.
Vinnie and Suzanne in Santa Cruz - See review below for both 'The Independent' and 'The Catalyst'
Santa Cruz – 3 May 2008 / San Francisco – 4 May 2008
On this glorious sunlit afternoon I found myself on my mountain bike, gliding along a wildflower-sprinkled trail above the Pacific Ocean. The wild oats blew gently in the breeze, and the colors – purple lupine, orange poppy, fiery red Indian paintbrush – were like something floating off of a Monet canvas. The sound of the Meadowlark drifted through the air, and as I made my way along the dusty trail, I thought about the true gift that I received over the course of the two previous evenings. The gift was UFO, and it was presented on a shining platter.
I have long admired the music of many rock bands, but UFO sits in a separate category, alone, occupying a special and unique place. What is it about this band? Why do I feel so strongly about them? What is it that gives them this distinction? There is a connection. There is a human element not found elsewhere. There is a feeling of friendship and caring. I found all of these elements this weekend, exquisitely wrapped in a package as the most fabulous gift of all. I spent time with the band; I felt their kindness. Fame did not obfuscate that connection, and for the moment, I was with a group of old friends. My husband and I knew that we were part of something truly special.
And it is this – the ability to connect – that is precisely what sets this band apart.
Phil Mogg is the consummate front man. His wit and charm are undeniable. He manages to draw the audience in; he is not “on stage”. He is with us, part of us, one of us. Phil always seems to have a twinkle in his eyes. He has a quality that makes me want to give him a giant hug and never let go. Vinnie Moore has that magical touch that turns a series of strings and frets into a dance like the red-tailed hawks that soared above me on the trail this afternoon. A gifted guitarist makes the instrument sing, cry, scream, soar, and dive. The guitar becomes part of the spirit; it becomes an expression of self. Paul Raymond is like a glass of champagne, lending a touch of restrained elegance on the keyboards and a perfect balance of rhythm guitar. Andy Parker’s drum work makes its way inside us with that primitive beat that lives within us all, owing to an instinct that began in civilizations long ago and far away. Rob De Luca was a wonderfully talented and welcome guest for the tour, his bass playing acting as the perfect companion to Andy’s thunder.
Thank you, UFO, for giving your gift this weekend. I will never forget these two magical evenings. You are the most fantastic group of individuals in the rock world, and Emma – you became one of my favorite people in the world in the course of two hours. God bless you all – have a safe trip home.
UFO in San Francisco
I'm just back from the UFO show here in SF; it was killer - way better than I expected even. Phil is in GREAT voice, especially for his age. Vinnie Moore is a bit shred-y for my tastes, but that detracted in no way from the overall effect, and it was pretty damned cool when they just cut him loose in a couple songs (Rock Bottom - Too Hot To Handle). He kept the sound retro (tone-wise) in the right places though. Also, Paul Raymond is left handed, I knew this...but he actually strings his guitar upside down, low strings on the bottom. I had no idea. Must be self taught or something. Weird, and cool. No Pete Way, as you might know, but that was no big deal to me. Still a KILLER show. So glad I went.
Phil was quite funny, I thought. He did a little Steve Marriot imitation that was dead on, basically straight from Rockin' the Fillmore...he made a bunch of other tongue in cheek jokes. Opening band was some reformed classic metal band called Ruffians that were quite good, but lyrics were all hopelessly 80s, with titles like, "Do or Die," and "Fight for your Right." They are from CA, so are basically local, but I don't think they were from the Bay Area. Very Maiden/Saxon NWOBHM.
The soundman did a dynamite job, simply pure class. Everything was audible, separated, just...the kind of sound one rarely hears at shows. Not over-loud either, which can be a problem in smaller venues.
Great, great show. Every time I put on a UFO album I remember they fucking rule; this show did nothing to change that fact. First time I've seen them, incidentally - long overdue.
Setlist (not in perfect order; I don't think I forgot anything):
Mother Mary
Long Gone
Hard Being Me
Pushed to The Limit
This Kids
Only You Can Rock Me
Ain't No Baby
Heavenly Body
Baby Blue
Too Hot To Handle
Lights Out
Love to Love
Rock Bottom
Doctor Doctor
Shoot Shoot
I had my wife's iPhone in my pocket, so I snapped some photos too!
UFO
Thanks to ElectricWiz, Photos copyright 2008, from
El Corazon
109 Eastlake Avenue
Seattle, WA 98109 Tour Date: 7th May 2008
Poster
The ticket has the Croc's name on it before it closed down. The Crocodile Cafe has been a major staple in the Seattle music scene since the early 90's. It was owned by a lady who married Peter Buck from REM (and then divorced him). So many great bands played there - Nirvana, Pearl Jam, people are still stunned a few months later...
I last saw them in 1978 - 30 years... ouch
Mike
Thanks to Mike Beery .
Hey All.
Just got home from the Seattle show...Man, I had a BLAST!!! If you have a chance to catch the last two shows on this tour and can get there at all, do it...You're in for a great time, a great set.
I had the pleasure of meeting Phil, Andy, and Rob after the show...All great guys; everyone in the band took time with the fans, hung out, signed stuff, took pictures...I didn't have a chance to say hello to Vinnie or Paul, but they were hanging with other fans as well. Having considered Phil to be possibly the greatest rock vocalist of all-time, it was great to finally meet him...And having been a Spread Eagle fan when I was in junior high, I was actually pretty psyched to meet Rob. Unfortunately, since I came straight from work, I didn't bring anything to sign...But that's okay.
Also met Batttttty; probably the highlight of my week, possibly the year. Rainey, it was great hanging out with you before the show...We wound up being the first ones in line, getting there an hour and a half before the doors opened. Mike, great to meet you as well.
Okay, now, on with the action, as they say.
The opener, whose name I can't remember, came on at about 9:00, but a bunch of us stayed in the bar for the first part of their set and sort of migrated into the showroom later...Not a bad-sounding band. UFO took the stage at probably around 10:15. The band sounded great, and Phil's voice was in top-form. I don't think I've ever heard him crack so many jokes or heard so much banter on any of the live (official or unofficial) CDs I have...He was in a great mood, seemed very happy to be playing. The set was high-energy, and Vinnie sounded great on all the material. I know we all wish Pete were here for this tour, but Rob handled bass duties quite nicely...Sounded great. And Andy Parker just beats the living hell out of those drums...These guys haven't mellowed at all with age like some bands tend to do, and frankly, if tonight was any indication, I don't see them slowing down anytime soon. Like I said, if you can get to the Portland or Coeur D'Laine shows, do it. If you haven't seen them yet, you've gotta try.
The set list, to the best of my memory, was:
Mother Mary
Long Gone
Hard Bein' Me
This Kid's
Baby Blue
Only You Can Rock Me
Too Hot to Handle
Ain't No Baby (First time I've heard a live version of that that I can recall)
Lights Out
Love to Love
Rock Bottom
Encore:
Doctor, Doctor
Shoot Shoot
A great set...The ONLY thing missing was something from No Heavy Petting...I'd expected to hear Natural Thing or I'm a Loser, or maybe On with the Action...but again, no complaints.
See you all in Portland...Off to finish packing and try to get a couple hours sleep before catching the train. Man, my ears are still ringing; being blind AND deaf doesn't seem like a good combination, but getting there was worth it. LOL
Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Avenue
Portland, OR 97202 Tour Date: 8th May 2008
UFO in Portland, The Aladdin, May 8, 2008
Been four days now, but the Portland show was one of those that really
stays with you. First, big kudos to Suzanne of Portola Valley for her
review of the Santa Cruz and SF shows...to read that on the day before
our concert after already being psyched out of one's gourd was sublime.
I have to second everything she said because I could not put it that
well !
The Aladdin Theater is one of those classic oldies, began as a
vaudeville house in the 1920s, then was a family movie theater until
the 70s when it morphed into what they call on their very interesting
website a 'porn institution.' That went on through the 80s when it shut
down...then it was bought and renovated in 1993 to become the shining
light of our many excellent music venues. Seats 620, nice balcony and
vintage seats, excellent acoustics and the perfect size stage to rock.
Brief credentials: Have seen them 3 times...mid 70s at Winterland in SF
with Rush; shortly after that was at the Stanford basketball court,
Maples Pavilion, on a fairly odd bill which (if memory serves) began
with Dixie Dregs, then UFO, then Atlanta Rhythm Section. Most everyone
was there for UFO, and the old hoops floor was spring loaded-- you
better believe we were all bouncing madly during a heroic performance
by the lads. (Then the place emptied out for the headliners, oh well)
Most recently in 1995 at The Edge in Palo Alto...after all those years
to walk into a tiny venue and Schenker is sitting right there at a
small table in the entranceway, signing stuff. Yow!
Last Thursday the Aladdin was nearly full and you could tell from the
buzz it was going to be one of those nights. When the lights went out,
we really enjoyed the small white panning spotlights and that solid
prelude music, set the tone for sure. Then on they came -- so we held
on tight and you know the rest, from the shows you've seen on the tour
as well as the tremendous reviews, pics and video on Misty Green and
Blue. I have to say this was one of the great crowds, way into it from
start to finish, thanks fellow Portlanders for paying your respects to
one of the best.
Phil was the ultimate Phil, the inspirational singer as ever (with some
truly way-out moves around the stage these days, sort of a tai chi
meets I don't know what) and routinely hilarious between songs with the
crowd and the band. Andy and Paul were also in prime form, and the
audio separation was really done well, could clearly hear all of Andy's
thunder and the quieter stuff as well as Paul's guitar - with of course
Vinnie soaring in and out and above it all. First time seeing him play
- looking forward to the next time. He has a lot of fun up there. Rob
de Luca did a very solid job and fit well--- but seriously, my fellow
rockers, there is something really out of whack these days if Pete Way
cannot get a working visa to roam the USA with his bass guitar for a
month.
Highlights of the show: it was all highlights that night and that's no
guff ---- but am mildly surprised to find I have been hearing echoes
of 'Ain't No Baby' since the concert -- they really have a nice touch
with that one and it seems to have stuck on the old inner turntable.
Which is a really good thing. Thanks much to the band and crew for a
great evening, come back soon. Signing off now from the people's
republic of Portland.
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clip of UFO performing LIGHTS OUT 
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