Venue:
Rock City, Nottingham
Date: 26/03/2019
Despite being a fully paid up member of the denim and leather brigade in the 80s, I’ve never seen UFO live before, never even owned an album. The closest I got was when “Lights Out” was a track on the “Live and Heavy” compilation I had as a boy, and the first gig I ever went to was MSG, who played “Doctor, Doctor” and “Rock Bottom” as encores. You know a fair few UFO songs though, despite them never quite cracking it as a “big” act, remaining generally a Championship team, if you’ll forgive the football analogy. But of course, their “Lights Out” double live is a thing of rare respect, universally held up to be one of the greats. I didn’t own that either. (See above)
So, my first UFO gig is their farewell tour. This is a band who released their 4th album when Barry Sheene was world 500cc champion the first time. Me and the band are 51 as I write…
Tara Lynch (“Gui-Tara” apparently…) gets the place warmed up with some full on shredding rock instrumentals and a decent tune or three, getting a decent response for her troubles.
UFO still feature 2 original members. Phil Mogg on vocals (71 this year) and Andy Parker on drums (67), with Paul Raymond (73) on upside down strung rhythm guitar and keyboards having been there on and off since 1976. There’ve been some ups and downs over the years, but add a couple of younger guns on guitars and here you are in 2019.
After the on stage bell is rung (the tour is called “Last Orders”, see what they did there?) they come on stage to Faith Healer by SAHB, and plunge straight into Mother Mary, from 1975’s Force It album. Mogg looks uncannily like my Grandad in his all black outfit with braces and hat, and there’s not an ounce of fat on him, as he holds his mic stand aloft, in the way only he does. Raymond is the left handed double of Stuart Maconie, to these eyes anyway. The noise is mighty, loud but not overpowering; clear, not distorted. The crowd is near sold out.
All of which matters not a jot. Let’s be honest here, I’ve seen a far few (shall we say) more heritage bands lately, and come away sometimes a little disappointed. Tonight, I’m left with the feeling that if UFO have ever sounded better, I’d have absolutely loved to have been there. The band are as tight as you like, and Mogg’s vocals are spot on. Age does not seem to have taken any toll on them at all.
Mogg is a natural host, witty and self deprecating between songs. Once he’s stopped announcing songs from the wrong setlist (much to Vinnie Moore’s amusement) it got a bit less improvised, and the big “hits” just keep coming, with minimum fuss. Lights Out and Only You Can Rock Me are in the first half of the set, such is the plethora of huge rock tunes they have at their disposal. Love to Love is dedicated to the fan Vinnie met at the curry house, whose birthday it is, the dedication being read off a paper plate, by Mogg. Somehow that’s not chintzy at all. Too Hot to Handle and Rock Bottom are two tracks that any other band would probably have in the encore, they’re that good. They close the main set here, to rapturous applause and cheering.
Mogg (and Raymond, to be fair) visibly loosens as the gig progresses and he takes his hat off (“It’s like baking a pie under there”) and almost morphs into a double of Phil Collins by the end. The encore of Doctor, Doctor and Shoot, Shoot (rock classics both) is received with adulation, and the band have done their job in spades. My only regret is not being more of a fan up to now. Frankly, a tremendous gig from a band who could teach many a newer band many a thing.
The audience:
Rather predictably, the entire crowd looked like a massive focus group shortly to be used by Classic Rock magazine.
It made me think..
Some bands never quite get what you might think they deserve. But they have a high old time of it anyway.
Great review – wish I’d gone to see them in Leamington now.
Paul Raymond is 73? Gawd, where did all those years go?
shared a bifter with him at Knebworth in september 1978, if i recall correctly.
Crikey – I saw them at Liverpool Stadium around 1973. I can’t recall who they were supporting, but I thought they were rubbish and never renewed the acquaintance.
I can’t say I ever imagined they would still be performing almost 50 years later.
@carl
I think, could be wrong, that in their early days they were a bit space rock boogie ish, rather than the mainstream rock band they became. Have a bit of a soft spot for them….Lights Out is a decent album and they were a degree or two above most of the NWOBHM bands.
My apologies folks, the seminal double live UFO LP is of course called “Strangers in the Night”, released in 1979, not “Lights Out”, which was a studio album from 1977. Which in itself is very highly rated.
UFO. Yes, saw them live twice in the early ’80’s at Newcastle City Hall. Thoroughly enjoyed them both times. Paul Chapman on lead guitar.
I used to love all that stuff. Metal bands were on a constant tour then, leapfrogging each other all the time. UFO, MSG, Gillan, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Gary Moore etc all doing the provincial halls year in year out. Until about 1987 when it all went big hair and stadiums.
Coupled to the regular swapping of band members. Didn’t Neil Murray and Bob Daisley play bass for all the above at one point? (Not at the same time, obvs)
I think we must have been at all the same shows, although at opposite ends of the A1. How the hell did I ever manage to go to quite so many gigs? And I was at White Hart Lane every other week too. Jesus, how much would all that lot cost these days?
I saw them on this tour in Oxford a couple of weeks ago and they were indeed much better than I expected them to be having been a long time fan and seen them many times over the years.
You need to go back and explore some of the late 1970s/early 1980s albums which are all excellent. Stop after Mechanix from 1982 though!
Just remembered we also got Let It Roll as a third encore.