UFO - Wolverhampton Civic Hall 20th June 2004
Setlist: Midnight Train / Mother Mary / Daylight Goes to Town / Let It Roll / I’m A Loser / This Kids / The Wild One / Fighting Man / Baby Blue / Only You Can Rock Me / Love To Love / Too Hot To Handle / Lights Out / Rock Bottom // Doctor Doctor / Shoot Shoot
If I have one grumble about this UFO gig, it is that they didn’t play anything from Walk On Water, a recording, which I consider to be, as good as anything that UFO has ever released. Also, there was only one track each from Covenant and Sharks. That said, they could have been on stage for three hours and still not played something that I would have like to have heard.
There, that’s it; the only whinge I have. I wanted to get it out of the way at the beginning, because it is such a minor moan and, really, the only fault I could find with the whole evening (well, apart from the lack of road signs for the Civic Hall, but that’s not down to UFO). Everything else was, well, just what you’d expect from a band that has been doing it for as long as these guys have: balls-to-the-wall, brain-melting, dandruff-liberating cock-rock at its finest. You’d have to be churlish to complain about a setlist that includes as many rock standards as this one does. Come on, half of the set was comprised of songs that Davo Coverversion would sell his liver to have written. (Nah, Dave, not even on your finest day, mate.) No, I was more than happy with what they did play and, what’s more, the way the played it.
Let me explain. You see, UFO has always suffered from the old ‘Yeah, but it’s not the Schenker-UFO, is it?’ syndrome. I’ve been there, seen the show, bought the t-shirt. No, it bloody well isn’t; and it showed! I remember the first time Schenker bottled it and ran away because he couldn’t cut it; Paul Chapman was a fine replacement and I really liked the former Lone Star guitarist. But his only crime was that he wasn’t the German.
If I have one grumble about this UFO gig, it is that they didn’t play anything from Walk On Water, a recording, which I consider to be, as good as anything that UFO has ever released. Also, there was only one track each from Covenant and Sharks. That said, they could have been on stage for three hours and still not played something that I would have like to have heard.
There, that’s it; the only whinge I have. I wanted to get it out of the way at the beginning, because it is such a minor moan and, really, the only fault I could find with the whole evening (well, apart from the lack of road signs for the Civic Hall, but that’s not down to UFO). Everything else was, well, just what you’d expect from a band that has been doing it for as long as these guys have: balls-to-the-wall, brain-melting, dandruff-liberating cock-rock at its finest. You’d have to be churlish to complain about a setlist that includes as many rock standards as this one does. Come on, half of the set was comprised of songs that Davo Coverversion would sell his liver to have written. (Nah, Dave, not even on your finest day, mate.) No, I was more than happy with what they did play and, what’s more, the way the played it.
Let me explain. You see, UFO has always suffered from the old ‘Yeah, but it’s not the Schenker-UFO, is it?’ syndrome. I’ve been there, seen the show, bought the t-shirt. No, it bloody well isn’t; and it showed! I remember the first time Schenker bottled it and ran away because he couldn’t cut it; Paul Chapman was a fine replacement and I really liked the former Lone Star guitarist. But his only crime was that he wasn’t the German.
Fast-forward to 1998. Schenker was back in the fold and Walk on Water was superb. The live show I saw at Manchester was one of the best (and loudest) gigs I’ve ever been to; it was 1979 all over again.
Michael stayed for Covenant - another good CD - and a tour was announced. I had tickets for Sheffield and was really looking forward to it; Ulrich Roth was supporting, what more could you ask for? Well, for a start, for the gig to actually happen. Unfortunately, someone who shall remain nameless, lost it at Manchester a few days earlier and the tour was pulled. They do say that history repeats itself and it did. Sharks was a good CD, but I missed any gigs completely, if, indeed, there were any at all.
So, when the You Are Here tour was announced, I was thrilled. A non-teutonic guitarist almost guaranteed that the tour would reach Wolverhampton too. Joy!
Alright, so all of you Schenker fans out there are, by now, sticking pins in dolls with my name on. You think I hate him, right? Wrong. Michael Schenker is a very talented guitar player with a unique sound and, at his best, he is an awesome presence on the stage. On those nights, UFO could blow any other band in the world off the stage, without exception. At his worst, he is unreliable, flaky, petulant, a liability to his band and a disappointment to the fans who buy his CDs and go to see him live. Perhaps that tension is what made UFO with Schenker so good. Even if the gig was still on when you got to the venue, there was always the possibility that the band would implode before they got to the end.
Michael stayed for Covenant - another good CD - and a tour was announced. I had tickets for Sheffield and was really looking forward to it; Ulrich Roth was supporting, what more could you ask for? Well, for a start, for the gig to actually happen. Unfortunately, someone who shall remain nameless, lost it at Manchester a few days earlier and the tour was pulled. They do say that history repeats itself and it did. Sharks was a good CD, but I missed any gigs completely, if, indeed, there were any at all.
So, when the You Are Here tour was announced, I was thrilled. A non-teutonic guitarist almost guaranteed that the tour would reach Wolverhampton too. Joy!
Alright, so all of you Schenker fans out there are, by now, sticking pins in dolls with my name on. You think I hate him, right? Wrong. Michael Schenker is a very talented guitar player with a unique sound and, at his best, he is an awesome presence on the stage. On those nights, UFO could blow any other band in the world off the stage, without exception. At his worst, he is unreliable, flaky, petulant, a liability to his band and a disappointment to the fans who buy his CDs and go to see him live. Perhaps that tension is what made UFO with Schenker so good. Even if the gig was still on when you got to the venue, there was always the possibility that the band would implode before they got to the end.
Fast-forward to 1998. Schenker was back in the fold and Walk on Water was superb. The live show I saw at Manchester was one of the best (and loudest) gigs I’ve ever been to; it was 1979 all over again. Michael stayed for Covenant - another good CD - and a tour was announced. I had tickets for Sheffield and was really looking forward to it; Ulrich Roth was supporting, what more could you ask for? Well, for a start, for the gig to actually happen. Unfortunately, someone who shall remain nameless, lost it at Manchester a few days earlier and the tour was pulled. They do say that history repeats itself and it did. Sharks was a good CD, but I missed any gigs completely, if, indeed, there were any at all.
So, when the You Are Here tour was announced, I was thrilled. A non-teutonic guitarist almost guaranteed that the tour would reach Wolverhampton too. Joy!
Alright, so all of you Schenker fans out there are, by now, sticking pins in dolls with my name on. You think I hate him, right? Wrong. Michael Schenker is a very talented guitar player with a unique sound and, at his best, he is an awesome presence on the stage. On those nights, UFO could blow any other band in the world off the stage, without exception. At his worst, he is unreliable, flaky, petulant, a liability to his band and a disappointment to the fans who buy his CDs and go to see him live. Perhaps that tension is what made UFO with Schenker so good. Even if the gig was still on when you got to the venue, there was always the possibility that the band would implode before they got to the end.
So, when the You Are Here tour was announced, I was thrilled. A non-teutonic guitarist almost guaranteed that the tour would reach Wolverhampton too. Joy!
Alright, so all of you Schenker fans out there are, by now, sticking pins in dolls with my name on. You think I hate him, right? Wrong. Michael Schenker is a very talented guitar player with a unique sound and, at his best, he is an awesome presence on the stage. On those nights, UFO could blow any other band in the world off the stage, without exception. At his worst, he is unreliable, flaky, petulant, a liability to his band and a disappointment to the fans who buy his CDs and go to see him live. Perhaps that tension is what made UFO with Schenker so good. Even if the gig was still on when you got to the venue, there was always the possibility that the band would implode before they got to the end.
But, enough about people who weren’t at Wolverhampton. What about those who were?
Well, first there’s the singer. Phil Mogg is, no argument, one of the finest rock vocalists ever to lay his hands on a microphone. And, whilst we’re talking singers, Saltburn’s most-famous shirt salesman is not even fit to wipe the sweat from Mr Mogg’s surprisingly well-honed physique - he just wishes he could sing rock like that. In times when so many of the old-school have lost their ability to cut the mustard, Phil Mogg still delivers the goods in spades.
Bassist, Pete Way, cannot be categorised; he just is. Thank God for that. He is a unique entity and also happens to be one hell of a bass player, too. If Spinal Tap is based on Saxon, the Sheffield lads learned everything they know from UFO, Steve Dawson, especially. ‘Nuff said. Keyboards and guitar maestro, Paul Raymond, may stand quietly all night, stage right, but he is the anchor that provides a solid foundation for the band and contributes much more than is evident from his quiet presence. Without him UFO would not be the same.
Well, first there’s the singer. Phil Mogg is, no argument, one of the finest rock vocalists ever to lay his hands on a microphone. And, whilst we’re talking singers, Saltburn’s most-famous shirt salesman is not even fit to wipe the sweat from Mr Mogg’s surprisingly well-honed physique - he just wishes he could sing rock like that. In times when so many of the old-school have lost their ability to cut the mustard, Phil Mogg still delivers the goods in spades.
Bassist, Pete Way, cannot be categorised; he just is. Thank God for that. He is a unique entity and also happens to be one hell of a bass player, too. If Spinal Tap is based on Saxon, the Sheffield lads learned everything they know from UFO, Steve Dawson, especially. ‘Nuff said. Keyboards and guitar maestro, Paul Raymond, may stand quietly all night, stage right, but he is the anchor that provides a solid foundation for the band and contributes much more than is evident from his quiet presence. Without him UFO would not be the same.
So, to the newbies. First, Jason Bonham. We all know who he is, who his Dad was and what he did for a living, but Jason is one hell of a fine drummer in his own right. I’ve seen him live three times now; once with Page and Plant, once with The Quireboys and now, with UFO. Personally, I think that, as good as Bonzo was, the son is a more versatile, proficient musician than the father and I can’t think of anyone more suited to keeping the UFO drum stool warm. And, he don’t ‘alf belt them drums ‘ard.
Towards the end, I saw a drumstick come flying off the snare. I reached up, grabbed for it and tipped it; it fell to the floor at my feet. I bent down and picked it up, only to realise that it was only half a drum stick. My initial reaction was disappointment, in that I’d not even managed to secure a complete drum stick. Then, I thought, how fitting it was; half a Jason Bonham drum stick seemed, somehow, so appropriate. I gave it to my daughter as a memento of her first UFO concert.
Last, but by no means least, guitarist, Vinnie Moore. For some reason, which I am at a loss to explain, when I first heard that he was in the band, I got him confused with one-time Mammoth drummer, Tubby Vinnie Reed. When I Googled him, I soon realised my error and slapped myself around a bit for my stupidity. Vinnie Moore is, in fact, a bit of a guitar whiz in his own right and fits in the UFO line-up as if he’s always been there. In fact, his presence was quite stabilising and reassuring; there was none of the ‘will they last to the end of the show?’ feeling that I’d always felt with their other, less-stable, guitarist. Certainly, Vinnie looks the part. He pulls all the right faces, can play the old material as well as anybody else and I thoroughly enjoyed his contributions to the evening’s proceedings.
Towards the end, I saw a drumstick come flying off the snare. I reached up, grabbed for it and tipped it; it fell to the floor at my feet. I bent down and picked it up, only to realise that it was only half a drum stick. My initial reaction was disappointment, in that I’d not even managed to secure a complete drum stick. Then, I thought, how fitting it was; half a Jason Bonham drum stick seemed, somehow, so appropriate. I gave it to my daughter as a memento of her first UFO concert.
Last, but by no means least, guitarist, Vinnie Moore. For some reason, which I am at a loss to explain, when I first heard that he was in the band, I got him confused with one-time Mammoth drummer, Tubby Vinnie Reed. When I Googled him, I soon realised my error and slapped myself around a bit for my stupidity. Vinnie Moore is, in fact, a bit of a guitar whiz in his own right and fits in the UFO line-up as if he’s always been there. In fact, his presence was quite stabilising and reassuring; there was none of the ‘will they last to the end of the show?’ feeling that I’d always felt with their other, less-stable, guitarist. Certainly, Vinnie looks the part. He pulls all the right faces, can play the old material as well as anybody else and I thoroughly enjoyed his contributions to the evening’s proceedings.
When you go to see a band like UFO, you notice one thing that many other acts lack; class. They have the skills, they have the back catalogue, sure, but even so, many other acts with just as much to offer will still leave you feeling that something was missing when you see them live. Not so with UFO. They are a superb live band and, especially at a wonderful venue like Wolverhampton Civic Hall, they know how to perform; for much of the latter portion of the set, the crowd was singing so loud, I could barely hear the vocal at all. I can only hope that this line-up stays together, records another CD and tours again. We need bands like UFO to endure, so that youngsters, like my daughter, can see what a real rock band is like.
I wrote earlier, that on a good night with Michael Schenker, UFO could blow any band in the world off stage. Judging from the evidence of this gig, I don’t think this line-up would have to wait that long.
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
25th June 2004
I wrote earlier, that on a good night with Michael Schenker, UFO could blow any band in the world off stage. Judging from the evidence of this gig, I don’t think this line-up would have to wait that long.
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
25th June 2004
About the photos...
For once, we were right at the front. Whilst you get the best view, some of the angles are odd; you find yourself looking up peoples noses and some of the shots are unflattering, to say the least.
Nevertheless, I took some rather nice pics, even if I do say so myself.
Nevertheless, I took some rather nice pics, even if I do say so myself.