Ufo - House of Blues, Chicago, 20/5/2011

  by Lisa Torem

published: 18 / 5 / 2011

intro

At the House of Blues in Chicago Lisa Torem watches British hard rock band UFO, who recently celebrated their fortieth anniversary, play a fiery set of their classic hits

The alcohol level was high. At least one fan was dragged out and another, who kept peering over my shoulder and asking me questions such as "Are you famous? Are you someone I should know?" insisted on telling me this story: “I’m a drummer. I got a buddy who knew the bass player – the guy who needs a liver transplant. Said he could get me a backstage pass. He really could, you know?" The guy was referring to Pete Way, long-time UFO bassist, now on an extended leave due to rumoured alcohol abuse and/or medical problems. The guy, who still thinks I’m somebody famous, because I’m rapidly scribbling notes, has, sadly, been stood up by his legendary friend. . But, it’s just as well that one more person was a no-show. The Chicago House of Blues was packed tonight and held uneven sightlines saved by a medium-sized, screen looming overhead. The metal/hard rock Brazilian band, Mindflow, featuring electric guitar wiz Rodrigo Hidalgo and Danilo Herbert on lead vocals, brought forth waves of dynamic energy, and were a great choice for an opening band, though it was clear that the rabid UFO fans, who could brashly tick off on their fingers both UFO line up casualties and favorite album tracks, were fidgety; bloody anxious to get their UFO fix. Chants of "UFO, UFO UFO" reverberated around the stuffed-as-sardines, SRO great room. When the band leaped on stage, and performed the first, few bars of ‘Wild, Willing and Innocent,’ the vibe was explosive. In place of Way, stood (but not for long!) the youthful, straight-blonde haired, bassist Barry Sparks, who pounced brilliantly from every corner of the stage like a let-loose-during-mating-season stallion. In contrast,was the more conservative former Savoy Brown member, Paul Raymond, wearing a vintage British-Invasion wardrobe, his sharply-styled, long, brown hair, tickling his shoulders. The keyboardist/guitarist was charmingly warm, flashing random, understated grins, while grinding out distinctive counter-melodies. Original singer, Phil Mogg, held his own with tight-fisted vocals. that resounded in ‘Mother Mary.’ Lead guitarist Vinnie Moore’s flowing, tightly-wound, coal-black curls streamed against his shoulders. A dazzling electric guitar was strapped around his neck beneath a gleaming acoustic. “There’s a sweet fragrance in the air,” sniffed vocalist Phil Mogg. And, though Mogg is personable and relates easily to those in the balcony and on the ground level, there was little conversation, as UFO was mighty serious about performing hit after hit. The blues-based, ‘Saving Me’ found Moore savouring his slide, and, the infectious ‘Let It Roll’ inspired the solid-chested drummer, and original band member, Andy Parker, to aggressively pound the kit, paving the way back to the powerful chorus. While it seems the sound guy favoured the percussion, rather than lead guitar, it all evened out in the end. Parker has got some unbelievable chops, and his rapid-fire approach is one of the major factors that kept the performance level sharp. Raymond deftly raced from electric keys, then guitar, while Sparks pole-vaulted, Moore mugged and Mogg sucked up more needed breaths. His voice is in remarkable shape. ‘I’m A Loser’ was a stark contrast to the crowd-pleasing, ‘Hell Driver.’ Waves of sonic darkness and booming percussion stylized ‘Ain’t No Baby’, but when Mogg begins ‘Only You Can Rock Me’ by himself, the crowd was spellbound. ‘Try Me’ was the ballad that flowed with the most tender harmonies. Moore’s lightning fingers performed crisp, solos on his cherry red guitar. Even those unforgiving Michael Schenker fans, who claim anyone after the fact is an imitator, not an innovator, would have rocked hard to his one-off, melodic interpretations. ‘Too Hot, To Handle’ found Moore and Sparks competing for attention; plunging their instruments over their backs, much to the delight of a crowd already high on the ongoing theatrics. ‘Love to Love’ was another ballad extraordinaire that spoke touchingly of “misty green and blue” and enabled Moore to show off pretty strums which morphed into scintillating, red- hot riffs. Then, extroverted Sparks, centre-stage, on one knee, looked like he was proposing marriage to us, and who could refuse? The famous, ‘Light’s Out’ began, followed by a string of UFO classic hits with volcanic riffs; ‘Rock Bottom’, on which Moore planted a high-pitched solo which inspired a group jam. As if that wasn’t enough, ‘Doctor Doctor’ and ‘Shoot Shoot’ followed, the eager crowd joining in with total abandon. UFO played for almost two and a half, solid hours. I was later told, by Parker, that they decided to simply stay on stage for the encores, rather than lose time waiting to return. Why? I’m guessing it’s because, according to the band, some of UFO’s most loyal fans are from Chicago. And, the reason I was able to hear this news is simple; I, unlike the overly-wasted guy near the bar, was fortunate enough to get backstage, to thank this hardworking band for coming all the way to our hardworking city. ‘Light’s Out’, Chicago. Photographs by Jim Summaria www.jimsummariaphoto.com