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 My
anticipation for this particular concert was finally
much more than I expected… First of all,
the new album of Ufo was surely a pleasant surprise
for my ears, a glorious comeback with a fresh
sound and some brilliant moments to date. Vinnie
Moore, this magnificent guitar virtuoso and Jason
Bonham on drums joined the ranks of the band and
of course the legendary axeman of the Scorpions's
early years, Mr Uli Jon Roth, were very good reasons
to feed my appetite for hard rock treatment…
Many Scorpions fans were packed
in the frontline of the club, eagerly waiting
the appearance of Roth. Accompanied with an impressive
keyboardist, the German musician, offered us a
set list based on his last recording, blending
the fast and furious soloing with more atmospheric
gloomy parts that left his fans with the mouth
open. I wouldn't say that this particular type
of music makes me shiver but I truly respect what
this excellent music traveler and skillful composer
is up to and his offerings to the six chord goddess
in general. His performance was hailed by the
crowd which stood ecstatic for merely an hour
applauding him and showing its' never ending gratitude
to the man that was responsible for some of the
greatest music his previous band has ever recorded.
Ufo, on the other hand, is a
band that was always living in the shadow of the
rest of the super groups that the 70's birthed
but they marked their way with monumental releases
and individuality as well, that no one has the
right to deny. It was an honor for all of us (although
many of the fans didn't show the appropriate respect
to Phil Mogg and co, screaming massively for "Doctor
doctor" and "Rock Bottom") to have
in front of our very eyes a legendary outfit which
with the addition of Moore and Bonham, gained
a lot, as far as inner power and self confidence
concern. Pete Way, the bassist, was surely the
man that guided the stunning performance of the
quintet, while Phil Mogg seemed to be more concentrated
in his magnificent vocal occupations.
They played for merely 1 ½
hours and they covered a significant part of their
70's discography, offering to us unbelievable
vibes and continuous headbanging. "Let It
Roll" was the starting point of Ufo's diving
into the realms of brilliance and from that point
we lose our mind & time, while our heart was
pounding each time the band was paying tribute
to our childhood. "Too Hot To Handle",
"Only You Can Rock Me", "Lights
Out", "I'm A Loser", "Mother
Mary", "Love To Love", "High
Flyer", "Out In The Street" among
the others, were perfectly played along with a
couple of newer compositions (while Jim was screaming
for "Mr Freeze"…) that unfortunately
very few seemed to know them.
Moore's riffing was much more
heavier than the original recordings (this man
is simply a grandiose musician, I tip my hat to
his skillful abilities) giving us the impression
that he gave the kiss of life to the three remaining
members. Some said that this band wasn't Ufo but
Vinnie Moore's band but what the heck, what should
we expect from people that what they've listened
from the long discography of this legendary British
outfit, are the most known to the public songs.
Leave them in their ignorance but hey, Ufo still
belong after all these years to hard rock, a fact
that many of your heroes seems to forgot.
As we expected, "Rock Bottom" and "Doctor
Doctor" were the encores of their landing
in Athens and believe me, Moore, once again, performed
UNBELIEVABLE solos, giving to the songs a more
metallic approach! Seriously speaking, Ufo were
everything the devoted fan could have hoped for.
They did it, they really did it! And of course
this wasn't a belated burial as many predicted
but an essential resurrection. I've seen a lot
of gigs all these 20 years or so but allow me
to remember this particular night as one of the
most sensational and stunning concerts I've ever
seen. Thank you from heart for the memories and
may God always give you the strength to continue
rocking for even more!
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