Russ and Colleen Lewis were at Baltimore for the first show of the tour

We had to be at the Thunderdome in Baltimore pretty early because we were slated to take soundcheck pics of Jason for an upcoming book. We got there around 3pm and watched the equipment being set up for a couple of hours until the band showed up (finally!) at about 5pm.

We got to talk with the band (mostly Phil, Paul, and Jason) quite a bit during the 2+ hours they were there rehearsing and soundchecking. We took some great pics with them and got them to sign stuff for us - they were really accomodating, in great spirits, chatty and funny. They got a big kick out of the vintage UFO tour books that we brought with us. They were passing them around and laughing (especially Phil & Paul) at various pictures of each other from the old days... and offering up little cool stories about what was going on behind the scenes on certain photos.

So we watched them go through sound check and it was great! They did a little bit of 'Cherry'...and they did the opening riffs of 'Electric Phase' at one point too. We did a bit of 'arm twisting' of Phil asking for "Mr. Freeze" to be included in the set; Phil mentioned it would probably be "Jelloman"... Which we in turn reminded him of his recent Classic Rock Revisted interview... (He suggested "Mr. Freeze" be added for the tour... so we were hoping he and the boys would give the song a go on opening night.)They also spent alot of time on 'When Daylight Goes To Town'. The BEST moment for us, was when they rehearsed 'Baby Blue'. At that point, Phil had already left to go back to the hotel. As the remaining band members started to practice "Baby Blue", Jason stepped away from the drums, took the mic and HE sang it (what a terrific voice he has!!) - and when it was time for the drums to kick in, he drops the mic and runs back and jumps behind the drums to do his part...it sounded great and was an unexpected treat.

Anyway, after all that they went back to the hotel to rest up before the show. It was truly a great afternoon!

They weren't scheduled to go on until 11:30pm (!!!) and so we had a long wait and two local opening bands that we had to sit through first. Finally, UFO took the stage and gave us all a FANTASTIC show! It really was magic. Phil was in top form (as were all!) and Jason is beyond a welcome addition to the line-up- his playing being both aggressive and full of chops. He's matured greatly as a player in recent years- and is more than worthy of the name 'Bonham'. The band sounds completely reinvigorated and inspired again. We really never thought we would ever get the chance to see them perform again stateside . We hope it's not the last time. A very special night for us all the way around...(and a special nod to the ability and energy of Barry Sparks & Vinnie Moore...)

The setlist was as follows:
1. Midnight Train
2. Mother Mary
3. When Daylight Goes To Town
4. Let It Roll
5. I 'm A Loser
6. This Kids
7. Wild One
8. Fighting Man
9. Only You Can Rock Me
10. Baby Blue
11. Mr. Freeze (FIRST time they ever performed it LIVE!! Phil gave warning it was a 'bit unpolished' but it was awesome with just a slight rough spot at the end.)
12. Love To Love (Amazing...)
13. Too Hot To Handle
14. Lights Out
15. Rock Bottom
16. Doctor Doctor
17. Shoot Shoot

This one, also from Baltimore, is from Ray Garville

What can you say about the "new UFO"..... you can say they're sounding as good or better then ever..... I 've been a fan since 75 so I 've been through the UFO saga for quit a while...... I was there for the kick off show at the Thunderdome in Baltimore...... there was a good crowd of loyal fans and the band hit the stage around 11:00 and played for about an hour and a half..... they sounded absolutely awesome...... the band was very tight and in tune with each other.... the mix was great as you could clearly hear every note from each player.... Phil's voice was in top form... very clear, very strong and singing with true passion..... Vinnie played the old UFO songs perfectly..... he's not Schenker but no one is..... but his playing was just great... a lot of heart and feel to the songs....... Jason's drumming I felt really added a heavier feel to the over all sound which just rocked the whole house...... he's a truly great drummer and has the same heavy sound his dad had...... Barry did a great job filling in for Pete and the X factor of having Paul Raymond back playing the keyboards and guitar completed the classic sound we expect from UFO..... there was a great mix of old and new songs from the classic years covering the strangers in the night period to the you are hear songs...... adding Baby Blue to the song list was a great call and the song sounded even better live...... they did one song from Sharks.... Fighting Man.... great live song..... but I personally was a bit disappointed nothing from Walk On Water or from the Chapman era...... my thought was just not enough time to do everything we want to hear but I 'm hoping that after this stellar performance promoters will realize that UFO are truly back and ready to do a fun head lining tour and hopefully give them about 2 hours or more so they can do everything we want to hear... after the show Vinnie came out to meet the crowd... very nice guy who took the time to meet everyone who wanted to meet him..... I waited outside as the band left and the first one out was Jason who again was a great guy who meet everyone and was very funny..... the rest of the band came out shortly after and were all just great and very appreciative of their fans..... all in all just a great fun night of hearing songs we all know from 25 to 30 years ago sounding as good as ever... the main thing I noticed about this new line up was that everyone in the band seemed to really be enjoying themselves and enjoying performing with each other...... and it really came across in their performance..... it does make a difference when everyone is getting along and on the same page....... UFO are back..... do yourself a favor and go see them play..... and tell everyone you know to go and support this truly great band....... you will not be disappointed.... here's to hoping this new line will stay together for a while and continue to put out great music.... the world is a little short of great rock bands now and when you see this version of UFO you'll understand just how good a true rock band can be..... here's to the next 25 years of UFO.

Ray from Baltimore

French-Canadian Frank Maynard was also at Hampton Beach - he'd driven in from Canada!

Can you believe it, it's took me 30 years to see my all time favorite band ever UFO. Yes it is. I 'm a fan of UFO since I was 11 years old, today I am 41.

I drove from Canada to USA specially for the Hampton Beach gig.

First I met Peter Knorn, UFO's manager and asked him if he can do something for me. He said sure
I said than I have a letter beside a picture of me and asked him to give to PHIL and he did. I was standing outside, and one guy of the UFO staff said to me "C'mon go inside with me".

The first person I met was JASON who was sitting on a table with BOBBY RONDINELLI. Thoses guys shake my hand and
we take somes photos with JASON and we talks before he made his soundcheck, He signed a pair of drum sticks.and we do somes jokes. Ir was a huge surprise to find out that Jason is also part of the Opening act!!!! And JASON said alright tonight guys he has 2 first part before BOC

30 minutes later I saw PAUL RAYMOND come in and do his soundcheck, keys, guitar, vocal. He made for PHIL voice.

After I met PAUL is a pretty nice person, he signed my stuff taked photos with me and talk about the tonights gig.

HO is't 9 o'clock go for the party (2 hours after the Quierboys) LOL. I was stand up in the first row and the crowd scream UFO UFO UFO!!!!

Well the light go down, I was so exited and very nervous and the band came up on stage. PHIL was just in front of me (life is good) and they start with Mother Mary,The sound was simply perfect and PHIL MOGG sing like a god, his voice is so perfect I can't believe it. Daylight goes to town start and BARRY do the back vocals, this guy is happy, funny with the crowd and we speak to each others between somes songs, cause we knows each other. He asked me if I like the sound of he new bass, a thunderbird like Pete, cause he want to respect the sound of pete and pete himself. Theres was 1800 or more peoples.

But what can I say all peoples around me have hats,t-shirt of UFO. Sustain of guitar and we go with LET IT ROLL .After the song the crownd start to scream 'PHIL MOGG, PHIL MOGG' - this place begins to go crazy.

Next I AM A LOSER, THIS KIDDS with the VINNIE MAN on board he's playing was incredible, he smile, interactive with the fans. For me he fit perfectly with the band. JASON is a killer on drums and very active with the crowd, he's stand up behind of his drums tell to poeples to clap her hands. And after I AM A LOSER and BABY BLUE he said PHIL MOGG and JASON applause PHIL. JASON was so intense he stand up again before LOVE TO LOVE and he show us his tattoo of ZEP BONZO and he point the sky and tell us this one is for you dad. It was very emotional moment. Again after this song he point PHIL and applause him. In the case of PAUL RAYMOND I think this guy is one of the most underrated talent, he plays keyboards, guitars, back vocals is a general behind the band, he make's winkles, smile to poeples but what a job he make for the band. Now place to LIGHT OUT, TOO HOT TO HANDLE AND ROCK BOTTOM make this place completly crazy,poeples screams,sings with the band.The band left the stage and comeback to do the encore DOCTOR DOCTOR,when I saw PHIL and PAUL singning together with the same microphone I was so touched to see them together,it's not my fault but somes tears fall down to my face. Cause I knew there was the last songs of the show and after 30 years of hope,this kind of thing can happen. THIS SHOW WAS MORE THAN AWESOME. when light go up it's time for me to leave, I was there for UFO only and believe me I'm not "THE ONLY ONES" who did that. UFO fans goes outside to meet the band, I 'm sorry for BOC but poeples was theres for UFO, hundreds of thems were near from the bus and the party continue.

Finally my dreams come true I met PHIL for the first time in my old life and he was very funny with me, he began to tell my name he said your Maynard, I read your letter and thanks I apreciate what you write to me. that was he said. He take time to sign my beautiful leather jacket with his own face paint in the back, he said I was so surprise when you show me this jacket when we play ONLY YOU CAN ROCK ME.

I said I try a lots of time to show you when you were on stage. After we talks PHIL goes near the bus to sign a lots autographs, he recieve somes hugs. HE was what I imagine of him all my life. thank's my wife STEPHANIE, my dude ANDRÉ and GILLES And ZEF to kick my ass to go there. I'll never forget that. Thanks Mrs. MOGG to all the time you take for me. For finnish the UFO fans are very CLASSY and the coolest peoples than met.

TRISTAN, BATTTTTY, GILLES and ZEF thank's for keeping the light on for the greatest band in the world call UFO.LIKE BATTTTTY said HE DESERVE IT.

See ya

FRANK MAYNARD

This review from Drew and Mary at New Jersey

We were in the very front and Vinman tossed us a few picks that he used. He used two EB Silhouettes (one purple, one beige) and also a blue acoustic-I forget the model. People were very receptive it seemed. After UFO's set, I went to the head and heard 3 dudes saying that Vinman stole the show. I couldn't agree more. I 'm sure the vast majority of the audience agreed. Vinman f#ckin' rocked! We posed for pics after the show with Jason Bonham, Phil Mogg, Vinman, and Barry Sparks. Paul Raymond kind of darted out of there (for whatever reason) so we didn't get a chance to meet him. Anyway, VM was very gracious in giving my fiance and I all access passes!!! So we went anywhere we wanted. We rendezvoused in the VIP room backstage when BOC took the stage. Vinman, the consummate gentleman, was gracious enough and took the time to sign all my swag. And he seemed pretty happy to show off my VM-1 splatter to Jason Bonham! as well as the two covers to Vman's 2 instructional tape covers. Afterall, there was a shredding life before UFO! He also signed my Mind's Eye LP cover, a photo of me and him back in 1999 from one of his clinics, the cover of Guitar For The Practicing Musician with him on the cover from Feb. 1988 (love them boots!) ha ha! He and Jason were flipping through the mag and getting some kicks from the good 'ol days. Also, my copy of Defying Gravity (the only CD that I never got VM to sign previously). At last, but not certainly least, VM signed the front of my minty VM-1 splatter. We also posed for a few pics with it. He noodles on it a bit and noticed that the neck was one of the few that's he's seen that didn't fade to a funky yellowish color. It's still a prestine white. BTW, the VM picks are really nice on this tour (tortoise shell with gold letting "UFO" on the top, and "Vinnie Moore" in script below the "UFO" on one side (similar design to the Alice Cooper tour), and on the other is "Ernie Ball". We got 3 of them. Later, when we were in the "blue room", my bud Eddie Trunk from Q104.3 and XM Satellite Radio was there. He's a HUGE UFO fan and was asking Vinman to do his show on Friday night after the B.B. King's gig on 10/1 in NYC. VM should really do the show because Eddie has a fairly sizeable following in the NY/NJ area. And now that's he's on XM, he's on "The Boneyard" show on saturday nights as well as on friday night in the local NY/NJ market. This will/could be excellent exposure! I have to remind him on Wednesday night when we see him again that he should really consider doing the live in-studio appearance. We would have hung out a bit longer backstage, but VM's friend (bass player during the Alice Cooper tour) was waiting outside, and with the limited time, we understood. So I get to buy a beer on Wednesday night instead! Thanks Vinman, you rock! We had a great time thanks to you.
Regards, Drew & Mary

And this one, also from New Jersey, from 'Davesnhere' - a Ted Nugent fan

Just caught Barry Sparks playing with UFO last night here in Jersey. Man, If you get a chance to catch this show DO IT!!! These guys are firing on all cylinders, Phil Mogg's voice still sounds like it did 30 years ago! While I was really looking forward to Pete Way on Bass,(Pete couldn't get a visa) Barry sure wailed away in his place! Also, Vinnie Moore and Jason Bonham are quite awesome players too! I felt kinda sorry for Blue Oyster Cult who were the headliners after UFO, It kinda reminded me of any act that has to go on after Ted. Yes UFO was amazing!!!

Ed Keegan from Paulsboro NJ was at The Keswick and The Starland

I was lucky enough to catch both these shows being a HUGE fan of both these bands UFO and BOC I was in heaven on these two nights. The KESWICK show was AMAZING both band kicked major ass UFO did (doctor doctor, rock bottom, mother mary, I 'm a loser, only you can rock me, too hot to handle, lights out, let it roll, daylight goes to town, and baby blue). I think thats all the songs if my memory serves correct and BOC made several references to what a great band UFO is and let them have a very long set for an opening slot which was awesome. Both bands played about the same amount of time. For a last minute stand in Barry Sparks was unbelievable and did Pete proud and was as much a visual attraction, head bangin around as Pete woulda been. Phil sounded exceptional. What can ya say he's the ultimate professional and he as was the rest of the band was, having great fun, the end of the show probably the last 5 songs saw a bull rush of UFO fans gathering in front center goin bananas (I was one of them) as Phil all smiles kept holding the mic-stand out as we all sang every word. Paul sounded and looked good, Jason was right on, and Vinnie was well MINDBLOWING on guitar... BOC were just as great - they too had a stand in bass player as Danny Miranda has left the band. KUDOS to their replacement as well, he did a great job. STARLAND BALLROOM - This show was filled beyond capacity and was uncomfortable to navigate around and I got stuck far back for this one but again great show. Pretty close to the same setlist and again the band was on but Ipersonally liked the Keswick show better probably to a degree cause Iwas in like the 10th row at that one but a great show nonetheless, and sadly Bobby Rondinelli's last gig with BOC as he is concentrating on his solo band.

Mark Madden's review of Pittsburgh
(also, see HERE for Mark's preview)

The July 2004 issue of Classic Rock ranks the top 100 front men of all time. Ratings like that are arbitrary at best, capricious at worst, facts proven by Phil Mogg's far-too-low standing at No. 22.

It's a safe assumption that the front men listed were evaluated based on their primes. Which begs the question: How would you rank them now?

Mogg easily jumps over the six dead guys. Rock 'n' roll is, after all, a war of attrition.

Having seen No. 3 Robert Plant, No. 4 David Lee Roth, No. 5 Steven Tyler, No. 6 Ozzy Osbourne, No. 7 Axl Rose and No. 8 Bruce Dickinson in the not-too-distant past, it's fair to say that all of them can taste the urine, because Phil pisses all over them. Fact is, the only front man listed above Mogg who can make a vague case for topping him now is No. 21 Rob Halford. Whether that's because his persona has been refreshed via being largely out of the public eye for 14 years or because gay is in, who can tell?

After seeing UFO in Pittsburgh Sept. 28, however, I can tell you one thing for certain: Phil Mogg, in "Force It"-caliber fighting trim, is classic rock's reigning heavyweight champion.

The rest of the band ain't bad, either. Barry Sparks has gone from being a UFO fan to being UFO's bassist, but he still sings along with every word. Jason Bonham has kept his dad's attitude and much of his skills alive. Paul Raymond still provides the necessary flourishes. Vinnie Moore takes a bit of getting used to because he doesn't play everything by rote like you-know-who, but that's not a bad thing.

But at this juncture, UFO are about Mogg. That's not a bad thing, either.

Even at fifty-whatever, Mogg sounds just like he always has and looks just like he should. His fear of flying-V finally quelled, he dominates the stage territorially and aurally. Except for the thinning hair and odd wrinkle, it's as if he stepped out of a time machine straight from the "Lights Out" tour. He still misses the odd vocal cue, and he has lyric sheets taped to the stage, but he's still Phil Mogg.

Compromise got Tyler a monster hit on a movie soundtrack. Lack thereof got Mogg a gig in a 500-seat theatre in Pittsburgh.

If Phil's disappointed, he does a good job hiding it. He still revels in UFO, and the fact that UFO dates in America draw a small but loyal crowd of fanatical die-hards seems to boost his morale.

The sound in Pittsburgh was awful for 4-5 songs. Schenker would have taken hostages. But Phil got through it, celebrating the sound man's ultimate victory by saying, "With this band, things tend to not always go perfectly." I may have said "No kidding" a bit too loud.

I find song-by-song reviews boring. Suffice it to say UFO sounded like UFO, which is the highest compliment I can pay. If you insist on a highlight, Vinnie ripped "This Kid's" to shreds.

The last time I saw UFO was Manchester 2000. You know the story. But I was also at Newcastle the night before, which was a very good show. At Newcastle - and I 've recounted this moment on the Internet before - Phil's mic lead got disconnected during the solo in "Too Hot to Handle," but when Phil couldn't be heard, the punters roared to the rescue: "Sha la la la, roll you over…"

In Pittsburgh, Mogg blanked in the middle of final encore "Shoot Shoot." Once again, the strangers in the night steered the ship properly: "I've really got to get a fast ride out of here…"

After all he's done to fly UFO's flag, Phil deserves our help now and again. He is, after all, the last man standing. In Pittsburgh, he proved he's standing taller than ever.

BONUS TRACK: ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE GREAT ONE!

Jason Bonham had been a guest on my radio show, so I was invited on the tour bus to meet UFO before the show. I spoke mostly with Phil. Paul and Barry interjected a bit, while Vinnie and Jason merely said hello. No complaints; it was right before the gig and everyone was gracious.

Phil: "Well, here we are in close quarters, and there's no drama, as you can see."

I told Phil we had met before, and he asked where. So I handed him my ticket and backstage pass from Manchester 2000.

Phil (smiling wryly): "Oh, my…"

Paul (leaning in): "You were there? For that?"

Me: "You missed all the excitement, Paul."

Paul: "I didn't miss the excitement at Tokyo Sunplaza, though."

Phil: "Or in California…where was it? Modesto?"

Yes...I think. It really is hard to keep track.

I don't know if that exchange was the proverbial bonding moment between me and UFO's two old soldiers. But I like to think everyone present realized we've been sharing the same foxhole.

Dean was also at Pittsburgh

The concert has been over for more than 24 hours but I 'm still too tired to do a decent writeup. The last 8 days have been the busiest I can remember. I 'll do a quickie here. The band was in excellent form, no sloppy playing, missed cues, etc. I wish I could say the same about the sound. The first half of the show was plagued by feedback, probably from Barry's bass. They finally got that fixed but at no point was Vinnie's guitar loud enough in the mix. The result was muddy sound and I was straining to hear the Vinnie's guitar most of the time. My brother kept moving closer to the stage and closer to the speakers on Vinnie's side to hear him better and he said it was somewhat better right in front of the stage. Phil was in fine vocal form and the band generally was tighter than a frog's ass, and that's watertight. It was great to see Paul Raymond back where he belongs - he's gotta be the most underappreciated member of UFO ever. The set was 3 or 4 songs off the new CD, Fighting Man, and the mandatory shitload of songs from Strangers in the Night. That begs the question why is the shitload of SITN stuff mandatory? They played for almost two hours but played nothing from Covenant and WOW. There was also not a single song from the entire decade of the 80's. 9 or 10 Strangers songs but no Middle of Madness. I saw them play all of those songs back in the day. I hadn't seen them live in 22 years and they only played 5 songs of the hundred or so they've recorded since 1978.

Also worth mentioning was Barry Sparks. For a guy to jump in at the last minute and play like he's been in the band for 25 years, well, I was quite impressed. You would think that a guy who isn't really a member of the band would want to stand queitly in the corner way out of the spotlight, but not Barry. He was right there in front where Pete would normally be acting like he was possessed by Pete's spirit. I 've heard some complaints that this was more like a UFO cover band with Phil singing, that it isn't really UFO without Michael or Pete, etc., that it was like a UFO version of Beatlemania. That just isn't so. This is a great band at the top of their game. Hey, I wish Michael was still with the band, too, and I wish he wasn't such an eccentric, but if ifs and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas. Michael is a unique player and I 've never heard anybody duplicate his leads and especially his tone. Paul C. couldn't, Atomik Tommy couldn't, that guy who was on the 1992 album (I can't remember his name) couldn't, and Vinnie can't, either, although I have to give him credit for nailing the solo on This Kid's perfectly.

The crowd was large (possibly a sellout) and enthusiastic, and the band looked like they were really enjoying themselves. I got the impression that they were as happy to be there as I was, and I was quite ecstatic. All in all an excellent show. I 'm thinking about trying to catch the Cleveland show if my wife will let me.

Drew and Mary had been at Sunday's NJ show, and were also at BB King's on 29th September

Last night's show was better than Sunday's show in my opinion. Two reasons; the acoustics at B.B. King's, and the band's overall mood. They seemed in better spirits last night and it showed in their performance. Everyone looked like they were having a great time. And being in the heart of the theater district in New York City is more of a thrill than some club next to an auto junkyard in Sayerville NJ! A bit more glamorous to say the least. And the sound was much better coming from all sides; much cleaner than the Sayerville show. Phil, Vinnie, Paul, Barry, Jason all hit their respective marks. A superb performance by all. In fact, I heard a few fans say how Phil's voice sounded stronger than ever.
Earlier, we had arrived at 8:40PM. By then 75% of the house was filled. By showtime (9:10PM), the place was packed. We were in the front to the left (we found a table) which was amazing! There was a $10.00 minimum per person to sit at a table (big deal-bring on the cocktails)! EDDIE TRUNK came out on stage to introduce the band. Eddie is the host of "Friday Night Rocks" on Q104.3 here in the NY/NJ area and he's on XM Radio on Saturday nights. Again, he's a huge UFO fan and plays all hard rock and metal during his programs. They played until 11:00PM (two encores). The UFO fans were going crazy! You can tell from the looks of Phil and Paul's face that they were being well received. Smiles and thanks all the way around. Excellent, excellent show!!!! I took a bunch of photos. Some good, some not so good (my digital needs an adjustment) so it was a numbers game. Rest assured, I have photos on the way to share. After the show, we waited stage right to go back. There were a small legion of fans waiting to meet and have swag signed as well. Vinnie got us on the guest list but didn't put us on the aftershow? Yikes! We were in the minority? Noooooooo!!! Screw that! We got word to Vinman backstage and he came (running) out (HA HA) and said to the maestro of the velvet rope "These two are with me".....and off we went! Thanks Vman! We chilled with the Vinman for a while and I pointed out Eddie Trunk to him and told him that he'd get some good PR if he did the show, so it looks like it's a go. Look for the UFO interview after the show this Friday on Q104.3 in NYC and on "The Boneyard" on Saturday night on XM Satellite Radio. I also spotted Mike Piazza who is good friends with Eddie. He'll be in the studio too during "Friday Night Rocks." And before Paul Raymond darted off again (I caught you this time)! I got a photo with him as well as his autograph. In fact, I had all five bandmates sign the UFO "You Are Here" poster, the setlist from Sunday's show, as well as a bunch of 8x10's of me, my fiance, and the band that I had made from Sunday's show. They were all personalized to me, and or my fiance.
Back to the band... I brought Phil over to sign my swag, and when he saw the picture of the three of us, he said "Where is she?" and I said that she was in the other room. "That's my fiance" I said, and Phil goes "That's your fiance? Lovely, simply lovely." (I couldn't agree more!) Then Mary came out and we talked with Phil for a while about his workout routine amongst other things. He's a maniac! He told us he's in the gym four days per week for two hours a day. No wonder he looks phenomenal! The discipline is there and it certainly shows. Phil: Kudos! I also talked with Ed and Mike Piazza a bit, and Mary and I chatted with Barry. Barry's a really nice guy and it's always great to see him perform. I had him sign my copy of "Magnum Opus" and "I Can't Wait" CD's from Yngwie, as well as my copy of "Long Way Home" from Dokken. We stayed backstage for about an hour and we had a great time!! Vinman got underway and was going to catch a train home for a couple of days before Friday's gig. What a guy! I guess there's nothing like your own bed when you're on the road. And being so close, I don't blame him. Hopefully us VM fans will see some solo material again. We talked a bit about that, so stay tuned! As we left the club, we saw Phil on 42nd St. under the marquee signing autographs for his fans. Unbelievable!!!! I just had to have Phil sign my copy of "You Are Here" and thanked him once again. Off we went, into the night...Lovely! Thanks VM..You rock!!!~

Our friend edDie was at BB King's for Friday's show, and wrote this as soon as he got home!

Hi all, killer show tonight! The set rocked. They opened with Midnight Train and ripped through all the Schenker classics and 4 songs off You Are Here. They also did Fighting Man from Sharks. I was down in the front for Love to Love. Mogg is looking really fit. He was swigging away on the Heinekens onstage but was never sloppy. The best part was when I was going in, me and my Japanese friend and a Russian friend overheard someone saying 'hey, isn't that the keyboard player????????' I turn around and who is in line behind me - PAUL RAYMOND! So I shook his hand and said 'Oh this is great. I 'm so happy to be here for the Plastic Penny show and the Chicken Shack set later on'. He just started laughing his ass off and said 'Oh God no I don't think so'. He was really cool but had to get backstage. I met VInnie Moore for a minute and he was cool too. Anyway I 'm wiped out ! For anyone who has not seen the show yet , you are going to love it. Barry did very well even though Pete's presence was missing. Barry pulled it off great. So many people I have not seen in years either. What a night! Well folks, that's all. If you do want a detailed set list I will have to do it Sunday but I think the set has been the same all over. GOOD NIGHT ALL!
p.s. Mogg came out during Doctor Doctor and Shoot Shoot wearing a Scottish kilt. - oh, and yes, the construction boots. How can we miss those!

Tom was also at at BB King's on Friday night

It's noon on Saturday and I `m still speechless. This band rocks the doors off the place. I get to B.B' s with my 3 buddies, buy the tickets and get seated at a table on the stage and dead center. We couldn`t believe the seats. The magical night started very early for us die-hard UFO fans. The band came out and started kicking ass right off the bat. Everybody was standing and remained that way throughout the concert. I could see that the band really fed off the crowd, it was a total die-hard UFO crowd. I saw UFO in 1978 in NYC and again last Sunday at the Starland. As disappointing as it was last Sunday when UFO came on before Blue Oyster they still sounded great. I `ve waited 26 years for my dream UFO concert and last night it happened. Wow......... I `m still shaking my head. Throughout the concert I would catch eye contact with Jason as he was right in front of me, a few feet away. My arm's banging along with him and J man banging even harder as he looked at me...... what a rush. The band knew right from the start that they had a serious crowd to please....They did a fantastic job. VM`s guitarwork was unreal. Vinnie had the crowd really behind his work and played faithfully to the older song's riffs. To have the V man come over from my left and play in your face was beyond the dreams I used to think about. Mr. Mogg was on his game also.That man is getting BETTER with age, wow........ As I stared at him singing right on top of me the intensity was going throughout my body. But the Phil man quickly made me come out of my zone when he grasped the mic stand and flung it around in the way only he can...... he damn near knocked me in the jaw twice. Thank God I was watching him instead of Jason or Vinnie... What a night, Phil came out with an English skirt on for the encore songs along with his classic workboots. What a sight to see. Anyway ... to top off my dream UFO concert at the end of the show the V man came over and handed me a guitar pick and shook my hand......,what a great guy..... thanks Vinnie............... I want to thank the band for taking good care of us die-hard fans and good luck with the rest off the tour....... come back soon, ya hear!

Tom B.

Tom and his son were at BB King's NY

So much to say, don't know where to start. I was at the stage right in front of Vinnie with my 15 year old son, blew his mind. So close that at one point I raised my hand in the air just as Vinnie came to the very edge of the stage and bumped his hand [didn't mess him up or get him upset]. OK right to the good stuff. Saw them in NJ a week before and got a pic of Phil and myself, got him to sign it at the NY show. Got the set list off the stage got Phil and Vinnie to sign it. Got Barry, Vinnie and Jason to sign the You are Here CD. Oh and when Vinnie came out after the show he went right to my son pointed to him looked him dead in the eye and said "I saw you rockin out there" my son was speechless. I gave my son an Eddie Trunk tee shirt I got a the MSG/ULI show which I had Chris Logan sign to Jarrett[my son] Phil signed it to Jarrett at the NJ show. Well, he got Vinnie, Barry and Jason to sign it. We got pic's with them and talked with Vinnie and Barry for quite a while. Phil & Jason were kinda busy talking with others but we did meet them.

What's missing? Paul was not there [backstage where all this was happening]. Well, outside Jarrett said hey there's Paul so I called out to him. He stops and signs my sons shirt and we got a pic of Paul, Jarrett and myself. We spoke for a few minutes then he had to go. What a great bunch of guys!!!

Needless to say me and my boy are still on cloud 9.

Scott was at The Chance at Poughkeepsie

UFO landed on stage at The Chance (Poughkeepsie NY) on Saturday October 2nd at about 11:45 pm. They wouldn't be taking off again till it was Sunday morning (1:20am). This show was one of the best UFO shows I have ever attended. The band was tight the sound just right. The set list is as follows:
Midnight Train
Mother Mary
Daylight Comes to Town
Let It Roll
Im A Loser
This Kids
The Wild One
Fightin' Man
Only You Can Rock Me
Baby Blue
Mr Freeze (awesome)
Love To Love
Too Hot To Handle
Lights Out
Rock Bottom
(encore #1)
Doctor, Doctor
(encore#2)
Shoot Shoot

Phil sounded excellent, Vinnie took it over the top, Jason was great on the
skins. Not much more to say , too bad if you missed it. For the hundred or
so of us that were there what a treat!

Holly Green was also at The Chance

First time Ihad seen UFO was 78. That had been a great show, but this one was even better. Amazing how things do improve with age. Hadn't seen them since the 80's with Paul and Neil, so I was definitely keen that this was almost the original line up again. I had my place right in front of Barry and Paul the entire night

Pity that Pete's visa didn't get sorted, but it was wonderful to see Barry do such a killer job. i don't know how he does it, but they should bottle that energy! During the 2nd song I flashed Barry my Batttttty sign and got a big grin from him! I was so pleased to see Paul Raymond again. He never gets enough credit for all that he does. Ihad last seen him in MSG.... the man has not aged. Wonderful turquoise/sterling bracelet too (Navajo I believe).

Jason was an excellent additio n- seemed to be having a grand time. Vinnie put his own stamp on the old standards and showed WHY he was chosen. I do hope they record some of these shows. This was one of the most moving versions of "Love To Love" I think I have witnessed through the years - almost brought me to tears.

And Phil was superb!! Had the aura of Sinatra on stage - he owned it. He didn't need to do anything except sing - hell he could have sat down for the whole show - wouldn't have mattered. Not to knock huge productions, but it was refreshing to see a legendary band just using THEIR own gifts, not the LD's or pyro man's! As others have stated, it could have gone on endlessly. i think we were all satisfied .
the boys were all gracious enough to do a meet'n'greet by the bus after the show. Missed Jason, but was very pleased to have gotten to meet Vinnie & finally have a photo with Phil!

Great to see Barry again- such a sweetie! And Paul... nice and charming as he ever was - thanks so much. A beautiful evening all round...

Cam and Sharon are from Vancouver and travelled to NY for the BB King's show

Living in Vancouver Canada doesn't allow me to see UFO very often- in fact I don't think they've EVER been here. I had only seen them once in 1982, in Seattle. I read stories of you people going to multiple UK and Europe dates and I was so envious!

But, I got a measure of revenge because when my wife and I planned a trip to New York, I noticed UFO would be there at the same time. Score!

BB Kings holds about 400 or so, and it's a great place to see a band. good sight lines, but there was table seating on the floor, and I think it would have been better to clear them out and allow more room. We got there and just caught the opening act, Healing Sixes. Good, kinda bluesy, but nothing special.

UFO took the stage at 9:10 PM, and opened with Midnight Train. The sound was not very good for the first 3 songs. Not loud enough, and Vinnie was absolutely buried in the mix. I was thinking to myself that maybe time had passed the old boys by. Boy, was I wrong.

Suddenly, they tore into Let It Roll, and the mix cleaned up, and the awesome power of UFO broke through. Phil sounded like it was 1977. He's lost absolutely no vocal power at all. Incredible. Decked out in black and big stomping boots, he looked really fit and healthy. Vinnie STILL could've been louder, but still demonstrated he's one fine axe slinger. Paul Raymond looked so happy to be on stage. He was BORN to be in UFO with Phil, and in my opinion he's the vital glue that holds the band together. He looked great with his left handed Les Paul, and provided the trademark keyboards, alway tasty,never overbearing. Barry Sparks was a big surprise for me. I was bummed when I heard there would be no Pete Way on this tour, but Barry is a consummate bass player and showman. Far from standing still in the back, he prowled the stage like he owned it, and his bass work is incredible. Jason hits them hard like his Daddy did, and he has the same aggressive tempo as his father. I still think Andy Parker is the best drummer in Rock, but if you gotta go with someone else, Jason is right up there.

The Set List:
Midnight Train
Mother Mary
Daylight Goes to Town
Let It Roll
I 'm A Loser
This Kid's
Wild One
Fighting Man
Only You Can Rock Me
Baby Blue
Mr. Freeze
Love to Love (the highlight for me- I closed my eyes and just drank it in. Beautiful version.)
THTH
Lights Out
Rock Bottom

Doctor Doctor
Shoot Shoot

All the guys just looked really happy. No drama- no BS. just 5 guys all pulling the same way. It was wonderful to see. Phil was animated and talked a lot to the crowd. I would've loved to hear some Tonka-era stuff, and Maybe some WOW tracks, but that can be the next
tour. Vinnie Moore is a great fit for UFO. His playing has a European tone, different than Michael's but great nonetheless.

I left thinking that UFO is better than 99% of other bands who made it far bigger than they did. It's criminal that this band wasn't Led Zeppelin huge. Ah, what could have been................ But they're still out there rocking, and they showed me the magic is still there. That's why I love this band...................

PHOTOS courtesy of my beautiful wife Sharon! Well done, sweetie!

Cam and Sharon
Vancouver Canada

Karen and T3DD were at The Roxy in Northampton PA

Scott Bond was at Pops at Le Sauget

I just got back from St. Louis after seeing UFO at Pop's in Sauget last night. What a show!! It was everything I had hoped for and more. It was the first time my wife had seen them and she fell instantly in love with Phil (just as she did with MS the first time I drug her to see him). I'll not have to force her along the next time. Good sized crowd, probably the largest crowd I've ever seen at Pops. Certainly larger than the two times I saw Schenker there. I ran into Barry out front before the show and told him that Battty sent me, you should have seen the shock, (note from Batttttty - were you wearing *that* shirt...?) then smile that spread over his face. The opening act was droning on at 11 so I didn't really get to chat with him but he did sign my pickguard. The show itself rocked, same setlist pretty much, though to my delight they played Wild One from You Are Here. I had not seen that one listed before but may have missed it.

I got what I think are going to be some great photos, I have to take the borrowed camera back to its owner tonight to get them dumped off to a cd. I'll forward the best ones along this evening or tomorrow. I also got to meet up with Tom (Steeleblue55) at the show, he's a great guy. We had taken a cab across the river so that we could enjoy ourselves and he was kind enough to drive us back to our hotel. Despite the enigmatic managers' replies of "probably not" to inquiries re: is the band coming out to visit, our diligence paid off and we got to see all but Jason after the show. They were all very gracious and appreciative of the fans. I had Phil and Paul sign a picture of them that I had taken the first time I saw UFO back in 1980 in Memphis. Paul seemed especially delighted with the picture and asked me to e-mail a copy of it to his girlfriend. If you are interested it's on the web HERE. That's Tonka over there behind Phil with his head down. I think of all the pics I took that night only a few show his face. You can't tell from this photo but Phil had a cast on his left arm. I have a wedding to attend this weekend or I'd be loading up and heading to Chicago on Sunday. Hopefully they'll be back around soon.

Mike Geiger was also at Pops

Fellow believers,

After having read the great reviews from the previous USA shows, I was hopeful that the St. Louis appearance would be equally filled with energy. Having been at the St. Louis show last night, I can tell you that I wasn't disappointed. Just before the band went on, the lights went down and some old school Robert Johnson style blues went through the PA. Shortly thereafter UFO appeared and thundered through the 17 song set that appears to be this tour's standard. The St. Louis venue was a bar /club type setting, very intimate. The songs provided a good mix, with virtually all of the old standards played quite faithfully. Anyone holding tickets for future shows need not worry about the band's lineup. Everyone played tight. Barry on bass and Vinnie's guitar were first rate. Bonham was great on the drums. The most impressive to me was Phil... Much energy there... and the best thing about it was you could tell he STILL BELIEVED IT. That's right, no sellouts, no commercial accommodations, no inclination to soften the punch... Phil still has the vibe of a hungry rocker, ready to prove to the world that he has something to say (by the way, the voice is still great).

Every song was performed with excellence. The two encores, Doctor Doctor and Shoot Shoot were outstanding.

I would like to compliment the band on the new disc as well, You Are Here is great. We can only hope this band continues to perform and create.

Mike from Illinois

John was also at Pops

Caught the show at Pop's night club in Sauget Oct. 8th. It's a small club 5minutes from St. Louis. Needless to say, my ears were ringing two days later!! But that's a good thing!! The set list was the same as other shows, and the band sounded great. UFO have not been in the area since the Walk on Water tour of '95. The band seemed to be very happy with the reception they got. Phil sounded great and is a great frontman. Vinnie was very, very, good.That's coming from a HUGE Schenker fan. It was great to see Paul
back with the band. He played guitar more than anything, and it filled in just perfect. His looks never change. Barry has picked everything up quick. Jason does nothing but work his ass off!! He has really matured into a fine drummer. His dad would be proud. Great show, don't miss it!!!!!!!

John from Collinsville, Illinois

And here are Debbie Brand's thoughts on the Pops show

I have been listening to UFO since 1984. Every Friday when I got a paycheck I would go and buy a different UFO album. (I was 16) The Pop's show was the very first time I have ever seen them live. I was not disappointed!!!!!!!!!!!! I took my 17 year daughter with me. (she's been listening to UFO all her life, whether she liked or not). She is an aspiring guitar player and was totally blown away by Vinnie!!! At Pop's they kick you out after the show if your not 21, so we didn't get to stay and see if they came out after the show. I would have loved to see Pete Way live and in person. The show was awesome! Phil is not showing any signs of retiring anytime soon, so I'm sure I will get to see them live again. I love your site! It's really hard to find anyone in St.Louis (especially my age) who loves UFO as much as I do. It's great to hear from others all over the country (and Canada) with their reviews of the shows. Keep up the GREAT work!
Debbie

Bill was at The Magic Bag in Detroit on October 8th

Finally!!! October 8th arrived. The Magic Bag is an old movie theatre turned in to a concert club. The venue holds roughly 350 people.
Around 10:30 Friday night, the lights dimmed in the cozy confines of the club to the sound of John Lee Hookers 'I'm A Man' blasting through the speaker system. UFO landed in Ferndale (a suburb of Detroit) around 10:35 Friday night. The energy and excitement from the near capacity crowd was ready to burst, and then it happened.UFO makes contact with Detroit!
The band came out roaring with 'Midnight Train'. I could not wipe the smile from my face, as I could not believe what I was seeing. UFO on stage no more than 6 feet in front of me. The band was grinning ear to ear as were the crowd of mostly 40-year-old rockers. I was truly astonished at how great they sounded and how happy they looked to be performing at such a small venue.
Phil was sounding as good as ever. I did not notice any vocal cracks or missed lyrics. He looked like he was ready to rock all night with his
ever-present work boots, and chiseled frame. Phil was very personable with the crowd, making comments and joking around. He thanked some chaps for the rounds of drinks from the neighboring Irish pub. Phil was baffled that there actually was a waitress working the general admission floor. He made a few comments about what a great situation we were in to have drinks come to us on the main floor. Phil toasted the crowd many times as he drank from his Heinekens, stating, "I don't normally drink when performing, but.. Cheers!"
The rest of the band was just having a ball as they cranked flawlessly through newer tunes and classics. Even though Barry's amp was having some problems, they kept in good spirits not letting it bother them. I know if it was any of the younger bands having equipment problems they probably would of stormed off the stage. Barry just kept smiling and singing along to every song.

Barry was an excellent replacement for Pete, very animated and energetic. Paul was a class act. Paul was looking younger and younger with each song. He was making eye contact and smiling at all the cheers people were sending his way. Jason bashed away all night long, he sang along with most of the songs and was making the crazy 'guitar solo faces' with each hit of the skins. Vinnie was flawless. His solos were true to Schenker's with a touch of his own flavor on them. It was truly a pleasure to be surrounded by so many UFO fans. No one was
pushing or shoving, nobody throwing up next you, no mullet men trying to start a fight, just a bunch of old school rockers who have pretty much seen it all enjoying a intimate evening with a class act band. I feel so privileged to have witnessed this event in the setting it was in. It was almost like a private concert for 300. "Hey guys, grab some beers and come over and watch us rock out".

At the show's end I got a pick from Barry, Phil's set list, 43 up-close pictures, met Phil and Barry at their bus and got some pictures and a
handshake, and a concert shirt for only $20. I could not believe what an incredible night it was. This was my first UFO concert after being a fan for 20+ years. I am 35 years old and have been to many concerts, this ranks as the best one ever for musicianship, atmosphere, and song quality. No-nonsense balls out classic hard rock. I will cherish that night forever with a hint of guilt that more people are not familiar with this band. I could go on about what a shame it is that they are not on a major tour playing stadiums, but than I would never of had the chance to have such an up-close and personal experience with these rock icons. Thank you very much UFO! Fly high!

Here is the set list: Midnight Train Mother Mary Daylight Let It Roll Loser- One of my favorites from the night This Kids Wild One Fighting Man Only You Can Rock Me Baby Blue Mr. Freeze Love To Love To Hot Too Handle Lights Out Rock Bottom Doctor Doctor Shoot Shoot I have attached some of the better pictures from the show. I am looking to get a concert promo poster from this gig. If anyone attending has one or no were I can get one please contact me at Bvphaze3@yahoo.com Also, if you have a bootleg copy of the show, please contact me.

More photos from DETROIT

The only negative thing I can say about the show is this. To the guy and girl that stood in front of Vinnie all night long waving his Minds Eye album jacket. You guys are very dissapointing. Phil took the time out to acknowledge the album, talked with you personally many times during the show and Vinnie even held it up. What do you due in return? After the show you reach up on stage and grab Phils personal folder with his lyrics and notes. Ripping it apart trying to steal it. After all this man and his band for us over the years, you feel that is not enough. I was the one who yelled at you to stop it. Thank you for putting it down, but you still tore that mans property to shreds. I feel sad for Phil and for you. Shame on you.

Rene flew in from Canada to Detroit

Just back from the Magic Bag in MI. Drove all day to get there and then all night to get home. 12 hours where "the blacktop never ends" but it was worth it. Mr. Mogg was energetic and entertaining and looked very fit (as a professor of kinesiology I notice these things). It was really good to see Mr. Raymond as well - a most underated player in by books. He looked happy and playful even. The sound was a bit off (to me) but the playing was superb. Jason sure makes a difference. Vinny stood right in front of me and was interacting with the fellows in the mosh pit very well. I have to say that I missed Michael's unique playing but Vinny was excellent in his own right. Of course he sounded best on his own songs. My favourite parts were when he interpreted the classics his way instead of just trying to mimic Michael, which few could do well anyway. Rock Bottom was a bit dissapointing to me (just has to be Michael I guess) but Love to Love was fantastic. Vinny's new bits at the end of this song were really fine. A real highlight for me. THTH was also superb as was DD. They did very little off of WOW, Covenant or Sharks. Baby Blue was another highlight. The (sober) people around me seemed most impressed with this one. I would have liked to hear Swallow. I love that song. Sympathy too (another Raymond favorite of mine along with One More For the Rodeo). During DD I called my house - hopefully the message machine recorded this fine encore! International call but what the hell.

Hans was at The House Of Blues in Chicago

Where do I start. Well, we got 4 tunes from YAH. Daylight Goes To Ttown, Wild One, Baby Blue and Mr. Freeze finally satisfying my constant yelling for it. I think I would call the night 'Realizing Vinnie'. I say that because while he didn't make me forget about Schenker ;), he turned a whole crowd of apprehension (MANY still thought it was going to be Schenker on the banjo) into believers. I was with a group of about 8 and 7 didn't know beforehand, but bore constant grins after the show. The missus had never been to any UFO gig before. Took her right down front 10 deep in front of Scottish Phil. She couldn't believe the electricity within the crowd. The constant singing of ALL the words. The cool people around. The buzz if I may... Told me at least 10 times what a great show it was.

Sorry, no meet up for us. Couldn't wait around as I am in my office already thinking that 8 hours ago I was hearing the closing notes of
Shoot Shoot. Thanks boys, it was great to have you back!

Wayne Voss was at the Chicago House of Blues for both shows

Hello fellow fans... I was fortunate enough to see both of the recent shows at the House of Blues in Chicago this past week, and like all of the other previous reviews to this point, I have nothing but total praise for the band, and the quality of the performances.

I had been holding tickets since the initial tour dates were announced last spring, and needless to say it was killing me to have to wait until this fall. I have been an avid fan since the late 1970's - Strangers LP, and followed them through their trials and adventures ever since. One of the biggest things I noticed, especially at the Sunday night show, was how much fun these guys were having. Never have I
heard Phil talk to the crowd in such great detail, which was really nice to hear and see.

Chicago has always had special place in their heart for this band, and it showed during both performances. While the crowd did not know many of the new songs, as perhaps I did, I think they still appreciated the fact that this was strong music, and that the new material deserves much more attention than it has received in the media. (The Loop - WLUP supposedly supported both shows, but I'm not sure they even know that "You are Here" exists? This is a solid CD, and certainly the bands best effort since WOW.)

Again, the crowds were awesome, and just as in 1995 during the four shows at "The Vic", they belted out the words to every one of the old classics. (My voice is still hoarse four days later! - The song set was the same as the other US shows, so I won't repeat that info here.)

Hopefully this lineup (with either Barry or Pete on base) will stay together for some time. This band deserves to finally get some solid recognition, and for the first time in a long time, I think they have the musicians to justify such praise. From a talent standpoint, this is the most solid lineup I can ever remember (other than when the classic lineup was playing back in the late 1970's, and was revived during some of the WOW tour in 1995). Vinnie Moore, while slightly different in style to Michael Schenker, has sold me on his talent, and certainly will prove to be more reliable than Micheal was. While I truly think Michael is one of the best guitar players in the world, his emotional problems have caused this band much un-needed grief, and certainly a loss in stature as one of the best rock bands of all time. If you had the chance to see Vinnie play you will certainly agree.

My thanks to all the band for bringing back some great memories, for playing hard, and for putting out some awesome music. If you haven't seen these guys on this tour you need to find a place they are playing, and go see them. You won't be sorry! Thanks guys,
Sincerely, Wayne V.

Liz Wiel was at both Chicago shows and also the final night of the tour in Milwaukee

We had excellent weather for the Chicago shows and the atmosphere was pure excitement, so many diehard UFO fans...
Pete was missed but Barry was a fine fill in, you certainly cannot dispute his skills as a bassplayer.
Vinnie was great - I could not wait to hear his renditions of the classics but even more so, the new material and I was happy to have the 4 tracks from YAH.
No divergence really from the prior set lists, only wished we could have had something from WOW.
Jason absolutely kicked ass - he is such an appropriate drummer for this band. I liked how he snuk in a little Zep.
Watching the brilliant Paul Raymond in action was thrilling.
And Phil, what can I say? He was in full glory and is the greatest front man ever.

...Had to see them off on their final stop and Oh my God what a treat the Milwaukee show was! Very small venue but filled with appreciative fans as well they should be - now this may have been due to my location but the sound quality in this place was incredible, even better than at the HOB.
It was awesome to see them in this setting and well worth the trip up to Wisconsin.
It was definitely a night to party not only by the band but fans as well. Phil was just as wonderful in person as I could have imagined and I am still reeling from how cool these guys are and how generous they are to their fans.