If this truly is the way Phil Mogg plans on going out as the original frontman of UFO celebrating five decades, he did so Thursday night at the Aztec Theatre with a bang. In various ways.
His style. His effervescent English humor that makes him arguably the funniest frontman in hard rock and metal. And of course that smooth, classic voice. Mogg, 71, and his original cohort, drummer Andy Parker, brought their timeless band to downtown San Antonio for what’s supposed to be one last time with the soon-to-be-retiring Mogg, if not for the final visit altogether. And UFO may have saved its best Alamo City performance for last (36-photo slideshow with setlist & videos below).
Along with Last In Line, comprised of half of the original members of Dio in guitarist Vivian Campbell and drummer Vinny Appice, the old-school vibes and energetic presentation flowed freely inside an appreciative Aztec. Considering UFO’s tour was in peril six months ago, it was definitely one for the memory banks.
Mogg, Parker and longtime guitarist Vinnie Moore and bassist Rob De Luca endured the death of veteran rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Paul Raymond to a heart attack in April. He was 73. His passing came just after the band had completed the first leg of its tour in the UK. They decided to carry on in the form of Neil Carter, a much more lively version of the reserved Raymond, with Carter — who played on four UFO albums from 1981-83 — patrolling his side of the stage while often encouraging interaction from the crowd.
Shockingly, nary a mention of, or tribute to Raymond, came. Perhaps UFO wanted to keep things lighthearted and not be Debbie Downers, and maybe band members felt it was addressed enough on their website where Parker wrote in April in part:
“I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that I will never again share a stage with him. I have known Paul for a good many years and it would be fair to say that over that time we have had our differences. But even if we didn’t see eye to eye, we still remained good friends. He was always one to make his opinions known and could be very stubborn at times, but that was only because he was so passionate about his craft. Even in recent years, while suffering from the ailments that come to us all with age, he never let them compromise his performance. . . . Rest in peace my friend, you have earned it.”
By contrast, Last In Line, of course, exists due to Campbell and Appice honoring the legacy of, and the music they made with, the late Ronnie James Dio. Campbell, also still in Def Leppard for many years, has caught a lot of flak since forming Last In Line in 2012 and been referred to as a “money grabber” given that Dio fired him in 1986. But along with bassist Jimmy Bain, Campbell and Appice carried on to commemorate the first three albums they made with Dio — 1983’s Holy Diver, 1984’s The Last in Line and 1985’s Sacred Heart. After Bain died aboard one of Def Leppard’s cruise excursions, Campbell and Appice recruited Phil Soussan, who made his mark on Ozzy Osbourne’s 1986 commercially successful The Ultimate Sin.
Armed with vocalist Andrew Freeman, the group shined at the Aztec playing a mix of Dio classics such as “Holy Diver,” “The Last in Line” and “Rainbow in the Dark” with Last In Line tunes “Devil in Me” and Soussan’s tribute to Bain with “Starmaker” (ATM footage below) from Heavy Crown and II. Freeman brings his own style and sound to Last In Line as the band looks to move into the future with a modern rock sound while never forgetting its past. Watch ATM Facebook Live footage of closer “We Rock.”
UFO also mixed in the tunes they’re known for with a dab here and there from their more recent albums such as “Run Boy Run” and “Burn Your House Down.” They never show a trace of tiring from playing mainstays such as “Only You Can Rock Me” (footage below), “Lights Out,” “Love to Love” and “Too Hot to Handle.”
Mogg’s uncanny ability to entertain between songs complements the music. In 2011 at the South Texas Rock Fest at Sunken Garden Theatre, he introduced “Rock Bottom” by saying UFO enjoyed the other bands on the bill “as I’m going to enjoy my ‘Hustler’ magazine later” (ATM footage here).
On Thursday, with Moore poised to continue the group’s long-standing tradition of an extended version of that song, Mogg presented this disclaimer: “If anyone needs to pee, Vinnie’s going to be doing a solo in a while. The solo’s so long, you could take a holiday or have a baby, meet the parents, do Christmas. It’s a long solo.” At least Moore can take solace in the fact some San Antonians also appreciated his guitar work 13 months earlier when he headlined an instrumental set at the Rock Box with former Osbourne guitarist Gus G. (coverage here). And even after the trifecta of “Rock Bottom,” “Fighting Man” and “Doctor Doctor,” UFO added another tradition to end the night that surprisingly wasn’t on the printed setlist: “Shoot Shoot” (watch below).
Although UFO hasn’t 100 percent committed to adding its name to the list of bands that have made their final visits within the past four years — Motley Crue, Slayer, KISS — Thursday did appear to be the swan song for Mogg in San Antonio even if there was no formal mention of “farewell” or “goodbye.” So, that door may remain slightly ajar, even if it would seem unfathomable to watch UFO on stage without the only vocalist it has had since 1969. Either way, the night’s performance of both bands aptly described their genre.
Classic, hard and rockin’.
