UFO

13. Lights Out (Lights Out, 1977) was likely the most memorable song of the night. As I was head banging to the rollicking guitar, bass, and drums, the music felt like a hurricane gaining force and momentum about to peel the ceiling off the club and my face. [A cautionary note to young head bangers front row near a low raised stage: be wary and cognizant of the location of stage monitors. I have driven my forehead into monitors while head banging due to my lack of coordination and appreciation for the laws of physics, acting like an inept martial artist feebly attempting to split the monitor as if it is a pine board.] Lights Out began with an up tempo beat and a slower mid section, providing definition and depth.

14. Rock Bottom (Phenomenon, 1974) featured an extended five to six minute guitar solo during which PM stepped off stage. [I gather PM had enough time to make a quick beer run to the liquor store located across the street.] PM reappeared on stage following VM’s solo concluding what turned out to be a 12 minute epic that left me physically drained akin to a quickie nookie session. Rock Bottom, Too Hot to Handle, and Lights Out were the top three songs. The band left the stage at 11:10 and returned in two minutes to play the first of two encores.



15. Shoot Shoot (Force It, 1975) features heavy drums, a great guitar riff, and an extended solo break. The band left the stage a second time at 11:21 and returned in two minutes to play the second encore.

16. Doctor Doctor (Phenomenon, 1974) was the final song, a strong number, but not as memorable as the preceding three songs.

Two flashback memories are worthy of mention. The first involves seeing Dio at the Cow Palace in San Francisco during the Sacred Heart tour (12-08-85). During that show I recall looking around the nearly sold out 18,000 seat arena at the sea of fans of all ages, those dating back to Ronnie James Dio’s Elf and Rainbow days, as well as newer fans that revered his work with Black Sabbath and his solo band. The wide age spectrum reflected a healthy fan base, ensuring Dio’s commercial and artistic success for many years to come and laying the basis for him to continue to play large arenas through the late 1980s. Sadly, the same could not be said for UFO because the Old Fart Test failed. The Old Fart Test is simple to apply. When the white stage lights shine on the crowd you simply look back at the audience at the quantity of prescription spectacles sparkling and reflecting light. If you observe a large quantity of reflections, it means the audience contains a lot of older fans (i.e., old farts). This was the case at the UFO show. Do not get me wrong. It is ok to have a large contingent of older fans because they tend to be the diehard fans able and willing to sing and play air guitar to each and every song in the band’s catalog. However, when the audience has a limited number of younger fans, like at the UFO show, it is cause for concern. A band such as UFO will continue to have its core of diehard fans in there thirties and above that worship UFO for significant, immeasurable impact on the development of the heavy metal genre. However, judging from the San Francisco show, UFO may have difficulty drawing younger fans, at least in the Bay Area, stymieing its efforts to play to larger crowds, sell greater quantities of records, and, in turn, attain the commercial success UFO rightfully deserves.



The second flashback memory I had was to seeing (Ritchie) Blackmore’s Night play at TI (02 01 05). In contrast to the loud raucous show UFO put on, Blackmore was more intent on decorum and keeping sound at a minimum. On a few occasions I observed from front row Blackmore looking above his head at the air conditioning (“A/C”) unit hanging above the stage approximately 10 feet from his head. Blackmore seemed distracted as if he was being pestered by tsetse flies hovering overhead. Then, Blackmore abruptly put down his acoustic guitar mid song and casually walked off stage. A venue staff member came on stage and made an announcement that the A/C unit was making excessive noise and distracting Mr. Blackmore. This coming from a guitar legend who, as a member of Deep Purple and Rainbow, used to play in front of a wall of Marshall amplifiers high enough to require a ladder and oxygen mask for his stage hands to scale their lofty heights. The house crew worked diligently to shut off the A/C. When Ritchie came back on stage I was saddened I was not wearing my Kiss Lick It Up tour t shirt (1983) so I could proudly display the bold and poignant message it bears, one I will preach to the day I gingerly cart my IV ridden, hobbled, shriveled frame to my grave in a rusted, squeaky wheelchair, “If It’s Too Loud, You’re Too Old.”

Arash Moussavian, Entertainment Law Attorney
arashmoussavian@cal.berkeley.edu
http://www.linkedin.com/in/arashmoussavian
All photos taken by Arash Moussavian. This article and all photos are protected by copyright. Please contact me prior to use, or I will make shish kabab of your loins.