Thursday, February 28, 2013

UFO + 4Bitten, Coal Exchange, Cardiff, 26/02/13

45 years on and the consumate professionals keep delivering the goods. UFO are one of the great British hard rock acts that have refused to die time and time again, and today they deserve a critical acclaim so often denied to them.
 
Tonight, yet again, they were simply magnificent. A great frontman in Phil Mogg with a never faltering voice, a top axeman in Vinnie Moore, their master sticksman Andy Parker, Paul Raymond the musical magician and a fine bass player in Rob de Luca. All this watched by a healthy crowd of around 1,000 on a bitterly cold evening in Cardiff Bay.
 
But before them, we had the rather good 4Bitten who supported the MSG 3 years ago on their UK jaunt. From the Rocksector Records stable, they have an album out called Delirium, and it's well worth a listen - very much down the line hard rock.
 
 
4 Bitten front woman, Fofi Roussos

If I have a criticism, they could do with an image makeover, the 4 band members looked like they were from 4 different bands.

And then, it was time for the main men. No intro tape, no announcement, no backdrop, just get on the stage and deliver 90 minutes of rock heaven.

 
UFO
 
 

Mr Phil Mogg, the ever present frontman
 
 

 
Vinnie Moore - superb


 
More Moggy


So what did they play? Well it's the staple 'Strangers In The Night' set supplemented by 3 from the latest CD, 'Seven Deadly Sins', Venus from 'Walk On Water' and Hell Driver from 'The Visitor'.

Set list

Lights Out
Mother Mary
Fight Night (you tube)
Wonderland
Cherry
Let It Roll
Only You Can Rock Me (you tube)
Hell Driver
Love to Love
Burn Your House Down
Venus (you tube)
Too Hot To Handle
Rock Bottom
Doctor Doctor
Shoot Shoot



"I used to play with a Welshman....let's get really, really drunk"
 





More Vinnie
 

 
with Paul Raymond and Rob De Luca

 
There's pots more from the UK tour over on the unofficial UFO site here. And there's a decent review in the Welsh regional press as well (01/03/13) here, which is very complimentary and doesn't smack of 'old farts playing old metal', which we get too often.

 


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