I've never been in touch about UFO beyond the theoretical knowldege. Make of it what you will, this doesn't cross with listening to pure rock for over 15 years. Nevertheless, having heard the magnificent The Visitor CD I fell slowly under their spell. I thought that if in 2009 they can make this sort of excellent album with new material - they have to be a force to be reckoned with. When I saw them playing my hometown on the late 2009 tourlist - I had to go. I haven't regretted my decision!
Relatively small club with small stage, middle of the front row, so in excellent position for the very good first time with UFO live ever. And what a storming show it was. Pretty difficult to describe it properly. Saving Me proved to be an excellent opener with Vinnie starting off on an accoustic guitar put up on the stool. I knew that this guy is gonna make me eat the notes off his hands and that's simply what he did. Daylight off the Moore's debut in the band stands out really proud among the classic stuff, the whole hall was clapping along to this nifty stomper. The crowd was really enthusiastic and that made Phill Mogg grin with the satisfaction all through the evening. Not to mention somewhat specific sense of humour banter type he'd put up between the songs. He really was in a very good voice, I think that only some high notes from Love To Love were a bit difficult for him over the night. Mother Mary got the people going nuts and I'm a loser showed that Vinnie will not stand offside throughout the show. He did an excellent, long, improvised solo at the end that was a joy to watch and listen to. I have to say that he seems to be extremely confident in his position of revitalising UFO and keeping their high profile going - and very good for him in that matter! Cherry was breathtaking to me; a real treat, so beautiful and climatic - one of the biggest standouts of the evening. To keep the backbone ripped properly, they hit the Hell Driver from the latest album, and played it faster than on the record achieving an massive effect. This one might become a true UFO classic in years to come! One could only wish that they did more numbers off the new release (my hints are Stop Breaking Down and Stranger In Town). Only You Can Rock Me gained huge applause from the crowd, surely one of the biggest audience favourites. Ain't No Baby was a moment of chillout, nothing special really, but a time to gain some steam for Too Hot To Handle. This was a freakin' firecracker. Audience sang the chorus so well, that Vinnie jumped on a high tide and closed the tune with long, ferrocious solo. At one while he put the guitar behind his head and soloed on, prompting Rob de Luca to do the same. Before he got to the standard position he even played a couple of bars hitting the strings with his teeth - quick and effective tribute to Hendrix. The audie went ape and the temperature did not drop, even during Love To Love, which again was a blossoming with charm and intensity. Next was Mystery Train introduced as "the song written before anything we did on our own, somewhere in the fifties". It started in accoustic mode but at a very fast pace, there was something suspicious about it... Not before long they switched to the electric blast out, making it a Highway Star tempo-like stormer. It was freaking awesome, Vinnie soloed his heart out in the end. Simply mindblowing. It only raised unfullfilled eagerness to have more of that brillant stuff after Lights Out heralded the end of the main set.
If not for some 40+ drunk idiot who yelded Schenker's name just before Lights Out causing confusion within the band and angrying the audience (he was booed, I wanted to kick his ass literally), we could get three encores probably. Still Doctor Doctor was dropped, I guess the band could have been upset with this raid of boozed up dickass who firmly lost the contact with reality (or maybe just thought that Vinnie was actually Schenker?). Anyway Mr Moore seemed to be immune to this act of drunken ignorance and made Rock Bottom a ten miute jaw-dropping showcase of his glorious talents. Great tone, dynamics, use of contrast and fretting wizardry. I don't think I've seen anything this intense over the past ten years of watching different live gigs. Vinnie just took the spot literally rocked it up to the rock bottom (or heavenly highs). Fabulous stuff. Shoot Shoot wasn't that less intense and proved to close the gig. Shouts for Doctor did not bring the band back out, sadly. That doesn't change the fact that UFO has taken Wroclaw by the storm and I loved seeing every minute of it. I just can say thanks to Phill, Vinnie, Andy, Paul and Rob, wish them well and hope that more of the best is for them to come. A classy follower to The Visitor will be more then welcome! See them if you have a chance, satisfaction seems to be guaranteed.