UFO at B.B. King's 4/12/08

captmidnite1962 · #1 Apr-13-2008, 10:22 AM

Ah yes..the second show in what will hopefully be a string of great shows this year....UFO rolled into NYC for the first time in quite a while..I saw them last in 1995 down at Malibu Beach Club for the "Walk On Water" tour.

A few bumps and shuffles later...

The crowd was pumped; the tables were taken off the floor and by 8:30 the floor area was packed as were all the tables surrounding the floor....I was about 3 feet from the lip of the stage. The DJ from 104.3 introduced the band by saying "I've always wanted to do this...Hello New York....would you please welcome from from England...." and the crowd joined right in...

It was a show of certainty and surprise....You knew they would open with "Mother Mary" but they followed that with "Long Gone". Phil Mogg fumbled a few lyrics here and there but he was chatty and jovial, quite a change from his somewhat distant demeanor in 1995. And as for Paul Raymond...does he or doesn't he? I have more gray hair than he does and I am young enough to be his son

Since Pete Way is still persona au gratin with US Immigration, Rob DeLuca played bass. And on the drums....Mister Andy Parker! Vinnie Moore was just dynamite and he provided a comic foil for Phil Mogg (who turns 60 on the 15th, I believe!).

You got the usual suspects but you also got two songs from "The Monkey Puzzle" and they dusted off "Ain't No Baby" from "Obsession"....now that was a curve ball! An epic workout on "Rock Bottom" followed by the closing one-two punch of "Doctor Doctor" and "Shoot Shoot" and they left the crowd satisfied....

Phil sounded pretty strong throughout the set and Paul Raymond threw in some greasy slide guitar on "Hard Being Me" while doing his usual switching between keyboards and guitar. Andy was having a blast driving the band from the back and the interplay between the players showed a lot of fun and enthusiasm.

The coolest thing was just sharing stories with people in the crowd before the show began..it is great to meet up with like minded folks..a great time. The meet and Greet afterwards was by pass only but I didn't care....I got every penny's worth!

Next up...I think it will be Circa on the 5th

Grace · #2 Apr-13-2008, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by captmidnite1962

the tables were taken off the floor and by 8:30 the floor area
was packed as were all the tables surrounding the floor....

Sounds like you had a great time, Bill, along with all the other UFO fans. Thanks for the report ~

BUT.....

I wouldn't go back again to BB King's if you paid me a big bag of money.
The "geography" of that place scared me, during all of Glenn's show.

* The club itself was below the sidewalk level.

* Other than the door for backstage (the meet and greet area)
there was only that one other door for an exit.

* You had that one, narrow, winding staircase to climb up to the street level.

* And for your dining pleasure (in case you were bored during Glenn's show)
there was that basement kitchen going full tilt that evening.

* If you were sitting in one of those curved booths along the wall,
you couldn't see anything.

* And the building's support pillars didn't help the view either.

* People were packed like sardines between the bar and that half-wall.

* Anybody from the Fire Marshall's Office could have made their monthly quota,
based on the beloved NYC "Occupancy Code" violation laws.

Nope.
I'm not gonna' push my luck.
I survived that show in June, but you don't need to hit me over the head twice.
Once oughta' do it for me

I hope like crazy that Glenn's NEXT show in New York is someplace safer,

and has enough room for lots more GHCPs since BB KING'S WAS WAY TOO SMALL!

*

purplemusic · #3 Apr-13-2008, 1:50 PM

well Grace, from my vantage point at bbkings, i never even really noticed the crowd. having arived at the club at 3 and waiting for hours until they let us in, i was right up front and once glenn came on i never looked back anyway(or sideways for that matter, as i've since seen some video on here of that show that i'm guessing that david shot. he was right beside me apparently and even panned the camrea on me once and i never even noticed him standing there). as for seeing glenn again at bb kings, i would go but after reading your post, i would bring my own personal fire extinguisher to make sur that i could squirt my way out. i am going back to bb kings in july for frank marino, i'll try to position myself for a better escape, just incase.
peace,

Grace · #4 Apr-13-2008, 2:18 PM

I know what you mean, purple.............
There could have been a "detoured" St. Patrick's Day parade
marching behind us, but we wouldn't have noticed or cared.

I spent a little time watching that crowd, because New Yorkers
don't usually act the way that Glenn's crowd acted that night......
and I was totally amazed by the screaming. I confess to feeling
a little smug, because we GHCPs knew it all along. But these
"new"people had their brains falling out.

But as crowded as it was, and with that one exit - it wasn't safe.
And BB King's was too small to hold Glenn's fans last June.

The next time that GH performs in New York, do you think that
each person who was there won't try to bring along some friends
so that they can also witness the best concert that they've ever
seen and heard?

*

purplemusic · #5 Apr-13-2008, 3:14 PM

then, purhaps an intimate evening at the radio city music hall. or, it seems that glenn already knows how to get to carnagie hall (practice , practice, practice ) i think he's ready

don't you Grace

peace,

FCinnella · #6 Apr-13-2008, 4:37 PM

Bill, UFO is here in May and I will make a trip to see the gig.
This week's show is Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, followed next month by Iron Maiden and Keb Mo on successive nights. If after that quartet anyone tells me I don't have diverse musical interests....
As for BBs; Grace, we would have gotten you out no problem; people do tend to get out of my way when I am trying to get somewhere.

Grace · #7 Apr-13-2008, 5:05 PM

I like the way you think, purple.
Radio City Music Hall with 6,000+ seats?
Yeah that sounds good to me.
And Carnegie (practice, practice, practice) Hall is OK, too.

(Although there's no need for Glenn to practice to get there.)
(He should just go directly to 7th Avenue and 57th Street, and walk in.)

Thanks for the offer to help me "leave the building" Frank.
It's also helpful to announce that you're carrying an ax.

*

Chip · #8 Apr-13-2008, 5:23 PM

Originally Posted by FCinnella

..........people do tend to get out of my way when I am trying to get somewhere.

...........like a platter of oysters?

Let me know how the Brian Auger show goes. Being a fan for many years, I've never seen him live. The only chance I had was in Vegas, but I already had Purple tickets for the same night. Alex Ligertwood was in town at the same time, since he and Glenn had a Voices of Classic Rock gig the next day. Would have been nice to see Alex get up on stage for a reunion with Brian.

Chip

FCinnella · #9 Apr-13-2008, 7:12 PM

Hey Now Chip' you don't do too bad with a steak yourself

Be in Phoenix the 4th in mid afternoon. We need to get something else together besides game on 7th. I leave am the 8th and won;t be back that way until late July.
Got my Ringo tix today for Dodge Theater...
Promise I will give you report on Brian Auger. There is a rumor (which I rarely trust) that Billy Cobham will be with him for this show. Now THAT would be outstanding !!!!

captmidnite1962 · #10 Apr-13-2008, 7:56 PM

Oh man..sounds like a killer get together! And that reminds me of my Alex Ligertwood story...

Alex was the original singer in the second Jeff Beck Group that formed in 1970; they cut an album that was never released as Beck's management didn't like the record and urged him to get another singer. Exit Alex, enter Bobby Tench and "Rough And Ready" was the result.

I met Alex in Orlando after a Voices Of Classic Rock show and he told me that he co-wrote two songs that were used on the album and never got credit. When he played with Brian Auger he took the song in question "Situation" and changed the words for use on a Brian Auger album. David Tedds noted the similarity and asked Alex about it. Alex told him that he did as if to dare Jeff to sue him..which never happened. David related that story to me in an e-mail a few years back. I can't remember the tune in question..I am in NY but my archived e-mails are in my computer in VA.

I hope you guys have a blast!!

chrisloeb · #11 Apr-14-2008, 2:13 PM

Bill, CIRCA

that's cool - looking forward to reading your review!
By the way, this will be one of the last opportunities to see Alan White playing with the band - he will leave Circa (temporarily) in the summer for the 40th Anniversary YES Tour and be replaced by Jay Schellen (ex- World Trade).
If all my plans work out, I will see Yes in Vancouver BC on August 14!

As for Brian Auger. I've seen him 7 or 8 times

(yeah, really! - he plays one of the local Jazz clubs at least once a year) and it's always been a real treat. Usually his son Karma is on drums and daughter Savannah Grace

Auger sings. Bass players come and go... there have been two really good ones playing with Brian in the last couple of years, one is Derek Frank and the other one Chris Golden.
Billy Cobham on drums

- make sure to bring a camera, Frank!

My next shows will be Graham Bonnet on Wednesday (April 16), and then Glenn on May 23rd in Bratislava and the original Asia on May 31st, also in Bratislava.
And I'll play two shows with Medusa in between (April 27th and May 30th) and a charity show with
The Deepflight Brothers on May 21st.
Busy?
Nah - can't wait for more dates!

Cheers,
Christian

Chip · #12 Apr-14-2008, 2:28 PM

Bill -

The tune that sounds like Beck's Situation is Truth, off of Auger's Second Wind album.

I'm sorry Bill that Frank and I have hijacked this thread and turned it into a discussion about Brian Auger

Hopefully later today, I'll get this thread back on course with some old photos of UFO.

Chip

FCinnella · #13 Apr-14-2008, 3:13 PM

Hey Chris, what else do you have planned around your time in Vancouver, B.C. ??
Get us an itinerary and I will try and 'hijack' the 'hijacker' (Chip) and find you. Along with Todd we are all in the west of the US...so maybe....

chrisloeb · #14 Apr-16-2008, 4:29 PM

Frank, that's a great idea! Honestly I haven't planned anything precisely yet, except that I'm definitely going there.
My younger brother Andy has been living (and working) in Vancouver for more than two years.
As soon as I have made plans I will let you now, for sure!!!

Chip · #15 Apr-17-2008, 5:58 PM

Keeping my promise to Bill....here are few old UFO photos of mine from back in the day. These aren't the ones I was thinking of. I have some from 1979 also. Plus, they aren't as good as I remembered them to be.....28 years ago

UFO / Blackfoot
Kiel Opera House - St. Louis
March 17, 1980

Chip

purplemusic · #16 Apr-17-2008, 6:44 PM

your picks are cool chip, but being a good ol' southern boy, i wanna know if you've got pics. of blackfoot too ? bit of trivia; when i talked to jeff kollman at the detroit gig, he heard that i was from s. carolina, and he said he had never been to s.c. , but he had been to n. carolina when he played a concert w/ blackfoot, it wasn't until afterwards that i thought that i should have clarified if he played in a band that opened for blackfoot, or actually played in the band. i think that he meant that the band he was in opened for blackfoot, i'm just not totally sure. i am sure though that i'm a rattle snake rock- n roller.
peace,

Chip · #17 Apr-18-2008, 4:00 PM

Thanks purplemusic. Yes, I got some shots of Blackfoot too. I've been digging around in the many boxes of old slides and negatives. When I find them, I'll post a couple.

Chip

purplemusic · #18 Apr-18-2008, 4:30 PM

thanks chip i look foward to seeing them
peace,

captmidnite1962 · #19 Apr-18-2008, 5:56 PM

Hey Chip,

Thanks for posting the UFO pics...that was back in the day when they were touring all the time. Andy Parker said that he rememberd the early days of the band very clearly..but in the late 70's it all became a jumble of airplanes, hotels and stages!

Cool pics....the ever shirtless Pete Way, Paul Raymond and his assorted Firebirds and ol' Tonka even gets in the picture as well..At B.B. King's Phil offered to pay someone 50 bucks if they killed the TV screens on either side of the stage. I don't know if he was serious; his patter was laced with numerous sly nods and winks. I think Vinnie was deputisng for Pete Way as Phil's comic foil!

Thanks again Chip!!