UFO Vocalist Quits After 50 Years, Final U.S. Tour Announced
Fifty years into their career, UFO have announced their final U.S. tour. Vocalist Phil Mogg will use these tour dates as his swan song, celebrating five decades as the longest serving member of UFO.
UFO will go down as one of the most influential bands of their era, namely for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Scorpions legend Michael Schenker also put in many years with UFO, performing on and off with the rock band between 1973 and 2003.
“This decision has been a long time coming. I’ve considered stepping down at the end of UFO’s previous tours in 2016,” Mogg explains. “I don’t want to call this a farewell tour as I hate that word, but this year’s gigs will represent my final tap-dancing appearances with the band.”
“2019 marks UFO’s 50th anniversary, so the timing feels right,” he continues. “There will be a final tour of the U.K. and we will also play some shows in selected other cities that the band has a strong connection with. But outside of the U.K. this won’t be a long tour. Being out on the road isn’t always tremendously luxurious and although the playing is as great as it ever was, the stuff that surrounds it becomes very tiresome. I always told myself that when I reached that stage I would step down, and that’s what I’m going to do. This is the right time for me to quit.”
“Maybe the best word to use is ‘bittersweet,'” he concludes. “But my time has arrived to be leaving UFO, and all that remains is to make sure that we have a great tour.”
UFO’s final tour will begin Oct. 10 in Anaheim, California and finishes up Nov. 2 in Uncasville, Connecticut. Armored Saint and Blue Oyster Cult will join UFO on certain dates. Check out the full list of shows below.
UFO 2019 U.S. Tour
Oct. 10 - Anaheim, Calif. @ The Grove#
Oct. 11 - Las Vegas, Nev. @ House of Blues#
Oct. 24 - Wabash, Ind. @ Honeywell Center
Oct. 25 - St. Charles, Ill. @ Arcada Theater
Oct. 26 - St. Charles, Ill. @ Arcada Theater
Oct. 27 - Chesterfield, Mich. @ Diesel
Oct. 30 - New York, N.Y. @ Sony Hall
Oct. 31 - Staten Island, N.Y. @ St George Theater*
Nov. 1 - Jim Thorpe, Pa. @ Penn’s Peak*
Nov. 2 - Uncasville, Ct. @ Wolf’s Den @ Mohegan Sun
# With Armored Saint
*With Blue Oyster Cult
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