Phil Mogg says UFO is over: “it's come to a conclusion”
19-04-2024
In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock to promote the 2024 remastered reissue of UFO‘s 1977 album “Lights Out”, UFO frontman Phil Mogg was asked if there is still “more to do” with the band. He responded: “No, no. I think it’s come to a conclusion. We did that last U.K. tour in 2019, just before COVID. So that was kind of the end of it, and the time was right.”
Mogg suffered a heart attack in August 2022. The now-76-year-old British-born musician was rushed to the hospital where he had two stents implanted into his coronary arteries. This is known medically as a coronary angioplasty and aims to re-open the blocked coronary artery by inserting one or more stents. This helps keep the narrowed artery open.
The UFO Facebook page shared the following update from Mogg:
“Dear Listeners, Thank you all for my Get Well messages. I am in the recovery position at the moment, which involves doing not very much and being catered for, which I shall probably drag out for as long as possible before I’m rumbled.
“I haven’t managed to get the full blanket bath yet – apparently I’m quite capable of washing my bits myself.
“Going for an assessment next month and have a bit of a sing in the studio, so fingers crossed, I might get a gig singing down the newly formed Stent Club… who knows what’s round the corner?”
UFO‘s farewell tour was scheduled to kick off on October 15, 2022 at the De Casino in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium and run through a final show at the Fuzz Club in Athens, Greece on October 29, 2022.
When the news of Mogg‘s heart attack was first made public, UFO said in a statement: “On Thursday September 1st, 2022 — after having performed several detailed examinations in the past days — the doctors pronounced a strict performance ban for Mogg until further notice. This is why the entire Last Orders farewell tour, which was supposed to lead across Europe from October 15 to 29, 2022 before ending in Athens, had to be cancelled.
“If and when the tour or — at the very least — individual shows can be made up for, is currently completely unclear and will depend on Mogg‘s recovery, among other things. His rehabilitation therapy will be starting in about six weeks. According to the doctors, it is not yet possible to give any concrete statements about the duration and scope of the treatment.”
In 2021, UFO announced that it would embark on its final tour featuring a series of exclusive concerts in summer 2022 to bid farewell to its fans in style. UFO was scheduled to play the very last concert of in Athens, where the band performed its first show featuring current guitarist Vinnie Moore in February 2004.
When UFO‘s final concert was first announced, Mogg was anticipating this very special farewell show with mixed feelings, while also very much looking forward to UFO once again meeting their extensive fan base between summer and autumn 2022.
Mogg, who turned 76 earlier this week, said: “After so many years with countless highlights, fantastic experiences and lots of beautiful memories — as well as some difficult moments, naturally — it’ll be a worthy finale to say goodbye to your fans in person. I know that there are bound to be some very emotional moments on both sides.”
In his original statement announcing UFO‘s final tour, Mogg said the decision was “a long time coming,” adding that while “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.”
UFO guitarist/keyboard player Paul Raymond died in April 2019. He appeared on more than a dozen of UFO‘s albums, including “Lights Out” and the live classic “Strangers In The Night”.
UFO‘s most recent lineup included original members Mogg and drummer Andy Parker, as well as Moore, who joined in 2003, and Rob De Luca (bass),a member since 2012.
UFO‘s latest release was the 2017 covers collection “The Salentino Cuts”.
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