UFO were always different, exuding a class and style that, whilst most definitely rocked, the outfit should never have been lumped in with the explosion of hard rock and Heavy Metal that occurred in the late ’70s into the ’80s.
UFO – The Misdemeanour Tour
Live At The Oxford Apollo 1985
Release Date: Out Now
Words: Paul Monkhouse
Already giants of their field due to a string of classic albums, countless tours and blistering studio albums, some within the band turned to drink and drugs to deal with the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and when 1983’s Making Contact album wildly underperformed, the band seemingly called it a day after a riotous fifteen years together.
Getting off the endless treadmill was the break the band needed, time off to rest and breathe, saw the flame reignited as they swiftly returned the following year, the latest line-up coming back with purpose.
Following some highly successful Summer dates, including an acclaimed appearance on the bill for Deep Purple’s Knebworth comeback, the band released their latest opus, Misdemeanour and followed this immediately by a twelve-date UK tour.
Alongside singer Phil Mogg, old friend Paul Raymond played keys and guitar and the two were joined again by ex-The Damned bass player Paul Gray, along with rising guitar hero Tommy McClendon (a.k.a Atomik Tommy M) and former Magnum drummer Jim Simpson.
It was a formidable yet fresh line-up, and by the time they hit Oxford Apollo on the twenty-eighth of November, they were firing on all cylinders.
This new set from Cherry Red Records captures that night in glorious sound and vision, the CD and DVD set showing a much more relaxed, but still edgy band doing what they do best.
Barring the always down-to-earth Mogg, the rest of the band sported the big hair and glam look so popular at the time, and whilst this dates the image somewhat, the music itself sounds vibrant and powerful.
Made to promote the latest album, seven of the ten songs from Misdemeanour are featured here, along with B Side stormer The Chase and classics Only You Can Rock Me and Doctor Doctor.
Whilst not scaling the heights of the mighty Strangers In The Night release, this edition is certainly worth exploring and displays a band out to prove themselves as retainers of their venerated status. A complete recording of the set would have been much appreciated, but with the confidence in the new material high, there was much to celebrate, and it’s good to revisit this overlooked period in their long and hard-fought story.
With melodic powerhouse Heaven’s Gate, hard-rocking gem This Time and brilliant ballad The Only Ones glittering brightly, UFO showed the world that their muscular take on rock music still had the power to balance a mighty punch along with enough hooks and melody to sate any discerning music lover.
The enthusiastic audience is suitably vocal throughout, and with Mogg’s soulful tones, along with McClendon’s highly impressive fretwork to the fore, it was certainly a night to remember.
A welcome addition to their discography, The Misdemeanour Tour – Live at the Oxford Apollo 1985 rocks in all the right places and cements the band’s place in the annals of music history.
UFO – The Misdemeanour Tour Live, CD+DVD is out now via Cherry Red Records. For more details, visit cherryred.co.uk/ufo-the-misdemeanour-tour-live-cd-dvd.
