Phil Mogg has revealed that UFO’s 2019 50th anniversary tour will be his last. The group will be heading out on one “final tour of the UK and will also play some shows in selected other cities that the band has a strong connection with.”
Phil Mogg has confirmed that next yearâs 50th anniversary tour with UFO will be his last as the frontman of the long-running hard rock band. Consequently, it seems almost certain that at that point they will cease to exist. UFO were formed in London in 1969 and Mogg is their only ever-present member, performing on all of the groupâs 22 studio albums.
âThis decision has been a long time coming, Iâve considered stepping down at the end of UFOâs previous two tours,â Mogg explains. âI donât want to call this a farewell tour as I hate that word, but next yearâs gigs will represent my final tap-dancing appearances with the band.
â2019 marks UFOâs 50th anniversary, so the timing feels right,â he continues. âThere will be a final tour of the UK and we will also play some shows in selected other cities that the band has a strong connection with. But outside of the UK this wonât be a long tour. Being out on the road isnât 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 thatâs what Iâm going to do. This is the right time for me to quit.â
Mogg turned 70 back in April and although his voice remains strong, he admits that age played its part in his conclusion.
âIâm a big reader of obituaries, and my finger always goes down to: âI wonder how old they wereâŠâ,â he chuckles. âThe last few years have been tough, losing Lemmy was awful and I was sad that Jimmy Bain passed on a cruise ship. That distressed me quite a lot.â
While many veteran bands in such a position simply cease playing live and continue to record, UFO will no longer be releasing new music. Last yearâs covers collection âThe Salentino Cutsâ is set to become a signing-off point, though Mogg insists that however unlikely the prospect might seem â the singer is a lone strand of consistency throughout a 50-year history â he would have no problem with UFO continuing with a replacement.
The bandâs current line-up â completed by keyboard player/second guitarist Paul Raymond, guitarist Vinnie Moore, drummer Andy Parker and bassist Rob De Luca â have of course been informed of Moggâs decision.
âIâve told the guys that this is how it is,â he says. âThey know itâs my time to go and they know that they can do whatever they want to do without me but I donât want to play live or make records anymore, though having said that I might go on and do an album of my own. Iâll have to see how I feel about that.â
Of course UFO have either split up, retired or gone on hiatus several times before but Mogg is keen to make the distinction that next yearâs dates donât just mark the end of his touring commitments with UFO â for Phil, there will be no further concerts of any kind.
âFor me, this is the end of my stint with UFO,â he clarifies. âThis is a line in the sand. Iâm suggesting we call the tour âLast Ordersâ, though I also like âThe Bar Is Closingâ. Iâm also tempted to name it âThe Drinks Are On Parkerâ,â he chuckles, referring to long-suffering sticksman Andy Parker.
Youâll have gathered that Mogg is not about to slash his wrists anytime soon. Of course he is sad that the finishing line is now within sight but has had sufficient time to live with and process such a massive personal decision.
âMaybe the best word to use is âbittersweetâ,â he concludes. âBut my time has arrived and all that remains is to make sure that we have a good tour.â