Back in 1979, I went to see UFO with AC/DC. UFO were on their Strangers In The Night tour, which to this day is considered one of the greatest live albums ever recorded. Unfortunately, Michael Schenker had left UFO in early 1979, before the tour started. So when Michael announced his My Years With UFO tour, it felt like the fulfillment of a promise made all those years ago.
The tour rolled into The Newton Theater in Newton, NJ this past Saturday night. The venue was sold out, packed with hundreds of faithful hard rock fans ready to rock out to a classic album played in its entirety — plus a few surprises.
From the opening notes of “Natural Thing,” the enthusiastic crowd was smiling and rocking out, and they wouldn’t stop until 90+ minutes later! Michael sounded and looked great — it was nice to see the man smiling and happy after the many down years of his career. This was my first time hearing new vocalist Roberto Dimitri. Like many of today’s hard rock singers, you can hear Ronnie James Dio’s influence on his voice, which is a big difference from the style of original UFO vocalist Phil Mogg. The crowd didn’t care, though—they were here to see Michael. Fans showed their approval by singing, dancing, and rocking out to every note. It was like 1979 again, and we were all kids once more!
Long-time sideman Steve Mann was stage right on guitar, keyboard, and vocals, filling out the sound for “Doctor Doctor,” “I’m A Loser,” and others. A surprise “Reasons Love,” along with Michael’s extended solo on “Rock Bottom,” were just a few of the night’s many highlights. The band was rounded out by Barend Courbois on bass, who had a tasteful solo spot, and Bodo Schopf on drums.
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Jared James Nichols opened the show with 45 minutes of solid blues power! Backed by a monster rhythm section—Brian Weaver on bass and Ryan Rice on drums—he delivered as part of an outstanding trio. Plus, he hung out at his merch table right after his set and stayed until the last fan left at the end of the night.
