U.F.O. - Zoetermeer 2005

Written by Linda Aarts Wednesday, 18 May 2005 01:29

Boerderij, Zoetermeer, the Netherlands
May 15th 2005
The Lizards & U.F.O.

The Lizards and U.F.O. Two bands of which I’d never heard of, probably due to my young age, but I was asked to take some pictures so I went to Zoetermeer where the two of them played at the venue called “Boerderij”. We arrived just before the support act, The Lizards, would start to play. It was very warm in the venue, but that was something we just had to deal with. And staying in the heat was entirely worth it. Do old Rockers lose their spirit? We’re here to find out.

The Lizards

Names like Mike DiMeo and Bobby Rondinelli probably ring a bell by especially most of the older metal generation, who should know bands like Black Sabbath, Riot or Rainbow. The music of the Lizards is a fine compilation of a diversity of musical styles; hard rock, metal, but also aspects of blues can be heard. The harmonica is a nice addition to the musical pieces. They seemed very confident when they entered the stage, so I was very curious what they were about to play.

Music
The first thing I noticed was the versality of the vocals which really appealed to me, and Mike DiMeo was backed up by the guitar player, Patrick Klein. In fact, all performers seemed to be this versatile; the bass player Randy Pratt played a 6-stringed bass guitar which were used all six in impressive solo’s, and he also handled the harmonica very well. Mike DiMeo himself handled a tambourine and the keyboard, and the drummer Bobby Rondinelli proved to be capable of a very impressive drum solo with which he played the crowd. Though Mike told everyone which song was new and which somewhat older, thre crowd didn’t pick it up and just enjoyed it as if everything was new.

Performance
It was a pity the band had to play in front of U.F.O’s backline, because it severly limited their space on stage. All musicians only had a small space for themselves except for their singer who had slightly more room because he had the chance to move between keyboard and microphone. But their enthusiasm was no less; they sought contact with the crowd and with each other. It was too bad the people in the venue didn’t know this band beforehand because in the beginning they had little response, but the crowd grew enthusiastic with each song and especially after Bobby’s drumsolo. The lights were not very diverse, but enough to make a nice show.

Rating
Music 8
Performance 7
Sound 7
Light 6
Total: 7

U.F.O.

It was clear basically all people that came to visit the Boerderij this evening were waiting for their heroes of U.F.O. I’ve seldomly seen such a swift changeover and soundcheck. U.F.O. has it all, the old generation of vocalist Phil Mogg, bass player Pete Way and keyboarder/rhythm guitarist Paul Raymond, including the newer members Jason Bonham, who is the son of the legendary Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham, and Vinnie Moore, who did a lot of solo work. Their music is described as classic hard rock of the traditional variety, fresh and inspiring at the same time. The original band was playing from 1969 on, so let’s see if they can still rock.

Music
With a powerful voice Phil Mogg entertained the crowd, and de versatile guitar solo gave the music their own flavour. While Paul Raymond constantly changed his instrument, namely guitar and keyboard, the others did their own thing and they did it very well. Their sound was very good; the instruments were tuned together in an impressive way. The combination of older and newer songs seemed to be a good mix and worked well for the crowd.

Performance
From the beginning on, the band proved to be enthusiastic and lively. Phil Mogg handled the microphone standard as a real professional, Pete Way gave his own show, playing the bass guitar lying on his back. The interaction between each other was clearly present, and the connection with the crowd absolute. Phil asked the youngest of the crowd if they’d come here with their parents, and when he received an affirmative answer he asked them what they’d done to deserve this. Between the jokes, their set was firm despite maybe a couple of smaller mistakes but the crowd didn’t seem to mind; the band had to come back to perform two more songs. The lights were okay; every song seemed to have its own ambiance.

Rating
Music 8
Performance 7
Sound 7
Light 7
Total: 7 (7.25)