UFO frontman Phil Mogg confirms that next year’s 50th anniversary tour will be his last...

UFO frontman Phil Mogg has announced his retirement from the band. Mogg, the band's only ever-present member, will leave after UFO finish a 50th anniversary tour next year. In a statement on the band's website, Mogg says: "This decision has been a long time coming, I’ve considered stepping down at the end of UFO’s previous two tours. I don’t want to call this a farewell tour as I hate that word, but next year’s gigs will represent my final tap-dancing appearances with the band. “2019 marks UFO’s 50th anniversary, so the timing feels right. There 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 won’t be a long tour. 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." Mogg has also hinted that the band might be able to continue without him, saying, "I’ve told the guys that this is how it is. They know it’s my time to go and they know that they can do whatever they want to do without me, but I don’t want to play live or make records anymore, though having said that I might go on and do an album of my own. I’ll have to see how I feel about that. “Maybe the best word to use is ‘bittersweet’. But my time has arrived and all that remains is to make sure that we have a good tour." Details of the band's farewell tour have yet to be announced.

 https://www.loudersound.com/news/phil-mogg-to-quit-ufo-after-farewell-tour

It is with heavy hearts that we report that Stu Boy King passed away on May 1 after a brief and brave battle with pancreatic cancer.  Stu was the original drummer for the Dictators and played with the band for their first 18 months of existence. He will forever be remembered as their drummer on the classic “Dictators Go Girl Crazy!” LP.  Stu was an intensely private guy. To paraphrase his own words, once he put down the sticks (and left the music business), he put them down for good. His post-music career as a security director and private investigator became his new focus, and he rarely spoke of his days with the Dictators. We were privileged to have conducted the only interview he ever granted, which ran both here and in Ugly Things magazine. 

Stu may have been reluctant to start talking, but once he got going, holy cow–it was an avalanche of memories. He couldn’t get the words out fast enough, and his thoughts were pretty much equally split between his stories from back in the day and his pride in his family. He wore his passion for both on his sleeve. I know he was pleased with the validation and recognition he received from the music world once the interview ran in November 2015, which was timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary reissue of the LP. More than anything, he was moved by how proud his family was of him over his story finally being properly told. 

Our condolences go out to his wife, Deirdre, his five daughters and his grandson. If you are so inclined to contribute, there’s a GoFundMe account in his name to help defray his final expenses. Here’s the link: www.gofundme.com/stuartking 

Here’s the link to Ugly Things back issues. The Stu Boy interview appeared in issue #40. 

Farewell, Stu. We hardly knew ye.

https://dffdblog.com/2018/05/02/r-i-p-stu-boy-king-1954-2018/

Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow to release live album Memories in Rock II recorded during their 2017 UK tour - will feature a new studio track 

Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow have announced they’ll release a new live album titled Memories In Rock II later this year. It was recorded during the band’s shows across the UK last year and will feature a brand new track. While a final release date has still to be confirmed, the band have issued a 9-minute video to showcase the album, featuring live clips and interview footage. In the video, Blackmore says of his return to rock: “Rainbow is part of my life, as is Deep Purple. I just got back together for a few shows because I wanted to have a blast on the Strat. “That’s always good fun but it’s not something I will do all the time. I might do another couple of shows. Japan wants us and a lot of other places. “Blackmore’s Night is really my main music – that’s much more challenging. It’s not so easy to play.”Further album details will be revealed in due course, while the full video can be seen below. Blackmore reactivated Rainbow with Lords Of Black singer Ronnie Romero in 2015, also bringing in Stratovarius keyboardist Jens Johansson, Blackmore’s Night drummer David Keith and bassist Bob Nouveau.