Phil Mogg confirmed in a recent interview with The Metal Gods Meltdown that UFO has no plans to return to the stage following their official retirement in April. He said:
“No, I think we’ve reached that point now. I believe when [bassist] Pete [Way] went, that it kind of took the wind out of our sails, out of the band, really.”
The band’s long-time bassist, Pete Way, died in 2020 due to injuries from a previous accident. The singer explained:
“I know he was going a bit loopy, but he had a lot of the character which was in the band. So, no, we couldn’t replace him. And no, definitely not. No. I think that’d end up being like the Frank Sinatra tour, wouldn’t it? What’s the other band? Scorpions kept retiring, didn’t they?”
Mogg Says It Would Be ‘Unfair’ To Return
UFO kicked off a farewell tour in 2019 to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The dates were supposed to end with a final show in Athens, Greece in October 2022 but faced cancellation after a Germany performance in July because Mogg had a heart attack.
The vocalist made it clear that the band’s decision to quit would be consistent unlike Scorpions who returned for new projects despite talks of retirement in 2010:
“The other thing is when you say, ‘This is our last tour,’ that really should be, because people come along and they’ve spent their money getting there or doing whatever for the last tour, and then if you turn around and do another one, they go, ‘Oh, you’ve just done your last tour. I’ve just paid 50 quid for that.’ It would be a little bit unfair.”
They Stopped At The Right Time, According To The Singer
Vinnie Moore told Guitar World last year that he believed Mogg would want to come back for a better goodbye with new performances, but the singer made it clear to Ultimate Classic Rock:
“I think it’s come to a conclusion. We did that last U.K. tour in 2019, just before COVID. So, that was kind of the end of it and the time was right.”
The band last released a remastered version of their 1977 album ‘Lights Out.’ The record came out in early 2024 and also included newly-mixed recordings from their first show on the supporting tour.