My Career in Five Songs

DESPITE HIS REPUTATION as one of the heaviest and most ferocious guitar shredders of the past several decades, Vinnie Moore is remarkably mellow, chill and engaging when meets him backstage at New York City’s historic St. George Theatre in December 2019. Moore’s band, the pioneering heavy metal outfit UFO, with whom he joined forces in 2003, is winding down its farewell tour. “I would love for this to continue as long as it can, because it’s so much fun to do,” he explains. “But [] Phil Mogg has been at this since the late ’60s, and I can certainly understand why he wants to retire. What’s remarkable to me though is that, while a lot of singers lose their voice as they age, Phil’s has gotten thicker and more bluesy. I actually think he sounds better than ever now.”