Page 16 - 200901 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - January 2009

16 From the Desk of Philip Mantle 16 From the Desk of Philip Mantle UFO's & Rock - An UFO's & Rock - An interview with Scottish interview with Scottish rock band CEIV rock band CEIV By Philip Mantle By Philip Mantle In 2007 I obtained an interview with American UFO rock band Element 115. I met one of the band members in Roswell in at the 60th anniversary events where they were playing live. But long before there was Element 115 there was the British equivalent and that being CEIV from Scotland. I must admit I've had the pleasure of sharing the stage with CEIV and seen them playing live. So, not to be out done by the Americans I recently caught up with Brian McMullen (senior), the founder of CEIV. PM: Brian, when did you first become interested in UFO's ? BM: I'm sure my first interest in the possibility that alien life exists dates back to the amber ball got bigger and closer to our position. headmaster's room, radiators, carpets the lot. TV Sci- Fi weekly 'Quatermass and the Pit'. I We were at a high point in the north of Glasgow Brian jnr had an old suitcase full of drum parts was about eight or nine years old and most of and could view the city lights and main (a snare drum, hi-hats, etc), the suitcase itself the time I was hiding behind the couch. The buildings below us to the south. The fuzzy ball being used as the bass drum. Everyone had a storyline was believable and the music was now becoming a distinct saucer shape. It basic understanding of their instrument and we extremely scary. I must have guessed then how was getting lower as it passed over us heading were soon belting out some cover versions of important music was in creating an atmosphere south across the city. We used binoculars as we songs by The Stranglers and Gary Numan. My for a particular film.I was always interested in traced its flight. "Unbelievable", "fabulous", nephew was also into the UFO mystery and on astronomy from an early age and soon got to "fantastic" were some of the words I could hear practice nights we would often discuss cases. know about the constellations and where to find in the background. The motion was slow We all agreed we should attempt to write our them in the night sky. Over the years I got used skipping as it moved along its trajectory; we own songs and I think 'Starship Scrapyard' was to viewing various aircraft, satellites, etc and could see the underside then the topside. This the first around winter 83. Eventually we got more recently, spotting the space lab/station. I must have lasted 20 to 30 seconds. The amber five songs of our own and two cover versions. fully understood the abundance and pollution of colour was beautiful and reminded me of a hot Interest was high for the UFO subject within the man made objects in the night sky but poker cooling as it is pulled from a fire. Another band and our songs began to reflect this. The nevertheless still noted that there were strange band member said he thought it was transparent. band name would be C E IV after Alan Hynek's objects up there performing even stranger We traced its path as far as we could and later categorisation of UFO incidents. New manoeuvres. During the early 70s I began to estimated that it would have been close to the equipment was purchased and the set was hunt the night sky for these objects and ground near the Fenwick Moor, about 20 miles polished up at pro rehearsal studios. They admittedly lost a bit of interest in astronomy south of Glasgow.The hours and hours we had convinced me to stay in the band and we got our itself. I began to take note of newspaper reports spent sky watching had paid off at last, first gig at the 'Star Rock Club' Glasgow in June on UFOs and I read a couple of books on the strangely enough while simply waiting for a 84. We completed four gigs in Glasgow before subject. I was wondering if others were seeing taxi. We will never forget this sighting. The heading to Warminster for a week's holiday in what I was seeing and I was surprised to learn binoculars had taken us within metres of this September of that year, all due of course to the that many were viewing similar objects and unmistakable, unforgettable object. The full contents of Arthur's book 'UFO Magic in these sightings were worldwide. I became even story of this experience will be posted on our Motion'. The skies were clear most of the time more convinced when hearing of a report of an website soon. and we put in quite a bit of sky watching. We incident in the grounds of a local hospital. Two PM: So when was CEIV formed ? stayed at 'The Old Cheese House' cottage in witnesses viewed a craft above the hospital BM: C E IV was formed in the cold Upton Lovell and played the odd game of darts theatres and movement on the ground nearby. winter months of 83/84. In the late 70s and early in the local. It was well worth the visit. More details regarding this case will be made 80s I would watch the night skies as often as available on our website soon. That winter I possible. My son Brian would join me and Continued on Page 17 became very interested in the possibility of the became interested in astronomy and also the existence of UFOs and the realisation that they strange objects that appeared from time to time. were not just small objects in the distant night In 1983 Brian jnr joined the school band sky. I was now hooked on the probability that choosing the drums as his instrument. He these objects were a reality and were on the enjoyed this, took it quite serious and soon Earth. became proficient. During the autumn of 83, my PM: Not only are you interested in nephew and a friend of his wanted to start a rock UFO's but I believe you've also had your own band. He played the bass and his friend played sighting, could you tell us a bit more about that keyboards. Since I had been in a band in the 60s ? they asked could I help out. I thought this funny BM: Our big sighting was definitely as the age difference was quite a bit, but they July 1985. It was a warm summer evening and convinced me I should join. I agreed but would we were leaving a band member's house. We only help out on practice nights. I soon realised had phoned a taxi and as it would take a half it was handy being older than them as I could hour or so, we decided to do a bit of sky 'sign the papers' for council officials to allow us watching in his back garden.The sighting began to use an old school for practice. They agreed with a small fuzzy amber coloured ball, not we could use the gym hall but the sound was much brighter than a normal star, nevertheless it terrible so we got to know the two watchmen was very obvious. Three of us watched as the and via a bottle of 'Grouse' we ended up in the