Young guns Virgil and the Accelerators certainly acquitted themselves in style with their fiery brand of Blues Rock, but it was left to the old warhorse Michael Schenker to show them how it’s really done.
His career has taken many twists and turns over the years since first cutting his teeth as a teenager with the Scorpions, before really making his name with UFO, followed by a short stint back with the Scorpions and then onto his own band, the Michael Schenker Group. It hasn’t always been easy, it hasn’t always been pretty, but it has always been an eventful ride with Schenker at the helm.
With his blonde locks hidden beneath a beanie hat, a leather clad Schenker with trademark black and white Flying V guitar in hand certainly struck an imposing figure. Looking fitter and leaner than he has in years, Schenker was indeed ready to rock.
Bolstered by the classic Scorpions rhythm section of Herman Rarebell and Francis Buchholz, together with former Rainbow vocalist Doogie White, Schenker has put together a formidable band that could really do justice to his musical legacy.
Doogie White had arguably the hardest job of the night, but he pulled it off with ease by capturing the spirit of the originals yet bringing his own inimitable style to the songs. If there ever was a musical problem for Schenker in the past, finding a singer that could deal with his whole catalog was the big one. It seems that at long last he’s found the perfect man for the job.
With a set list built around UFO’s Stranger’s In the Night (“Doctor Doctor”, “Lights Out”, “Rock Bottom”), MSG’s One Night At Budokan (“Into The Arena”, “Armed and Ready”) and a sprinkling of gems from Lovedrive-era Scorpions (“Coast to Coast”, “Holiday”, “Another Piece Of Meat”), pretty much every track was a classic.
New song “Horizons”, from his forthcoming album Bridge The Gap, showed Schenker building on the impressive Temple of Rock album from 2011 and looks set to be one of the musical highlights of the year.
Schenker was clearly having a blast even throwing in Scorpions classics “Rock You Like A Hurricane” and “Blackout”, which were recorded by the band after he left, but gave Rarebell and Buchholz their moment in the spotlight.
Schenker left his troubles of the past well and truly behind as he showed why he is revered as one of the all-time greats. His tone is simply unmatchable and his technical ability is jaw dropping, but better still his solos have a grasp of melody that many other guitarists just overlook. For those in the crowd, it was an unforgettable chance to see a true legend right at the very top of their game, and for fans of the Classic Rock of Scorpions, UFO and MSG, it was a night to cherish.
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