As lead guitarist in German Rock legends Scorpions, Uli Jon Roth helped to launch the band on to the world stage at a time when bands from Germany simply could not breakthrough to the major international markets. With albums such as Taken By Force and In Trance building an ever growing reputation it was the double live album Tokyo Tapes that really made people sit up and take notice. Yet on the cusp of the big time, Roth quit to forge his own path with Electric Sun while the Scorpions went on to sell albums by the truckload throughout the 80s. They may have had greater commercial success in the post Roth years but that era is still held in reverence by many as the golden period of the band.
To mark the 40th anniversary of replacing Michael Schenker in the Scorpions Roth has embarked on an extensive world tour to play a set dedicated to his time in the band with the odd nod to his main influence Jimi Hendrix along the way.
From “Pictured Life” to “In Trance” and “We’ll Burn The Sky” this was an aural feast for fans of this era of the Scorpions and when he dug deep into the treasure chest and pulled out “Sails of Charon” and the psychedelic tinged “Sun In My Hand” it was a dream come true to hear such rarely played songs again.
Roth’s unique smooth tone and Neoclassical style broke new ground at the time and influenced a generation of guitarists that followed and the chance to see a virtuoso performance that climaxed with a stunning “Fly To The Rainbow” with Roth using his custom built Sky guitar to full effect was an absolute unmissable experience.
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