British Journalist On SCHENKER Bros. At Rock & Blues Custom Show: "Michael And Rudolf Came To Blows... Had To Be Separated By Security"
British music journalist Dave Ling has issued the following report:
"Just home from the Rock & Blues Custom Show in Pentrich, where the best and worst of the Schenker family was displayed.
Regardless of the falling rain, the SCORPIONS played a blinder as last night's headliners and I finally got to see ULI JON ROTH onstage with the band, running through four songs - 'Pictured Life', 'Speedy's Coming', 'We'll Burn The Sky' and 'Fly To The Rainbow'.
What an awesome experience. To be honest, I felt a little sorry for Matthias Jabs, who despite doing an excellent job for the Scorps for so many years suddenly found himself relegated to bit-part player. But anyway, here's the full set-list:
'Hour 1',
'Bad Boys Running Wild',
'Love 'Em Or Leave 'Em',
'The Zoo', 'Coast To Coast',
'Holiday',
'Humanity',
'Leaving You',
'Make It Real',
'Pictured Life',
'Speedy's Coming',
'We'll Burn The Sky',
'Fly To The Rainbow',
'Tease Me, Please Me',
'321', 'Big City Nights',
'Dynamite', 'Still Loving You'
'Rock You Like A Hurricane'.
Compared to his elder sibling, who threw shapes and played the rock star to absolute perfection, MICHAEL SCHENKER was an utter disgrace. He'd turned up at the site mid-morning with a bottle of Courvoisier cognac inside him. After an altercation during the soundcheck, Schenker threw his guitar across the stage, trying to hurt the agent who'd booked him for the show, before threatening not to perform. The rest of the day was spent in his portacabin, attempting to sleep things off. It didn't work.
Excuse the language, but Schenker played like a complete c**t. Looking visibly glazed, he could scarely walk let alone play guitar. After 45 minutes of his alotted 90, having been booed and jeered throughout, Michael stumbled into the wings to the strains of the footie chant, "You're shit and you know you are". Then, incredibly, he returned.
There was a momentary improvement, but any thoughts that Schenker might get out of jail were rudely shot down during the ensuing half-hour.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is fucking improvised but we do the best we can, okay?" slurred Michael before UFO's 'Too Hot To Handle' - a song he must've played a hundred thousand times before, the simple riff to which had suddenly become infinitely beyond his grasp. Believe me, the song 'On And On' had never felt more appropriate. Once it was all over, Michael and his brother Rudolf came to blows and the pair had to be separated by security. The word 'pathetic' doesn't even begin to cover it. It'll be interesting to see whether he makes it to Manchester or Hammersmith.
Earlier in the day UK hard rockers BURN had turned in a very enjoyable mid-afteroon set. With their new singer Simon Hall, THE HANDSOME BEASTS deliver a roundly enjoyable 45 minutes of their own and Bernie Tormé and John McCoy's band GMT lived up to the promise of their splendid debut album, Bitter And Twisted. Regrettably, though, Michael Schenker's infantile and irresponsible behaviour cast a very long shadow indeed. I do hope that he can sort himself out, though it's looking highly unlikely.
How many more chances does the bugger need?"
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