Michael Schenker used to suffer from stage fright.
But you wouldn’t know it if you saw him and the Michael Schenker Group in action on October 1 at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills. The guitar virtuoso is very comfortable on stage and in front of his adoring fans. In fact, he seems to revel in it. Most of the night he was sporting a huge smile, leaning in to the sea of cell phones and looking like there was no other place on earth he’d rather be.
Schenker and this version of the Michael Schenker Group were touring in support of his new album, Universal. But as the huge banner above the stage reminded the audience, it was also his 50th anniversary. Schenker joined the Scorpions as a teenager in the early 70’s, but rose to fame with his work with British rockers UFO. That culminated in what many feel is arguably the greatest live rock album, Strangers in the Night. Many also feel that inarguably every song on that live album is the definitive version. So you don’t go to a Michael Schenker concert to hear the songs like the studio version. You go to hear the songs just like "Strangers in the Night".
The set list was roughly half MSG material and half classic UFO. And because MSG is really a revolving door of musicians and singers and the newest album, Universal, was filled with guest players, no one really asks who’s touring with Schenker. It’s more like, “Did he play 'Lights Out'?” “Did he play ‘Rock Bottom’?” There was no doubt who the audience was there to see when more and more members of the audience gravitated towards Schenker’s side of the stage when the band launched into the UFO part of the set. If the theater had been a ship, it might have capsized.
As much as he now enjoys interacting with his audience, (He even took a camera out on stage, snapping pictures with his right hand while working the guitar fretboard with his left.) Schenker is a guitarist who takes his solos seriously. (One of the stories about his leaving UFO just as the band was about to become huge was he was unhappy with the live solo on the Strangers in the Night “Rock Bottom” solo. When told by the producer that he couldn’t change it, he walked away muttering, “Poor, poor, “Rock Bottom.” And just like that, Schenker was gone from UFO. He will crouch down low with his trademark Flying V in between his legs, usually close to his Marshall speakers and play the melodic, fluid, perfect solo that the fans expect and he demands of himself.
On this tour, Schenker chose to bring Ronnie Romero for vocals. Romero is a bit younger than previous singers Schenker has chosen and he brought a youthful, yet faithful, take to the classics. He also has enough stage presence to carve out his own place next to a guitar legend. The other three members of the band, Steve Mann, Guitar/Keyboards, Bodo Schopf, Drums and Barend Courbois, Bass are all veterans who know how to flat out rock.
Schenker has said he is on a mission to refine lead guitar. With 50 years under his belt and a work ethic that allows him to put out new material like Universal, his audience will walk away from any live show feeling that the mission is accomplished.
Say the name Eric Martin to anyone and the response will probably be, “Great voice.” So when Martin came out to do his set and it turned out to be acoustic, the audience got a bit of a treat. Because they got to hear that great voice really take the forefront during this set. Since he is billed as Eric Martin of Mr. Big, it made total sense that the set was comprised of Mr. Big classics like, “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy”, “Alive and Kickin’” and the mega-hit, “To Be With You”. Martin also played “Take Cover” which was dedicated to his fallen band mate in Mr. Big, drummer Pat Torpey. Martin’s band featured Paul Pesco on guitar, Jason Hartless on drums and P.J. Farley on bass.
Opening the evening was Images of Eden. They are a passionate band with a load of stage presence that belies their opening act status. Lead singer Gordon Tittsworth, Lead Guitar Carlos Uriquidi, Bassist Eric Mulvaine, Keyboardist Dean Harris, and Drummer Steve Dorssom have a brand new EP Weathered and Torn that was released just weeks before the show. It’s well worth a listen.
MICHAEL SCHENKER SET LIST
Photojournalist - Los Angeles
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