ULI JON ROTH and his band are like a long lost galaxy of stars – you may have never seen or heard of them before, but you certainly wouldn't miss them in a darkened room. You would miss their music, on the other hand. Forgiving Uli's sometimes needless noodle, his gifted guitar talents can't help but sweep you away, but the best part is that the songs come first. A seamless blend of dueting female / male vocals (featuring ex YNGWIE MALMSTEENvocalist Mark Boals) from the atmospheric and melodic passages through to thunderous orchestration, this is goosebump tingling stuff of the highest order.
That impressive was this showing, if you are anything like me you'll be rushing to get home and listen to Uli's latest works by any means necessary…       
 
Ah, it doesn’t get much more liberating than stadium rock. Unlike the badly executed, corn on the cob 80's pap of some, SCORPIONS may seem like a circus act onstage at times, but thankfully and rocking-ly, you're laughing with them, not at them. The tunes are no joke, that much is for sure – any band who can leave out 'Wind Of Change' and still rock you like a hurricane from the first note to the last can have 35 pounds of my money any day.

'Big City Nights', 'The Zoo', 'Bad Boys Running Wild', 'No One Like You'… the classic arena anthems just kept coming, with the monstrously vocal crowd lapping it up like a desert dog that's just found water. Newie's included the ferocious '321' and impressive set opener 'Hour 1', although given this is the Humanity tour and the track of the tour's very name didn't feature, this was the low point of the night.

With the greatest of respect, SCORPIONS have great songs but the factor that has probably gained them a new wave of fans is not only the Desmond Child penned 'Humanity', but the guest appearance of ex Scorps guitarists Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth. Both virtouso guitar legends in their own right, Roth is the relaxed, hippie type rocker whose adolescent playing bellies his calm persona, while the sleek, rip roaring Schenker, almost surprised by the sheer reception he gets – just does what he does best. Supreme playing and with smile on face, there's no mad axeman antics and no need to be beware of scorpions tonight…and a cover of UFO's 'Doctor, Doctor' acts as the ultimate Schenker homage.    

    
Of course, this is the sign of any great band. Anyone can make an acoustic album or write a killer ballad (maybe even a couple in this case) but coming back with a big time producer/songwriter and bringing in legendary special guests is just the ticket for a box office killing. Indeed, with the added layers of Schneker and Roth respectively, the German rockers show off their reflective side beautifully,
the likes of 'Fly To The Rainbow' & 'Still Loving You' in particular done compelling justice.

Of course, A bit like an overwhipped fairy cake, SCORPIONS stage presence is to be taken, in good old fashioned German tradition, lightly. Whether its the whole band nicking their drummers kit and playing
along on an insanely energetic drum solo or a the enormous computer backdrop displaying the encore message of DO YOU WANT MORE? its all jolly good fun. In spite of the 7,000 drumsticks (or so it seemed) they threw into the crowd, my butterfingers never managed to get one – nearly as criminal a crime as not pocketing a plectrum at a YNGWIE MALMSTEEN gig… 

SCORPIONS Setlist: Hour 1 / Coming Home / Bad Boys Running Wild / The Zoo / No Pain No Game / Coast to Coast / Holiday / Lovedrive / Another Piece of Meat / In Trance / Fly To The Rainbow / Loving You Sunday Morning / 321 / Dynamite / Blackout / Big City Nights / Still Loving You / No One Like You / Doctor, Doctor / Rock You Like a Hurricane

           
      
Ratings:

SCORPIONS: 4.7/5.0

ULI JON ROTH: 4.3/5.0

Review by Andy Law

Photography by Alexander Shaw

ULI JON ROTH

SCORPIONS