ULI JON ROTH and his music fits the definition of an acquired taste as well as anything else I’ve heard. Although the fact that Ulrich Roth was once the lead guitarist for tonight’s headline act (he played on 4 SCORPIONS studio albums in the 70′s) – musically, his output is somewhat different to that of SCORPIONS, and it took the capacity crowd a little time to take to the German veteran as he weaved his way through an enlightening 45 minute set. Dominated with songs from latest album ‘Under a Dark Sky’, Roth and his SKY ACADEMY band proceeded to give a fine lesson in technical ability and musical virtuosity. As hard as songs like ‘The Magic Word’ and the epic ‘Tanz In Die Dammerung’ may be to digest, you can’t help but enjoy watching ULI JON ROTH, who always wears a beaming smile on his face as he seems to revel in playing his music and widdling away on his self-made 6-octave sky guitar.

Vocally, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN singer Mark Boals teams up superbly well with female vocalist Liz Vandall, with the two complementing each other with beautiful synchronicity. To make absolutely sure the crowd was won over, the set was rounded off by two 70′s SCORPIONS classics ‘We’ll Burn The Sky’ and ‘Pictured Life’. Although not everyone will be rushing off to check out the ULI JON ROTH back catalogue, there was more than a polite applause for a set that had kept the SCORPIONS well entertained as they waited for their heroes arrival.

For those people reading this who associate SCORPIONS with their 90′s mega-hit ‘Wind of Change’ - you have seriously got the wrong impression of this band. SCORPIONS are a heavy metal band, and they are heavier and louder than ever when they play live – this really is where SCORPIONS come into their own. The crunching riff of new album opener ‘Hour 1′ launched things into action, before fierce renditions of ‘Coming Home’ and headbanger ‘Bad Boys Running Wild’ showed immediately that SCORPIONS have lost none of their awesome live power. As he always has done, the now 60 year old Rudolph Schenker ruled the stage like a crazed mad man, throwing all kinds of shapes as he crashed through riff after riff. Matthias Jabs was also in sparkling form as he took centre stage during ‘The Zoo’ with his usual talk-box antics. Rudolph’s younger brother, legendary ex-UFO axe man Michael Schenker was also in town tonight, and it was pleasing to see him back on form as he joined another of his formed band’s for ‘Coast to Coast’, ‘Holiday’, ‘Lovedrive’ and ‘Another Piece of Meat’. For SCORPIONS fans, this was like a wet dream.

The SCORPIONS love to have plenty of fun on stage, and this was personified when the whole band got up to join powerhouse drummer James Kottak, with his ‘Kottak Attack’ drum solo. Nobody does rock humour like the Germans. As ‘Big City Nights’ concluded the main set, the huge video screens at the back of the stage urged the crowd to ‘SCREAM!’ to get the band back out for an encore and, of course, the Wolverhampton faithful duly obliged… and boy were they rewarded! First Ulrich Roth returned for ‘He’s a Woman, She’s a Man’ - before the Schenker brothers teamed up again, this time performing the UFO classic ‘Doctor, Doctor’ - truly a special moment. With no ‘Wind of Change’ in sight, ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’ finished off what was an absolutely tremendous show. One thing is for sure, tonight was ultimate proof that there’s plenty of venom left in the sting of the SCORPIONS.

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 / Loving You Sunday Morning / 321 / Dynamite / Blackout / Big City Nights / Still Loving You / No One Like You / He’s A Woman, She’s A Man / Doctor, Doctor / Rock You Like a Hurricane