Baconmusic » Uli Jon Roth

Live: Scorpions + Uli Jon Roth – Wolverhampton Civic Hall – 19/10/2008

baconmusic — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:49:24 +0000

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

ULI JON ROTH Rating: 4.5/5.0

SCORPIONS Rating: 4.8/5.0

Review by James Allman

Photography by Alexander Shaw

SCORPIONS Photos
ULI JON ROTH Photos

Live: Scorpions + Uli Jon Roth – Manchester Apollo – 15/10/2008

Andy — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:40:38 +0000

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

Uli Jon Roth – ‘Under A Dark Sky’ (SPV Records)

Adam — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:09:11 +0000

ULI JON ROTH is often associated with hard rock, with his role as 1970's guitarist for German metal superstars SCORPIONS still regarded as the major coup on his music CV. However, since his SCORPIONS days, Roth has forged on with a solo career which has propelled him to legendary status amongst guitar enthusiasts, with his unique neo-classical approach setting him apart from most other 'rock' musicians. These days, you're about as likely to hear his work on Classic FM as on Planet Rock.

'Under a Dark Sky' is ULI JON ROTH's first studio material to be released since 2003. After listening to this album from start to finish, I can only imagine that Mr.Roth is well away with the fairies (probably enjoying a glass of mead with Richie Blackmore). Some of the lyrics here are best described as bizarre, and I'd love to know what Roth was smoking at the time he wrote some of these words. However, there's obviously a hell of a lot of work that goes into the music. The word complex is an understatement as the weaving compositions have male vocals (provided by Mark Boals of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN / ROYAL HUNT fame), female vocals, soprano vocals, the sky choir and the sky orchestra all putting in their two penneth – alongside of course, the jiggery-pokery (yet not over indulgent) guitar work of Ulrich Roth himself.

I can't imagine that I'll ever have the urge to listen to this record again, but that doesn't exactly mean that it's a load of rubbish – in fact, far from it. The album makes for an interesting, if intense listening experience – and will no doubt appeal first and foremost to guitar enthusiasts who worship the previous work of Roth. Much of the record sounds like a grandiose film score. The likes of 'The Magic Word' and parts of the 11 minute album highlight 'Land of Dawn' come somewhere close to standard rock music, where somewhat accessible melodies float above the waves of Roth's musical ocean. This is certainly not for everyone, but you have to give it to ULI JON ROTH – he doesn't do things in halves, that is for sure.

Rating 3.0/5.0

James Allman

Release Date: 22 September 2008