Concert Review by Russ Michael Schenker & Friends at Queens Hall, Nuneaton, U.K. February 6, 2008 Added on 02/07/2008
Hi Ritchie,
After seeing the awesome gig at the palace in Tamworth in January, Nuneaton was a must.
I have only been to the queens hall once before, to
see Y and T. This is a tiny venue, above a pub, but,
the set up is excellent with a good bar, clear P.A and
a crowd that loves their music with a passion.
We only caught the closing moments of support band
Beholder, who , it has to be said, did a bang on cover
of the Maiden classic 'Hallowed be thy name'. Nice one
lads! Check them out.
Schenker and co shortly followed and what I wrote
about Tamworth can only be repeated now. The same set
list, no messing about, delivered with stunning
precision. Michael Schenker is absolutely on fire
tonight, yet again. Dont forget, this was a venue that
was cancelled during August 07, to come back and re-do
it takes some balls. A good turn out and a very happy
audience by the end of Rock Bottom. Proper job!
The band were so tight tonight,a perfect platform for
Michaels fretboard dynamics, drummer Tom is an
absolute powerhouse with clinical timing.
If there is anyone out there who is still undecided
whether to see this tour, read the reviews, get out
there and see one of the most incredible
transformations in Rock history before this club tour
ends. Adrian and co have worked wondres to bring this
all together, so......'On with the action'!
Best Regards,
Russ Weaver
Concert Review by Jim D. Michael Schenker & Friends at Queens Hall, Nuneaton, U.K. February 6, 2008 Added on 02/09/2008 & 02/16/2008
If I had to sum up this gig in one word it would be...perfect.
The venue was...perfect - a great size, great vibes and really good sound.
The support act, Beholder, were...perfect - their multi-tribute act,
playing classic covers from Manowar, Dio, Iron Maiden and others and
set the tone splendidly for an evening of hard rock enjoyment.
Moreover, Michael Schenker and Friends were...perfect! I was excited
by seeing a rejuvenated Michael after all of the sad reports from last
summer's tour and when the band blasted into "Assault Attack" it was
*incredible*.
As the gig progressed not only was Michael spot on but the rest of the
band were right on the ball too. They played with panache and verve
for both the UFO tracks and MSG material and did everything you
expected to hear from the records. They were locked right in to the
songs. The bass and drums in particular were really solid, with some
marvellous jazzy touches from the drummer and really hard, punchy
bass. The keyboard and rhythm guitarist also provided harmony backing
vocals to give you the full picture. Leif covered all vocal bases and
kept everything together between the crowd and the stage.
Michael himself was calm and precise and enjoying himself. He was the
epitome of "focus", but you didn't get the feeling that this was just
a gig for him - he was off exploring the fretboard during the solos
and was truly at one with his guitar and amp. When he peeked up from
the fretboard he was often smiling, and the love that was coming out
of the audience for the band was incredible - it was awesome to hear
such a great setlist being played with such dedication and craft.
I couldn't believe some of the things Michael was pulling out during
the solos - combinations of notes encompassing beauty, melody,
excitement, aggression and passion in all the right measures. The
setlist too was perfect. Everyone knows Michael is a master guitarist
but the choice of tunes showed what a great songwriter he is too; "On
and On" and "I Want More" in particular stood out as mature works from
the early MSG period. Songs like "Doctor Doctor" and "Only You Can
Rock Me" can't fail to get you rocking and knowing that it was Michael
playing them up there also made it...perfect.
In short, it really couldn't have been better. It was perfect.