Concert Report by Tomomi Ishida Burke
Michael Schenker Fest at Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.
April 17, 2019
Added on 04/19/2019





Concert Report by Johnny Joseph
Michael Schenker Fest at Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.
April 17, 2019
Added on 04/19/2019

Hello My Ol' Friend. It is Johnny Joseph reaching out to you from Los Angeles to give you a report on the final night of the Michael Schenker Fest in West Hollywood at the world famous Whisky. I took my Gorgeous Bebe last night and we saw a night of truly Epic musicianship and fun, Fun, FUN! You know from all of my reports that I have sent to you over the past 15 or so years that this is now beyond 80 times for me seeing Michael. I have never seen a bad show in all of those, but to see Michael so overjoyed to be playing LIVE, and the camaraderie between his band and all four singers is a treasure that I never could have imagined 20 or 25 years ago. We got two hours and forty five minutes of nonstop Rock N' Roll served up by a Master musician and his band/brothers in arms. Michael comes out and greets the crowd and while strapping on one of the 6 custom Dean V's, he first paid his respects to both Ted McKenna (Michael is wearing a picture of Ted on his vest), and then Paul Raymond, who as most of your followers know just passed away on Saturday, only 4 nights before last night's show. He then spoke about his second time with The Scorpions in '78 when he had just left UFO and helped Rudolph (and more importantly Klaus, who Michael truly Loves) by playing on Lovedrive. He told the crowd how he had written much more than he had gotten credit for and played an abbreviated version of Holiday with him singing along with the crowd, who he already had in the palm of his gifted hands. He would bring each singer out and introduce them and then they were going deeper into the vaults then I have ever heard before. And playing song after song after song from the newest opus, Resurrection. It is a truly brilliant album and seeing each singer add their part to it and sing all together is simply astonishing. When they played Night Moods I forgot that it was a new song with Graham because it sounds like it came off of Assault Attack. Each song was a special treat whether it was because of its significance in the Schenker catalogue, or because of how amazing it was played. I remember seeing Dancer played on the Assault Attack tour in 1982-1983, but I don't think I have seen it since then until last night. Desert Song?! OMG! Save Yourself?!? OMFG!! I used to take a second during shows to make a note on my phone to mark each song but I no longer do ANYTHING that takes me out of the moment of enjoying the concert. Bebe asked me to get a couple of pictures of the kaleidoscope guitar so I did that for her, but that was IT. I don't understand why people are standing 3-5 feet away from the stage and they're filming on their phones. While they are dicking around trying to change the size of the screen and making adjustments, they are missing the show that IS GOING ON DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THEM! If you are not being paid to cover the show as a journalist or photographer then you are mostly blocking people behind you from seeing the show unobstructed and/or you are not fully engaged in the moment. I'm not going to go on a rant, you get my meaning, I am sure. I think it ended up being 6 songs that they played from the new album and they fit in Perfectly with the others. Bodo Schopf is an absolute Monster behind the kit. It was such a sudden and tragic thing when Ted McKenna passed away this past January. I think I read that he was having a voluntary surgery and things just went wrong and he died. Truly a tragedy as he was playing in another band with Davey Knowles and Gerry McAvoy doing a Rory Gallagher tribute called Band Of Friends. Michael himself was a fan of Rory and Ted tied it together for both bands, so it was very nice for Michael to acknowledge his passing. Same thing with Paul Raymond, who was not only still playing in UFO, but had been in the first MSG band with Michael and Gary. I was hoping that they would play Love To Love last night, but I will not complain because of all of the great, GREAT songs that he dusted off and tore through last night. This is a man possessed. There is literally no breaks between songs, he just plays and plays and plays some more. His soloing is absolutely perfect. Dead on Schenker. Clear, clean, and so fluid. I don't know anyone who is so perfect, ALL THE TIME, without being too technical, or losing his emotive qualities. He is just so next level when it comes to being the consummate professional but also plugged into your emotions as a listener. His music has always touched my soul and that's why he has been my favorite guitar player since I first heard him all of those years ago. Robin, Doogie, Graham, and Gary were having too much fun up there. You can see that it is totally genuine and there is absolutely no egos involved. Just a bunch of truly great musicians who love performing for us as much as we love watching them. The stage of The Whisky is pretty small for 8 guys but it was better than I could have ever imagined. EIGHT GUYS!!! What an absolute BLAST Man! After telling us that he wrote Rock Bottom at 17 for UFO, and then just shredding thru it, Michael teased us before turning to Bodo, who pulled off a short but super heavy drum solo to end the song and the main set. The band didn't even take 2 minutes off before coming back out to finish the night with Shoot Shoot, Natural Thing, and of course Lights Out! The Whisky could then turn the lights out on a truly brilliant evening of music from arguably the greatest LIVE Rock n' Roll guitarist who ever lived. So for anyone who has tickets for any of the upcoming shows, don't be late, and be sure to wear comfortable shoes, because you will be seeing a solid two and a half to three hours of music. But dear God, Michael Schenker Fest is an event that is not to be missed. As Michael said before leaving the stage: "Keep on Rocking"!



Concert Report by Fukiko Kuranuki
Michael Schenker Fest at Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.
April 17, 2019
Added on 04/19/2019

The 3rd and the last of Los Angeles, CA.
Michael Schenker Fest at the legendary Whisky A-Go-Go!!
What a fun 3-days-party with all the friends and the super band!!





Concert Report by Luciana Freire
Michael Schenker Fest at Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.
April 17, 2019
Added on 04/20/2019





Concert Report by Joe Schaeffer
Michael Schenker Fest at Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.
April 17, 2019
Added on 04/20/2019





Concert Report by Alan Dahlqvist
Michael Schenker Fest at Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.
April 17, 2019
Added on 04/21/2019





Concert Report by Joe Schaeffer
Michael Schenker Fest at Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.
April 17, 2019
Added on 04/25/2019





Concert Report by Will Fredericks
Michael Schenker Fest at Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.
April 17, 2019
Added on 05/02/2019

Here Are Some of the Better Pics I took April 17th of Michael Schenker Fest on their last of 3 nights at The Whisky in Hollywood.





Concert Report by Laurie Talley
Michael Schenker Fest at Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.
April 16 & 17, 2019
Added on 05/21/2019

Whisky a Go Go
16 and 17 April 2019
Schenkerfest 2019

What can I say?
He, along with his FESTBAND OF MERRY FREAKING ROCKIN MEN, brought down the Whisky House each night !!!

Will HE still ROCK ME? WILL HE still ROLL ME? WHEN HE'S 64?

HELL TO THE FREAKING YEAH

Here's to many more!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Michael Schenker, for bringing it as only you can!!!!





Concert Report by Marc Vigil
Michael Schenker Fest at Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.
April 17, 2019
Added on 06/01/2019

Another Michael Schenker show for the ages
three hours of pure rock n roll





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