Michael Schenker live in Swansea
11th February 2008, Sin City
A definite set of mixed feelings as I left Swansea’s Sin City venue last night having witnessed “Michael Schenker and Friends” perform to a pretty packed house. Despite the line-up being miss-billed on the venue’s website as the forthcoming Gary Barden fronted M.S.G. it was Leif Sundin and co with Schenker - the line-up that has been getting such positive reviews up and down the country.
And for about 50 minutes everything was pretty damn good. Okay, the sound left a bit to be desired at times with the vocals occasionally too low or, when Sundin was joined by the other guys (including Schenker) on backing vocals, sometimes too distorted, but the guitarist himself seemed to be bang on form and ripping out solo after solo rather than feeling around for inspiration that wouldn’t come.
A “Best Of” set kicked off by “Assault Attack” moved nicely through an excellent “Into The Arena”, great U.F.O. numbers “Lights Out”, “Only You Can Rock Me” et al and on to an especially well received “Armed And Ready”. When we got to the final song of the main set though, the aptly named “Attack Of The Mad Axeman” though things went horribly wrong. Beset by problems with his guitar Schenker struggled through until a slide solo towards the end was rendered inaudible. Clearly frustrated the guitar came off and hit the floor somewhere behind his Marshall stack as Schenker kicked his way through the stage door, hands in the air in despair. He did recompose himself enough to return and finish the song using his spare “flying V” but once the song was over that guitar was thrown squarely at his tech. Schenker briefly acknowledged the applause along with the other band members and thereafter left the stage, the venue and apparently Swansea!
That’s right, after some 10 minutes of increasingly dispirited calls for an encore that judging by all accounts would have been rip-roaring versions of “Doctor Doctor” and “Rock Bottom” an aid took the stage, announced the winning ticket number for the end of tour guitar competition (hopefully not the dodgy one!) and then, when prompted, explained… “Michael has left the building”.
Now I can only say what a shame that this ended this way. The Swansea audience had turned out in mass on a Monday
night for this, despite his previous misdemeanour’s, and were extremely responsive despite the technical issues. Personally, I’d stood there increasingly impressed how the man could perform so well when the pressure on him for this tour must be immense. Gremlins will happen from time to time, audiences accept that I think, but to throw a strop (and a guitar) and storm out of the venue after just 50 odd minutes of a performance that cost me £16 was unacceptable, unnecessary and showed a disregard to people who again had been there to support Schenker. What should have been and very easily could have been another well received gig on what seems to have been a well received tour turned into another sad episode in the story of the man.
If the new M.S.G. hit South Wales later in the year, I will think very hard before attending. Having said that, as one guy who had travelled a fair distance to see the gig said to me upon leaving…”That’s what you get with Schenker”.
Set list : Assault Attack / Ready To Rock / Let It Roll / Angel Of Avalon / Lights Out / Into The Arena / But I Want More / Too Hot To Handle / On And On / Only You Can Rock Me / Armed And Ready / Attack Of The Mad Axeman
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BL
February 12, 2008 at 6:23 pm
It just had to happen during Attack Of The Mad Axeman!!
February 14, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I would just like to reply to the above review on a slightly more positive note with a review of my own of the Swansea concert:
Michael Schenker and Friends, Sin City Rock Club, Swansea, 11th February 2007
When I got to the venue of Michael Schenker’s performance in Swansea, who should I meet at the door, but Michael himself, cheerfully signing an autograph for the only person in the queue who was in front of me. I always arrive super early so as to get to the front at Michael’s gigs, and tonight was no exception. So, there I was - me and a friend - right at the front for the entire set, and for the two hours that preceded the set. So, I saw exactly what happened, and the Planet Rock review is quite misleading in some ways.
First of all, Michael and the person I assume to be his friend were attending to the merchandise counter themselves. From 7:30 to 8:30, Michael was right there with us, sat behind the merchandise counter, and signing loads of autographs. He was clearly in fine shape - calm, happy, and completely relaxed and sober. He looked just as good as he did on the first night at Swindon - clean shaven (except for a trimmed mini-beard), slim, and strong - a million miles away from the “80″ year-old we saw stumbling around last year. So, everything looked very well. I was very pleased to be able to pick up a video of his Michael Schenker Story gig from Chicago, 1996.
Secondly, it should be noted that there was no support band on the evening. So, whilst it seemed like a long wait for Michael to come on stage, the band actually started a full 30 minutes or so earlier than they did in Swindon. It just seemed like a long time as there was no support group to distract us while we waited.
Thirdly, things started to look not quite right about half an hour before Michael came on stage. The roadie who was checking Michael’s guitar seemed to be having trouble with the connection where the jack-plug plugs into the guitar. The sound would be there one moment, and then cut out the next. Or, sometimes, the sound would partially cut out. Furthermore, this seemed to me to be a problem with BOTH of Michael’s guitars. Moreover, the roadie didn’t seem too worried about this, and didn’t seem to do too much to sort the problem out either. He seemed to just tape the lead to the guitar and ‘hope for the best’ - though I might be misjudging him at this point. The problem with the guitars was so obvious to us on the front row that I commented about it to my friend well before the gig started - we both wondered how Michael would cope with the situation. It was the sound cutting out that probably affected the tuning.
Fourth, Michael actually coped with the situation extremely well once the gig started. Here and there, he would quickly nudge the guitar/lead socket if the sound started to cut out, and he pretty much kept the instrument running normally this way for eleven tracks. Despite the problems, he was dealing with them so skillfully that you could barely tell there were any problems at all. Further, he nailed the tracks superbly, at his normal ‘top form’ level, which was very impressive indeed. I needn’t go over the track list, as somebody else has done it already. It was his standard set, but with no encore (no Doctor Doctor, and no Rock Bottom).
Fifth, things didn’t really go badly wrong until Attack of the Mad Axeman, when the technical problem suddenly became much worse and completely ruined Michael’s attempt to play his intro to the track. I feel that this embarrassed him, but he got the guitar working again and soldiered on through the first solo. However, the problems returned and by this time the track was seemingly unredeemable. At that point Michael pulled off his guitar and threw it down in sheer frustration - though he did this out of sight of most people, at the side of the stage, which was hidden behind a pillar. He also looked as though he was about to throttle the roadie, who had obviously not alerted Michael to the problem before the gig. As I said, it had seemed to us that the roadie was just not doing his job thoroughly - though I could be mistaken of course. Does Michael need a guitar-tech like he had on his 2004 tour?
Sixth, it was what happened next that surprised me. Michael came back on and played the extended outro solo from Attack of the Mad Axeman. He was red and very upset, but he tore through the solo as though all his rage were poured into it. The result was one of those inspired moments where Schenker hits ‘above top form’. I think he was just trying to get the main set over with so that he could leave, and I really don’t think he realised just how incredible those last few minutes were. He’d lost his glasses as well, so he looked just like he did on his early 80s tours, with his face contorted as he played the solo for all he was worth. Then, he gave a quick bow, and left the building - I think, fairly quickly after that. Strangely, I think he felt embarrassed that he had supposedly given a ‘bad’ performance because of the equipment problems. He seemed not to realise that he had just played something so good that the crowd were speechless momentarily, before exploding into an uproar of appreciation.
Seventh, so then, yes there was what seemed to be a tantrum. And yes, Schenker didn’t come back to do the encore tracks. But, it clearly wasn’t his fault, and he actually played better than brilliantly. Admittedly, he could have laughed it off, sorted the guitars out with some tape, and completed the set - repeating Attack of the Mad Axeman at the end. The crowd would have thanked him for it. But, we all know that Michael isn’t like that. He’s either happy with everything, or he struggles to cope. That’s just who he is - and I’m sure that’s one reason why his true fans stay with him. He is just a flawed human being like the rest of us after all! The whole thing was just a storm in a tea-cup that shouldn’t have happened - especially as there was a guitar-shop just around the corner. The guitar-tech/roadie could have alerted the band to the problem before the gig, and they could have had a new guitar for the evening if necessary. There was even somebody in the crowd with a Schenker Dean V that could have been used.
Finally, the band were superb again. Very tight performances all round. At one point Lief Sundin asked for the vocals to be turned up, as Michael’s guitar was drowning them out! Anyway, Schenker’s OK - it’s his technical team that seems to need a prod. I felt that this emphasis didn’t really come across in the Planet Rock review, which seemed to lurch back to the same old criticisms of Michael too hastily.
February 14, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Robert - thanks for adding your review of the night. It’s good to get another opinion and read another persons version of events. I wasn’t there early enough unfortunately to meet Michael before the gig and wasn’t really in a position to see the issues the tech was having as well as you.
Stage right, there were issues with the sound I found, and when Lief asked for the vocals to be turned up my opinion was that this was for his monitors only.
What we do agree on is that it was a “storm in a tea-cup” and could have been avoided. By simply completing the encore I think my review would have been much more complementary - I’d had a great night up to the point the band left the building.
We also agree on the fact that the incident would be blown out of proportion too. I still have reservations on whether I’ll go and see MSG if they tour down here but if I’m honest… I’ll probably be there! Just hoping the gremlins stay away!
February 14, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Yes, I know what you mean - I was well cheezed off with Michael after the Frome gig last year, but as soon as he announced this tour, I booked myself in for three gigs, and probably will go to at least one MSG show.
Actually, I think it’s Schenker’s studio stuff that keeps me in there. I think the last 12 years of his output has been better in my opinion than even the first 12 years and certainly better than the middle 12 years (assuming he’s had a 36 year career, which is a very long time to be playing Rock Bottom!)
February 15, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Hi
I was at the Swansea gig after being let down twice previously due to cancelled Schenker shows. I Met michael, shook his hand and got a signed Thank you CD. It was totally surreal meeting one of my idols - especially in such a dingy dump like Sin City.
His performance was blistering along with the rest of the band, Leif has a great voice as demostrated on the Written in the sand album, Schenker writes songs suited to the singer he is working with at the time and it just so happens that Leifs voice doesnt totally suit some of the earlier stuff. Remember Gary Barden singing some of the Graham Bonnet stuff? OUCH.
It was a real shame that things ended the way they did but that guitar roadie was a little inadequate in my opinion, demonstrated by his pitiful efforts at playing the Judas Priest breaking the law riff when sounchecking It was blatantly obvious there was a problem with the guitar which he did nothing about. This seemed to really rattle Michaels cage as it would mine I think what we saw was the result of similar frustrations on previous nights - I guess the valve blew big time.
It was a shame to miss the encores especially as the crowd were so receptive, but I personally thing my £17 was well spent for the amzing spectacle that is Michael Schenker it would have been worth it for 5 minutes even - especially that last rage fuelled solo at the end of the Mad axeman - bet we wont see one like that again!!
I am going to see him again on Sunday in Bristol the guy is a legend and I cant wait!!
February 19, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Hi guys give the guy a break weve all been let down by michael at some point i’ve been lucky on this tour i’ve been to two great gigs had my guitar signed & made some great new friends. There may be a time in the future when michael decides not to play for us anymoreso i count each schenker gig as a blessing totaly unique never bettered a man that never fails to surprisei for one will always be supportive of this totaly unique totaly original guitarist who in my opinion will never be bettered yours glyn
February 24, 2008 at 10:05 pm
I was at the gig at Workington last night and it was fantastic, exceeded my expectations and I had been digging out my UFO albums and trawling You Tube for vintage clips for weeks beforehand. Felt like I had been teleported back 30 years to Hammersmith Odeon when I was a skinny 20 year old. He broke a string mid song but swapped guitars and immediately played a blinding solo on the spare. I think the Dean V’s suck and theirin lies the problem, he’s tied into the endoresement deal which saved his bacon but would probably rather be playing an old Gibson V. Can’t believe he had to sell them all on eBay last year and besides I bet big bro Rudolf could spare a couple of from his enormous collection !.