Michael Schenker Fest at Irving Plaza

Michael Schenker was born in Sarstedt, Germany, and started playing guitar in 1964 at the age of nine, joining his first band when he was 11. When he was 14, he and vocalist Klaus Meine started a band named Copernicus. A year later, they both joined Michael's older brother Rudolf Schenker in the Scorpions. In 1972, at age 17, Michael left the Scorpions and joined UFO for six albums, turning the British psychedelic band into a hard rock band. Schenker left UFO in 1978 to rejoin the Scorpions temporarily and then form his own band, the Michael Schenker Group (MSG), from 1979 to 1984. In 1986, Schenker formed the McAuley/Schenker Group with Robin McAuley until 1992. Schenker then embraced a more experimental musical life, recording several acoustic instrumental albums and two very experimental electric instrumental albums. Throughout the 1990s, Schenker toured with UFO, the Scorpions and the Michael Schenker Group. In 2007, Schenker formed Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock, which went on hiatus in 2016. Since 2017, Schenker's current project, Michael Schenker Fest, features four of his past singers, Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, Robin McAuley, and Doogie White, along with guitarist/keyboardist Steve Mann, bassist Chris Glen, and drummer Bodo Schopf. Michael Schenker Fest's debut album, Resurrection, was released on March 2, 2018; a second studio album, Revelation, will be released on August 23, 2019.

Michael Schenker seemed happier than ever at Irving Plaza tonight; he was all smiles throughout the nearly three-hour set. Coming on stage with his band, he introduced himself and named all his earlier band affiliations, and then shared his condolences over the demise of his drummer, Ted McKenna, and his former UFO and Michael Schenker Group bandmate, Paul Raymond. Then he began the rocking. As his three musicians maintained steady grooves, Schenker's extended guitar leads were frequent and flawless, and played with dazzling wizardry. Distortion and effects were kept to a minimum, as his hands did all the swift magic. In an unusual move, Schenker had his floor monitor to the side rather than in front of him; this way he could play at the edge of the stage and work the cheering audience all night. Meanwhile, the cast of four vocalists rotated alternately and also sang in varying combinations, keeping the show lively and colorful. Some 30 songs into the set, the band closed with UFO's "Rock Bottom," with Schenker wailing and ripping into an extraordinary lead for close to 12 minutes; the vocalists came back to conclude the song, and Schenker resumed his scorching leads for another five minutes. Schenker has performed with many band line-ups, but this tour may be the pinnacle of his career.

Setlist:

1. Holiday (Scorpions song)
2. Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
3. Into the Arena (Michael Schenker Group song)
4. Are You Ready to Rock (Michael Schenker Group song)
5. Attack of the Mad Axeman (Michael Schenker Group song)
6. Rock My Nights Away (Michael Schenker Group song)
7. Messin' Around
8. Armed and Ready (Michael Schenker Group song)
9. Coast to Coast (Scorpions song)
10. Dancer (Michael Schenker Group song)
11. Searching for a Reason (Michael Schenker Group song)
12. Desert Song (Michael Schenker Group song)
13. Night Moods
14. Assault Attack (Michael Schenker Group song)
15. Captain Nemo (Michael Schenker Group song)
16. Bad Boys (McAuley-Schenker Group song)
17. Save Yourself (McAuley-Schenker Group song)
18. Anytime (McAuley-Schenker Group song)
19. Heart and Soul
20. Love Is Not a Game (McAuley-Schenker Group song)
21. Vigilante Man (Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock song)
22. Lord of the Lost and Lonely (Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock song)
23. The Girl With the Stars in Her Eyes
24. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock song)
25. Take Me to the Church
26. Live and Let Live (Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock song)
27. Warrior
28. Rock Bottom (UFO song)

Encore:

1. Shoot Shoot (UFO song)
2. Natural Thing (UFO song)
3. Lights Out (UFO song)