FabricationsHQ - Putting the Words to the Music
  • Muirsical Thoughts, Muirsical News Last update: December 14th
  • Latest Articles (links)
  • Hawkwind - 02 Academy, Glasgow
  • Fat-Suit - Waifs & Strays
  • Steve Hackett (October 2019)
  • 2019AB?
  • Featured Album Reviews
    • Wayward Sons - The Truth Ain't What it Used to Be
    • Flying Colors - Third Degree
    • Steve Hackett - Genesis Revisited Band & Orchestra: Live
    • Burnt Out Wreck - This is Hell
    • Runrig - The Last Dance
    • Scarlet Rebels - Show Your Colours
    • The Blind Lemon Gators - Gatorville
    • Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars
    • Sweet Oblivion Feat. Geoff Tate
    • Rebecca Downes - More Sinner Than Saint
    • Stray - Mudanzas
    • Snarky Puppy - Immigrance
    • Aaron Buchanan And The Cult Classics - The Man With Stars On His Knees
    • 2018 Featured Album Reviews >
      • Simon Thacker's Svara-Kanti - Trikala
      • Jason Becker - Triumphant Hearts
      • Duncan Chisholm - Sandwood
      • Jawbone - Jawbone
      • Steve Perry - Traces
      • Sari Schorr - Never Say Never
      • Joe Bonamassa - Redemption
      • Ben Poole - Anytime You Need Me
      • Hawkwind - Road To Utopia
      • Rainbreakers - Face To Face
      • Frequency Drift - Letters to Maro
      • JCM - Heroes
      • Dana Fuchs - Love Lives On
      • Joe Bonamassa - British Blues Explosion Live
      • W.E.T. - Earthrage
      • The King Lot - A World Without Evil
    • 2017 Featured Album Reviews >
      • Quint Starkie - Ghost In My Heart
      • Downes Braide Association - Skyscraper Souls
      • Dirty Thrills - Heavy Living
      • King King - Exile & Grace
      • Steven Wilson - To The Bone
      • Robin Trower - Time and Emotion
      • Joe Bonamassa - Live at Carnegie Hall, an Acoustic Evening
      • Nikka Costa - Nikka & Strings, Underneath and In Between
      • The Mustangs - Just Passing Through
      • Simon Thacker & Justyna Jablonska - Karmana
      • Michael Schenker Fest Live
  • Monthly Album Reviews...
    • 2019 Reviews
    • 2018 Reviews
    • 2017 Reviews
  • Selected 2019 Gig Reviews...
    • Opeth - SWG3 Galvanizers, Glasgow
    • Félix Rabin - Nice 'N' Sleazy Glasgow
    • Anchor Lane - G2, Glasgow
    • Stray - Backstage at the Green, Kinross
    • Danny Bryant - Backstage at the Green, Kinross
    • Talon - Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow
    • Lifesigns - Smiles of Musical Travel
    • A Whole Lotta Rock 3 - featuring Rattlesnake Tattoo, Prestwick
    • Chantel McGregor - Hard Rock Cafe Glasgow
    • Pete Way Band - Customs House Hotel, Greenock
    • Raintown and Katee Kross - Village Theatre, East Kilbride
    • Danny Vaughn - DreadnoughtRock, Bathgate
    • NR Rocks 2019 - DreadnoughtRock, Bathgate
    • Arran Rock 'N' Blues Fest 2019
    • Cheap Trick - 02 Academy, Glasgow
    • The Blind Lemon Gators - Tolboth, Stirling
    • Midnight Oil - 02 Brixton Academy, London
    • Ana Popovic - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Joe Bonamassa - SEC Armadillo, Glasgow
    • Eden's Curse - The Garage G2, Glasgow
    • Félix Rabin - Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow
    • Her Way to Hell - DreadnoughtRock, Bathgate
    • The Quireboys and FM - The Garage, Glasgow
    • Erja Lyytinen - Backstage at the Green, Kinross
    • Wille & The Bandits - Hug & Pint, Glasgow
    • Sari Schorr - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Frankie Miller's Full House - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • A Whole Lotta Rock 2 featuring Brian Downey's Alive and Dangerous, Prestwick
    • John Verity Band - Borders Blues Club, Innerleithen
    • King King (with Sari Schorr) - 02 Academy, Glasgow
    • Burnt Out Wreck (with Scarlet Rebels) - Hard Rock Cafe, Glasgow
    • Buckcherry / Hoobastank / Adelita's Way - SWG3 Glasgow
  • Selected 2018 Gig Reviews...
    • Sensational Alex Harvey Experience DreadnougthRock, Bathgate
    • Uli Jon Roth - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • WinterStorm Rock Weekender III - Troon
    • Ben Poole - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Dan Reed Network - The Garage, Glasgow
    • Dapper, Paul Gemmell's Black Magic Blues Band - The Union, East Kilbride
    • Lifesigns - Backstage at The Green, Kinross
    • The Nimmo Brothers - Old Fire Station, Carlisle
    • Brian Downey's Alive And Dangerous - Cathouse, Glasgow
    • Chantel McGregor - Hard Rock Cafe, Glasgow
    • Federal Charm and Bad Flowers, Classic Grand, Glasgow
    • Rainbreakers - Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh
    • Hamilton Loomis, Mike Vernon & The Mighty Combo, Lights Out By Nine - Town Hall, Darvel
    • Kane'd - NR Rocks, DreadnoughtRock, Bathgate
    • Zal Cleminson's /sin'dogs/ - Concert Hall, Troon
    • The King Lot (with Those Damn Crows and Fragile Things) Dreadnoughtrock, Bathgate
    • Arran Rock 'N' Blues Fest
    • Kasim Sulton - Hard Rock Cafe, Glasgow
    • Danny Bryant - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Sari Schorr Band - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Bourbon Street 5 - Brig Below, Edinburgh,
    • Chris Glen & The Outfit - Concert Hall, Troon
    • Simon Thacker, Justyna Jablonska, Masha Natanson - Glad Cafe, Glasgow
    • The Greig Taylor Blues Combo - Dreadnoughtrock, Bathgate
    • King King - Town Hall, Darvel
  • Muirsical Conversations...
    • Rebecca Downes (May 2019)
    • Ben Poole & Wayne Proctor (January 2019)
    • Dan Reed (November 2018)
    • Del Bromham (October 2018)
    • Brian Downey (September 2018)
    • Raintown - Paul Bain & Claire McArthur Bain (May 2018)
    • Hamilton Loomis (December 2017)
    • Alan Nimmo (October 2017)
    • Erja Lyytinen (September 2017)
    • Suzi Quatro (September 2017)
    • Biff Byford (August 2017)
    • Dan Patlansky (June 2017)
    • Graham Bonnet (May 2017)
    • Simon Thacker (April 2017)
    • Sari Schorr (March 2017)
    • Stevie Nimmo (February 2017)
    • Dan Reed (February 2017)
    • Adam Norsworthy (January 2017)
    • Colin James (December 2016)
    • John Lees (October 2016)
    • Sari Schorr (August 2016)
    • Mike Vernon (August 2016)
    • Wayne Proctor (July 2016)
    • Laurence Jones (April 2016)
    • Chantel McGregor (March 2016)
    • John Young (January 2016)
    • Michael Schenker (November 2015)
    • Martin Barre (October 2015)
    • Chris Norman (September 2015)
    • Joanne Shaw Taylor (August 2015)
    • Fee Waybill (July 2015)
    • Ian Anderson (June 2015)
    • John Lodge (June 2015)
    • John Lawton (May 2015)
    • Steve Hackett (May 2015)
    • Manny Charlton (April 2015)
    • Ben Poole (April 2015)
    • Alan Nimmo (February 2015)
    • Popa Chubby (December 2014)
    • Paul Young (July 2014)
    • Bernie Shaw (June 2014)
    • Lee Kerslake (December 2013)
    • Pat Travers (September 2013)
    • Steve Hunter (August 2013)
    • Joy Dunlop (March 2013)
    • Gwyn Ashton (Dec. 2012)
    • Greg Lake (October 2012)
    • Ned Evett (August 2012)
    • Steven Lindsay (July 2012)
    • Dave Cureton (June 2012)
    • Jon Anderson (May 2012)
    • Jeremey Frederick Hunsicker (March 2012)
    • Amy Schugar (Feb. 2012)
    • Robert Fleischman (November 2011)
    • Ivan Drever (Sep. 2011)
    • Michael Sadler (June 2011)
    • James Evans (April 2011)
    • Alyn Cosker (Nov. 2010)
    • Scott Higham (Nov. 2010)
    • Kevin Chalfant (Oct. 2010)
    • Francis Dunnery (Sep. 2010)
    • Duncan Chisholm (Aug 2010)
    • Barbara Rubin (July 2010)
    • Alan Reed (June 2010)
  • Muirsical Q&A with...
    • Chantel McGregor (August 2019)
    • Greig Taylor (July 2019)
    • Adam Norsworthy (June 2019)
    • Erja Lyytinen (March 2019)
  • Muirsical Articles...
    • The Fool Guitar - The Fool Story
    • Alex Harvey - Framed in Words. And pictures
    • Journey - That Time Forgot
    • KISS - Elder Statesmen, Elder Statement?
    • Phil Lynott - Remembering Pt. 3
    • Freddie Mercury - The Days of His Life
    • Gary Moore - Last Exit
    • Mott - Without any of the Hoople-la
    • Muirsical Six of the Best
    • Music Town: A Decade of the Darvel Music Festival
    • Pat Travers - The Forgotten Power Trio
    • Playing Tribute
    • Gerry Rafferty - Humblebum to Multi-Million Seller
    • Cliff Richard - The Rock and Roll Juvenile
    • Slade - Thanks For the Memories
    • Talon - On Eagles Wings
    • The Sweet - A Cut Above the Rest
    • Wild Horses - Thoroughbreds or also-rans?
  • A Personal Journey: Definitive Edition (eBook)
  • Steve Perry (vocalist): One in a Million (eBook)
  • A Writer's Muirsings...
    • A Writer's Muirsings: Introduction
    • Superbowl XLVII MVP: Beyoncé (February 2013)
    • Michael Jackson: The Alternative Verdict (Nov 2011)
    • True Colours (November 2010)
    • It's a New Language, Old Bean (October 2010)
    • Finger Pointing (July 2010)
    • Suffer the Little Children (April 2010)
    • Hey 'Banker', can you spare a dime? (February 2010)
    • Earlier Muirsings... >
      • Muirsical Christmas #1's (December 09)
      • 3-D, or not 3-D, Avatar? (December 09)
      • Pains, Planes and Automobiles (November 09)
  • A Man of Letters...
    • A Man of Letters (Introduction)
    • Letter to Danbury Mint #1
    • Letter to Danbury Mint #2
    • Letter to The Catholic League
    • Letter to SKY #1
    • Letter to SKY #2
    • Letter to SKY #3
    • Letter to Leeds City Council Parking Services
  • Author Bio & Site Info
  • Contact FabricationsHQ
​Armed and Ready to celebrate the past
Michael Schenker - Michael Schenker Fest Live (2CD + DVD edition)
Picture
​Another Michael Schenker live release via CD/DVD combo or Blu-ray? Didn’t we just have one last year?

Well yes, but they are completely different musical beasts, feature a completely different band, both are musically merited and each showcases a significant milestone in Michael Schenker’s rejuvenated hard rock career.

2016's offering On a Mission Live in Madrid reinforced Temple of Rock's standing as the strongest Schenker led outfit since the original MSG days; the show featured a powerful band performance and a best of both worlds set that mixed top Temple tunes with MSG, Scorpions and UFO classics.

Michael Schenker Fest Live is a classic rock case of all the pieces coming together and all the (rock) stars aligning for a 21st century revisit of what was, and remains, some of the finest and most successful musical moments of Schenker’s career under his own name – the original Michael Schenker Group era (1980 to 1984) and later McAuley Schenker Group (1986 to 1993).

Filmed and recorded on the 24th of August 2016 at the Tokyo International Forum, featuring lead vocalists Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet and Robin McAuley and backed by an excellent band of MSG brothers Chris Glenn (bass) Ted McKenna (drums) and Steve Mann (keyboards, guitars), Michael Schenker delivers classic era MSG (plus a couple of obligatory Scorpions and UFO numbers) with a scintillating performance in front of five thousand fans who double as the MSG Chorus ('Cry For the Nations' being a particularly notable, full-voiced example).

It’s also evident by watching the show that the band were having fun and rekindling old musical friendships, as was confirmed recently by Chris Glen to FabricationsHQ ("it was just like the first time around – a Second Honeymoon!") 

Opening with the tour-de-force instrumental 'Into the Arena' (preceded by the intro music of Temple of Rock's 'Searching For Freedom'), the band then back Gary Barden on five original era MSG numbers including the definitive MSG rocker 'Armed and Ready,' the aforementioned 'Cry For the Nations' and 'Attack of the Mad Axeman.'

While time doesn’t tell so much on seasoned and talented musicians it does, inevitably, tell on many a rock vocalist who have given their chords to the cause over the decades – in the case of Gary Barden his core vocal remains but the higher tenor notes are intentionally ducked.
Paradoxically, while the original highs on the vocal bridge of 'Axeman' are posted missing it actually makes for a better "rock" performance of what is one of the strongest songs in the MSG repertoire and the Michael Schenker six-string arsenal.

The pleasant surprise of this MSG Fest and a true highlight among many is just how good Graham Bonnet is vocally (still an incredibly strong singer at a now 69 years young, he has been Greatest Hit and Miss live on occasion).

Graham Bonnet had but a fleeting part to play in the history of MSG (the studio album Assault Attack) but that release delivered a handful of MSG classics including the three songs featured here (which follow the Scorpions instrumental 'Coast to Coast') – a crunching version of the title track, the mini-epic 'Desert Song' and the infectiously engaging hard melodic pop of 'Dancer.'

On the latter Graham Bonnet is backed by both Gary Barden and Robin McAuley for what is a fun, sing-a-long number but one that suffered ridicule back in the day – not so much for it's poppified arrangement as for sporting one of the most unnatural or forced phrasings in a pop-rock chorus just to get the lyric to scan ("she’s a great dancer… not i-dee-ally built for ballet…")

The quirky 'Captain Nemo' allows the band to instrumentally stretch once more before Robin McAuley returns to the stage for three numbers including the pedal down rocker 'Save Yourself' and the AOR rock brace 'This is My Heart' and 'Love is Not a Game.'


Robin McAuley also takes the lead for the UFO finale of 'Shoot Shoot' and 'Rock Bottom,' the latter allowing Michael Schenker to flex his six-string muscles in an extended workout that proves, once again, that the legendary rock guitarist is back at the top of his game.

Encore/ final song 'Doctor Doctor' is another excuse for the Tokyo faithful to lend a voice to proceedings but with all three vocalists sharing vocal lines, singing loose and a decidedly party atmosphere attached to the last song of the night, it’s not the tightest version you'll ever hear of the UFO classic.

But as a celebration of a lauded past, Michael Schenker Fest Live is just what the Doctor Doctor ordered.

Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ

Website and text contents © FabricationsHQ and Ross Muir
All Rights Reserved