Words + Photos by Marco Denzer
In spite of the torrential rain that fell on the area this past Sunday, the Michael Schenker Fest – North America 2019 tour made its way to Westbury, Long Island and gave the audience what can only be described as an absolutely riveting rock concert.
The seven-member band assembled and led by legendary guitar virtuoso Michael Schenker included¬ Steve Mann (guitar / keys), Chris Glen (bass), Bodo Schopf (drums) and vocalists Gary Barden, J Graham Bonnet, J Robin McAuley and Doogie White among them. There’s no question that having several lead singers in the group may be a bit uncommon, but it proved very effective in giving Schenker the ability to perform a vast retrospect of his work. Including popular compositions from his participation in Scorpions, UFO and the Michael Schenker Group (MSG).
There was plenty of banter among the musicians on stage and clearly they were having a ton of fun during the performance, it was all about having a great time and rocking out for an adoring crowd who reciprocated the vibes during the entire show. Every one of the musicians demonstrated finely tuned chops on their respective instruments, and the vocalists infused an additional musical dimension into some of the songs by easily arranging three and four part harmonies for them.
The band effortlessly worked through an impressive 2.5 hour, 33-song setlist that included familiar titles like “Into The Arena”, “Armed and Ready”, “Doctor Doctor”, “Rock Bottom”, and new ones like “Warrior”, “Vigilante Man”, “Heart and Soul”, and “Take Me to the Church” from their new highly recommended album “Resurrection” out on the Nuclear Blast record label.
Michael Schenker is an exceptional musician with a serious list of hits and discography to his name. He’s continually evolving and creating high quality guitar centric music that doesn’t disappoint, and his live shows are a must-see experience.
TheWaster.com | Long Island
5.20.19
