It’s a strong turnout tonight at KK’s Steel Mill for someone who really does need no introduction, the one and only Michael Schenker. After well documented trials and tribulations throughout his career, Michael has spent the last decade and a half rebuilding his legacy with some strong live performances backed up by solid studio albums. This current tour, however, is all about celebrating his years with UFO, the band he joined when he was just eighteen years old, and more specifically the golden era that encompassed Phenomenon, Force It, No Heavy Petting, Lights Out and Obsession, culminating in the double live Strangers in the Night. Undoubtedly one of the defining releases of the 1970’s, Strangers… stands shoulder to shoulder with any of the other classic live albums from that period and, with one or two tweaks, tonight was more or less a run through of the entire thing.

Last seen here at KK’s when he was fronting Skid Row, energetic vocalist Erik Grönwall proves to be a great fit with his boundless enthusiasm and spot on delivery. ‘Natural Thing’ and ‘Only You Can Rock Me’ make for a terrific opening pair, with the crowd immediately on side and singing the choruses back to the band. In his now trademark furry hat, Michael makes it all seem so effortless, riffing and soloing his way through timeless UFO tracks ‘Mother Mary’ and ‘Doctor Doctor’. Erik took a break after the electrifying ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Lipstick Traces / ‘Between The Walls’ was an opportunity for the whole band to display their talents, particularly Steve Mann, Michael’s long time wingman on keyboards and guitars. Only ‘Reasons Love’ seems to miss the spot and perhaps ‘Ain’t No Baby’ would have been a better option. But there are no complaints when they launch into ‘Rock Bottom’, Michael reeling off the classic extended solo to perfection.

As they move through the closing numbers, the rousing ‘Shoot Shoot’ and ‘Too Hot to Handle’ (nicely dedicated to Pete Way and Paul Raymond), the whole band are tight, powerful and confident.  After fifty years of thrilling hard rock fans around the globe, Michael Schenker’s time with UFO still generates a lot of love and you get the feeling he could keep touring this show for years and the audience would still keep coming back for more. That said, he has consistently found different ways to celebrate his past with various line-up configurations, set lists and vocalists so it will be interesting to see where he goes next.

Setlist:-

Natural Thing
Only You Can Rock Me
Hot ‘n’ Ready
Doctor Doctor
Mother Mary
I’m a Loser
This Kid’s
Lights Out
Lipstick Traces / Between the Walls
Love to Love
Let It Roll
Can You Roll Her
Reasons Love
Rock Bottom
Shoot Shoot
Too Hot to Handle