By Metal Dave
The Scorpions bring their final farewell tour to San Antonio’s AT&T Center tomorrow (Friday, July 23) for one last must-see blowout (blackout?). A revamped Ratt opens the show.
The Scorps are promoting a fine swan song of a new album titled “Sting in the Tail” and will, of course, take you by force with a tsunami of greatest hits from an illustrious, 40-year career. Can you expect a stellar setlist? Check. Can the old men still rock? Absolutely. Can Klaus still sing? Last I checked, he was in fantastic form. This is a show worth the dough.
I recently spoke with 62-year-old Scorpions guitarist Rudolf Schenker who recalled his first trip to America from Germany in 1979. Besides learning that a young bar band called Van Halen was covering Scorpions tunes on the Hollywood club circuit, Rudy also learned to love the nightlife while partying with one of his heroes, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple fame.
“When I came to Los Angeles for the first time, it was unbelievable,” Rudolf said. “We would go to the clubs, where I was running into Ritchie Blackmore, who at this time, was in the band Rainbow and was hanging around Los Angeles. We would go to these after-hours parties when the club closed and people would come screaming, ‘Oh my God!’ I thought they wanted Ritchie’s autograph, but they come to me! I guess they were used to seeing him around Los Angeles. Ritchie Blackmore, from my point of view, was much bigger than the Scorpions, but all these people come to me for an autograph. This was my first impression of America! It was pure rock-n-roll!”
For the published Scorpions interview and more about Ratt, go here.
Thanks for the heads up on the site. I would expect nothing less from one of the original SA headbangers and one helluva metal scribe. I am so fired up about tonights show in SA i have been up since 3am getting my mind right. This bad boy’s been running wild since the early 80’s when i first caught the boys from Hanover at the old Convention Center Arena. I got stung all the way up in the 3rd balcony. I was 14 years old and it would be 17 years before i saw them again. it was about 10 years when i sat 2nd row for them and Motley Crue at Freeman Coliseum. I still cherish the drumstick Klaus threw to me when he finished banging on that cowbell. Still loving you Scorpions..can’t wait for tonight. Oh, and Ratt, are you kidding me. That takes me back to my second row experience where i “layed it down” by camping out all night at the Spurs box office when i was 15 in 1984. Yes, that was how we got the good seats back in the day. You earned it and they were first come first serve. Twisted Sister brought their A game that night as part of the double bill. I still have all of my close up pics of Steven, Warren and Robin Crosby (RIP) taken with my circa 1984 Disc Camera. Anyway, thanks for the forum and the site. I’ll be rockin like a hurricane tonight. Can’t wait!!