Manchester Apollo, 24/11/00

I had worshiped the skill of Michael Schenker for the last 18 years. I have seen him numerous times and have all his material. The best performance I saw was on the The Michael Schenker Group tour at the Manchester Apollo when he first returned to rock scene. A blistering, professional performance surrounded by talented musicians, Gary Barden, Cosy Powell and Paul Raymond.

Tonight I saw something I would rather not. The Michael Schenker I idolised moments before he took the stage is no more. I saw a shadow of a man performing as if drunk or drugged unable to play the guitar. It may sound amazing but he could not perform a single solo properly. At first I suspected he just needed to warm up. However after some wrong and missed notes things got considerably worse.

He was threatening on-stage. He approached Phil on numerous occasions, taunting and wanting a fight. Pete Way was the mediator constantly ushing Michael away. At one point during a song (I cannot even remember the song) Michael took his guitar off and tried to give it to Phil who would have nothing to do with it.

Love To Love was an absolute disgrace and it made me feel bad that I heard it played in such a sluggish unprofessional manner. Michael forgetting to switch to the acoustic guitar at the right time. After this song the crowd was against the group and in particular Michael. People started to leave and there was a lot of jeering at Michael.

The only reason I stayed was to see what would happen next. I suspect I have seen the end of the tour and the end of the band. I cannot conceivable imagine why they would want to play together ever again.

Incidentally Rock Bottom was performed without a guitar solo? Michael could not find it in himself to do more that just stand there and touch his fretboard occasionally the noise was awful not a single riff run or string of notes strung together.

There was no encore. The audience did not want one. The audience booed the group off-stage. Michael came on again and thanked the audience in a taunting way. He was jeered and shouted at.

Ulrich Jon Roth was absolutely amazing and gave a wondrous performance. The surprise for me was Don Airey on keyboards. I would like to give a detailed review of what Uli did, maybe another day I am so let down and annoyed at the wasted talent in Michael.

It was announced that Michael would be signing copies of his CD (MSR stuff) I was looking forward to purchasing a signed copy. After the concert I did not see a single person stop at the merchandise counter. Michael was obviously not there.

I am not sure about this but it looked as though Michael had a number of tattoos on his face. It also appeared that his left eye was partially shut. The possible tattoos could have been stitches, scars or cuts I could not tell. Do you know anything about these marks on his face. He was also probably around about 18 stone in weight.

I would appreciate if you were to post some of this news as I am curious as to what happens next and what anyone else thought of the show.

Cheers

Simon Thorley

cal mooney (posted on Listbot)

I just got back from the Manchester gig. I will be surprised if they play any more shows ever. I guess you already know this, I don't look on the newsgroup cos I don't have access to it.... but basically I just saw the most embarrassing, pittifull show I've ever seen. In the end UFO got booed off stage.

Basically from what I heard (from the security guys), the band 'kicked off' after Newcastle last night, Schenker was on stage tonight with a real bad black eye. Schenk was pissed as a fart and in the end couldnt play. He was booed off stage. I'me very vey annoyed but more so upset. They are my heroes, they have been for years. Schenker tonight made me feel like a fool for ever looking up to him. He was a mess. Phil Mogg and Pete Way were excellent, amazing professional and they managed to see it through. If anyone is interested in what went on then I will write more tomorrow. I'm just fucked off and sad.

Richard Gosling (posted on Listbot)

Just arrived back in Nottingham meself having witnessed the Manchester debacle. At first I thought it was Phil who was the most pissed especially when he introduced Miss the Lights as 'Mish the Lights'), but Michael soon put paid to that idea. I noticed that there were some words written on his forehead ('Spike did this' I think) with an arrow pointing to a black eye (his left one). Michael proceeded to hit his forehead on his microphone, then Phil managed to hit himself while attempting to swing his mic on its lead. Then he made a remark about one of the roadies playing extra guitar, and I thought uh-oh, who do you think you are, Graham Bonnet? Phil also wound Michael up by standing right next to him and staring at him during a couple of solos. The second time this happened Michael barged passed him and seemed to shout 'fuck off' angrily at his back, before finishing the solo centre stage.

Michael seemed to be affected more and more by the drink as the show went on and was swaying from side to side at times. Pete had his work cut out standing between Michael and Phil and physically stopped Michael from going over to Phil several times. Pete being Pete however, he couldn't remain in one spot for too long and we were 'treated' to the sight of Michael walking into Phil and pushing him backwards with his chest, going down on his knees next to him and giving him the finger, following him round exhorting him to take his guitar, and the already infamous 'this guy sucks' (into the main mic while gesturing at Phil) and 'I suck too' (into his own microphone). There were other less audible comments made when Michael interrupted Phil on another occasion.

To his credit Phil didn't rise to the bait, although he was obviously rattled, forgetting his lines on one occasion ('I fucked up!') and declaring 'you weren't expecting a normal gig were you?' to the audience. Michael's playing was frankly embarassing and it really upset me to see him in this state. The audience's reaction was predictable, with a lot of booing, but while all this mayhem was going on a large section of the audience started a 'Schenker, Schenker' chant, which lasted for some time. Work that one out.

After Rock Bottom the band left the stage and Michael staggered briefly back to the microphone to say 'thanks for the booze' (cue more booing). After he'd left the crowd went more or less totally silent. There were no calls for encores and it was no surprise when the house lights came up. I waited around in the foyer for a while and could hardly believe it when a security guy said that Michael would still be doing a signing session. A couple of minutes later, however, he announced that Michael's 'advisor's' had stopped him doing it because he was too drunk.

If this is the effect that UFO has on Michael Schenker then I would suggest that he leaves immediately before any further damage is done to both his and UFO's reputation. Oh well, fingers crossed that they kiss and make up. Stranger things have happened!

Richard.

Michael Pincher (Webmaster of MGAB site)

Woke up from a Manchester Nightmare.

It's 1-45am, Saturday, and I just got back home from Manchester Apollo. This will probably be the last time I venture out to see UFO. Last night (23rd) in Newcastle they were superb, faultless. Maybe even the best I've ever seen them. By contrast, tonight was appalling. Michael Schenker was so pissed he didn't play a single solo all set, just a sequence of meaningless bum notes. He was chanted and booed by the audience "Schenker wanker", to which he retorted "This audience sucks, so do I." Damn right you do pal, you're an utter disgrace. Why try to pin the blame of your downfall onto your audience, we weren't the ones making a dickhead of ourselves. Next time you get so pissed before a show, do everyone a favour and cancel it. He repeatedly provoked a response from Phil Mogg all night, agressively barging into him guitar first, sticking two fingers up to him inches away from his face and just basically yelling abuse. At one point Schenker took off his guitar and offered it to Phil Mogg mockingly - well if he'd taken it matey, he'd have probably done a better job than you did.

It must be said that the rest of the band acted thoroughly professional throughout, and were not provoked into lowering themselves to their guitarists level - which must have been difficult with Schenker as in their face as he was. Phil Mogg was not going to bite, and did exceptionally well in maintaining some sanity into the proceedings - star of the show, undoubtedly - at least he gives a f**k!! Jokingly trying to quell things a bit by telling us, "you didn't expect to see a normal band tonight did you?" Obviously no encores were played, the set finishing after a barely recognisable Rock Bottom, Schenker returned to the stage and said, "thankyou for booing me", sporting the two black eyes that were given to him courtesy of headbutt by somebody (not from UFO) backstage at Newcastle.

If UFO survive this, it'll be a bloody miracle - but most of Manchester are probably passed caring. The saddest thing of all is that many people who I know as MGAB members had travelled to Manchester from all over the place, Scotland, London and at least two people flew in from the USA - antics like this don't deserve such loyalty.

Padge (posted on Listbot)

Hold on a minute.....

I was at Manchester last night and I too was gutted, pissed off, embarrased etc.

Now is the day after and it's slowly dawning on me what went on last night.

Looking back on it, last night was the most memorable rock n roll gig I've ever seen. I felt every single emotion in the book. I was anxious, elated, excited, scared, nervous, embarrased, sad, happy.... everything. And it was all real.

That was PURE rock, no hyped up shite that you get from other bands. No false bollocks. Michael was truly fucked up. The atmosphere was electric. You didnt know from one second to the next what would happen.

Some bands PR companies would kill for a perfomance like that.

OK, I know Michael and the guys were really really having it tough. They were not play acting. Michael was just so out of it it was unreal.... but take a step back, reflect on it, and UFO gave me one of the most memorable nights of my life.

OK so the playing was shite towards the end, but the atmosphere was out of this world, and the gig turned out to be something totally different. It was pure rock'n'roll, not bullshit, no hype, no 'performing'.

The only thing is thet because it was real... they can't do it again. Or can they ?

What I'm trying to say is: Schenker is still a star... but in a different kind of way. Now THAT'S trancendental !

Padge