Concert Report by Gonzalo
MSG at Sala Jam, Bergara, Spain
May 27, 2006
Added on 05/29/2006


The show began at 9:45 with the supporting band "Nikki Puppet" which, although being an almost unknown band among the attendant crowd, it was really a nice concert full of good vibe and feeling. It was worthy listening to their songs, and their attitude on stage was brilliant. I really ignore the tittles they played and even have not heard any of its albums so unfortunately can specify the set-list at all, but the female singer have a great voice indeed, and the guitar player shows a good thecnique and original solos. Another algid moment of their performance was the drum solo of a very young drummer. The played about 45 minutes long and were seen off with lot of applaudes.

For all who are going to see the next MSG gig with this supporting band I recommend you not to miss them. At the end of the MSG show they were signing along with Michael Schenker. I could check by myself they are humble and nice people.

Tha atmosphere inside was great it was growing higher and higher while waiting our idol appearance. At eleven o'clock the crowd burst in shouting as Michael entered the stage staring out with a athmospherical intro before tuning with Asaault Attack. I saw Michal two years ago in the same place, the 27th of Febuary of 2004 with Chris Logan and Rev, Pete and Wayne and I have to admit that time they like me more maybe because it was my first time to attend a MSG concert.

They are a few differences between this review show and the previous tour. These subjects have already been deciber by other people reviews in these pages. First of all Michael did more extensive solos introducing little variations in some of the solos and riffs and even played a new solo in "Into the arena" which was a more longer than in other performances with a drum solo that was clapped by Michael as he was standing outside the people attention and different bass solos played by Rev (one of them of a very known abd joyful tune I can remenber the tittle).

Regarding the band, all of them were superb as we all know about the qualities they have as musicians, the energy and good feeling they transmit while singing, moving, constantly cheering up the crowd, jumping, clapping, laughing, ..., excepting for the first half of the Jari Tiura performance which I don't know why, but he seemed not to reach the level the songs require and the correct vibrations for them, maybe it was caused of technical problems, that the friends of mine, who were next to the mixing table, warned to the tecnical staff as they later told me. I was in first line and the sound there was not as good as I remember from two yeras ago in Bergara. It seemed to me that ALSO there were more that a problem with Michael guitar but it was solved almost inmediatedly by him and his tech.

About Rev what can I say, apart from that he is so funny and a really crazy man but he is such a good bass player that I miss I could not achieve an autograph or shaking hands with him. Rev obviously not only catches the whole people attention but their hearts with his crazy and high class of person he is. Rev, keep always this way.

The set-list was the same as other dates and is as follows:

Assault Attack
Ready to rock
Let It Roll
Dust To Dust
Love Trade
Shadow Lady
Lights Out
Into The Arena
But I Want More
Too Hot To Handle
On and On
Only You Can Rock Me
Armed And Ready
Attack Of The Mad Axeman
encores
Arachnophobiac
Doctor Doctor
Rock Bottom.

In the end it was a very good concert and I noticed the people enjoyed a lot and had a good time.

After the performance Michael were signing albums, concert tickets, posters, whatever the fans wanted of him as well as all the people could get a pic with him in a very good attitude that deem it an honour to himself.

Only there was a thing that ruined that good night, and were the few amount of T-shirts (at least of L size- the most common) the merchandise staff brought for selling and many people as me, could not bought the model they liked. So an advise: Buy the merchandise as soon as you can otherwise it can be used up before the show is over.

Gonzalo from Bilbao

Concert Report by Denis
MSG at Sala Jam, Bergara, Spain
May 27, 2006
Added on 05/30/2006


NIKKI PUPPET begins the gig at 21h45. This group had been reviewed HERE in Crossrocks for an album released in November 2005, Puppet One A String, which shows a good potential, with a few successful tracks. There is parity in this group, there are two girls as singer and bass player in complement of two boys as drummer and guitarist. And well this potential identified on the album is expressed fully on scene with a special mention for the guitarist who plays brilliantly concise solos, but the rest of the band does not demerit, in particular the singer, or young 19 year old drummer, and the public has shown they have liked.

About eleven, he finally arrives, the Master, for an attack with... Assault attack. And there he shows immediately that he is healthy, serene, smiling even sometimes, and his set is excellent with guitar touch out of the commun run. A third of the set is devoted to the old period of MSG with the standards Ready To Rock, Into the Arena, One and One, Armed and Ready..., then another third to the standards of time UFO: Let It Roll, Lights Out, Too Hot to Handle, Only You Can Rock Me, and as encore Doctor Doctor and Rock Bottom., the last third, rather at the beginning of concert, with the tracks of the last album: Dust to Dust, Big Deal, Shadow Lady, Love Trade, Angel off Avalon and Life one vacation. Jari does his best, in his own compositions he is obviously very easy, in a register centred in the trebles, in the heavy style. For the remainder of the repertory, it is a little harder for him, because it has some difficulties to go down in the mid range, especially in the repertory Phil Mogg. But it is not really an embarrassment so much the solos of Michael are brilliant, but also because the show of all the band is impeccable. The impetuous bass player Rev Jones is very active; shaking his mane in all directions, the changing of Pete Way is quite assured. Peter Holmes on the drums knocks hard and does a solo in the tradition. Wayne Findlay ensures either the keyboards effectively, or the rhythmic guitar.

A great band, a Michael in full form, all the ingredients that put fire, the public Basque, very hot, answered like only one man, sang the pieces of UFO in particular, knowing the words obviously by heart, and makes a true ovation to the group.

After the concert, unfortunately, no time to stay, it remains still 200km to come back to France! My greetings to Hendayais: Julien and his girlfriend, and very tried out Jean-Louis (see you in Toulouse for Whitesnake!) with whom I shared these magic moments.

My review in French - ma chronique en francais ici dans Crossrocks

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