The Michael Schenker Fest came to Boston for a performance at the Berklee Performance Center. Owned and operated by Berklee College of Music, the BPC hosts concerts by talented students, faculty, and visiting artists, as well as a wide variety of productions presented by outside promoters, arts presenters, and community organizations. Inside the BPC Acoustics are great, not a bad seat in the house. The perfect place to see a concert.
Michael’s tour this year is a little different from past tours, he’s supporting the release of his new studio album Resurrection available now, along with not one but 4 singers who all appear on the album. Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, Robin McAuley and Doogie White all with past history with Michael since the MSG days back in 1979 and rounding out the band is Ted McKenna rums, Steve Mann guitar/keys and Chris Glen bass.
Opening act Bad Marriage gave a solid performance and right at 9pm sharp Michael Schenker appeared with his signature Dean Guitars Flying V to “Hello Boston” and his traditional opening instrumental “Into the Arena”. 2 hours plus of straight heavy hitting music spanning over 40 years from Micheal’s time with the Scorpions, UFO and MSG, only breaks of a few seconds between songs or when Michael switched guitars, add in the great acoustics of the BPC this is how you should see and hear a concert!
Gary Barden was up first with “Sleeping Dogs”, “Cry for the Nations” and off the new album “Messin’ Around”, after the instrumental “Coast to Coast” it was Graham Bonnets turn with “Desert Song”. Robin McAuley came in with “Bad Boys”, “AnyTime “ which had Brian singing lead and the rest as backup singers. Doogie White was lead for “Live & Let Live”! Bassist Chris Glen mentioned how great it was to have a lead singer plus 3 great backup singers for support. I noticed Chris for most of the evening played his Explorer bass, but for a few songs he strapped on a Dean Guitars John Entwistle bass, the bass of preference to the late Elliot Rubinson who was usually Michael’s bass player for his US tours.
The evening finished out with flurry of songs from the ‘Strangers in the Night” album , 40 years old and one of the best live rock albums!
Check out Resurrection and Michael Schenkers Fest.
John Peresada / BackStage360