Showing posts with label Uli Jon Roth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Uli Jon Roth. Show all posts

DVD Review: Scorpions – Forever And A Day

DVD Review: Scorpions – Forever And A Day
Specticast and Tempest Films
All Access Rating: B+

The Scorpions - Forever
And A Day 2015
All that retirement talk was a bit premature. Billed as their farewell tour, 2011-2012's "Final Sting" was going to close the book on the Scorpions, one of metal's most enduring outfits. That final chapter has yet to be written.

Eons ago – actually 50 years – in their hometown of Hanover, Germany, the fun-loving Scorpions came to life, and they are still going strong, having given no indication that the end is nigh. Things looked very different, however, a few years ago when renowned director Katja Von Garnier signed on to document their last days on the road. Part free-flowing tour diary, part stodgy history lesson, "Forever And A Day" soon to be available in DVD, Blu-ray and digital formats as its theatrical run comes to an end, is ultimately an engrossing study of a band trying to come to grips with its own mortality, only to find themselves reinvigorated by the experience.

The elephant in the room in the well-paced, good-natured "Forever And A Day," it's the overriding issue that drives a story with many sub-plots, as The Scorpions discover the fountain of youth in the form of infectiously enthusiastic crowds greeting them as conquering heroes. Performing a complicated balancing act, Von Garnier deftly intersperses rousing, arena-rock concert clips of the Scorpions performing songs like "Crazy World," "The Zoo" and "Big City Nights" with loads of intimate, behind-the-scenes footage from the "Final Sting" tour in taking viewers on a whirlwind journey across the world. At the same time, a makeshift video scrapbook emerges from candid, vintage still photos and home-movie footage of their formative years that leads to warm reminiscing about The Scorpions' past.

There were gigs at Liverpool's famed Cavern Club, and the story of how finishing second at a "battle of the bands" contest actually resulted in a record contract, while the documentary also touches on why it was so important for them to sing lyrics in English, rather than their native tongue. What makes "Forever And A Day" more compelling, though, is its examination of the relationship between Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker, as talk about their shared ambitions, their artistry and Schenker's visionary leadership. Disappointingly, "Forever And A Day" glosses over the crucial contributions of guitar masters Uli Jon Roth and Michael Schenker. On the other hand, it redeems itself with a deeply insightful look at The Scorpions' historic 1991 meeting at the Kremlin with Mikhail Gorbachev, who appears in the movie, and the socio-political impact of their hit single "Winds Of Change," as well as providing a detailed explanation of why the transition to Matthias Jabs made perfect sense for a band that made no secret of its commercial aspirations.

For the most part, the film transitions seamlessly from curating an informative biography to hurriedly catching up with the Scorpions wherever their victory lap happens to take them. Given seemingly unlimited access, Von Garnier unveils both the good and the bad of their trip, including how Klaus Meine's vocal troubles momentarily jeopardized the whole enterprise. How long The Scorpions continue will depend greatly on the most fragile of instruments, the human voice. Meine and company aren't naive enough to think this will last forever, but it's clear from "Forever And A Day" that they and their fans are going to enjoy the ride until the very end.
– Peter Lindblad

Yngwie Malmsteen brings 'Guitar Gods' tour to North America

Uli Jon Roth, Gary Hoey, Bumblefoot on the bill

Yngwie Malmsteen
Deities worthy of worship for their six-string wizardry, the "Guitar Gods" are coming to North America, with the "Paganini of heavy metal," Yngwie Malmsteen, headlining.

Known far and wide as the king of neoclassical shred guitar, Malmsteen will be joined by Uli Jon Roth (Scorpions, Electric Sun), Gary Hoey ("Hocus Pocus") and Bumblefoot (Guns N' Rose) on the first-ever "Guitar Gods" festival tour. Each show will also feature surprise guests. See a YouTube presentation here:



The tour was created and organized by April Malmsteen, Yngwie's wife and manager, and will be storming stages in partnership with Guitar Center, presenting six-plus hours of guitar fireworks displays that are sure to shock and awe.

She talked about what the tour means to her.

"Being able to put together this festival has been a lifelong dream of mine," said April. "I sincerely believe that 'Guitar Gods' will bring tremendous value and enjoyment to not only the guitar and heavy metal enthusiast, but also to anyone who loves music."

Malmsteen's most recent solo album, Spellbound, and his new autobiography, "Relentless: A Memoir," are both available now. Furthermore, the Yngwie Malmsteen premium artist signature series by Fender is also now available, featuring a full line of Malmsteen-endorsed accessories such as guitar strings, instrument cables, gig bags, electronic tuners and more. He was also recently profiled on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday.  

His career going on three decades now, Malmsteen is a Grammy-nominated guitar icon, whose technical brilliance and incredible speed have left audiences speechless. The first guitarist tohave his own Fender signature guitar model, Malmsteen is the world's pre-eminent practitioner of "shred guitar" and "neo classical" music and was named by Time magazine as one of the "Top Ten Electric Guitar Players."

Roth, of course, is another legendary guitarists, who intends on bringing the very special 40th Anniversary Scorpions set he's been playing to audiences from Europe to North America. Hoey will perform his radio hits, including the Billboard Top 5 smash "Hocus Pocus," while Bumblefoot, best known for his work with Guns N' Roses, is doing his first solo tour.

Here are the dates for Yngwie Malmsteen/Guitar Gods North American tour 2014:

June
13 Huntington, NY Paramount Theatre
14 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
17 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Center
20 St. Charles, Ill. Arcada Theatre
21 Toronto, ON Phoenix Theatre
26 Seattle, WA Showbox Theatre
27 Portland, OR Roseland Theater

July
3 Beverly Hills, CA Saban Theatre
8 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre

For more information, visit www.yngwiemalmsteen.com.