Events and Reports - Sweden Rock Festival 2004 - Day 2 (Michael) - Y&T, UFO & Scorpions
Written by Michael

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Y&T, Sweden Stage - Friday June 11

Y&T returned to Sweden Rock festival high on last year's very successful concert. This year they also played a great show, but this time people were expecting them to be great compared to last year, where they took most of us by surprise with a great performance.

Singer and guitarist Dave Meniketti expressed that since last year was such a huge success they would try and pretty much do the same this year. No doubt that Sweden Rock festival has won the hearts of Y&T, since it was very obvious that the band was thrilled to be back. Y&T's US rock brought back the sun after a cloudy and rainy day. Guitarist John Nymann was one big smile and Phillip Kennemore was also very gracious to be back. Meniketti is the center of the show with his full vocals and great lead playing. Only miss was drummer Leonard Haze, which didn't play very good. I don't know if he got any monitor sound at all, since he sometimes sounded out of time.



Y&T pretty much did the same as last year. However, this time we got 2 tracks from Y&T late 80's period, which I love. Third song was Eyes of A Stranger from "Contagious" and the band also played the instrumental track I'll Cry for You from the same album.

Since last years show Y&T has released "Unearthed vol. 1", which is a collection of rarities and demos going all the way back to 1974. To underline the strong quality of the material Y&T played 2 songs from that album and especially Wild if I Wanna blended in perfectly with classic cuts like Black Tiger, I Believe in You and Forever.

Y&T played a great show, but didn't top last years performance. Next year we want more from "Contagious" and especially some from the "Ten" album - for example Don't be Afraid of the Dark, so don't be afraid Dave!

Open Fire
Lipstick & Leather
Eyes Of A Stranger
Dirty Girl
Mean Streak
I'll Cry For You
25 Hours A Day
Wild If I Wanna
I Make Believe
Hurricane
Summertime Girls
Black Tiger
I Believe In You
Rescue Me
Forever


UFO, Rock Stage - Friday June 11

The afternoon was spent in nostalgic company with Slade playing their classic tunes and ironic ending with Merry Christmas Everybody on a sunny afternoon. The dark was about to enter the festival area, when I captured another legendary band, UFO, on the Rock stage playing Daylight Goes to Town from their excellent new CD "You Are Here".

The sound was really good and thick at the right side of the stage with direct outlook to new guitar player Vinnie Moore. The other newcomer, drummer Jason Bonham, was really tight and his drum sound was massive giving lots of body to UFO's songs.

I heard several UFO rookies criticize Phil Mogg's voice, but it sounded really great this evening. Compared to the classic live recording on "Strangers in the Night" I thought UFO sounded a lot better with Phil's vocals being darker and more full. Vinnie Moore has a characteristic guitar sound displayed on the new bluesy The Wild One.

Speaking of The Wild One, Pete Way was out of control on stage and always had interaction with the audience.

The return of Paul Raymond on keyboards and guitars added an extra dimension to the band. It seemed like Paul Raymond was the conductor on stage.

From Schenker's last effort with UFO "Sharks" the band performed Fighting Man, while album highlights were a breathtaking version of Love to Love along with a fitting Too Hot to Handle. Vinnie is a great guitarist and he added his own "guitar hero" flair to the songs. The lineup was very strong and absolutely no sign of tension on stage. The relaxed mood was exemplified with Phil Mogg introducing I'm a Loser as the title should be I'm a boozer - referring to the alcohol, which been one of the main causes to the much trouble in UFO throughout the years.

Phil Mogg announced that it was freezing and therefore UFO stayed on stage and immediately kicked into the encore Shoot Shoot. Jason Bonham just got in front of the stage to receive the applause when Vinnie Moore started the intro, so he hurried back behind the drum set to kick ass. Jason Bonham really impressed me and he inherited his father heavy style. Overall a great concert, which proved UFO is alive and kicking.

Mother Mary
Let It Roll
When Daylight Goes To Town
I´m A Loser
This Kids
The Wild One
Fighting Man
Only You Can Rock Me
Baby Blue
Too Hot To Handle
Love To Love
Lights Out
Rock Bottom
Doctor Doctor
Shoot Shoot.


Scorpions, Sweden Stage - Friday June 11

I had high expectations when German rockers Scorpions entered the biggest stage right after UFO's great set. The two previous times I witnessed Scorpions in concert, they were fabulous and I was hungry for a nice round of sing along. I have all Scorpions albums expect for "Eye to Eye" and the brand new album - so I was sure this only could be a win-win situation.

Scorpions opened with 2 tracks from the new album "Unbreakable". They sounded okay - but I was more in the mood for the classic material, which I got by third song Bad Boys Running Wild, which got the crowd going. The band changed between new songs and classic cuts. An odd choice and also odd placement in the setlist was the instrumental Coast to Coast, because after a bombardment of new songs the crowd was hungry for some older material. Don't get me wrong because Coast to Coast was actually among the songs I hoped they played, but it didn't work in the set. Klaus Meine picked up a guitar and joined Mathias Jabs and Rudolf Schenker by strumming a few of the chords to Coast to Coast.



Once again Rudolf Schneker was the wild man on stage posturing with open mouth and his classic flying V guitar. Klaus Meine's accent is still very German and I thought his stage presence was a bit calmer than in Scorpions heyday.
The new bass player did a bass solo, which was short and it sounded okay. However, fundamentally I am against solos and after the bass solo, drummer James Kottak took over with a solo. James Kottak is a good entertainer, but I would much rather listen to Scorpions material than their drummer playing a solo. James Kottak was really entertaining and in high spirit, but the solos plus the main emphasis on the new material were definitely the downsides to Scorpions' concert. After two more songs including a great version of Blackout. Mathias Jabs started to do some shredding and it was time for a guitar solo. Hmmm.

The Scorpions finished off very strongly with a triple from "Love at First Sting" - Big City Nights, Rock You like a Hurricane and the long lasting ballad Still Loving You. The band finished the evening with another fantastic ballad When the Smoke is Going Down.

Overall the setlist's main emphasis was on new songs mixed with fewer classic tunes. Maybe I would have enjoyed the show much more if I had the "Unbreakable" album. The older songs were great, but some of them were mostly addressed to hard core fans, for example Coast to Coast, Lovedrive and When the Smoke is Going Down. The band is very experienced and a great live band. However, the setlist had too many dead spots and the party never really got on the right track, because of the change between new and old songs and not to be forgotten the bass-, drum- plus guitar solos. Overall I was disappointed even though Scorpions put on a good show.

New Generation
Love ´Em Or Leave ´Em
Bad Boys Running Wild
We´ll Burn The Sky
The Zoo
Deep And Dark
Coast To Coast
Lovedrive
Through My Eyes
Remember The Good Times
Tease Me, Please Me
Bass/Drum solo
Blackout
Blood Too Hot
Guitar solo
Big City Nights
Still Loving You
Rock You Like A Hurricane
Hit Between The Eyes
When The Smoke Is Going Down.



Continue to Day 3

You can click most pictures for a bigger version



Y&T



























Scorpions





























All pictures taken by Borg
Written by Michael
Saturday, July 10, 2004



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RevelationZ Comments


Comment by Lily (Anonymous) - Saturday, March 26, 2005
klaus meine, apesar de vocÊ ter uma voz maravilhosa e musicas lindas, vocÊ é maravilhoso tem tudo de bom...


Comment by Lily (Anonymous) - Saturday, March 26, 2005
klaus meine, apesar de vocÊ ter uma voz maravilhosa e musicas lindas, vocÊ é maravilhoso tem tudo de bom... porque os escorpions não vem para o Brasil???


Comment by Lilian M. (Anonymous) - Thursday, August 25, 2005
Venham para o Brasil, please!!!


Comment by L. M. (Anonymous) - Thursday, August 25, 2005
I love Mathias....
I lose control...because of you babe....


Comment by josepfine (Anonymous) - Sunday, September 25, 2005
MATHIAS, YOU ARE EVERTHING TO ME.
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!
NA VERDADE QUERO DIZER QUE ME APAIXONEI POR VOCÊ DESDE A PRIMEIRA VEZ QUE O VI. VOCÊ É SENSACIONAL.


Comment by Scorpions fan (Anonymous) - Wednesday, March 29, 2006
i realy love The Scorpions! they are the best group in the world!!!


Comment by juarina claudia (Anonymous) - Wednesday, May 23, 2007
eu sou fa numero1 dos escorpions tenho albums dvd e e cd e sonho em conhecer jammys estrobol espero que vs me sortein e sou do brasil








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