Live Reviews : Scorpions @ Palais Theatre, Melbourne 18/10/2016

Words: Jonathon Besanko

Images: John Raptis

(Click here to view the full gallery)

There are not many instances where I float around the phrase, “gig of the year”, but after the performance tonight, it’s a damn good contender for it. Against a year which has seen the return of both Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath to Australia, tonight at the luxurious Palais Theatre in Melbourne would see the legendary German hard rock/heavy metal act, Scorpions, perform for the first time on Australian soil. Being a part of their ongoing ’50th Anniversary World Tour’, this tonight would be their only show in Australia, and it was to be allotted to the very fortunate city of Melbourne. Having the honour of covering this event, it truly felt as if you were a part of something special, something historic.

Scorpions

Scorpions are a band who have been at this for over half a century. That alone is commendable. But couple that with the fact lead vocalist, Klaus Meine, alongside founder and rhythm guitarist Rudolf Schenker, still sound as incredible as they do being nigh-septuagenerians is a whole feat in of itself. Not only that, but age hasn’t wearied them or their performance in the slightest. They are some of the most lively and energetic performers I have ever seen to date, and from the moment go, when they kicked off with “Going Out With A Bang”, it was like a bat out of hell. Not only did the crowd erupt with applause, but to an explosion of lights and music, Scorpions came alive as if they were brand new and youthful performers emerging on stage for the very first time. None of that energy, inspiration, or drive has been lost to the years.

As mentioned earlier, something that really resonated with me tonight was just how alive everything felt. From the excited, cheerful smiles from all over the sold out theatre, to the representation of various generations of listeners (with even a young boy brought up on stage at the end sporting a Scorpions shirt and a pair of devil horns raised to the air), it’s clear from the outset how much Scorpions music has touched the lives of so many people, and continues to do so well into today. Every moment tonight rang with passion and power, and there wasn’t a still moment throughout – whether in the ballads or the harder tracks. Managing to play a wonderful setlist that comprised many of their big hits, as well as a few of the lesser known’s in their discography, Scorpions seemed to be making up for lost time. As Klaus Meine had mentioned early on, “We get the question a lot, ‘what took you so long?’ Well, finally we made it here! I don’t know about you, but we’re ready to make it real!” Leading into the song of the same name, what can’t be stressed enough with tonight was the real cohesion within the band and within their performance. From the jaw-dropping fretwork of lead guitarist Matthias Jabs (whose solos throughout the two-hour show were a consistent highlight), to the understated, yet technical prowess of Polish musician and bassist Paweł Mąciwoda, it was in new drummer Mikkey Dee that the Scorpions lineup of 2016 truly shone.

Scorpions

Having first joined the band in April this year as a fill-in for previous drummer, James Kottak, it was announced last month that the former Motörhead drummer had officially joined as a permanent member. Using the expertise gained in his twenty-three years with Motörhead – and performing atop an impressive elevated stage platform that painted him and whoever came to stand on it as music gods – Mikkey Dee brought an energy, technicality, and fun to his performance that only served Scorpions overall showing. There was an even more wonderful moment that arrived later, during Mikkey Dee’s stage introduction by Klaus Meine. After noting Mikkey Dee’s excitement to be visiting Australia, Meine made mention of Dee’s idea to pay tribute to the man who had been such a large part of his life: the late, great Lemmy Kilmister. Leading into the flooring drum intro of Motörhead’s “Overkill”, it was a fine and fitting tribute to Lemmy, with photos of the man himself fading in and out over the back wall. It was an unexpected but moving movement in Scorpions set, and it was great to see a band only ten years Motörhead’s senior paying their respects to one of metal and rock music’s fallen heroes.

Moving into a great drum solo by Dee, after the bridge, photos of Scorpions albums adorned the wall in time with his playing, and before the enraptured audience could come to, “Blackout” roared into life. With imagery of blue police sirens blinking across the stage, it even saw Jabs’ guitar smoking away harmlessly due to a specialised canister attached to it. Puffing animatedly as he walked about the stage, the thin smoke weaved about Jabs’ precise finger movements and added a neat element to his presentation.

Scorpions

It is indicative of a great show, I feel, when a band can perform a two-hour set and have it whiz by in the blink of an eye. That was exactly how tonight felt at the Palais Theatre. Scorpions put on an almost flawless performance, with the only time Klaus Meine’s vocals felt a tad strained being for their performance of “The Zoo”. Alongside stellar light work and an excellent sound mix for the evening, tonight saw some of the best musicianship, vocalisation, and crowd engagement I’ve seen from an act all year. Rarely did I look around to see anyone that appeared bored or at the least seemed only mildly invested in what was happening on stage. The majority showed full enthusiasm all night, and if it can be taken as any indication of overall enjoyment levels, the venue went from sitting to standing from the moment Scorpions’ intro began at the start of the night, and that lasted until the dying moments the band had left the stage following the encore (an encore which comprised a couple random people celebrating their triumph of getting up on stage, as well as dynamic live versions for “Still Loving You” and, of course, “Rock You Like a Hurricane”).

Whether it was in the surprise addition of “No One Like You” to the setlist, or from the two brilliant medley’s utilised – one which comprised “Top of the Bill”, “Steamrock Fever”, and “Speedy’s Coming”; and, the other, an acoustic showing of “Always Somewhere”, “Eye of the Storm”, and “Send me an Angel” – this was a night full of fantastic music, amazing crowd interaction (as it was when the band stopped playing and we in the audience all sang the chorus to “Wind of Change”), and an appreciation for a band who remain as timeless as the music they play. As Scorpions sang tonight, “We Built This House“, and it’s a house they keep and maintain superbly well.

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