1 Guitar God + 4 Great Singers= Michael Schenker Fest

Michael Schenker Fest performs on Saturday, March 10 at Irving Plaza, Manhattan. Tickets are $40 to $105 (VIP) and are available through http://www.mercuryeastpresents.com/irvingplaza. Box office number: 212-777-6817

'It's appropriate that the debut Michael Schenker Fest album is called "Resurrection," on a couple of levels. The disc of all new music by the legendary guitarist, out this Friday (March 2), features three singers from his 1980s and 1990s solo career: Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet and Robin McAuley, as well as Schenker's current vocalist Doogie White.

The superb album is also a continuation of Schenker's career revitilization that began seven years ago when he returned to the hard rock scene with Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock. Schenker, of course is also a former member of the Scorpions and UFO.

The many highlights on "Resurrection" include the hard chrarging "Heart and Soul," which featuers Schenker trading stinging solos with Metallica's Kirk Hammett," with a stellar vocal by McAuley.

Additional highpoints include the melodic hard rock of "The Girl With Stars In Her Eyes," with White on vocals; the speedster "Everest" featuring Bonne;" the playful "Messin Around" (Barden); and the anthemic "Time Knows When It's Time" (McAuley). The album closes with "The Last Supper," a feast that includes all four singers trading off lead vocals.

Michael Schenker Fest began as a few festival shows and other one-off gigs featuring the singers from the Michael Schenker Group and McAuley Schenker Group. The show, which also featured songs from the guitarist's Scorpions and UFO days, can be seen on the DVD, "Live Tokyo International Forum Hall."

We recently spoke with Michael Schenker

When did Michael Schenker Fest evolve from a tour to an album? Did you decide before, during or after the tour?

The whole thing happened step by step, moment by moment. All I knew was that it was time for me to perform the most popular music of my solo work with the original singers, that now would be the time to celebrate this and get the family back together as one band. It started slowly. We got one festival, then as we went along another festival, a gig here, a gig there.

It started to establish itself up to the point where I was offered three shows in Japan and we made the DVD and that's the first time people could see the potential of this undertaking rather than looking through an iPhone or YouTube. When the DVD came out I was approached with a record deal from Nuclear Blast. I thought, "Michael Schenker Fest in the studio, that would be fun."

Is the album title, “Resurrection,” indicative of what you call the third stage of your career?

In the first part of my life I made my contribution to the musical world in the Seventies and the Eighties. I played with the Scorpions and UFO. I was only 23 when I did “Strangers in the Night” and then I did the “Love Drive” album with the Scorpions which helped introduce them to America.

In my middle years of my life I got everything out my system to where I decided to be back in the loop of rock-and-roll. From 1990 to the 2000s I was out of the loop. I experimented with all these crazy ideas that wouldn’t fit into into a commercial rock band. That prepared me for the third and present stage of my life. In 2008 I had the urge again to be onstage and then created Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock.

Can you talk about the singers on Michal Schenker Fest: Gary Barden, Graham Bonnett, Robin McAuley and Doogie White?

I picked the 80s era to perform the most popular music of Michael Schenker. I wanted to put my all my energy into one center and make that one band. In the 1980s I wanted to find a great singer, an unknown singer. I made the first step in the right direction by putting my own band together, the Michael Schenker Group. I found Gary Barden and he has a fantastic voice, a good range, very bluesy with lots of feel and great melodies. Just a great person to deal with too.

Then Graham Bonnet came in and he sang and did a great job and the album came out really well but Graham didn't last. I guess it was just a teaser for now. Then we got Gary Barden back. Then I found Robin McAuley, a fantastic singer and we got together in 1986 and we stayed together until 1991. Then I started this direction with Doogie White, who is a wonderful singer.

When writing the songs for “Resurrection” did you know which singer you had in my mind for each song?

I never know. When I play guitar, I call it play and discover things and record them, a 15-second riff or something like that. When it comes time to make a record I switch on the tape and the riffs inspire me to write a song. My focus point is pure self-expression and to make the song as complete possible. Then it goes out to the singers. We also have different combinations of backup singers which gives it even more color. But there was no master plan. It happened and it happened really well.

Metallica’s Kirk Hammett contributes a solo on the song, "Heart and Soul." How does it feel to have influenced so many great guitarists?

It's fantastic. I used to live with [Metallica manager] Peter Mencsh and he always told me that I was Kirk's favorite guitarist and he wanted to jam with me. Eventually we did on “That Metal Show.” He became a friend and we all ended up in a happy place.

What cans fans expect at your show?

It’s going to be a 2 ½ hour show with four singers. It will be the most popular music of Michael Schenker and new songs and classics from UFO and the Scorpions. I'm really happy with the new album. Everybody gets on really well with everybody. We're looking forward to bringing this to America.

On the web:

https://www.michaelschenkerfest.com

http://michaelschenkerhimself.com

https://www.facebook.com/Micha...