MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST “LIVE” TOKYO FEATURING THE ORIGINAL MSG VOCALISTS GARY BARDEN, GRAHAM BONNET AND ROBIN MCAULEY TO BE RELEASED ON MARCH 24th 2017

Michael Schenker – Lead Guitarist (6 years younger brother of Rudolf Schenker)

1970 – At age 15 – Michael records his first album with the Scorpions creating instant international recognition.

1972 – At age 17 – Michael joins the British Rock Band UFO for 6 Albums reaching their highest success ever.

1978 – At age 23 – Michael leaves UFO after recording Strangers in the Night, becoming one of the most successful rock live albums of all time.

1979 – At age 24 – Michael opens the doors to America for the Scorpions with Lovedrive.

1979 – At age 24 – Michael starts his solo career.

Michael Schenker, one of music’s greatest rock guitarists, will release Michael Schenker Fest “Live” Tokyo – a stunning new live recording and filmed concert released by inakustik on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on Friday 24th March 2017.

Filmed and recorded at Tokyo’s International Forum on August 24, 2016, this historic concert features guest appearances from some of the greatest rock vocalists who have worked with Schenker over the years including M.S.G.’S Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, and Robin McAuley of the McAuley Schenker Group.

Watch the official trailer for Michael Schenker Fest “Live” Tokyo – http://bit.ly/2j8vwL0

“It’s been a long time since M.S.G. – Live At Budokan,” says Schenker.

Like a miracle Michael Schenker returns to Japan with his past original singers from the ’80’s to celebrate the Michael Schenker Fest “Live” Tokyo with Barden, Bonnet and McAuley at the amazing Tokyo International Forum. 5000 fans witnessed an anthology moment of quintessential hard rock music of the highest calibre.

Says Schenker, “It’s a miracle that after all these years, something like this took place with the original band members of “M.S.G.”. Being able to go back to those days and celebrate the music is an exciting experience for us, as well as for old and new fans. To being able to re-experience, and for the new audience to get a feel of what it was like, is incredibly enjoyable.”

Continues Schenker, “It’s an amazing feeling to have all of my M.S.G. Family from the ’80’s performing together and especially with Graham Bonnet, who I never got to play any concerts after our Assault Attack album that was originally released in 1982.  Fortunately, being able to have the participation of original M.S.G. members such as Gary Barden, Chris Glen (bass) and Ted McKenna (drums) being part of it, and somehow, to perform with Robin McAuley and Steve Mann (guitar, keyboards) again as well, is pretty awesome.”

Michael Schenker – Lead Guitar

Ted McKenna – Drums

Steve Mann – Guitar, Keyboards

Chris Glen – Bass

Gary Barden

Graham Bonnet

Robin McAuley

“It was just one enjoyable event from beginning to end,” says Schenker. “Seeing those happy, excited fans right from the beginning before the show even started, was incredible. It was like Budokan all over again.”

Schenker remains enthusiastic and overjoyed at performing Schenker Fest with Barden, Bonnet and McAuley all under the same roof in Tokyo.

“It’s wonderful how we all got on with each other. It felt incredibly natural, as if it was always like this. Right from the start of rehearsal, the chemistry was great. No problems, just pure fun.”

1. Intro: Searching For Freedom

2. Into The Arena

3. Attack Of The Mad Axeman ft. Gary Barden

4. Victim Of Illusion ft. Gary Barden

5. Cry For The Nations ft. Gary Barden

6. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ft. Gary Barden

7. Armed And Ready ft. Gary Barden

8. Coast To Coast

9. Assault Attack ft. Graham Bonnet

10. Desert Song ft. Graham Bonnet

11. Dancer ft. Graham Bonnet

12. Captain Nemo

13. This Is My Heart ft. Robin McAuley

14. Save Yourself ft. Robin McAuley

15. Love Is Not A Game ft. Robin McAuley

16. Shoot Shoot ft. Robin McAuley

17. Rock Bottom ft. Robin McAuley

18. Doctor Doctor ft. Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, Robin McAuley

Michael Schenker Fest “Live” Tokyo is available in the following formats:

2 CD

2 CD + DVD Combo

Vinyl LP

DVD

Blu-ray

Hi-Res download

Download

Stream

Michael Schenker started his professional career as a recording Artist in 1970 as a young hopeful talent in the Scorpions and followed this with a stint in the British hard rock institution UFO and then his own Michael Schenker Group before moving on to forming The Temple of Rock.

Over the years, Michael has not just experienced the highs and lows of life; but his development as a guitarist has been consistent, from a German Wunderkind to an experienced and technically highly skilled guitarist.

The Michael Schenker Group (abbreviated as M.S.G.) are a guitar-oriented hard rock band formed in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist, Michael Schenker.

Michael Schenker’s solo career instantly took off right from the start 1980 when the eponymous debut album, “Michael Schenker Group”, featuring Gary Barden on vocals, entered the  top 5 UK Album and Single Charts with Armed and  Ready, followed by the release of Live At The Budokan.

In 1982, Graham Bonnet who had just left Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow was temporary replacing Gary Barden and recorded with M.S.G. the album Assault Attack which was to become many musicians’ favorite featuring Chris Glen on bass and Ted McKenna on drums.

In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Schenker Group, which lasted until 1992.

M.S.G.’s music is best described as mostly melodic hard rock with progressive undertones. Michael Schenker is famous for his black and white Gibson Flying V and for his unorthodox approach to lead guitar. Michael is sponsored by Dean Guitars and is well known in the neo-classical genre.

THE MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP (1980)   Ft. Gary Barden (vocals)

M.S.G. (1981)                                                   Ft. Gary Barden (vocals)

LIVE AT THE BUDOKAN (1982)                      Ft. Gary Barden (vocals)

ASSAULT ATTACK (1982)                               Ft. Graham Bonnet (vocals)

BUILT TO DESTROY (1983)                           Ft. Gary Barden (vocals)

WRITTEN IN THE SAND (1996)                     Ft. Leif Sundin (vocals)

THE UNFORGIVEN (1999)                             Ft. Kelly Keeling (vocals)

BE AWARE OF SCORPIONS (2001)              Ft. Chris Logan (vocals)

ARACHNOPHOBIAC (2003)                           Ft. Chris Logan (vocals)

TALES OF ROCK’N’ROLL (2006)                           Ft. Jari Tiura (vocals)

IN THE MIDST OF BEAUTY (2008)                Ft. Gary Barden (vocals)

LIVE IN TOKYO – THE 30th ANNIVERARY CONCERT (2010)                        Ft. Gary Barden (vocals)

McAuley Schenker Group was a multi-national band featuring core members Robin McAuley (vocals) and Michael Schenker (guitar), a successor (and eventual predecessor) to Schenker’s earlier band Michael Schenker Group. McAuley was initially contacted to replace singer Gary Barden in MSG. However, the strong partnership immediately formed between McAuley and Schenker led to the change of the name from Michael Schenker Group to McAuley Schenker Group, retaining the same initials of the previous band “M.S.G.”.

Their debut album Perfect Timing, released in 1987, included their first hit Gimme Your Love. Two years later, Save Yourself was released, giving this incarnation of M.S.G. its biggest hit with the power ballad Anytime (co-written by McAuley and the band’s guitarist, keyboard player Steve Mann),  the album M.S.G. Schenker/McAuley followed in 1992, followed by “Unplugged” Live in 1993.

After that Schenker and McAuley went their separate ways. Michael decided to withdraw from the spotlight of the rock scene (doing occasional recordings with UFO and MSG, but focused mainly on experimenting with music, building a recording studio and had his own record company while also focusing on his development on a personal level.

2008 was Michael’s return into the loop of rock’n’roll with a reunion album with Gary Barden “In the Midst of Beauty” on inakustik and from then on Michael developed  step by step all the way back to the top again.

PERFECT TIMING (1987)

SAVE YOURSELF (1989)

M.S.G. SCHENKER/MCAULEY (1992)

NIGHTMARE: THE ACOUSTIC M.S.G. (1992)

“UNPLUGGED” LIVE (1992)

MICHAEL SCHENKER & GARY BARDEN: GIPSY LADY (2009)                     Ft. Gary Barden (vocals)

MICHAEL SCHENKER: TEMPLE OF ROCK (2011)                                                   Ft. Michael Voss (vocals)

MICHAEL SCHENKER: TEMPLE OF ROCK – LIVE IN EUROPE (2012)                             Ft. Doogie White (vocals)

MICHAEL SCHENKER’S TEMPLE OF ROCK: BRIDGE THE GAP (2013)                           Ft. Doogie White (vocals)

MICHAEL SCHENKER’S TEMPLE OF ROCK: SPIRIT ON A MISSION (2015)                    Ft. Doogie White (vocals)

MICHAEL SCHENKER’S TEMPLE OF ROCK: ON A MISSION – LIVE IN MADRID (2016) Ft. Doogie White (vocals)