Press briefing. Start
On the eve of the concert, Scorpions gave a press conference for local and international media working in the UAE. When legendary rockers appeared at the Elite Club table in Dubai's Royal Ascot Hotel, it was hard to believe that the group was created 43 years ago. All musicians, from soloist Klaus Mein, guitarists Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs to drummer James Kottak and bass guitarist Pavel Machivoda, looked like they were twenty, fifteen, and ten years ago. True, it is worth noting that this is the modern composition of the group, which has changed many times. Rudolph, Klaus and Matthias Jabs remained unchanged, who came to Scorpions only in 1978.
Just think - Rudolf Schenker created the Scorpions group in 1965 in his homeland - in Hanover (Germany, Lower Saxony). In 1970, the group included Rudolph's younger brother - the brilliant guitarist Michael Schenker, as well as singer and composer Klaus Meine. This creative union became the basis of the legendary group of world rock - Scorpions.
In the 1980s, Scorpions laid the foundation for modern hard rock, which is still popular today. They created the rock ballads "Still Loving You", "Holiday", "Wind Of Change", "Send Me An Angel" along with the equally famous songs "Always Somewhere" and "When The Smoke Is Going Down" conquered even the most stubborn opponents of hard rock.
Question from the journalist: "Rudolph, please tell me, when creating the Scorpions group, did you think you would celebrate its 43rd anniversary?"
Rudolf Schenker’s answer: “Honestly, no. But I have always been guided by the principle of going forward and not stopping at what has been achieved. Here we are and we are still moving forward. Forward. We have already reached Dubai.”
In full accordance with the peculiarities of local journalism, brought up on ready-made press releases, the briefing either passed into a sluggish stage, then came to life again. And here it is necessary to pay tribute to the Scorps, who themselves filled in mournful pauses, arising either from the lack of journalists' questions for mega-stars of world rock, or from the fact that each new question took too long to form in the minds of a writing fraternity. “Tell me, Rudolph, you are still keen on downhill skiing,” drummer James Kottak intertwined during the press conference.
“Of course, James. Thank you for asking,” Rudolf Schenker retorted to his tone. But it’s not in vain that Klaus Meine is considered the unsurpassed leader of the group. When he began to answer the first timid questions addressed to him, they rained down, as if from a cornucopia. And Klaus talked and sang whole phrases from the band’s favorite hits to demonstrate that his voice, as before, was strong and ringing (despite the two most complicated operations on his vocal chords that he once had). He simply conquered us with stories about Scorpions adventures in the vastness of great Russia, without the slightest hesitation, pronouncing the names of such cities as Komsomolsk-on-Amur. It was probably not very clear to the Middle East press what a hotel is in the city, on the streets of which there is frost at fifty degrees. But we, as representatives of the Russian press, were pleased to hear that Scorpions, among its other advantages, was also a frost-resistant group, and it was recklessly in love with Russia and the Russian public.
Scorpions arrived in the Emirates just at the end of a tour of 14 cities of Russia, which, as part of the SCORPIONS - Humanity World Tour (which was the band’s concert tour), started on March 2, 2008 with a grand concert in Moscow. But back to Dubai. After the briefing, in which we tried not to ask too many questions to the Scorpions guys, everyone went where and where we went for an exclusive interview with the group, specially organized for us by Different Events, which, in fact, initiated this concert in Dubai .
To say that Rudolf Schenker (guitarist and founder of the group) and James Kottak (drummer) greeted us with joyful cries and playful exclamations means nothing to say. They screamed, waved their hands, met, immediately signed autographs ... Maybe because we represented a Russian magazine in the Emirates? Probably.
Rudolf Schenker, without waiting for our first question, began: Wow, how great it is that you are from Russia! (By the way, we were from where - from Russia, and from Kazakhstan, and from Uzbekistan, but this is not about that - approx.ed.). We have just finished the tour in the largest and most beautiful cities of your country. We were in Siberia! You know, in Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg. And also in Moscow and St. Petersburg, of course. In other cities. It’s just awesome cities and a great audience.
- Tell me, Rudolph, has Russia changed since your first concert, then back in Leningrad in 1988?
-R.SH .: Of course, it has changed. This is a completely different country now. Yes, and we have changed, right? Then, twenty years ago, we just wanted to understand for ourselves what the "Iron Curtain" really is, what kind of people live behind it. Although we, immigrants from East Germany, this phenomenon was more close and understandable than anyone else. Having gone on tour in the USSR, we said to ourselves: "Our grandfathers came to this country with tanks, and we will come with guitars and rock."
For the Soviet people, we were the first rock band to perform in the "cradle of communism." We gave 10 charity concerts in Leningrad for the 350 thousandth audience of Soviet rock music fans. It was from these concerts that the world tour of our album “Savage Amusement” began.
A year later, in August 1989, the Soviet leadership allowed us to hold the widely known Moscow Peace Festival. Then Scorpions shared the stage with other rock bands and musicians: John Bon Jovi and Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Cinderella, as well as with the Russian group Gorky Park. The concert was held at the stadium. Lenin in Moscow. And in September of the same year, Klaus Meine, impressed by the Moscow Peace Festival, created his immortal hit "Wind of Change" ("Wind of Change").
- So, the song “Wind of Change” is still dedicated to the events that took place then in the USSR?
R.Sh .: In November 1989, the Berlin Wall was destroyed, and the composition "Wind of Change" for many people became a hymn of glasnost and perestroika, thanks to which the Iron Curtain was opened and the long period of the Cold War ended. But for us this is not a political song, as is commonly believed. This song is about that much in the world can be changed, the main thing is to listen to each other and really want to change for the better. In my opinion, this song is about love, not politics. No, definitely not about politics.
-D. K .: In 1990, the guys had a chance to participate in the exciting show of the Rolling Stones, which was called "The Wall". Was that concert in the center of Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, exactly where the part of the Berlin Wall stood?
R. Sh.: Yes, since the song “Wind of Change” instantly became a hit throughout the Soviet Union, we recorded the Russian version of “Wind of Change”. And in 1991 we were invited to the Kremlin to meet with Mikhail Gorbachev. This was a unique case both in the history of the USSR and in the history of rock music.
-Since you are so enthusiastic about Russia, your acquaintance with it, it can be assumed that you have there not only numerous fans, but also not many friends. This is true? Which of our musicians are you friends with, and what contemporary Russian artists do you like?
R.Sh .: Of course, we have a lot of friends in Russia. We have been friends with musicians from Gorky Park for many years. From youth - I really like the work of the group "t.A.T.u.". You have also got new guys, in my opinion, from the Star Factory project, the Chelsea band. Very promising. Yes, of the young rock musicians, of course, the group "St. Petersburg". That's cool!
-With someone else, except for the Gorky Park group, did you have to perform on stage venues in the world?
Yes, we had a grand project. We did a joint performance and recorded an album with the world famous Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, which was previously led by Herbert von Karayan.
In November 1999, at the invitation of the German government, we gave a concert in honor of the 10th anniversary of the reunification of Germany. The concert took place in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The performance of "Wind of Change" then sounded to the accompaniment of 166 cellists.
The outstanding Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich took part in this concert. This is the greatest musician of all time! And the album "Moment Of Glory", recorded by us together with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, was released in June 2000. We also performed at the 1000th anniversary of the city of Kazan, and in 2006 we took part in a grand open-air concert in St. Petersburg entitled "Stop Counterfeit", dedicated to the fight against pirated products and timed to coincide with the G8 summit that was taking place then.
- Why is your current world tour called the Humanity World Tour? Why is the emphasis in it, precisely on the word "humanity"?
R.Sh .: On this world tour we decided to draw the attention of the inhabitants of planet Earth to universal problems: the threat of hunger, global warming, an increasing number of technological disasters and natural disasters - typhoons, tsunamis, floods. We want to tell all people, regardless of their nationality, wealth or religion: "Stop testing the patience of the planet! Stop and think. It's better to love than to fight." Here is our message to everyone who cares what the future holds for our children.
Rock musicians, by the way, have always been at the outpost of many mass events. Rock music is always a protest against violence and lawlessness, always a call for freedom and a more dignified life.
Then (cheers!), The permanent Scorpions lead singer Klaus Meine and guitarist Matthias Jabs joined our conversation. Honestly, we were waiting for them.
-Klaus, tell me why most of your songs are written in English, because Scorpions was born in Germany?
Because most of the world's population speaks English. I have many songs in my native German, but to be heard everywhere, it is better to say it in English. This is so far. But we have something to say to the world.
-Last question. What compositions await us at tomorrow's Dubai concert?
K. M .: We will present compositions from our new album Humanite Hour 1, including the new song “Humanity” to the court of Dubai. And, of course, all the most famous and beloved hits in the whole world - “Still Loving You”, “Holiday” and others. Come, hear everything yourself.
The editors of the Russian Emirates, who acted as the media sponsor of the concert, thank Different Events for arranging the interview.
Concert. Conclusion
May is not the coolest month in Dubai. The evening of May 22 was hot and very humid. But the Scorpions concert made the crowd of thousands of fans of all ages and from around the world forget about everything in the world. The show was grand! Scorpions performed new and most popular compositions, guitars just flew in the hands of Rudolph, Matthias and calm outwardly bass guitarist Pavel Machivoda.
The sticks in the hands of James Kottak wrote incredible pirouettes over the stage, and he managed to get on the drum kit during the performance and, having run up, hit his head with the copper gong behind the drums, and water himself with water, and play masterfully. Yes, how to play!
Klaus Meine threw drumsticks and picks into the crowd, and sang so that sometimes tears came to his eyes. And of course, he whistled at the very beginning of “Wind of Change”. The audience sang with him, and it seemed that every viewer knew by heart the words of all the songs. It was hot. And not because May was in the yard, but because there was a live Scorpions concert in Dubai.
Today, this concert, like many others, has already become another page in the history of Scorpions, but it is believed that the day will come when Klaus Meine will again hear the voice over Dubai: "Hello, Dubai. Are you ready? Let's go!". And we will follow him, and his "Wind of Change." It’s not so often that we are given the opportunity to talk with a living legend. Like Scorpions ...
