[avatar user=”Lara” size=”50″ align=”left” /]Recorded on the 19th of November 2015 in the historical Joy Eslava Theatre in Madrid, Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock live DVD On a Mission: Live in Madrid brings to your home over two hours of great live musicianship. This live recording is packed with many hard rock classics numbers from Michael Schenker’s long and fruitful career as a member of Scorpions, UFO, MSG and of course, it includes many tracks from his three albums with his current band Temple of Rock.
Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock is a band that comprises of former Scorpions rhythm section Herman Rarebell and Francis Buncholz, keyboard player/guitarist Wayne Findlay and the talented former Rainbow’s singer Dougie White. There is no doubt you are guaranteed a stunning live performance from such an accolade of fantastic musicians.
I had the pleasure to witness the magic myself, when the UK length of this tour made an appearance in Scotland, in January this year (read our account of that night here).
On a Mission: Live in Madrid has a similar set-list to the rest of their Spirit On A Mission Tour. As on other dates, after the intro “Ocean Odyssey”, they get the ball rolling with the catchy crowd pleaser’s “Doctor Doctor”, “Live and Let Die”, “Lights Out”, “Where The Wild Winds Blow” and “Natural Thing”. Dougie Whitethen dedicates to Ronnie James Dio my favourite song: “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead” taken from their 2011 debut album Temple of Rock. This song was one of the highlights of my live experience with the band and certainly brings back memories seeing it played live on this release.
I love Dougie’s style in encouraging the crowd to go “f*****g crazy” after informing them that Madrid is the chosen location for their latest live DVD in 4K! You’ve got to love also the Spanish fans and their stadium chanting of appreciation. The show then resumes with “Victim of Illusion” before slowing down in pace with an additional if brief solo from Michael Schenker which is carried out with some help from the public before the band launch into “Lovedrive”, “Coast to Coast” and “Vigilante Man” from their latest Spirit on A Mission album (every time I listen to this one it’s stuck in my mind for a week, speak of a hook that catch the ear of the listener!).
Michael Schenker is a guitarist that needs no introduction and it’s a real pleasure to see him live with such a quality band, more so on a good live recording where much visual detail is captured with crystal clear audio quality. Awesome. Michael Schenker’s unpretentious and incredibly engaging guitar playing is flawless, on “Saviour Machine” he also debut’s his latest addition to his ever expanding Dean Guitars collection: a new black and white double-neck Flying M, six strings tuned differently for more…just for more of that playing we’ve got to love over the years.
So many great songs to make up a track listing of twenty-two, if you have been to any of their show’s you’ll know you get an incredible live performance that will satisfy your thirst for rock for a while. “Too Hot To Handle”, “Only You Can Rock Me”, and one which is introduced as a drinking song “Lord of the Lost and Lonely” before presenting Francis Buncholz and Herman Rarebell to a sing-a-long to “Guantanamera” (Ha!). The unmissable “Rock You Like a Hurricane” is another great well known and much loved song that everybody will sing to, “Rock Bottom”, “Horizons” and a very fitting “Attack of The Mad Axeman” follows, with “Communion” and “Blackout” to close another amazing night of live music.
This is a release that will make any fan happy, if you have been to the shows and moreover if you’ve missed the opportunity, you can now take home this little treasure which is out today in Europe, was release on April the 27th in Japan and will be May the 6th in USA.
Available on 2CD, DVD, Blu -Ray, Limited Deluxe Edition, Digital Download and stream. The Limited Edition Collector’s Box is limited to 5000 copies worldwide and provided with an individual serial number while the Deluxe Edition has bonus footage of the rehearsal, tour, outside the theatre, soundcheck and Michael’s guitars!
