In a new interview with AZ Central, Scorpions guitarist Matthias Jabs reveals the band regrets announcing their farewell tour back in 2010. Following is an excerpt from the conversation.

Q:You’ve been opening shows with “Going Out With A Bang,” which also opens your most recent album. Does it feel like a late-career signature song for Scorpions?

Jabs: "Yeah. I mean, first of all, it’s a great opening song and a song from the latest release. And not too many bands can say that they have a relatively new album on the market while celebrating their 50th anniversary. It’s 52 years for us. And of course it won’t go on forever but after announcing the farewell tour in 2010 and playing around the world for two years, we noticed during that tour, really, that the announcement came way too early and we are still having too much fun. The fans don’t want to let us go. The promoters don’t want to let us go. We get offers now for 2019 and it’s hard to say, 'Yes, guaranteed, we will be there.' We are a bit more careful about all decisions regarding the future. But so far, it’s all very good. We are in great shape. The shows go very well."

Q: You mentioned the farewell tour. When you decided to do that, did it feel like you could walk away from it?

Jabs: "It was all influenced a bit by the manager we had at the time. We were asking each other, while traveling a couple weeks into the tour, 'Who had the idea?' And we found out nobody in the band had the idea. I was thinking, 'OK, my colleagues are a bit older than I am, seven to eight years.' But I was asking and, 'No, not me.' We found out it was more pushed by the manager.

We thought, rationally, it might be a good idea to say 'bye bye' while we were still in the best shape, leave the scene with the best impression and be remembered as a band that runs around like crazy. But seven years later, that still goes as well. We still run around like crazy.  And we don’t look that much different. So we postponed the end of everything and now we don’t know. We learned also that there is no point in saying, 'This is the very last concert!'"

Q: So you won’t have another farewell tour?

Jabs: "No. No. That’s kind of stupid to announce it. And a lot of bands have done it. Finally… the First Farewell Tour, that’s how Phil Collins called one of his farewell tours. It’s getting a bit ridiculous when you say it and don’t do it, so we won’t do it again."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Scorpions have cancelled their remaining North American tour dates due to “severe laryngitis.” A band statement reads as follows:

“The Scorpions regretfully announce that due to severe laryngitis, the remainder of the U.S. 2017 tour will be cancelled. Klaus Meine has been advised by top throat specialist in Los Angeles to rest his voice. If he continues the tour, he could risk permanent vocal damage.”

The band added: “We truly hate to disappoint our fans, and hope to come back to America soon, but this time we have no choice but to cancel.”