SCORPIONS / MEGADETH - Shake, Rattle, And Roll In Montreal
September 29, 2017, 7 years ago
Could it ever get better? Having Megadeth opening for Scorpions sure is a top class lineup, specially concocted for the inauguration of the new Place Bell Stadium in Montreal...rock 'n’ roll style baby!
Megadeth kicked off the show with “Hangar 18”, back from the Rust In Peace album. An epic guitar solo from their relatively new guitar player, the one and only Brazilian guitar hero Kiko Loureiro, sets the pace of the show: it's going to be loud, it's going to be wild, and it's going to rock! After a short stop due to technical problems, “Mechanix” is next on the list. Unfortunately, Dave Mustaine's voice on that song wasn't as good as expected as he seemed to have some difficulties projecting it. Nevertheless, a message thanking NASCAR, the American racing association, for accommodating hurricane refugees, was projected on the screen as the song came to an end. I was looking forward to hearing more from the new album Dystopia, but despite the fact that they were touring because of it, the title track was the only one they played.
Finally, a classic appearance of Vic Rattlehead fulfilled all expectations you would have from a Megadeth show, alongside crazy Loureiro guitar solos and smoke machines. An overall good show, despite poor sound quality and not so great singing.
On to the big boys of the night, the dinosaurs of Rock 'n Roll, the national german pride: Scorpions! These guys know how to put on a show, and it's not for nothing that they've been touring since 1965. They're the incarnation of the famous motto "Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n’ Roll", who knows how much they've had of them. Recently touring with them is none other than Mikkey Dee, the drummer from Motorhead. They start their show with “Going Out With A Bang” from their latest album, and continue with “Make It Real”, “The Zoo” and “Coast To Coast”. Despite being 69 years old, frontman Klaus Meine still has some killer rockstar swag as well as a solid voice. Impressive!
Halfway through the setlist, all band members gather in front for a very special and magical moment. The masters of the art of rock ballads lay their acoustic cards and take the crowd into a romantic world for a few songs. Scorpions keep the hits coming as they play “Send Me An Angel” followed by “Wind Of Change”, two of the biggest rock anthems out there. As they introduce their new drummer, they play Motorhead's “Overkill” as a tribute to the late Lemmy, followed by an epic five-minute drum solo. The crowd goes absolutely nuts as Mikkey Dee puts on his show and the drum platform rises ten feet in the air. After an encore, the show ends with three undisputable fan favourites: “No One Like You”, “Still Loving You”, and “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, wrapping up the evening on a strong note.
As much as it could seem like a cheesy-already-seen rock show, Scorpions still got it in them, despite there being less and less people doing what they do - and especially that well.