Once upon a time in the '70s hard rock and heavy metal were not industrial terms, but the happening thing in the music business. Top bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden
and Rainbow had stormed onto the scene with their brand of aggressive guitar rock, influencing a new genre of rock that was the most extreme in terms of volume, machismo and theatricality — heavy metal. The effects were, and still are, extraordinary as German rockers Scorpions illustrated when performing a vigorous two-and-a-half-hour set at Dubai Festival City on Thursday night.

Arguably one of the world's most popular, and certainly best-selling rock bands, the seasoned German quintet owes their success not just to attitude or virtuosity, but also
to songwriting, qualities that were on display in ample measure.

Lead by founding members Rudolph Schenker (guitar), who is a young 59, and Klaus Meine (vocals), who turns 60 today, and supported by Matthias Jabs (52, guitars), James Kottak (45, drums) and Pawel Maciwoda (41, bass) the band showed that they are still capable of dishing out gritty, fist-pumping, arena-style rock.

Scorpions of today turned out to be a truly amazing explosion of the band that they were thirty years ago.

Schenker, sporting dramatic wrap-around shades à la Bono, and a seemingly endless array of customised Gibson Flying V guitars, is a revelation as a lead-guitarist, while Meine, small and studious looking, but physically absorbed in belting out his sustained falsetto, holds you mesmerised.

Hair-raising

Quite apart from excelling as a vocalist, Meine was clearly born to sing those lovely ballads like Send Me An Angel, Holiday, Still Loving You and Wind of Change.

And Thursday's sell-out crowd, ranging from excited teens sporting black Scorpion t-shirts to fifty-something bikers in chains and leather, appeared to adore Meine and Co.
When he jumps to the pit to thrust his microphone into the sea of people, there's no irony in the gesture, just a roar of approval. And when he hurls autographed drum-sticks
into their midst, hundreds of hands reach out to capture a piece of memorabilia. It's terrific fun.

Then some time into the hair-raising Bad Boys Running Wild, one of six tracks that the band played from their best-selling 1979 album Love At First Sting, the realisation
dawns that this gig is not just about a bunch of eclectic middle-aged entertainers but about musical artistry.

The twirling chords and gunning appeal of I'm Leaving You, also from Love At First Sting, are followed by the hurtling enthusiasm of 321 from last year's Humanity Hour Vol 1.
Scorpions round off a set, which has played solidly to their strengths, with a James Kottak drum solo, before Meine lets rip in Blackout and Big City Nights.

When they bounce back on stage it's to perform two of their most famous songs — 1990's Wind of Change and Rock You Like a Hurricane, a molten three-chord fireball that
has become a garage-band classic. Rock music just does not get any better.

By Leslie Wilson, Sports Editor

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