Memory Lane with Michael Schenker (Warsaw Progresja 7-03-26)

 

After 43 years or so, it was brilliant to catch up with Michael Schenker live again.

Saw MSG 3-4 times in the early 1980s, including mid-80 on the first MSG album tour and a year later on the second album tour (love the first two MSG albums).

But then after 1982 or 1983, I just lost touch with Schenker, never being in the right place at the right time to see him again.

That's why getting to see him again at Warsaw Progresja was a real blessing:

Seeing a 1970s, all UFO set was magical: Only You Can Rock Me; Rock Bottom; Lights Out; Love to Love; (and of course) Doctor, Doctor etc. It gave me the goosebumps.

Back in the late 1970s, the UFO double live album, Strangers in the Night, was never off my old record player. It's a toss of the coin between Strangers in the Night and Rush's All The World's a Stage for my favourite live album.

Yeah, the recent Schenker concert at the Progresja was a beautiful trip down memory lane, with an entire UFO setlist being the icing on the cake (saw UFO many times over the years, including my first gig in January 1980, but never with Schenker).

Back in the early 1980s, the MSG setlists were kind of half MSG-half UFO (which was great, of course). 

Seeing UFO in January 1980 (without Schenker), then seeing MSG about six months later, kind of let me know/imagine what seeing UFO with Schenker would've been like.

My favourite UFO era, obviously 1972-1978 with Schenker, but also love the early (pre-Schenker) psychedelic period with Michael Bolton and the early 1980s material with Paul Chapman.