48 PLANET ROCK
10 years. I knew that I was getting ripped-off by
everybody and so I thought I might as well do things
myself, for myself. I used the last of my money to
record Thank You as an acoustic instrumental album
for my hardcore fans who’d supported me over the
years, and ended up becoming rich off it.
I toured America on a Greyhound bus, and
knocked on radio station doors, offering myself for
interview, and 80 per cent of them opened their
doors to me, and let me talk and play songs from the
album. When I came back home, I was rich, and there
were so many orders for the album. I had a house
in Mexico, another in Phoenix, land in Hawaii...
everything I wanted.
It was something of a surprise then when
you returned to UFO in 1995 for the Walk On
Water album. What made you go back?
Phil Mogg came to me in Los Angeles, completely
destroyed and sick, and begged me to help him
re-establish UFO. I said, “Phil, you’re sick, so first of
all you need to get better. If I do come back, there has
to be certain conditions, too, because I’m not going
to build this up again to see it destroyed again.”
I wanted the old band reunited, a proper record label,
Ron Nevison as a sixth member, and I’d get 50 per
cent of the name, so that he couldn’t abuse me
again. Around the same time I had an offer to join
Deep Purple, so I wasn’t desperate, I had options.
Walk On Water was a bloody great album, seamless
from where we left off with Strangers In The Night.
It was amazing. But then Phil wanted to be in charge
again, and finally old problems resurfaced. We
did two more records, but after
[2002 album] Sharks it was time
to move on again.I
T’S A TRIBUTE to Schenkĥ
er’s charismatic personaliĥ
ty and charm, that in 2020
after years of chaos and
uncertainty he’s working again
with Gary Barden and Robin
McAuley, both singers he has
dumped in acrimonious
circumstances more than
once in the past: Graham
Bonnet too was welĥ
comed back for Schenkĥ
er’s Resurrection Īī
and Revelation Ī ī
albums, both released
under the group name
Michael Schenker
Fest. The band are
marking the guitarĥ
ist’s 5 0th anniversary
with four Japanese
shows in March, folĥ
lowed by a string of
shows in the UK and
Europe in April.
Loath to suggest thathis struggles with addiction and depression
are wholly in the past, today Schenker is only
looking to the future.
³$IWHU,UHVWDUWHGP\FDUHHUZLWK Ĭ
DOEXPĭIn The Midst Of Beauty, there was no
turning back, and I shot up in the sky like a
rocket,” he says, deadpan, insisting that he’s
enjoying life now “more and more”.
“There is no bigger reward than experiĥ
ence,” he adds. “I’ve had unbelievable things
happen in my life, and because of that I’ve got
the kind of knowledge that I never had in the
past. I’ve been gifted insight and revelations
and understanding and new ideas. I’m in an
incredible place right now.”
After 50 years in the rock’n’roll business,
what are you most proud of?
I hate the word pride, because pride is connected to
ego, but I’m happy where I’ve ended up. And I’m very
grateful that I can call crisis a teacher. I’ve had slaps
in the face, but I’m still here, still growing and still
learning. I’ve four shows coming up in
Japan, two nights in a 5,000-seat
arena, and we would have done
the Budokan except that it’s not
available until after the Tokyo
Olympics. I’m sure there’s going to
be challenges ahead – Robin get-
ting sick recently was pretty scary
[the singer was diagnosed with
sepsis and taken to hospital
ahead of a scheduled perfor-
mance with Schenker at
the 70,000 Tons Of Metal
cruise] – and we’re lucky
he’s still with us but
I’m ready for whatever
life throws at me.
I have no fear.“I’VE HAD SLAPS
IN THE FACE,
BUT I’M STILL HERE.”
MICHAEL
SCHENKER FEST
tours the UK in April,
with shows in
Wolverhampton,
Newcastle, Leeds
and London.
The group’s
Revelation album
is out now on
Nuclear Blast.
G
E
TT
Y