Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock – On A Mission – Live In Madrid DVD

Michael Schenker’s Temple Of Rock band have been growing at a great pace, a strong debut album ( Temple of Rock ) release followed by a strong tour, then an even stronger album release, ‘Spirit On A Mission’ which was in my top 10 albums of 2015, followed by an even bigger and better tour finally leads us to this, a live DVD.

You may remember we have already had a Temple Of Rock live DVD, Back in 2012 we had ‘Temple of Rock: Live In Europe’, which captured two of his most arguably captivating concerts during his 2011 Temple of Rock Tour, as well as featuring a multitude of A-grade guest appearances. So do we need another so quick, the answer to that question is a simple Yes, as this is more focused on the band, and is recorded, mixed and presented so much better.

For the uninitiated this is a superb way to discover or even re-discover Michael Schenker. Filmed in Madrid at the back end of 2015 this DVD features the full live show along with a couple of extra features from behind the scenes. Nothing extraordinary in the presentation, but the content is magical.

The tour set contains highlight after highlight from Michaels long career, and just to prove just how many great classic rock songs he has written, played on and rocked out to, he opens with the mighty ‘Doctor, Doctor’.

But it’s not all about Michael, In Doogie White he has found the perfect frontman who can handle the vast amount of songs and styles Michael throws at him, he handles the modern Temple Of Rock stuff with the expected confidence, yet still manages to stamp his authority on Scorpion classics like “Blackout” and ‘Lovedrive. And talking of The Scorpions, ex drummer Herman Rarebell looks like he’s having the time of his life as he leads the crowd participation on ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’.

Another ex-scorpions member, bass-player Francis Buchholz makes it all look so easy as he powers through he set list laying down an authoritative bass line. Keyboard and 2^nd guitarist Wayne Findley is another gifted musician who’s worked with Michael for many years, going back to when he joined MSG.

For Michael to have this kind of backing band must be a godsend to him, as he has been known to alter and change his solo’s live on stage, especially during the UFO classic ‘Rock Bottom’, having this calibre behind him allows him to do just that, should the moment take him.

The set list is spread out nicely, bouncing between age old classics like ‘Lights Out’ through his MSG era with ‘Attack Of The Mad Axeman’ and bang up to date with ‘Lord Of The Lost And Lonely’ taken from the latest album.

If you want any more proof as to why Michael Schenker is still kept in high regard by his peers, then look no further than this magical DVD.

Available on 2CD, DVD, Blu -Ray, Limited Deluxe Edition, Digital Download and stream. The Limited Edition Collector’s Box is limited to 5000 copies worldwide and provided with an individual serial number while the Deluxe Edition has bonus footage of the rehearsal, tour, outside the theatre, soundcheck and a review of Michael’s guitars.