As one of the most successful rock bands in the world with over 100 million records sold, the Scorpions announced this year that they will leave it ALL on the stage after 40+ years of entertaining fans worldwide. The band is currently out on their "GET YOUR STING AND BLACKOUT" farewell world tour and will hit the states Friday, June 18 to kick off the North American leg in Holmdel, NJ.
The German rockers will be bring their heavy, full-on, electrically charged energy to major cities across the U.S. including Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Denver and many more as they celebrate the success of their latest and final album <em>Sting in the Tail</em>. Special guests on the tour will include Vince Neil, Cinderella, Great White, Dokken, Ratt and Tesla supporting along the way. The full tour itinerary is below.
Released March 23 via Universal Music Enterprises, <em>Sting in the Tail</em> entered the <em>Billboard</em> Top 200 charts at #23, marking the band’s highest chart debut in over 20 years. In their home country of Germany the album has reached Gold status. "Raised on Rock"–the album’s anthemic first single–claimed the #1 spot at classic rock radio for weeks and adds to their remarkable list of hits including "Rock You Like A Hurricane," "Wind of Change" and "No One Like You." The band’s next single "Sting in the Tail"–going to radio June 21–is all about attitude. Lead singer KLAUS MEINE wails "I’m driving out of town, just follow my heart/I think I’m gonna be a rock ‘n’ roll star/The girls would go mad, I’d give ’em all I can give/If I had a cheap guitar and one dirty riff."
Thus far the Scorpions–MEINE (vocals), MATTHIAS JABS (lead guitar), RUDOLF SCHENKER (guitar), JAMES KOTTAK (drums) and PAWEL MACIWODA (bass)–have taken the "Get Your Sting and Blackout" farewell world tour to Germany, Switzerland and France and received rave reviews. Of the in-progress European tour, the German daily paper <em>Bild</em> said, "Farewell Scorpions-you were sensational!…Why do they want to call it quits? The Scorpions rocked the sold-out arena…there were elaborate video animations, fantastic light effects and a perfect sound–it was a show of superlatives!" Munich’s paper TZ said, "It was very emotional early on: 45 minutes after the Scorpions took the stage in the fully sold out Olympia Halle and sang their opener ‘Sting in the Tail’ from their final, hit album, the five musicians approach the forestage, while the crowd renders homage. The band then begins to play a marvelous acoustic version of their Nineties ballad ‘Send me an Angel.’ It seems as if the fans do not want to stop applauding -pure emotions…A brilliant, two-hour long, rock show. The musicians illustrate why they rank among the most successful German bands in the world: they are a momentum on stage." Frankfurt, Germany’s <em>Frankfurtonline</em> said of Meine’s voice: "It still sounds just as young and fresh and easy-going as it did from day one: powerful and flexible."
In other exciting news, the rockers were honored at the World Music Awards at the Monte Carlo Sporting Club on May 18th, in presence of Prince Albert II of Monaco. Back in 1992 and again in 1994, the band proudly accepted the award for "Best International Selling Artist from Germany." This time, the Scorpions were awarded with the World Music "Rock Legend Award" for their outstanding contribution to rock music. The show aired in over 160 countries around the world to more than 100 million viewers. And earlier this year the group were honored in Los Angeles at Guitar Center’s "Rock Walk," where they were inducted alongside other artists who have made a significant impact and lasting contribution to the growth and evolution of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Blues and R&B.
MEINE continues to thank their loyal fans and invite them out to the biggest party of the year. "We are so incredibly happy about the fantastic feedback we have been receiving from around the world on <em>Sting in the Tail</em>. We can’t wait to see our fans soon!" See more at the-scorpions.com.