Legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker kicked off his spring 2025 European tour Wednesday night (April 9) at De Boerderij in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands.Schenker is touring in support of his recently released “My Years With UFO” album celebrating the 50th anniversary of Michael’s years with UFO.Joining Michael on the trek on vocals is former SKID ROW frontman Erik Grönwall, who is the featured singer on the “Mother Mary” song on “My Years With UFO”, which also includes a guest appearance by GUNS N’ ROSES’ Slash on guitar.The setlist for the Zoetermeer show was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:01. Natural Thing (UFO song)02. Only You Can Rock Me (UFO song)03. Hot ‘N’ Ready (UFO song)04. Doctor Doctor (UFO song)05. Out In The Street (UFO song)06. Mother Mary (UFO song)07. I’m A Loser (UFO cover)08. This Kid’s (UFO song)09. Let It Roll (UFO song)10. Lights Out (UFO song)11. Instrumental12. Love To Love (UFO song)13. Can You Roll Her (UFO song)14. Shoot Shoot (UFO song)15. Rock Bottom (UFO song)Encore:16. Reasons Love (UFO song)17. Too Hot To Handle (UFO song)Erik touched upon his touring plans with Schenker in a September 20, 2024 YouTube livestream. He said: “Yeah, I’m heading out with Michael Schenker next year, a European tour. I did that song with him on the ‘My Years With UFO’ release. And it’s gonna be a lot of fun. And I’ve been looking forward to get back on that stage once again.”In March 2024, Grönwall — who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021 — announced his departure from SKID ROW. He said at the time that he decided that the travel and rigors of the road were not conducive to his overall health and recovery, and he wanted to focus on a lifestyle that is more amenable for his well-being, healing and family.In a recent interview with Noise11’s Paul Cashmere, Schenker revealed that he was already working on a new MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP album called “Don’t Sell Your Soul” which will feature Grönwall “singing most of the songs,” along with vocal contributions from Robin McAuley and Michael Voss.Produced by Schenker and Voss, “My Years With UFO” marked the 50th anniversary of Schenker’s era with UFO, spanning from 1972 to 1978. The “German Wunderkind” was asked to join UFO at just 17 years old. Touring the globe as a teenager, Schenker became a driving force behind some of UFO’s most loved tracks, such as “Doctor Doctor”, “Rock Bottom” and “Only You Can Rock Me”.Although Michael Schenker’s era with UFO spanned only six years, his influence as a young songwriter and exceptional guitarist had already left a lasting mark on rock. During these meteoric years, the UFO albums “Phenomenon”, “Force It”, “No Heavy Petting”, “Lights Out”, “Obsession” and the seminal live album “Strangers In The Night” were recorded, each contributing significantly to the genre. “Strangers In The Night” particularly stands out as one of the most influential live rock albums of all time and is still regarded as a cornerstone in any rock enthusiast’s collection.In this celebratory album, Michael Schenker presents 11 of UFO’s greatest hits from this magical era with an impressive lineup of guest stars. Joining Schenker on this journey are Derek Sherinian on keyboards, Brian Tichy on drums, and Barry Sparks on bass.The stellar roster of guest artists includes Axl Rose (GUNS N’ ROSES),Slash (GUNS N’ ROSES),Kai Hansen (HELLOWEEN),Roger Glover (DEEP PURPLE),Joey Tempest (EUROPE),Biff Byford (SAXON),Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY),John Norum (EUROPE),Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER),Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE),Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW),Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS),Adrian Vandenberg (WHITESNAKE),Michael Voss, Stephen Pearcy (RATT) and Erik Grönwall (SKID ROW).[embedded content][embedded content][embedded content][embedded content][embedded content][embedded content][embedded content][embedded content][embedded content][embedded content]
