In the rock ‘n’ roll pantheon of “most influential guitarists”, Michael Schenker has done more than his fair share to be near the very top of any list. Schenker has just released the star-studded album My Years With UFO, and, as the name suggests, it is all about one esteemed band.
Michael Schenker
Indigo at The O2, London – 14 May 2025
Words: Kahmel Farahani
Photography: Manuela Langotsch
My Years With UFO closely mirrors the iconic UFO live album Strangers In The Night, and this tour is billed as a 50th anniversary celebration of both that legendary album and Schenker’s illustrious tenure with UFO.
As the intro tape of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song blasts out, Schenker walks out with Flying V guitar in hand to thunderous applause. This year, Schenker turned 70, and tonight he frankly looks ageless. His playing is spot on, his tone flawless and his soloing both tasteful and astounding.
Wearing his furry pilot’s hat and smiling from ear to ear, he also seems to be in one very happy mood.
Starting the show with Natural Thing, Schenker and his band are in top form. Tonight the frontman duties are very capably handled by former Skid Row and H.E.A.T singer Erik Grönwall. With a voice that suits the classic songs and an energetic stage presence, Grönwall is the perfect fit and arguably the best singer that Schenker has had for years.
Mother Mary sounds immense, with Schenker’s guitar singing through the chorus and peeling off a blistering solo.
While it’s an obvious joy to hear songs like Doctor Doctor and Lights Out, the real highlights are hearing lesser-played gems from the UFO catalogue. I’m A Loser is a perfect example, being a genuinely unsung classic of a song that builds from a beguilingly simple start to a crescendo of crashing drums and ferocious soloing from Schenker himself.
This Kid’s starts off as a riff-heavy rocker before slowing down into a delicious blues jam, which gives Schenker all the room in the world to trade guitar licks with his band.
Love To Love begins as a softer, romantic ballad and ends with one of the wildest and heaviest segments of the night. Grönwall takes an acoustic in hand and leads the crowd singing along.
Tonight’s setlist is truly a fan’s dream come true, and hearing these songs played back to back is a testament to their timeless appeal. Ending the main set with the towering show-stopper of Rock Bottom is a great choice.
Everybody in the venue has presumably heard the song hundreds of times, if not more, yet it has not lost any of its impact in Schenker’s capable hands. Pushing towards the 15-minute mark, Schenker teases every nuance and note out of the guitar before wringing its neck and thundering towards the end. 
While he can shred with the very best, Schenker’s real superpower is that his playing is truly tasteful. He never plays a bad note and every single note is played with a clear conviction that should be studied by all wannabe guitar heroes.
Ending with back-to-back classics Shoot Shoot and Too Hot To Handle, the latter of which is dedicated to Schenker’s UFO bandmates Paul Raymond and Pete Way, Michael Schenker leaves the fans delighted.
Tonight was not only a tribute to one of the greatest, most criminally underrated rock bands that the UK ever produced, but also to the timeless musicianship of the “mad axeman” himself.
Michael Schenker is still in a class all on his own.
