SCORPIONS
July 26, 2011 - 9:30 pm

This summer, Scorpions return to Byblos by popular demand! Following the enormous success of their last visit in 2011, they’re back for two exceptional concerts! One of the biggest bands of all time, Scorpions have set the blueprint for power ballads with anthems like “Still Loving You” or “Wind of Change” and have rocked audiences around the world for over 40 years.
This is your last chance to get stung by these legendary rockers. This really is their final tour: “Rock’n roll forever”!

BIOGRAPHY

Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine grew up separately but shared the same love for rock’n’roll. Thanks to the post-war environment in Germany and blessed with understanding parents, both boys started performing with their beat bands in the mid-1960s. Schenker started up the Scorpions in Hanover in 1965 drawing his inspiration from Pretty Things, Spooky Tooth, and The Yardbirds. In 1970, Schenker’s younger brother Michael left his band Copernicus and brought along his bandmate Meine to join Scorpions. It was then that Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine started their songwriting tandem, laying the foundations for a spectacular success story.
However, Michael Schenker left the band to take up the offer as lead guitarist for the British Band UFO. Rudolf Schenker called in Uli Roth to take Michael’s place for the latter leg of the tour. He and Meine then decided to join Roth’s band Dawn Road, which consisted of Francis Buchholz (bass), Achim Kirschning (keyboards), Jürgen Rosenthal (drums). The band’s name was changed to Scorpions because of their popularity on the German rock scene.

Scorpions went through a lot of changes and willingly accepted challenges that improved their stature in the rock scene, both in Germany and around the world. It was their first album, Lonesome Crow, which established their style that distinguished them from the rest of the rock bands across the world. Theirs was guitar-oriented rock, similar to Jimmy Hendrix and Led Zeppelin with outstanding guitar solos, powerful guitar riffs combined with Klaus Meine’s expressive voice. The release of their album Lonesome Crow laid the path of the band towards worldwide recognition.

They achieved their ambition to be the top German rock band, with their fourth album Virgin Killer that won the “LP of the Year” award in 1976. Even when Ulrich Roth left the band following their phenomenal Japanese Tour, Scorpions still achieved great heights because of Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine’s solid friendship.

Hits like “Still Loving You”, “Holiday”, “Send Me an Angel”, “When You Came Into My Life”, “You and I”, and “Wind of Change” captured everyone’s hearts, including the non-rock enthusiasts. “Wind of Change” is the best-selling single by a German artist and one of the most phenomenal songs in history. Even though it rose to popularity in 1991, it is remembered as the song of German reunification (and the fall of communism) with lyrics celebrating the political and social changes in Eastern Europe after the Cold War.

In 2010, Scorpions proved they were still at the top of their game with their album Sting In The Tail, a return to form and to their characteristic sound. Selling over 100 million albums worldwide in a career spanning more than 40 years, these legends decided to retire with a bang. Current members Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs, Pawel Maciwoda, and James Kottak went on a huge farewell tour and played to sold out venues all-around the world until the end of 2012.

As part of their Get Your Sting & Blackout tour, Scorpions played 3 sold out shows in Byblos in 2011. Despite totalizing more than 18000 attendees on these 3 memorable concerts, some fans weren’t able to get tickets!

Byblos Festival is happy to announce that these rock titans will be back for 2 dazzling concerts that will end this year’s edition with a bang!