< Dec. 31st 2009 >
The long-awaited first official
Uli Jon Roth signature
SKY GUITAR
will finally be unveiled at the Winter NAMM show
in Anaheim, California on January 14th, 2010.
There will be two different models on display,
a six-string and a seven-string version.
This limited edition will be super-custom built 100% to
Uli’s specifications by the custom shop of Dean Guitars USA.
Each guitar will be personally named and approved by Uli Jon Roth.
Sky Guitars were the first electric guitars with a truly
extended upper range and lots of extra frets.
Uli originally designed the Sky Guitar in 1982
and the development phase went through 5 proto-types,
the culmination of which was “Mighty Wing” –
his legendary seven-string guitar, which features
an un-precedented six octave range.
From the beginning, Sky Guitars embodied the very spirit
of cutting-edge innovation. These new models will honor
this tradition and will incorporate several new features.
Over the past few years Uli has been approached by numerous
guitar manufacturers who offered to build Sky Guitars
and guitarists from all over the world are constantly
asking where they might buy them.
Going back as far as the Eighties, there have been companies
who sold Sky Guitars, either without Uli’s knowledge
or without his consent. Many private individuals have also
had copies built for themselves, because of the unique and
appealing design and the features.
But these were all just copied from photographs and no one had
access to the precise dimensions of the originals; hence most of those
copies resulted in poor imitations, which didn’t stand a chance
to live up to the extremely high standard of the handful of originals,
which had been hand crafted by the brilliant British master
luthier Andreas Demetriou back in the Eighties.
The new Dean Custom line will be the first
genuine, fully authentic Sky Guitars for twenty years.
To celebrate the release
Uli will play the new Sky Guitars for the first time in public
at a special performance at the Anaheim Grove Theater
during the NAMM show on January 15th.
To download the PDF file:
“Introducing the Dean Sky Guitar”
Please click on the link below:
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/current/sky_guitar.pdf
Please direct all initial inquiries to:
Sky-guitars@ulijonroth.com
SKY ACADEMY is finally coming to GERMANY !
The first full-scale Sky Academy seminar is to be held
at the Rock & Pop Museum in Gronau on September 4-6.
The seminar will also include a Sky Academy Concert
billed as "ULI JON ROTH & FRIENDS" on September 5th.
The three day event is sponsored and presented by one of
Germany's premiere guitarist magazines "GUITAR".
For further info and enrollment please click on this link:
http://www.guitar.de/sky_academy_2009.0.html
< 3. June 2009 >
Uli Jon Roth is hosting a LEGENDS OF ROCK Concert
on June 7th at Stazione Birra in Rome, Italy, to raise funds
for the victims of the recent earthquake in the region
of the city of L'Aquila, which was largely destroyed.
Uli will share the stage with a variety of artists including
TOBIAS SAMMET - KAI HANSEN - RICHIE KOTZEN
CARL PALMER - KEE MARCELLO - JACK MIELE
PINO SCOTTO - OSANNA - LUCA POMA
MICHAEL EHRE - DON ROX
< 23. May 2009 >
The official 2009 SKY ACADEMY CONCERT
will take place at the Galaxy Theater, Santa Ana, Orange County
June 18th and is billed as:
SKY ACADEMY CONCERT 2 0 0 9
ULI JON ROTH & FRIENDS
< 12. APRIL 2009 >
has been announced to be held at the Santa Ana - Galaxy Theatre
The official Sky Academy concert will take place on June 18th.
Two further one-day introductory seminars with a concert has been
scheduled for June 16th in Tempe, Arizona and
June 25th in San Diego, CA - at the Brick by Brick.
A third concert is scheduled for Redondo Beach on June 20th.
OFFICIAL SKY ACADEMY WEBSITE:
http://www.sky-academy.com/
< 31. DECEMBER 2008 >
would like to wish you all a great and inspirational
HAPPY NEW YEAR !
A big 'Thank You' also to all those who came to our
in so many different cities and countries. We also want to thank those
you again in 2009 !
At Nakano Sun Plaza Hall - Tokyo - Nov.12. 2008
< 16. AUGUST 2008 >
will be released in Japan on August 20th (Marquee records).
The European and USA releases will follow a month later on SPV.
To promote the release of the album
ULI JON ROTH & SKY OF AVALON will play a tour of Japan
in November, which includes two nights at SUN PLAZA HALL,
the very venue, which SCORPIONS played 30 years ago, resulting
in the recording of their TOKYO TAPES album.
To celebrate this anniversary, Uli will play several Scorpions
songs from that period during his set. Each of the two concerts
will feature a distinctly different program, consisting of
music from all periods of Uli's musical journey.
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/current/concerts_tours_1.htm
< 21. JULY 2008 >
Uli will also appear at a signing session earlier on that day.
< 29. MAY 2008 >
G-TARanaki - is hosting SKY ACADEMY SEMINARS at three
separate locations, leading up to their festival concerts.
The academy is going to be being held from July 15-17 at
Waitara High School, Inglewood High School
and Opunake High School.
This is followed by an out-door concert at TSB Stadium,
for the first time.
http://www.gtaranaki.co.nz/
< 11. MARCH 2008 >
a program featuring Billy Corgan & Uli Jon Roth
for its long-standing, critically acclaimed TV series
"Durch Die Nacht" - Au Coeur de la Nuit
Two camera teams followed Billy and Uli for an entire evening
a series of free-ranging conversations, as well as jam sessions.
and can be received all over Europe via satellite.
Uli Jon Roth is currently working on a new full-length
studio album, which is to be released before the summer.
The title of the album will be "Under A Dark Sky".
This is going to be the first official release in the long-awaited series
of Symphonic Legends, which is a cycle of music written by Uli
for his all-encompassing Sky of Avalon project.
The new album is featuring a cast of rock singers as well as Uli's band,
a classical choir and Sky Orchestra.
The main lead singers are Mark Boals and Liz Vandall.
Further vocalists and guests are still to be announced.
Uli Jon Roth will take his band on a world tour next year, starting in July.
This is going to include Japan, Asia, North-and South America, Europe, New Zealand and India.
Additionally, several Sky Academy Seminars are going to be held in various countries.
These are going to be announced on the Sky Academy Website.
< 27. NOVEMBER 2007 >
A DVD featuring the re-union concert of Scorpions & Uli Jon Roth
Live at Wacken Open-Air in 2006 will be released before X-mas.
The title of the release is "A Night To Remember - A Journey Through Time".
< 24. OCTOBER 2007 >
An original oil-painting featuring Uli Jon Roth is currently
being exhibited at Gallery K in Tokyo. The artist is ULE W. RITGEN,
who is well known among Uli fans for being a founder member of
ELECTRIC SUN. He later went on to be a member of ZENO,
followed by FAIR WARNING.
Ule also recently participated at SKY ACADEMY 2007 in Los Angeles.
His painting is shown in conjunction with a collection of limited edition
prints featuring his works. Date of the exhibition: 25th Oct - 6th Nov 2007.
http://www.gallery-k.net/artist/others/index.html
< 2. SEPTEMBER 2007 >
CLASSIC ROCK REVISITED.COM has just featured
an in-depth review of the 2007 SKY ACADEMY CONCERTS
in Los Angeles featuring ULI JON ROTH & FRIENDS.
The article was written by the editor, Jeb Wright.
< 20. AUGUST 2007 >
It has just been confirmed that PAUL GILBERT
will perform several songs together with ULI at the
upcoming SKY ACADEMY CONCERTS in Los Angeles.
PAUL chose three JIMI HENDRIX songs for the occasion,
including the lesser known "Highway Chile".
SKY ACADEMY CONCERTS 2007
proudly present
ULI JON ROTH & FRIENDS
LOS ANGELES - AUGUST 24th & 25th
The special guests confirmed so far are:
(in no particular order)
JOHNNY HILAND - CHRIS POLAND - ROY Z
JOE STUMP - DON DOKKEN - TONY FRANKLIN
MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO - KOFI BAKER
SEYMOUR DUNCAN - STUART SMITH
JEFF SCOTT SOTO - MARK BOALS
ULE W. RITGEN - PIERO LEPORALE
ROB PAGLIARI - PHIL WOODWARD
EVAN MARSHALL - CORVIN BAHN
STEVE SMYTH - ADRIAN GALYSH
RICHIE ONORI - MICHAEL EHRÉ
A N D R E W S H U L M A N
G E O R G E B E L L A S
P A U L G I L B E R T
< 12. AUGUST 2007 >
ROBBY KRIEGER - legendary guitarist and song writer for the DOORS
will appear on one of this year's SKY ACADEMY CONCERTS as guest
of honour to play with ULI JON ROTH & FRIENDS.
Last year's inspiring jam session with ROBBY and ULI at the UCLA
featured extensive renditions of no less than three DOORS classics
(L.A. Woman, Roadhouse Blues, Riders On The Storm).
< 16. JULY 2007 >
One of the world's leading Cello players and classical conductors,
ANDREW SHULMAN,
will participate in the SKY ACADEMY CONCERTS this year.
Uli Jon Roth & Friends will also perform one of Andrew's compositions,
which is going to feature Andrew on electric cello and Uli on guitar.
SKY ACADEMY is also thrilled to announce that Andrew is going to share
the stage with Uli during one of the master-classes in order to talk about
his musical insights together, as well as demonstrate certain things on the cello.
Uli said "we are extremely lucky to have Andrew there!
Our students will gain a new perspective about guitar playing
and music making through this encounter with such a true master of the cello.
I know that Andrew feels music on a very deep level, and I'm really
looking forward to having him as our guest at the academy.
Here is a quote by Andrew Shulman about Uli's teaching:
"Uli Jon Roth is unique. The sort of artist that emerges perhaps once in a generation,
he is a genuine 'all round' virtuoso musician. Equally at home in the worlds of Rock
and Classical, his insights into musical performance, preparation, understanding
and inspiration provide his students with an invaluable fund of knowledge.
I myself was fascinated and riveted by his classes and lectures when my son
attended the first Sky Academy last year. Able, by turns, to inspire and intellectualize,
comfortable talking about Mahler, Beethoven, Hendrix, The Blues, improvisation,
and able to find common links between them all, help to provide us with
a once in a lifetime, intensive musical experience.
< 7. JULY 2007 >
SKY ACADEMY 2007 will take place on August 22nd- 26th in
The seminar and master classes will be conducted by ULI JON ROTH
and will also feature joint appearances with notable guest teachers.
The Academy is taking place in the auditorium of the
Musician’s Institute and will culminate in two
SKY ACADEMY CONCERTS
Continuing the same exiting format, which gave us last year’s very successful
SKY ACADEMY CONCERTS, both shows will feature an inspiring choice
of special guest artists, who are going to share the stage together with Uli as
ULI JON ROTH & FRIENDS
Each of the two
Each show will be at least three hours long and is going to include an intermission.
Last year’s series of concerts was enthusiastically received by both - audiences
and performers alike – and each of them was a truly unique concert.
Please, don't miss this chance to be there!
Further guest announcements are imminent.
For information about the seminar - please click here
< 24. MAY 2007 >
GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE is paying homage to
ULI by devoting an in-depth, seven page article to some of his
playing techniques and innovations in their June issue.
< 9. MAY 2007 >
ULI JON ROTH will appear as special guest of
T H E S M A S H I N G P U M P K I N S at two major festivals
in Germany on June 2nd - ROCK AM RING FESTIVAL, Nürburgring
and June 3rd - ROCK IM PARK FESTIVAL.
Uli is going to join the band during the encores and will guest
on a couple of songs.
Uli and BILLY CORGAN earlier this year in Los Angeles.
Billy is holding Uli's favourite Sky Guitar "Mighty Wing".
(pic by John Kornarens)
< 30. APRIL 2007 >
ULI JON ROTH is going to appear as special guest of his former band
S C O R P I O N S during their up-coming tours of France and England,
The band will also head-line the SWEDEN ROCK FESTIVAL in June and
a festival in Athens, Greece, later that month with U.J.R. on stage.
Uli is going to play during a sizeable part of the set, performing
mainly pieces from the early Scorpions days.
please click here for the dates
< 28. MARCH 2007 >
ULI is taking part in a series of impromptu jam sessions at the
2007 Frankfurt Music Fair. The jams will take place each afternoon
at the TRONICAL POWERTUNE stand (Hall 4 - H 38).
http://www.tronical.com/
A series of artists have been invited to take part in the improvisations,
including MICHAEL ANGELO, MARTY FRIEDMAN,
GUS G, CHRIS ADAMS, ROB PAGLIARI
and MICHAEL EHRE, among others.
< 13. FEBRUARY 2007 >
ULI has been invited to talk about the album covers
of his career from the early Seventies until now, at the
MUSEUM HÜLSMANN in Bielefeld, Germany, on
February 23rd, 2007. The discussion will provide in-depth,
behind-the-scenes glimpses into the genre and is open to the public.
The language of the talk is going to be German, and the presenter of the
event is Heiko Hasenbein.
There is only a limited amount of tickets available.
Please order either by phone: 0521-513766
or E-mail:
further info :
< 29. DECEMBER 2006 >
ULI JON ROTH will present a revolutionary new invention at the
2007 NAMM Music trade fair in
He has recently come across a new self-tuning guitar technology,
which was developed in
Uli was so intrigued and fascinated by this landmark invention that he
had it installed on his favourite white Fender Stratocaster guitar last week.
The auto-tune technology is currently only geared for 6-string
Strat- or Gibson-type guitars, but Chris Adams has promised to extend
the system for his 7-string SKY GUITARS in the near future.
When asked to endorse the new invention, Uli immediately agreed
and had the following to say: “This is something I totally believe in.
I can’t remember getting as exited about new technology as I am about this one.
Uli calls the TRONICAL POWERTUNE system the fulfillment of a long-held dream.
"This was one of the last frontiers to cross in the development of stringed instruments;
until recently, before I met Chris Adams, I thought I might never see the day…
a solution seemed so far off because of all the technical difficulties,
but Chris has absolutely thought of all the angles and has designed
something here that is just perfect !"
"Because I don’t use a locking system on my guitars for reasons of sound,
I sometimes have annoying tuning issues on stage, particularly,
since I often like to play a whole set on one guitar only.
All this is going to be behind me from now on - and what’s even better:
now I can tune down the guitar to E-flat or even D and C# within a split second.
This opens up a whole new world of musical possibilities. For example,
when we’re performing some of those old Scorpions tunes on stage –
as we have done recently – I can fret the songs the way they were originally written,
instead of having to transpose them, say, from A to G#, in order to hear the same result.
Due to the lack of open strings in some keys that is sometimes musically awkward.
In those days we used to tune down a semi-tone, and I like to play
the songs in their original pitch. Up to now, detuning on stage
was a complete impossibility, because it takes a long time for the strings
to settle when using conventional manual tuning. Powertune achieves
this result flawlessly within seconds! In my mind this is clearly
the most significant technical development on the guitar since the invention
of the pick-up. It’s THAT groundbreaking - and the best thing is that it
absolutely works, and that it’s beautifully thought through
in its economy of means.”
< 27. NOVEMBER 2006 >
Swedish band THERION have invited ULI JON ROTH
to attend their charity orchestra concert in Bucharest, Romania in December
as special guest of honour.
On the previous day, December 8, Uli will hold a speech and press conference
at the Student's House Conference Room at 17.00 hours. He will be joined
on stage by CRISTOFER JOHNSSON of THERION in a question and
answers session.
The "ARS MUSICAE - ARS MEDICINAE - MUSIC AGAINST CANCER PROJECT"
is sponsored by the AQUARIUS FOUNDATION of ROMANIA.
Uli has been asked to talk about the "fusion" of rock and classical music
in his speech as well as the link between music and medicine.
Further information can be found here:
http://megatherion.com/
http://www.concerte.fundatia-aquarius.ro/
< 7. OCTOBER 2006 >
Uli's long-time record company
Uli's long-time record company, SPV is going to release a
"BEST OF ULI JON ROTH"
to coincide with the up-coming European tour.
The double CD contains no less than 32 songs drawn from all of the
official U.J.R. releases since his departure from Scorpions to the present day.
The album will give those listeners who are not yet familiar with Uli's music
a chance to get acquainted with it. The booklet contains mainly hitherto
unpublished photographs and comes with pretty extensive liner notes.
The choice of songs was made by Uli himself, who also newly re-mastered
some of the material especially for this compilation.
Furthermore the CD contains two video bonus tracks and will be released in
Germany on November 3rd followed by a European release on November 6th.
New concert dates have just been added to the up-coming
ULI JON ROTH - BAND Of SKY tour in autumn 2006.
These now include Scandinavia, i.e. Sweden and Denmark.
These are going to be Uli's first full-length concert appearances
in Sweden since the days of Electric Sun.
Further dates may still be added.
Please find the current tour dates by clicking on the link below:
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/current/concerts_tours_1.htm
< 5. JUNE 2006 >
This is to all the participants of the 2006
First of all I just wanted to say a heartfelt thanks to all my students
who showed so much dedication and who all contributed to the whole
not only through just being there, but also by fully applying
themselves in mind and spirit. I really, really enjoyed this week
tremendously and am already looking forward to the next seminar.
Many thanks also to all those who were instrumental in getting this thing
off the ground against the odds, foremost to my friend Jeff Agins,
our production manager, who made it all happen, but also our crew, band and friends,
Olaf Senkbeil, Francis Buchholz, Michael Ehre, Ferdy Dörnberg, John Boswell,
John Kornarens, Anthony Kornarens, Stephen Claps, Tonio Neuhaus, Ivan Lang,
Mathias Dittner, Ralf Winter, Justin and Al Myers, Bobby Gervais,
Johannes Neumann, George Hernandez, Phil Woodward and Alan Cyr.
Many thanks also to the kind staff of the University Campus
particularly to Jeff Wachtel, who were extremely helpful, professional and supportive
during our 5-day stay in the hall on UCLA campus, the Ralph Freud Theater.
The “icing on the cake” for me was getting to jam with all the great guest musicians
on stage during the three concerts. I want to thank all of them for donating
their precious time in participating and making this a week of inspiration for us.
Many special thanks, of course, also to all of you who went to see and hear
the concerts and for your patience in sitting through four hour plus shows –
we couldn’t have done it without you !
We intend to hold another seminar next year in the same location
some time in April / May 2007, which will be announced shortly.
Uli Jon Roth - June 5th, 2006
The very special guests for the three
LOS ANGELES 2006 - SKY ACADEMY CONCERTS
were (in no particular order):
CHRIS IMPELLITTERI - CHRIS POLAND - ROY Z
DON DOKKEN - ROBBY KRIEGER - TONY FRANKLIN
DAVID PAICH - KOFI BAKER - ROB PAGLIARI
FRANCIS BUCHHOLZ - EVAN MARSHALL
JEFF KOLLMAN - PHIL WOODWARD
ADRIAN GALYSH - STUART SMITH
SAMMY JAY - DYNA SHIRISAKI
JOE STUMP - DOUG DOPPLER
WARREN DE MARTINI
GRAHAM BONNETT
DAVE WATERBURY
JEFF SCOTT SOTO
RICHIE HONORI
< 7. MAY 2006 >
The ULI JON ROTH - SKY BAND
Don't miss this chance to see Uli and his band in concert !!!
Each show is going to be at least 2 hours long, sometimes even longer.
At the end of most shows there is going to be an informal "Meet & Greet".
The shows on the East Coast will include "THE LIZARDS" as special guests.
who will share the stage together with Uli as ULI JON ROTH & FRIENDS.
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
S P R I N G - 2 0 0 6
|
12.05. 2006 |
VIRGINIA |
SPRINGFIELD - J a x x |
U L I J O N R O T H & F R I E N D S
S K Y A C A D E M Y C O N C E R T S
|
24.05. 2006 |
CALIFORNIA - |
LOS ANGELES - Ralph Freud Theater |
< 17. APRIL 2006 >
The album "GILLAN'S INN", which is featuring
IAN GILLAN & FRIENDS has now been officially released.
< 6. APRIL 2006 >
The official cut-off date for student applications to the
L.A. Sky Academy Seminar is May 5th, 2006.
After that date we will be unable to consider any
further applicants. The gates are closing fast;
we have almost reached full capacity, and we advise
all potential students to make their reservations
sooner rather than later, if they want to be part of
this unique event. If you leave it too late,
you simply may not be able to get in.
There is also no possibility for walk-ups to the
Sky Academy Seminar including the Master Classes.
Tickets for the concerts, however, will be available at the venue
unless they are sold out. Please note that there is a reserved
seating policy in place at the Ralph Freud Theater.
The sooner you get advance tickets the better
your seats.
< 14. MARCH 2006 >
Tickets for the LOS ANGELES
SKY ACADEMY - CONCERT SERIES
U L I J O N R O T H & F R I E N D S
on May 24th, 26th, 27th - 2006
at the Los Angeles University UCLA
Ralph Freud Theater
are now officially on sale at
Ticketmaster.com
PLEASE NOTE that there are going to be
RESERVED SEATS ONLY available.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/1019029
The Sky Academy Seminar will be attended by several
Guests of Honor, who will also participate in the concerts.
Among the very special guests confirmed so far are:
CHRIS IMPELLITTERI - CHRIS POLAND - ROY Z
DON DOKKEN - JOHN LEVIN - TONY FRANKLIN
DAVID PAICH - KOFI BAKER - HOWARD LEES
FRANCIS BUCHHOLZ - JÜRGEN ROSENTHAL
ANDY ALEDORT - PHIL WOODWARD
ULE W. RITGEN - LORI CARPENTER
ADRIAN GALYSH - STUART SMITH
SAMMY JAY - DYNA SHIRISAKI
JEFF KOLLMAN - ERIC SINGER
JOE STUMP - DOUG DOPPLER
WARREN DE MARTINI
JEFF SCOTT SOTO
The list is growing steadily, and there are many
artists who would like to attend, but have not yet
been able to fully confirm due to their schedules.
Note: not all of the above artists may necessarily
perform on stage with Uli on the same day.
< 18. JANUARY 2006 >
The first ever
SKY ACADEMY SEMINAR
&
SKY MUSIC FESTIVAL
is going to take place in
on
ULI JON ROTH will personally lead the guitar and music seminar,
which is coupled with a series of three exclusive
by himself and his new band in the same venue.
Each concert is going to be devoted to a different theme
and will feature music from all phases of Uli’s career, including
SCORPIONS, ELECTRIC SUN, SKY OF AVALON
and TRANSCENDENTAL SKY GUITAR.
The venue for both the Academy and the concerts is the
Ralph Freud Theater at the University Campus of Los Angeles (UCLA).
For further information on the seminar and concerts
please visit the official SKY ACADEMY WEBSITE
at http://www.sky-academy.com/
Tickets for the concerts will go on sale soon,
and a date will be announced shortly on this page.
< 30. OCTOBER 2005 >
Uli Jon Roth's European record company SPV is releasing
two of his previous albums simultaneously.
Both albums have not been available for a long time
and have been digitally re-mastered by Uli himself.
The first one is BEYOND THE ASTRAL SKIES,
which came out in 1985 and was the last-ever album
of Uli's then-band ELECTRIC SUN.
The exiting re-release comes with extensive new artwork
and a Video bonus-track - the original promo-video for the single
THE NIGHT THE MASTER COMES - which has never
been commercially available until now.
The second re-release is
PROLOGOUE TO THE SYMPHONIC LEGENDS
of Uli's SKY OF AVALON project, which was first
released in 1996. The CD also contains a hitherto unreleased
video for CRY OF THE NIGHT from the METAMORPHOSIS
album featuring ULI JON ROTH & SKY ORCHESTRA.
Both albums are available now.
< 28. SEPTEMBER 2005 >
The line-up of Uli's band for the up-coming
European dates will be as follows:
ULI JON ROTH - Guitar, vocals
FRANCIS BUCHHOLZ - Bass
OLAF SENKBEIL - Vocals
FERDY DOERNBERG - Keyboards, guitar
MICHAEL EREE - Drums
Ex- SCORPIONS/ Ex ELOY drummer
JUERGEN ROSENTHAL will join Uli and the band
on stage for some of the shows to play a couple of
songs from the FLY TO THE RAINBOW album.
Uli, Francis and Juergen - who all had been members
of the German Cult band DAWN ROAD before they
merged with SCORPIONS in 1973 - have not shared
a stage together since 1974, and Uli is looking forward
very much to playing with his old friends again.
The program for this tour is going to be extensive,
as Uli intends to play material from all phases of his
career, including many early SCORPIONS and
ELECTRIC SUN songs. Quite a few of these have
actually never been performed live so far. Since there are
so many songs to choose from the program may vary
substantially from night to night.
< 10. SEPTEMBER 2005 >
Tonight SCORPIONS and ULI JON ROTH
performed their first concert together in
since they had been on stage together in
For many of U.J.R. and SCORPIONS fans, this was
a very emotional and truly historic event which they had
long been waiting for.
The Parc Expo amphitheatre was virtually sold out with
approximately 8000 people in the audience. After two support bands,
Uli took to the stage just after dusk at 20.30hs with a new band,
which he had put together especially for this event and which was
well rehearsed. (Rehearsals took place in Hanover, Germany,
in the week leading up to the show.
For the line-up, please refer to the previous news post.)
Uli and his band played a 70 minute plus set, which
featured 3 songs from REQUIEM FOR AN ANGEL
alongside material from his ELECTRIC SUN and SCORPIONS days.
For the last two songs he was joined by his old Scorpions buddy,
RUDY LENNERS, and they performed “Catch Your Train”
and "Polar Nights” together. Uli dedicated the first of these
two songs to Klaus and Rudolf.
The audience responded enthusiastically throughout the virtually flawless U.J.R. set,
which premiered two beautiful new songs from the Requiem - the unique
and powerful rock-epic “
“Forgive”, which Uli had written especially for that show 2 weeks ago.
The intensity of Uli’s performance and that of his band in connection
with the images on the screen was palpable. Further highlights included
“Sky Overture”, which was the opener, a full-length version of "Winds Of War",
a mind-blowing “Enola Gay – Hiroshima Today?” and the new orchestral
version of “The Sails Of Charon”, which was particularly well received.
The set also featured a brief version of "Virgin Killer", followed by
another Scorpions classic from the Uli era, "Fly To The Rainbow".
The SCORPIONS sound check took place at 1.30 in the afternoon,
and it was a sweltering day in
jam session onstage before the sound check proper, which lasted for about an hour.
Scorpions and Uli rehearsed four songs at the sound check and the feeling onstage
was great from the word go. Briefly before the concert it was decided
to also include "Kojo No Tsuki" in the set.
Following U.J.R., SCORPIONS played an amazing set, and Uli
joined them half-way through to play the four songs together.
KLAUS MEINE gave Uli a very warm welcome onstage
and there were smiles all round when Klaus said,
“Please give a big welcome to the legendary Uli Jon Roth!”
The audience were spellbound and went wild with the excitement
of this once-in-a-lifetime moment.The first song was “In Trance”,
which Uli kicked off with a haunting improvised guitar intro and when
Klaus started to sing, the audience immediately chanted along with him.
The guitar lead was shared by Uli and MATHIAS JABS in
harmony, and the two guitarreros sounded great together while
RUDOLF SCHENKER was blasting his famously energetic
and relentless power chords underneath.
The next song on the menu was “Pictured Life”, which the band
hadn't played for ages. This was followed by the sort-of
impromptu version of “Kojo No Tsuki” from
Klaus dedicated the next song, “We’ll Burn The Sky”,
to MONIKA DANNEMANN, Uli’s deceased girlfriend,
who had written the lyrics to that Scorpions classic back in 1977.
The band then continued their set and Uli came out for the encores
again to play “He’s A Woman – She’s A Man”. RUDY LENNERS
also participated on that song playing along with JAMES KOTTAK.
Previous to the show Klaus, Rudolf and Uli had a joint interview with
one of the French Rock Magazines and gave television interviews.
There was a major glitch before the show regarding Uli’s MIGHTY WING Sky guitar.
One of the tremolo bar springs at the back of the guitar had come off and rendered
the guitar practically unplayable. Luckily – literally in the last moment -
Rudolf’s guitar technician and repair whiz - PETER KIRKMAN - performed 30 minutes of surgery
and repaired the damage just in time for Uli to restring the precious instrument before the show.
Uli had no spare guitar with him and would have had to pretty much cancel the show without
MIGHTY WING since none of his new material can be played on a standard instrument.
Thank You, Peter !!!
Both Uli and Scorpions were very happy about the event, which came about
rather unexpectedly and at pretty short notice under the auspices of French
promoter Joelle Kilhofer of Music Forever.
During their joint interview in the afternoon Klaus and Uli already
hinted to the press that they would like to see more of these events in the
future and possibly go on tour together.
Pictures and possibly video clips of the event will follow later.
http://www.the-scorpions.com/english/
http://www.stargazer.it/daniele/scorpionsrothcolmar2005/index7.html
Here is the line-up of Uli's band for the
up-coming two shows in September:
ULI JON ROTH - GUITAR
OLAF SENKBEIL - VOCALS
OLIVER PALOTAI - KEYBOARDS
PETER PICHL - BASS
CHRIS LOWE - DRUMS
SCORPIONS ex-drummer RUDY LENNERS
will join U.J.R. as a special guest during his set in Colmar.
The first ULI JON ROTH NEWSLETTER has now gone out.
It contains a lot of interesting info regarding up-coming releases and tours
as well as on SKY GUITAR ACADEMY and was largely written by Uli himself.
Please click on the link below to receive it.
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/mailinglist/mailinglist.php
The ULI JON ROTH VIDEO ARCHIVE has now been added to this site
and offers some free downloads including videos which have never been
available until now. Please click on the link below to check it out.
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/archives/video/nav.htm
The American Tour and SKY ACADEMY have been put back
until the beginning of 2006. ULI JON ROTH will first play some
shows in Europe instead.
The first of these is going to be in Colmar, France,
(September 10), at an open-air arena, where Uli is going to be on the
same bill as his former band, SCORPIONS, and one other group (t.b.a).
Uli will later join the band during their set and they will
perform a couple of Scorpions classics together,
dating from the period when Uli was still a member of the group.
This will be a somewhat historic and nostalgic occasion for a lot of fans
from the past, who have never had the chance to see Uli with the Scorpions,
because this is going to be their first joint appearance since
the recoding of TOKYO TAPES in 1978.
On the following day ULI JON ROTH will head-line
the GUITARFEST 2005 in Birmingham, England
at the South Birmingham College.
The tour in November will include Germany, France,
Switzerland and Greece.
For a full listing of the European concert dates which have been
confirmed so far, please refer to the link below.
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/current/concerts_tours_1.htm
< 6. JUNE 2005 >
ULI JON ROTH will be featured in a guest performance
on IAN GILLAN'S upcoming album "GILLAN'S INN".
The album celebrates Ian's 40 years in the world of rock, and
for this end Ian invited a dazzling number of friends and fellow-
musicians to contribute performances. These include, among others,
all the current members of DEEP PURPLE, furthermore RONNIE JAMES DIO,
JON LORD, JOE SATRIANI, TONI IOMMI, DEAN HOWARD, JEFF HEALEY
and MICHAEL LEE JACKSON. It has been rumoured that LUCIANO PAVAROTTI
might also be part of the equation.
ULI recorded multiple lead guitars for two tracks,
which, by all accounts, came out stunning. The two songs are
"DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT",
and "LOVING ON BORROWED TIME".
This was, in fact Uli's first ever guest appearance on a rock album.
"It was an honour to be asked by Ian to be part of this, and I accepted gladly,
because I have always been a big fan of his singing and I had a lot of fun
recording the guitars for the tracks."
http://www.gillan.com/
Latest News Update: Uli has been focusing mainly on his work in the studio
for the last couple of months and has not given any interviews, which is why
it has been quiet in the news department. But lots of activity has been going
on behind the scenes and we will now fill you in on some of them.
Uli will conduct further recording sessions for REQUIEM FOR AN ANGEL
with the members of SKY ORCHESTRA over the Easter period.
Work on the album, which will comprise of two CDs, has been going
very smoothly recently and a lot of progress has been made.
No release date has been set as yet.
Further developments: ULI JON ROTH will play
a head-lining tour of North America in September 2005.
Uli will bring two very special guests and a band
as well as the large multi-media screen, which was also featured
on the previous US tour.
Further details of the tour will appear on this site in the near future,
and as soon as the first shows are confirmed they will be posted
on this site as well as being published in the NEWSLETTER.
Uli is also contemplating to do tours of Japan, Europe
and South-America following this.
In October we are planning to hold the first ever SKY ACADEMY
seminars, which are going to be held in LOS ANGELES, in GERMANY,
and probably TOKYO as well as HIROSHIMA.
The Sky Academy events are going to take place in a very novel format
and are centred around Uli Jon Roth's teaching regarding the guitar and his
unique approach to music. Special emphasis will be laid on little-taught subjects
such as 'The Way Of Inspiration' and on certain key points which enable the participants
to get to a higher level of playing and overall musical awareness.
These events are essentially 3-5 day seminars, which are going to be held in theatres.
The Los Angeles seminar will be 5 days, whereas those in other cities will run
from three to four days respectively.
They comprise of master classes, informal lectures by Uli, as well as of concerts.
Uli will do most of the teaching himself, but will be aided by assistants and guest tutors.
An official SKY ACADEMY WEBSITE containing all the relevant
information, including dates and how to apply, will be announced soon.
< 14. JANUARY 2005 >
ULI JON ROTH is currently featured in the 25th anniversary
issue of GUITAR WORLD magazine. Uli gave his first ever on-camera
lesson about 'THE SAILS OF CHARON'. He was being
interviewed by ANDY ALEDORT who also did the printed transcription.
For demonstration purposes Uli opted to play with a completey
undistorted sound in order to show how the song should be played correctly.
The footage was recorded last September in New York following Uli's US tour.
There is also an interview cum article in the current US edition of "GUITAR PLAYER".
NEW YEAR's MESSAGE for you in the Forum.
< 31. DECEMBER 2004 >
The 'A R C H I V E S' button has now been activated on this site.
The CONCERT PICTURE ARCHIVE features nice hitherto
unpublished photos from various U.J.R. 2004 shows.
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/archives/nav.htm
The Video/Film archive is also going to be activated very
soon and will allow you to download a variety of old
and new U.J.R. related footage and clips.
< 30. DECEMBER 2004 >
The 'LATEST SITE UPDATES' button has now been activated.
< 13. DECEMBER 2004 >
There is an interesting and amusing little story about Uli's jam with
DEEP PURPLE on the STEVE MORSE Official Website written by
Steve himself. You can find it under 'notes from the road - November 19'.
< 26. NOVEMBER 2004 >
U.J.R. played at the JIMI HENDRIX FESTIVAL in
The venue was Stazione Birra in Rome Ciampino. Uli was truly in great form
and played an impromptu set which was largely improvised overcoming a number
of technical problems in the process. The backing band for all the
guitarists onstage were the
whose musicians Uli had never met before.
Before the show at the sound check, Uli was clearly unhappy with the hired
equipment, which was largely not what had been agreed upon before
and was faulty on top of it, but Uli made do with what was there and
decided to make the best of it.
At the brief sound check Uli explored a few of Jimi's songs, but chose to play
different ones during the concert. He was giving cues to the band as he went along,
not all of which were successful as it took a little while for the other musicians
to get used to Uli's free flow improvisational style and they sometimes
had a hard time keeping up with his ideas, which was difficult as the band
was relatively new to the world of Hendrix music.
However, this did nothing to dampen the general excitement of the
audience who clearly honoured Uli's set, which had been preceded by four
Italian guitarists, as the fitting highlight at the close of a very enjoyable night
completely dedicated to Jimi's music.
Since he was last on the bill Uli started to play very late,
but from the beginning he had a great rapport with the audience
as well as with the music.
The sound during the first song, "All Along The Watchtower",
was a bit shaky due to the fact that Uli's hired amp blew up literally minutes
before the show and he suddenly had to play through FABIO CERRONE's
gear, who kindly offered it when the emergency arose.
Initially Uli couldn't get the amp to create a singing tone, but after
a little knob twiddling the problem was solved and Uli's six string
SKY GUITAR (EMPEROR) then sounded superb throughout.
Highlights of the set included a surprise rendition of
"STAR SPANGLED BANNER" - a piece which Uli had last played
at a Hendrix Festival in
"VOODOO CHILE - SLIGHT RETURN", which he hadn't played since
his 1999 concert in
This was the first Jimi Hendrix based concert Uli was involved
in since 1992 and he enjoyed himself enormously, commenting
afterwards "at first when the promoter rang me with the idea
I wasn't so keen, because I wasn't in the right frame of mind
for such an event, but then it began to appeal to me.
It is sometimes good to re-connect with one's past and to
look at familiar things with a fresh eye. Whenever I do this
I seem to learn something new and I'm discovering things
which eluded me before. I grew up with Jimi's music and
it is easy for me to tune into this world and re-connect
instantly, but at the same time it is always a challenge
to breathe new life into his amazing music onstage."
ULI JON ROTH made a surprise appearance
tonight with DEEP PURPLE at
Uli had just attended the show as a back-stage guest, but was
spontaneously invited to join the band for the last encore, which
was the well-known Deep Purple classic 'Black Night'.
Uli played on one of STEVE MORSE's Music Man guitars
and for the first minute of the song the amp didn't work.
Just prior to the first lead Steve gallantly unplugged his own guitar
and handed it to Uli who went into an amazing guitar lead right away.
As soon as the second amp finally did work both guitarreros
played improvised leads and off-the-cuff question and answer phrases
in perfect harmony and were clearly enjoying themselves
which resulting in a lot of big smiles on stage.
Despite a few equipment problems on DON AIREY's side
Purple played a classic set and the sold-out Cardiff Arena
loved every minute of it.
After the show Uli commented "'it was a great honour to be asked
to jam with DEEP PURPLE. For me they always have been the
one band who defined the genre of classic rock like no other
and they are still to this day an amazing band.
Apart from that they are the nicest guys and made me feel
so much at home. Steve's playing was just great and I was really
moved by his solo piece. It was also so kind of Steve to hand me
his own guitar cord when the amp didn't work. Not many guys
would have done that. He was a true gentleman on and off stage,
making me feel completely at ease and welcome."
"IAN GILLAN for me has always been my favourite male singer in rock
and as I watched the band today I was amazed at how pitch-perfect every single note
was that he sang throughout the evening. Didn't put a single foot wrong - each and
every note was in the pocket and delivered with great feeling and total authority.
Back in the seventies it was his voice and his vocal approach more than
any other which defined the sound of rock singing more than
anybody else's in my book and he's still got it !"
The other bands on the bill were THUNDER, followed by
PETER FRAMPTON, who also played a great set.
http://www.thehighwaystar.com/
The ROCK IN MY HEART FESTIVAL in BUCHAREST, ROMANIA
has been postponed to December 4, 2004.
Uli will also perform the same program in ROME, ITALY
on November 26, 2004.
The other guitarists on this bill will be GRAHAM OLIVER,
DAVID O LIST and FABIO CERRONE.
ULI JON ROTH has been invited to play at the
ROCK MY HEART FESTIVAL in BUCHAREST, ROMANIA
on November 6, 2004 at the SPORT ARENA.
He will perform three songs by JIMI HENDRIX as part of
"THE JIMI HENDRIX CONCERT".
Uli's backing band is going to be THE ATTACK with DAVID O LIST.
The event will be televised by MTV RUMANIA.
< 9. OCTOBER 2004 >
ULI JON ROTH & SKY ORCHESTRA gave an open-air concert
at the first ROCK MEETS RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL at
CASTLE BECK (SCHLOSS BECK) in
This concert was designed to be somewhat of a test-run for a series
of similar ones which are to be held next year and had only
been advertised briefly in the local press at relatively short notice.
Therefore only some insiders and avid internet surfers had the chance
to know about this event beforehand. It came as no surprise then that due to the
combination of a general lack of promotion, coupled with the biting cold,
only a few hundred people turned up, but those who did were rewarded with a unique
visual spectacle and lots of great music. The first five minutes of the show
were being broadcast live by WDR television and included an interview
which Uli had given onstage just prior to the start of the concert.
The sound throughout the evening, mixed by Georg Feltes,
was excellent and crystal clear.
The first half of the concert consisted of an almost complete rendition of
METAMORPHOSIS OF VIVALDI'S FOUR SEASONS. This was
interspersed with various explanations and comments by Uli
about the music in between the main sections of the piece.
Uli commented several times (only half-jokingly) about the
chilly temperatures and how he felt that it was nigh-on impossible
to play properly in such semi-arctic conditions.
The cold and damp also strongly affected his tuning, because the strings
and tuning pegs kept recalcitrantly refusing to cooperate in the cold, which is why
Uli had to re-tune the instrument a lot in between songs
while making jokes about it over the microphone.
At one point during TALES OF THE SUMMERWIND
Uli even forgot to switch off his tuning device, started to play
and looked puzzled for a few seconds as to why there was no sound
emanating from his guitar until he realized what had happened. While a look
which was a strange mixture of smile and exasperation swept over his face,
Uli quickly stepped onto the pedal to rectify the situation
and to get back his sound so that he could continue to play.
METAMORPHOSIS received intense applause and was followed by an intermission,
which gave the performers a chance to finally warm themselves up.
The organizers had also not mowed the lawn in front of the large stage,
and the long, wet grass slowly turned many a pair of feet in the very patient and
enthusiastic audience into blocks of ice.
U.J.R. & SKY ORCHESTRA opened up the second half of the show
with two MOZART pieces, RONDO ALLA TURCA and
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT, an aria from Mozart's opera THE MAGIC
FLUTE. Uli then announced the first of the very special guests,
LIZ VANDALL, who proceeded to sing "FALLING FROM THE SKY"
a piece she had just recorded for a solo album she is currently working on.
Uli improvised a guitar solo over the intro of the song
and Liz gave an amazing vocal performance.
Liz still suffered a little bit from a cold which had affected her throat
only a couple of days before, but this did not seem to impede her singing tonight.
Next she sang the haunting introduction to
SKY ORCHESTRA, before Uli launched into the main part of that piece.
After this it was VICTOR SMOLSKI’S turn to brave the cold.
He performed two pieces written by JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
from his new album MAJESTY & PASSION (which also features a guest
appearance by U.J.R.) and one of his own.
This created a lot of excitement and got the audience fired up.
Clad in only a thin shirt VICTOR also made funny comments
to the audience about the cold onstage before launching
into a vicious guitar solo which he delivered flawlessly
at break-neck speed.
This was followed by Uli’s new orchestral version of
THE SAILS OF CHARON which also featured LIZ VANDALL on vocals and was challenging
the dexterity of the players of SKY ORCHESTRA, particularly at these temperatures.
Uli then introduced the next guest, DORO PESCH who chose as her first song I RULE THE RUINS.
This was followed by FUER IMMER and her beautiful new single LET LOVE RAIN ON ME.
DORO was in great form and traded some impromptu exchanges with ULI,
who answered her voice with superb feeling on the SKY GUITAR.
All three songs were performed with the SKY ORCHESTRA
who played string arrangements by OLIVER PALOTAI
and DORO received tons of applause.
After that Uli played a driving version of ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER,
which he announced as one of his personal favourites.
The evening closed with two special songs the first of which was a slightly
extended version of BRIDGE TO HEAVEN,
for which LIZ VANDALL gave a stunning first-time vocal performance and
VICTOR SMOLSKI improvised a solo in the finale which followed
Uli's classic Wah-Wah lead.
All three guitarists – Uli, Victor, as well as JOHN BOSWELL,
who played rhythm on a few songs - were battling to keep
their instruments in tune all night long because of the chilly temperatures.
In fact, both Victor's and John's guitar had gone so much out of tune
before the last song that there was no time to retune for them, particularly
since Victor was using a tremolo locking system, which takes more time
to set up. As a result it was left to Uli to play the final song alone
without the other two guitarists.
The final song of the night was ANGEL, which Uli had last performed in 1991
at the JIMI HENDRIX CONCERT in
DORO and LIZ each sang a verse and then largely shared the refrains.
There had been no chance to rehearse the song beforehand
and the two vocalists smiled at one another while improvising and
figuring out harmony parts onstage.
After this the audience clapped really hard to obtain an encore,
but unfortunately no further songs had been prepared and the four main soloists
as well as SKY ORCHESTRA bowed together before they left the stage.
Since the show several promoters for castles in
have expressed their wish to stage ROCK MEETS RENAISSANCE next year.
Hopefully this will take place at a more benevolent time of the year
and at more humane temperatures.
CLICK BELOW FOR A COMPLETE SET-LIST OF THIS CONCERT
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/current/schloss_beck_setlist.pdf
CLICK BELOW FOR PHOTOGRAPHS (MORE TO FOLLOW)
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/archives/2004_1.htm
http://www.reise-photografie.de/bottrop/
http://www.andre-chrost.de/main/Live/ulilive.htm
Today Uli was invited to visit the headquarters of
GUITAR WORLD in New York City. He was interviewed
on camera and gave detailed insights about the guitar work
on his song "THE SAILS OF CHARON".
For demonstration purposes Uli opted to play with a completey
undistorted, almost unamplified sound in order to show how the
song should be played correctly.
Uli was asked to explain virtually the whole song
including picking patterns and fingerings.
The interview will be featured on an instructional DVD
which will be included in the magazine.
Tonight Uli played the last concert of his 2004 tour of
The venue was THE CHANCE THEATER in
As opposed to the rest of the tour this show did not feature MSG
and consequently Uli played a longer set.
There were two support bands playing beforehand.
Uli, Oliver and John played for almost two hours
and this concert turned out to be a very fitting end to the tour.
According to Uli this was his favourite of all the concerts in terms
of his own playing and the general flow of the show.
Throughout the evening Uli was in a great and relaxed mood and chatted
a lot with the audience.
The set included “RONDO ALLA TURCA” from T.S.G. (as first encore),
which had not been part of any previous shows in the
as well as Uli’s first rendition of “SUNDOWN” since 1979.
This was greeted by intense applause before the song
particularly so after Uli played an extended improvised solo at the end,
which completely deviated from the album version.
During the encores Uli surprised the audience with a little story about how
he had promised to some people to play “POLAR NIGHTS” the following day.
Next he asked a young drummer, Jimmy, who played in one of the
support bands onto the stage to join him.
Uli had met him during the sound check and asked him his age, which was 14,
and since when he had been playing to which the answer was “since I was two.”
Uli then played through each song once at the soundcheck with Jimmy
and Uli was very pleased with the young man's talent.
The result was a great and riveting version of "POLAR NIGHTS"
during the encores, followed by a long and improvised “DARK LADY”,
which Uli had not played live as well for quite some time.
Jimmy (unfortunately we do not know his surname – if there is anyone who does,
please let us know) laid down a steady beat with impeccable timing while John Boswell
played bass and Oliver Palotai traded solos with both Uli and John.
Towards the end Uli broke his a-string,
but continued to improvise as if nothing had happened.
Uli wants to thank everyone involved in this tour for their help
and commitment and he also particularly wants to thank his fans
who were such an appreciative and supportive audience at every concert.
After the tour Uli said that he will definitely try to come back next year
and play an even more extensive tour of
U.J.R. played "THE DOWNTOWN" in FARMINGDALE,
LONG ISLAND tonight. The show was sold-out and unfortunately many
fans who walked up on the evening had to be turned away, because the venue
could not hold any more people. Uli played a good set, but was not in the
best of moods, because the stage was too small and the onstage sound of
the venue's monitor system as well as the p.a. sound were not strong enough.
The audience was standing crammed like sardines and many couldn't see
very well. Despite these obstacles the concert contained quite a few
highlights, particularly in the second half. Uli met the fans afterwards
and signed autographs. Among the many guitar players in the
audience was guitar virtuoso JOE STUMP, who
also had been to the Chicago shows, but had
not talked to Uli in person before tonight.
Tonight's show was at the "THE JAXX" in SPRINGFIELD,
VIRGINIA. Uli clearly enjoyed himself on the stage, which
had a superb sound and he proceeded to play one of the
best shows of the tour. The set contained numerous
very strong moments of pure magic and Uli's playing
was flawless once again.
Uli played the only NEW JERSEY date of the tour tonight
at 'THE WRECK ROOM' in Wallington. Uli gave an
inspiring performance despite a major
sequencer glitch during Metamorphosis.
Yesterday morning Uli and his entourage briefly visited the
Rock'n Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland before driving
to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show tonight was
at the historic "TROCADERO THEATER" and again
Uli, Oliver and John Boswell played an amazing show.
The support band were 'WASTOID'.
U.J.R. played at PEABODY'S in CLEVELAND, OHIO tonight.
The concert went smoothly and Uli signed many autographs
afterwards and chatted to the fans.
Tonight the tour proceeded to Detroit, Michigan. Uli's
equipment arrived late, which meant his show at the
I-ROCK dind't start until midnight. The concert had
many highlights and afterwards Uli said it was one of
the best shows he had ever played.
ULI JON ROTH and MSG played a second show at the
CHICAGO HOUSE OF BLUES tonight. Uli played a slightly
different set this time which culminated in a moving rendition of
'ELEGY FOR MADRID' followed by 'BEETHOVEN PARAPHRASE'.
Uli made the spontaneous decision to play these pieces after someone
had pointed out that tonight was a actually the third anniversary of the
tragic events of September 11. Uli dedicated this music to the memory
of the victims of this fateful day and explained how he had played
in Madrid, Spain earlier this year only a couple of days before a
major terrorist attack took place there as well. He said that it
served to remind him how easy it is to forget sometimes
how fragile human life can be.
When Uli played the haunting Elegy, following these words,
many in the audience were overcome with emotion,
but were then uplifted by the familiar and powerful sounds of
Beethoven's 'ODE TO JOY', which is probably the most
universal anthem for the Brotherhood Of Man.
Towards the end of the night Uli reappeared on stage to join
MICHAEL SCHENKER and MSG for another magical rendition
of 'ROCK BOTTOM'.
Tonight ULI JON ROTH performed at the HOUSE OF BLUES,
CHICAGO, in front of a virtually sold-out house. Many in the
audience had been to Uli's last concert at the Chicago Metro
19 years ago and a high level of excitement and anticipation was
clearly in the air. Thunderous applause greeted Uli when
he entered the stage and proceeded straight into a blistering
SKY OVERTURE. The air was electric and Uli played
one of his greatest concerts ever. Throughout the set he
was totally in tune with the message of the music and so was
the crowd. Many started weeping during extremely
intense renditions of METAMORPHOSIS, HIROSHIMA
and FLY TO THE RAINBOW. Because of the extended
bursts of applause after virtually each song, Uli's set went
so much into overtime that he decided to end it after
FLY TO THE RAINBOW.
As a special treat to both MICHAEL SCHENKER's
and Uli's fans the two friends decided to play
ROCK BOTTOM together at the end of MSG's
set, which was a fitting ending to a great and
emotionally uplifting night. This was the
only the second time that Michael and Uli had
played that song in public. The previous
occasion had been the LEGENDS OF
ROCK concert at CASTLE DONINGTON.
The openening band for the evening
were ENUFF Z NUFF who will
also be opening for Uli at the
CHANCE THEATER in
POUGHKEEPSIE.
U.J.R. played SHANK HALL in MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin tonight.
Incidentally, Milwaukee had been the site of ELECTRIC SUN's
last ever concert back in July 1985.
Uli was clearly not happy about how things unfolded on stage this time,
but he stayed in a calm and relaxed mood regardless. The audience response
was great and very welcoming, but the venue's electrical circuits were not
up to the job of handling the demands of Uli's multi-media show.
As the voltage in the venue was too low, the projection system
refused to work despite the use of step-up transformers. There were
similar problems with Oliver Palotai's keyboard and computer set-up.
The low voltage also affected the onstage monitor sound which
went up and down uncontrollably. In addition to this Uli got
several electric shocks from his microphone and last, but not
least, his favourite Marhall amplifier blew up towards the
end of the set. As Shank Hall had been part of the
original SPINAL TAP movie, Uli made a remark
to that effect, which made everyone smile since
it was so appropriate to the events onstage
that night. The audience was very forgiving,
however, and although many noticed the adverse
circumstances, Uli and Oliver still played a great show.
< 6. SEPTEMBER 2004 >
Tonight Uli played at the HOUSE OF BLUES in
Not that many people attended, because there had been very little promotion
and advertisement, but those who did were in for a great treat. Uli’s concert
ULI JON ROTH played a blistering set at the
were trading leads with one another. There were a lot
Tonight U.J.R. played at 'GRAHAM CENTRAL STATION'
It has been confirmed the
In the morning Uli went to visit the
Tonight's show was at THE COACH HOUSE in
Uli played and amazing set at a sold-out THOMMY T'S'
Tonight's show at the ROADHOUSE in Sacramento was sold out again.
U.J.R. played the VENTURA THEATER in Ventura, California tonight.
Uli's youngest fan from Minnesota, SARAH FISHBEIN
Tonight ULI JON ROTH played the first show of his US tour
which featured LIZ VANDALL on vocals. Further highlights included
Opening band were HEAVEN AND EARTH.
< 25. AUGUST 2004 >
There are going to be several ULI JON ROTH
CONCERTS in the UK at the end of October.
This will be followed by a tour in France.
Rumours of Uli sharing the bill with MSG on their
Autumn tour of Europe are completely untrue.
All U.J.R. appearances will be announced
on this website.
< 12. AUGUST 2004 >
ULI JON ROTH & SKY ORCHESTRA are going to
perform an open-air concert at the well-known Renaissance castle
SCHLOSS BECK in Germany. The program will last for approximately
three hours with intermission and will include a complete rendition of
"METAMORPHOSIS OF VIVALDI'S IV SEASONS" as well
as many pieces from all stages of Uli's musical journey.
The multi-media event is going to be filmed and part
of the footage is meant to be included in a DVD,
which will be based on the music of the
Metamorphosis album.
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/current/concerts_tours_1.htm
< 10. AUGUST 2004 >
It has been confirmed that OLIVER PALOTAI will play
keyboards on the up-coming U.J.R. tour of America.
JOHN BOSWELL will play rhythm guitar.
Reharsals are said to take place in Los Angeles just
prior to the tour, which will start at the HOUSE
OF BLUES in West Hollywood, L.A.
< 6. AUGUST 2004 >
Uli gave an interview to Lee Graham from Dallas for the on-line
magazine 'ELECTRIC BASEMENT'.
< 1. AUGUST 2004 >
U.J.R. will spend the next 5 days conducting and recording SKY ORCHESTRA.
He has prepared further new scores for 'REQUIEM FOR AN ANGEL',
which are going to be recorded at SKYLIGHT MANOR STUDIOS.
As a special treat for his North American fans Uli has also written a full
symphony orchestra score for one of his best known pieces from his
SCORPIONS days - the rock-classic "THE SAILS OF CHARON".
The piece is now longer and even more dramatic. It is going to
feature exciting interplay between Uli's guitar and the
orchestra. It features LIZ VANDALL on vocals.
A video with her performance was produced last week
which will be projected onto the screen as part of Uli's concerts.
SKY ORCHESTRA will record this new score during the upcoming week.
< 30. JULY 2004 >
ULI JON ROTH is currently directing the production of a series of music viedos,
which will be projected onto a cinemascope screen behind him during his shows
in the United States. The assembled footage is featuring spectacular images
in sync with the music and contains several novel visual treats.
The videos will also feature the full SKY ORCHESTRA during Uli's
performance of "METAMORPHOSIS".
< 29. JULY 2004 >
A phone interview with Tony Sison for the L.A. based 'ALL ACCESS'
magazine took place today. The main subject was 'Uli touring America'
The interview will appear in the next issue of the magazine.
< 28. JULY 2004 >
Uli gave an in-depth interview to Brian Butler for 'CREEM MAGAZINE' today.
Among other things Brian asked about what the creative process entails when
producing an album. A further subject was Uli's up-coming tour of the US.
< 20. JULY 2004 >
Europe's first and only "ROCK & POP MUSEUM" in Gronau, Germany
has officially opened its doors. In its first week it already attracted more than
10 000 visitors. The exhibition featured many interesting articles, including the
first ever prototype of the SKY GUITAR (the "DOLPHIN SKY"), which Uli Jon Roth
lent to the museum for long-time display. The guitar had been built in 1983 and was
Uli's main guitar from 1985-1987. The instrument is in its original condition, but
has been resprayed since then and has a different colour scheme now.
In future there are going to be further exhibits
connected with U.J.R at the museum.
< 18. JULY 2004 >
Uli gave an interview to Tom Orgad from Tel Aviv
for the on-line magazine "MAELSTROM".
< 10. JULY 2004 >
U.J.R. NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2004 !
Here are the first confirmed dates for the upcoming concerts.
Please click on the link below.
http://www.ulijonroth.com/sky/current/concerts_tours_1.htm
< 3. JULY 2004 >
It has been officially confirmed today that ULI JON ROTH
will do an American tour starting at the end of August.
The tour will comprise of approximately 20 shows,
and U.J.R. will be on the same bill as the
MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP (MSG).
Some of the concerts are also going
to feature GEORGE LYNCH.
Uli is looking forward very much to the tour, to meet his American
fans again - after an absence of 19 (!) years.
Uli's set will include material from all periods of his career,
including ELECTRIC SUN, SCORPIONS as well as pieces
from his latest album METAMORPHOSIS.
Uli went straight to the ‘Duerer House’, which once belonged to one of his favourite
renaissance artists, Albrecht Duerer. Upstairs, in the painter’s workshop Uli had a long
chat with a lady engraver, who is still working there according to the old traditions producing
prints from copper plates. In the evening, still braving the cold, U.J.R. played a nice concert
at the ‘Hirsch’, where he had last played just prior to the 2001 Japan Tour.
memorable TV-show ‘A Different Side Of Jimi Hendrix’. Although Uli was suffering
from a cold tonight, the playing was great throughout. Among Uli’s guests who attended the show
and met him backstage were PETER BURSCH, DORO PESCH and VICTOR SMOLSKI.
The audience was very appreciative and enthusiastic - this was Uli’s first ever show in Milan.
After the concert Uli talked to local musicians and journalists.
After the show, the promoter, Norbert, invited Uli back immediately to play at a festival
in August at this great venue. Details to be announced.
Uli was particularly impressed by the two Duerer portraits in the collection,
as well as by the Rembrandt painting and the allegorical masterpieces by Hieronymus van Bosch.
Afterwards, back at the hotel, he gave an interview to Nestor Daniel for the Spanish magazine ‘Musicalidad’.
Then, after the sound check Uli was being interviewed for ‘Kerrang Magazine’.
In the evening Uli played his first ever show in Spain at a very nice venue, the ‘Divino Aqualung’.
Especially for the Spanish fans Uli played two Spanish pieces, which are not normally part of the set
this time; these were ‘Recuerdos De La Alhambra’ and a particularly haunting rendition of ‘Aranjuez’.
A further highlight of the show was an outstanding keyboard solo by Michael Bramwell.
The audience response to the concert was very enthusiastic throughout and the sound was excellent.
later this year. There is going to be a mixture of constellations, including
USA TOUR DATES TO BE RELEASED ON THIS SITE VERY SOON
A soulful rendition of ‘All Along The Watchtower’ was one of the many highlights of the evening.
Unfortunately a little silver suitcase containing a soundcard for Uli’s music computer
was left behind in the arrivals area. While Uli’s company was having lunch in the cafeteria,
a pistol shot was resonating through the Strasbourg airport. Uli then saw a police officer walking
by with the remains of the soundcard in his hands. The poor thing had been shot right right between
its metal eyes. The silver carrying case was no protection. There was a big bullet hole lodged in the
device. Imagine there had been a bomb inside...
more important than Sanity. The ‘authorities’ are constantly curtailing civil liberties more and more.
The hand of the state is crude, ruthless, selfish and is ignorant of higher laws... oh well...’
In the evening Uli played the concert at 'La Laiterie' in front of a full house.
in Germany. The event is scheduled to take place at 16.00hs on March 31.
Further information can be obtained from the ‘Conbrio Verlag’ or the Rock & Pop Museum, Gronau.
Uli’s partners in the discussion will be INA DETER and others.
occasion for many Greek fans, who had their first opportunity to see Uli play live.
After the show Uli gave a TV interview for OMEGA TV and also had a brief joint
interview appearance with VINNIE MOORE. The two great guitarists get on very
well with one another and the general feeling on the tour is very positive and relaxed.
the first of which was for Greece’s No 1 music Television program.
Later he attended a dinner at a Greek restaurant together with the members of UFO,
which was followed by an invitation by the promoter of the concert to make an appearance
at the ’Revenge Of Rock’ club, where they screened a lot of video clips from Uli’s past.
Both Uli and UFO signed a lot of autographs. Afterwards Uli attended a party at the TNT Club
which his Greek fans had organized. The atmosphere was very nice and Uli answered a lot of
questions from the fans on a podium. He then signed autographs non-stop for about
two and a half hours and chatted to the fans. Uli left the party at about 3 a.m.
with his new keyboard player Michael Bramwell. They had flown in from London Heathrow
after negotiating a gruesome two hour drive through what can only be described as a snow storm
in the mountains of Wales. Uli later said ‘I was surprised we even made it to the airport.’
At Athens Uli was greeted by an exuberant crowd of Greek fans in the airport
< 30. JANUARY 2004 >
< December 2003 >
It has been confirmed that U.J.R. will be
appearing on tour in Europe together with UFO in March 2004.
< 8. DEC 2003 >
The latest U.J.R. album has just been released in Europe on SPV
featuring ULI JON ROTH & SKY ORCHESTRA under the title of
< November 2003 >
Uli has just finished editing a Promo DVD with the title
'VENGA LA PRIMAVERA'
The material was filmed at the Bedford in London, Balham
between September 15-17, 2003 and is consisting of the first
two tracks of 'METAMORPHOSIS'.
< 20. December 2003 >
The "Authorized Website" by Peter Ekberg is now off line.
Uli would like to personally thank Peter for all the great work he has done
over the years in keeping all U.J.R. fans informed on a regular basis.
As there was so much relevant information on this site, it WILL be included here
in its entirety for future reference in a place of honour. As it has attracted so many
loyal visitors (it had no less than 112 000 visits over the last couple of years) those of
you who have grown fond of it will still be able to visit it. There are not going to be a
lot of new updates, but the extensive guestbook and poll/ review pages will still be active.
Furthermore, Peter will also assist our team with the new site as much as
his busy schedule permits.