The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Scorpions have their tales

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 17, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Scorpions have their tales

Staff Reporter

‘Bangalore is our favourite city in India’

BANGALORE: It is that time of the year when all roads in Bangalore lead to Palace Grounds as rock fans waited with bated breath for German rock legends who promised to rock Bangalore “like a hurricane”. As far as rock fans are concerned, Scorpions are amongst in that hallowed club of rock legends still touring and shaking the world up, with their supersonic ‘winds of change’.

Speaking to The Hindu a day before their performance here, the Scorpions said Bangalore was their favourite city in India, though Shillong was “simply mind-blowing”.

Lead guitarist Matthais Jabs said he was infatuated with India and its music and imitated the variations in the pitch which was what he stated he found “out of this world”. He is knocked over by the fact that there are so many ragas in Indian music. “I bought myself a new sitar in Mumbai and I think I did a pretty good job of playing it at the shop,” he said.

He promised that he would learn the Indian instrument made famous by another legend, George Harrison, within a year, and that it would be a part of his act when he toured India next. “I love Indian women and would love to act in Bollywood if I can star opposite a few of them,” he said with a wink and added: “We had no idea that we have so many fans in India.”

He joked about how their success made them feel 40 years young. Their music had evolved over the years but the message was same. “When we sang ‘Winds of Change’, we were trying to convey a certain message. Humanities, new album, still revolves around the same message. We have changed with time and worked with several songwriters, but the Scorpions DNA is the same,” he said. “Humanity picks up from the deepest point to go on to the highest point. It’s important for us humans not kill ourselves over the mistakes we’ve made. Sometimes the universe doesn’t move with you and sometimes it all falls into place wonderfully,” he said. For rock-heads looking for trivia, most of the band members said “Stairway to Heaven” was all-time favourite. “As far as our music goes, I think ‘Winds of Change’ is my favourite for its political message and ‘Still Loving You’ for the rock animal in us,” said Klaus Meine. Pawet Maciwada, who has been with the band for four years now, said this was his first time in India. “I am extremely lucky to play with the Scorpions, I am still pinching myself,” he added.

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