Scorpions are effectively part of the bedrock of rock and metal by this point. Formed in 1965, the Germans have evolved over the past six decades to cover everything from psychedelic rock and proto-metal to straight-up glam and stadium-filling rock whilst never losing sight of who they are; a beloved if at times overlooked force in rock history.
But there’s no denying the band their flowers at Wacken. Their third appearance at the festival – the band even recording a live DVD here in 2006 – Scorps are effectively on home turf , the sea of bodies greeting them testament to their enduring legacy as part of Germany’s own musical heritage.
And tonight is all about legacies. With former Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee behind the kit, the set takes off with jet force. Even in a day stacked with luminary names from across rock and metal history – Sweet, Rage, Armored Saint, Accept – Scorpions are head and shoulders above the rest, veterans of stadium-size crowds putting their experience to sublime use as they put on the epitome of a supermassive rock show.
Spotlights light up the sky like Wacken has declared war on the night as Coming Home blares over the P.A. The latest stop on the band’s Love At First Sting 40th anniversary tour, new material is unsurprisingly – though perhaps a little disappointingly – light, last year’s brilliant Rock Believer only represented by the fist-pumping Gas In The Tank.
But there’s no use bemoaning new cuts when …First Sting represents some of the most undeniably anthemic songs in the band’s canon. Bad Boys Running Wild, Crossfire, Still Loving You and Rock You Like A Hurricane are absolutely colossal, grandstanding rockers just the right side of ostentatious to remind us how rock bands – and indeed, Scorpions – were able to rule the world in the first place.
Even moving away from that record, the hits still keep coming; Make It Real and The Zoo each earn gigantic singalongs that amplify the sheer enormity of the show, while A-list power ballad Winds Of Change is an undeniable highlight of the set. Its lyrics changed to reflect current conflicts around the world, the resultant singalong from 80,000+ international metalheads is the kind of thing that’d get even the most curmudgeonly metalhead feeling like Mister Rogers.
The big surprise of the night comes in for Big City Nights, however, as the band are joined by fellow Teutonic metal titan Doro for a hale duet. Flanked by massive screens and with a light show that makes Star Wars look like Plan 9 From Outer Space, Scorpions put on a performance wotthy of their own legendary status.
