It seems that noone believes that this is actually the last tour of the Scorpions… especially after such a series of successful album releases. The Germans, however, look like they’ve made their decision. Read on to find out what could Rudolf Schenker’s plans be, if the band does disband eventually, and why he advises the young people to follow their dreams and never let go.
Interview to Costas Koulis and George Anasontzis.
Rockpages.gr : “Rock your life”, your book… It was released in Bulgaria as well… How do you feel about this book?
Rudolf Schenker : You know, the basic idea really, to write the book, was that through my whole career I found that many people were unhappy with their jobs. Do you know what that means? That maybe they have a hobby! They do it in a basement somewhere but they are spending their whole life doing something which they don’t like… So I wrote the book because I wanted to inspire people in a way that the Scorpions did everything wrong in the beginning! And everybody told me “You guys… what do you want to do when you are thirty”? And I said “It’s not important what I’ll do when I’m thirty, it’s important what I’m doing now”! And I feel very good, making music; enjoy every day by doing what I’m doing. Like Buddha said “The way is the goal”! That’s the point! What most people don’t understand… They think that here is the magic moment… The magic moment is every day! I was reading the paper; there was a very important star from Germany who said “If you want to be successful you have to work your ass off”! I remember I went to my girlfriend and said “Look. I think I know what I have to do. I’ll tell people not to work their ass off”… Do what you like to do! Have fun and the money comes by itself. Not everybody becomes a Rockstar, no! It’s only a way that the Scorpions did everything wrong in the beginning, to find out at the end that they did everything right! Most people listen to other people about what they have to do. Look inside and you will find out what to do. Like Paolo Coelho… He was 40 when he decided he wanted to be an author. His mother said “What? Your father is an architect, your uncle is a doctor! And you want to do something which can’t bring any money…” That’s wrong! That’s the reason I wrote the book. I wanted to give the people an example, if you believe in yourself… Most people make decisions because of the money… Then you are the slave of money! No fun anymore… People who want only money, they are never happy. You know, our first roadie… he had no job, he wanted to be a roadie. He had to carry 20 speakers to the stage, he was working like crazy but he was happy! We drove together in a bus and he was a part of it! Now he has his own house! I see so many guitar players that they are so much better than me… but they don’t realize what they have… They are never happy… That’s the book, with stories and how I came into the music… But the key point is to inspire people… “Rock your life” is kick your ass, do what you want to do and believe in you!
Rockpages.gr : You believe it’s something more than vision? There are so many bands they like what they do but they also have to work at the same time…
Rudolf Schenker : The basic thoughts are important. When I was looking for people for the band, I was looking for good musicians of course but I was also looking for people I could build a friendship with. This was the most important point. When you’re successful egos grow bigger. Then you are on tour and things get hard. The basic idea is to make good music for friends and travel around the world. We are doing this tour, the last tour, because we want to say goodbye and not to die before our fans… For example, Michael Schumacher… He is a legend! But he made one step too much! Can he top it again? Klaus and I are 62 now… If we do three years on the road and then an album and two more years on the road, we’re gonna be 67… And we won’t be able to jump on stage and people will say “Why are they doing this”?
Rockpages.gr : I’ve got a question for that. Almost 20 years ago you were singing “Don’t stop at the top”.
Rudolf Schenker : Right…
Rockpages.gr : Why do you want to do it now?
Rudolf Schenker : I’ll tell you what… I believe the best is yet to come!
Rockpages.gr : Naturally! You’re not getting old, you’re just getting better…
Rudolf Schenker : Exactly! But you know… “Don’t stop at the top” means “Go further”… With the Scorpions there’s one thing clear in the end… That we are coming and going… Sometimes you have pain, sometimes you have fun… We have 800 hours of live material… The Pyramids, Mexico… We have 300 hours of playing in Russia alone…
Rockpages.gr : You’re going back to Russia next year.
Rudolf Schenker : Yeah!
Rockpages.gr : Nine days?
Rudolf Schenker : Yes…
Rockpages.gr : So, that decision of yours to say goodbye… maybe it will “need” some more years, in order to be “implemented”…
Rudolf Schenker : I’ll tell you one thing. Can you tell me what you’ll be doing in three years?
Rockpages.gr : Now?
Rudolf Schenker : Yeah! (laughs) We have already talked to the promoter. We have an outstanding idea for the last concert, we will carefully proceed because we are Germans, we are not joking, we don’t want to come to the point that people consider we are cheating. We made this decision because we think this is the right time to do it. You can not do that when you are seventy. Blues is different. You can sit on a stool and play for as long as you can.
Rockpages.gr : Solo career… Is that term appealing to you? Because after the huge chapter of Scorpions is closed, you might consider doing something else…
Rudolf Schenker : Look, my brother and I, we brought out the Schenker Brothers guitar, made by Dean. Many fans are asking for a Schenker Brothers album. That’s a possibility… I will have time to do that… When I have a creative push… You have to follow your instinct. Nothing is the same now than it was a second ago! That’s the power of now! If I think about a solo career now, I will lose the momentum of now.
Rockpages.gr : Have you ever thought about the day after…
Rudolf Schenker : No, I don’t make plans, they ruin the momentum. When I decided to go to Dakar, my manager said to me “Are you stupid? It’s the toughest rally and we have a full tour ahead”! But I was feeling well, so I made the decision. One of my best ever…
Rockpages.gr : A moment ago you said you have huge live footage. So are you thinking about releasing a DVD next year?
Rudolf Schenker : “World Wide Live” is a DVD with bonus. We filmed so much and only half of that stuff is on the VHS! We will re-release it as a DVD. As I said, I have an outstanding idea for the last concert. I don’t want to say anything now. It’s gonna be very expensive and very special for Scorpions.
Rockpages.gr : Will it be a lonely world without the super groups?
Rudolf Schenker : Lonely world? Yes, of course! When the Stones go and AC/DC go and Van Halen… Maybe we do a show in America with Van Halen…
Rockpages.gr : Do you think Keith Richards will ever stop?
Rudolf Schenker : No! No, I don’t think so! (laughs) Actually Deep Purple were thinking about a farewell tour, too. And then they heard we do it and they said no! (laughs) We have some good surprises in our package.
Rockpages.gr : In the beginning you said there were some people saying to you “What are you gonna do when you’re thirty”? Where are these people today?
Rudolf Schenker : They are miserable, they are already waiting to die… You know, our parents used to say “Make the decision to be safe”… There is no safe! Because tomorrow, maybe the world will be completely different. There is no safe way! When my brother came to the band in 1969, I noticed we needed the right singer. Klaus was in the army back then and we had to wait. I even went to the army for two months!
Rockpages.gr : You said earlier that you guys are friends… You and Klaus and Matthias and the other boys… The media refer to you as “The Rock Ambassadors”. How do you see the band? Like a bunch of friends making great music?
Rudolf Schenker : I see the Scorpions more like “Rock you like a hurricane”. It’s a good example, it was an anthem in the 80’s. We have played in Israel, the night before we played in Cairo. In Russia we were saying “Our parents came with tanks and guns, we came with guitars and music”… Mikhail Gorbachev said to us once “Don’t ever forget. You are the only Rock band ever invited to the Kremlin”! Rock music is helping to change the world…
Photos from the official Scorpions website.
