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It sounds like fun being a Scorpion — the German rocker variety that is, not the creepy crawly. The band, who have been rocking their millions of fans like a hurricane for
more than 35 years, seem to live in a whirlwind of hotel rooms, recording studios and sell-out concert halls.
With the distinction in 1988 of being only the second Western band to play in the Soviet Union, and inclusion in Roger Water's 1990 The Wall concert in Berlin, as well as 21
top-selling studio albums since 1972 to their name, Scorpions could be considered statesmen in rock world.
But they don't cultivate that image. It's not that they mind the inexorable march of the years; it's more that they don't appear to feel them too much.
“We're kids," grins platinum-blond founder-member Rudolf Schenker, 60, wolfishly. “We find a way through all the changes but the rock is still standing. We love doing what
we do and that's why we are still here."
A punishing tour schedule that would have most younger bands in tatters has seen them spend the last three weeks in Russia before their Dubai date and they won't get a
break until November, after playing in the Ukraine, Finland, Germany, the USA, South America and Eastern Europe.
Jabs and Kottak are sitting side by side on a hotel sofa, clad in impeccable rocker garb and sporting black nail polish. Kottak, who is married to Motley Crue drummer
Tommy Lee's sister, Athena, repeatedly runs his fingers through his haywire bleach blond hair, teasing it until it stands on end.
Rock 'n' roll lifestyle
It would be fair to say that the sunglass-wearing rockers are no strangers to the unique brand of partying that comes with the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, but despite their frantic
pace of life, they are none of them spring chickens.
Schenker, who, rocker leathers and all, will be 60 in August, is joined by singer Klaus Meine who is 60 today, Jabs, 52, Kottak, 45, and baby of the band and newest
member, bassist Pawel Maciwoda, 41, who has played with them since 2003.
So are they rockers in the Ozzie Osbourne bat-biting vein?
“Obviously we have done some crazy things over the years," admits Kottak. “Things that feel normal to us," Jabs interjects. “Like Rudolf surfing on the piano in the lobby of the hotel in Malaysia," says Kottak.
“Or the tree in Indonesia. As soon as the tree fell I left. It had to be re-planted," adds Jabs.
So far so not very rock and roll, but they must have been asked for anecdotes dozens of times, their almost twin-like double act probably designed to distract from further
questioning.
“To be honest we have never been a crazy band in terms of being destructive," relents Jabs in accented but excellent English. “I personally don't like it. I don't throw TV sets
out of the window, because, you know, they're heavy, they're bulky.
‘I'm a wise guy'
“It's the same with guitars. I love guitars. I would never destroy a guitar. I don't understand bands who would sit there and work into their routine destroying a guitar at the end
of the show."
Jabs says being a Scorpion for 30 years has taught him a few lessons. “I was 21 when I joined and you are full of energy and sometimes you don't know what to do with it," he explains. “But over the years you learn to respect things and people. You start thinking more.
“I don't think it looks good if someone destroys something; it's not appealing to me. A little bit of consideration." He breaks off suddenly and glances at Kottak, a look of
mock horror written on his face.
“My God, I sound like a wise guy! I'm wiser now I guess."
Kottak is from Los Angeles and joined the band 12 years ago. They met when his former group, Kingdom Come, opened for Scorpions.
“I always loved the Scorpions and I always loved the music," he says.
“It was one of those things that you think, ‘wow man, I'd love to play with that band'. “When it happened I freaked out. I still freak out about it sometimes."
All the band members live in Germany, but most have a second home although, as Jabs says, they spend so much time touring they don't feel like they live anywhere.
So when the world is reduced to the insides of hotel rooms and concert venues, do they ever forget which country they are in?
“Yep," says Kottak with feeling. “You have to check the phone."
“I've forgotten which city we are in," admits Jabs. “Because you fly overnight and you are totally hungover and you can't remember, but usually we know."
On tour
As a band that is constantly on the road, the Scorpions are in a unique position to observe different sets of fans.
“There is a difference with the fans," explains Jabs. “But the amazing thing is that the reactions to this music and this band is worldwide, almost exactly the same.
“The differences are in the temperament and the character. The Mexicans for example or the Spanish people tend to be crazy or the Greeks. The Germans are a bit more
reserved but they are a great audience too and in America, people tend to, you know, they don't know how to whisper, even when they are talking they are just loud, which
the band likes.
“In Japan on the other hand, they are a great audience, but it's dead quiet in-between songs. You can't hear anything.
“You are peering out and thinking, is there anyone there, did anybody show up. As soon as you hit the stage you are like, wow!"
Kottak believes that Scorpions might be so popular around the world because of a kind of nostalgia that many fans feel for music that has been a soundtrack for the last 30
years of their lives.
Spanning generations
“There's nothing else like us," he says. “There are great bands around but this music has a certain charisma and represents a certain time, a time when we were all feeling
free. “It was like the pre-Aids era — seriously, because it was just a different time."
But it's not just people in their 50s and 60s who go to Scorpions concerts.
“One interesting thing that's happened in the last ten years is that at our shows we are seeing so many young people," continues Kottak. “We are talking 18 year-olds,
20-year-olds, younger. You have the older Scorpions fan, but you have them bringing the kids."
Jabs agrees. “We have three generations of fans now," he says. “The original fan is as old as we are or older and they even go to shows, in their wheelchairs probably, and
then you have the 40 year olds and then the 17, 18, year olds."
So do Jabs, Kottak et al feel they are part of rock history?
“I was in the band before we ever went to the States and before we went to Russia," says Jabs. “I'm not the kind of guy that thinks about that all the time but it comes to me
when you are watching the Rockumentary, which is the documentary of our last 25 years or something and then I'm like, wow, because then it's kind of impressive and I am
impressed when I see that."
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