THE SCORPIONS
CINDERELLA
THOMAS & MACK CENTRE
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
3 AUGUST 2010

Seeing the Scorpions for the third time this tour may seem like a bit of overkill for some but on their final tour it's a good enough reason for me, plus the fact that we get a great support in Cinderella. We are a little pissed off that despite arriving at 7.20 for a 7.30 start that Cinderella are already playing when we get to the Thomas and Mack centre but I'm guessing we maybe only miss a couple of songs, it’s just a shame we find out later they included “Push Push” and “Night Songs”.

CINDERELLA SETLIST:

SOMEBODY SAVE ME
PUSH PUSH
NIGHT SONGS
FALLIN’ APART AT THE SEAMS
HEARTBREAK STATION
DRUM SOLO
COMING HOME
SHELTER ME
NOBODYS FOOL
GYPSY ROAD
DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT
SHAKE ME

Cinderella is a great live band and a wonderful opener to the Scorpions show that isn't as packed as last week when we saw them in Phoenix. We even got free tickets to tonight’s show handed out in the streets by the hotel, it's a shame but I guess there's always a lot to do in Vegas.

As I say we got to the show early but missed the first few songs which is a shame. But we get there just in time to hear the end of “Night Songs”. Tom is wearing the same pullover he was when we saw him at Rock N America and looks relaxed. He's even doing a lap in the crowd at the end of “Heartbreak Station”, high-fiving and sharing the love. It must be good to be back!

If you want to see a rock band in good form and with a string of hits then you should try to get to see Cinderella this summer. Tom may be singing a little within himself but it really doesn't detract from a great set. The band rip it up on GYPSY ROAD and the stands are throbbing with the sheer energy of it all and few bands have a better final word then SHAKE ME.

In the interval we meet up with Michael T Ross again and have a beer outside. He's a great guy that we will interview for the site elsewhere. I'm also intrigued by the cups of beer they serve that fill from the bottom before they are sealed with a button that has the name of the concert and the date, little things....

SCORPIONS SETLIST

STING IN THE TAIL
MAKE IT REAL
BAD BOYS RUNNING WILD
THE ZOO
COAST TO COAST
LOVING YOU SUNDAY MORNING
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
SEND ME AN ANGEL
HOLIDAY
RAISED ON ROCK
TEASE ME (PLEASE ME)
DYNAMITE
DRUM SOLO
BLACKOUT
BIG CITY NIGHTS

ENCORE

NO ONE LIKE YOU
ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE

The Scorpions Rock Vegas tonight at the Thomas and Mack basketball stadium. Acoustically it's not the greatest place to hear a band, but it's passable. These places made for basketball just don't have the same sound as venues specifically made for live music.

If the Scorpions really do retire this year then it's indisputable that they will be going out at the top of their game and tonight their performance is pretty much flawless.

Claus continues to rock out with an endless supply of tambourines whilst not singing which is pretty redundant in the mix and his aim, throwing them about between songs is pretty off this evening! But tonight the Scorpions seem to have a lot of energy and they storm through a great set that varies from others this tour only with the inclusion of SEND ME AN ANGEL and the loss of WINDS OF CHANGE, for me that is a positive move as ANGEL is a far better song and is dedicated to the memory of Ronnie James Dio.

I'm still a little puzzled by the inclusion of COAST TO COAST, but the new songs just get better and better and certainly deserve their place in the set. Schenker pulls on his woolly hat again for the emergence from under the drum riser after Kottack's amusing drum solo (videos behind the drums see him recreating classic Scorpions album covers). His guitar spews smoke and the crowd rock their asses off.

We get the Scorpions pyramid, the synchronised rocking at the front of the stage, Claus launching a million drumsticks into the crowd and all the trimmings. The stage set mixing live footage and video keeps things interesting and the crowd loves every minute. If you get a chance to see the Scorpions this year then don't miss it. Unlike a lot of Farewell tours I really feel that this may be for real.

I don't think it gets much better than tonight's encore, and Vinnie Paul is up on stage for “No One Like You”. If there is anyone in here tonight not singing along I can't see them. Long live the Scorpions, let's hope the best is yet to come.

Mark