Born in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1954, Uli Jon Roth rose to fame as a teenager in the early 1970s as the lead guitarist for the Scorpions.
During his five-year tenure with Germany’s most famous band, Uli developed a unique and revolutionary approach to guitar playing, incorporating classical music and advanced improvisational techniques. He went on to form his own band, Electric Sun, and continued to push the boundaries of guitar playing with his innovative use of the six-octave Sky guitar that he invented.
Prior to two Yorkshire dates, he spoke to Graham Clark…
Who were your influences when you were younger?
It had to be Eric Clapton and, of course, Jimmy Hendrix and Jeff Beck. So mainly it was English guitarists and before that The Beatles were very important to me, but after that I also began to study the classical guitar and flamenco too.
Have you used elements of classical guitar on your albums and tours?
About 30 years ago I did a concert with over 900 people on stage called Symphonic Rock For Europ. It was the first time I had written music for a symphonic orchestra and I really enjoyed it. We are working towards it happening again in the future.
What was the situation like for you during the pandemic?
I didn’t play any concerts for two years. It gave me a good break away from the music so I used the time to write a book called In Search of the Alpha Law. The book will be released next year.
Do you still have the Sky guitar?
I do, it has a massive range, to over six octave. I play nothing but sky guitars on stage and in the studio.
What can we expect when you go on tour?
A good cross selection, several pieces of music that I have not played previously mixed in with the more familiar guitar music the fans expect me to play, plus some songs from the early Scorpions day. Quite a mixed bag and a journey for the fans and myself.
Do you ever keep in contact with other members of The Scorpions?
Only occasionally on things like birthdays. At the moment there is nothing on the horizon for me working with them again. When I left I felt the need to have more freedom to experiment, the songs I was writing at that time didn’t fit The Scorpions’ mould. It was an artistic decision for me to leave the band when I did.
Do you have good memories of playing in Yorkshire?
I have been to Sheffield many times. We actually did a video at the City Hall in 1983 when I played with Electric Sun. The venue is one of my favourites along with the Apollo in Manchester.
Uli Jon Roth plays the following Yorkshire concerts:
Wed 22nd Nov, Corporation – Sheffield – tickets
Thu 23rd Nov, Key Club – Leeds – tickets
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