SCORPIONS & THUNDERMOTHER – concert review of their show in Tampa, FL on September 14, 2022 at the Amalie Arena #Scorpions #Thundermother #AmalieArena

Review by John Erigo

This concert really stirred up all sorts of emotions from me. First one is disappointment – Disappointed that the show was originally supposed to be 3 bands, and I was looking forward to seeing Whitesnake who had to bow out due to David Coverdale falling ill. Secondly was excitement – excited to see the awesome hard rock band from Sweden THUNDERMOTHER for the first time! I have been rocking and supporting them since their first album and I was elated they got this gig!!! Third emotion is nostalgic  – SCORPIONS are one of the very first bands I got into in the mid 70’s and have been a fan ever since. The band is out on tour supporting their excellent new album ROCK BELIEVER. So there was a lot going on before the show even started, and what a great show it was!!!

Both bands came storming into the Amalie Arena in Downtown Tampa, FL – home of the NHL team the Lightning. The tour had started about a week prior so both bands were primed up and ready. I originally thought Whitesnake bowing out and not being replaced would actually hurt Thundermother – hear me out…….. It meant they would have to play a longer set, which for me was STELLAR! But, and there’s always a but, I am different. MOST people who go to shows in the USA in big arenas want to hear songs they know. So let’s be honest when I say 99.9% of the people in attendance either never heard or even heard of Thundermother. I’ll never understand being into any genre of music and NOT seeking new bands/songs to listen to. So I was fearing the unknowing crowd would be tough on the Swedish rockers. But  Thundermother were so damn good they had the crowd standing and applauding by the time their set was done. Made my heart warm!

Here’s their set list from the show:

Get their new album here —> https://shop.afm-records.de/thundermother/

What can I say about SCORPIONS? Man, just an iconic all time great band!!! A band that has gone through so many changes over time but always keeping an element of rock in their game. From the ULI JON ROTH era to the MTV era to the never ending retirement (LOL!) it’s different and all good. The band has just recently released the already mentioned ROCK BELIEVER album and it was on full display at this show. It seems like the band was prepared to play a shorter set originally supposed to be splitting the headliner duties, so a lot of older songs were not played. Still, and enjoyable set from these rock veterans who always sound tight and put on a great show.

Noticeably missing from the set were older SCORPIONS songs as the Uli Jon Roth era was basically shunned. But in their defense, when bands play arenas they tend to stick to the hits, knowing, like I mentioned early, most of the people who attend these shows want older, standard songs. It was cool to hear the new songs live. GAS IN THE TANK opened the show, it’s a strong, straight ahead  rocking song with lyrics that refer to the bands legacy of great songs. I was surprised to hear SEVENTH SUN, which is slower but heavier tune. It kind of reminds of the the song ANIMAL MAGNETISM. Speaking of that song/album, to hear MAKE IT REAL live always makes me smile, love that song! I guess the 2 mainstays of the band, Klaus Meine and Rudolph Schenker getting older (both are mid 70’s), there was a lot of rest time for them. Delicate Dance is basically a guitar solo, and then NEW VISION was to spotlight the always amazing drum dynamo MIKKEY DEE!!!! Excellent use of the huge video screen behind the band too was a nice enhancement to the show. Overall the band still kicks ass and is a must-see attraction if they roll through your town!

videos posted to YouTube by Klassic Live Rock & Roll Storm RWS

Get the new SCORPIONS album here —> https://us.scorpions.shop/