MICHAEL SCHENKER is taking his legendary guitar skills to Japan in January, and he’s bringing along keyboard wizard DEREK SHERINIAN for the ride! They’ll be making a stop at the iconic Budokan, and fans are surely going to lose their minds.
It all started in 2021 when SCHENKER invited SHERINIAN to lay down some keys on his Immortal album, specifically on the track “Drilled To Kill”. SCHENKER was stoked, saying, “Derek and myself trading solos, it sounds unexpected and beyond my expectation. Absolutely fantastic!” You can bet the solo trade was epic, given that SHERINIAN is known for his versatility and “guitaristic” keyboard style – MusicRadar.com even dubbed him the “keyboard-playing version of EDDIE VAN HALEN”.
The collaboration was a two-way street, as SCHENKER returned the favor in 2022 by guesting on SHERINIAN’s Vortex album on the song “Die Kobra”. And in 2024, SHERINIAN was back at it again, this time on SCHENKER’s My Years With UFO album. Talk about a beautiful friendship!
SHERINIAN’s keyboard chops have earned him some serious accolades, including being named “Best Keyboardist” in Japan’s BURRN! Magazine 2024 Readers Poll – that’s his fifth win, having also taken the title in 2020, 2022, and 2023. He’s also been voted “Greatest Keyboardist of the 21st Century” and ranked #8 “Greatest of All Time” by MusicRadar.com, and landed at #9 “Greatest of All Time” in PROG Magazine. Not too shabby for a keyboard hero!
It’s worth noting that SHERINIAN’s got some serious cred, having started his pro career with ALICE COOPER back in 1989 on the “Trashes The World” world tour. He’s since toured and recorded with the likes of KISS, DREAM THEATER, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BILLY IDOL, and WHITESNAKE. And if that’s not enough, he’s also released nine solo albums and co-founded some awesome projects, including Planet X, Sons Of Apollo, and BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION (alongside JOE BONAMASSA, GLENN HUGHES, and JASON BONHAM). Oh, and DAVID COVERDALE thinks he plays the Hammond organ like JON LORD’s son – high praise indeed!
(Photo – Greg Vorobiov)
