Schenker Solos Eclipse McAuley’s Shrieking

Too few people know about guitarist Michael Schenker.

Sure, he’s a hero among the guitar aficionados and hip members of the metal crowd who packed the Palace on Friday night to hear the McAuley Schenker Group. But many hard-rock fans are unaware of his skills.

A former member of UFO and Scorpions, Schenker plays scorching, surprisingly economical solos at breakneck tempos. One of his solos is like an extended musical explosion. But he’s not a show-off. During the exhilarating, fast-paced Palace set, he played just a handful of solos and never tried to hog the spotlight, leaving it to his partner, singer Robin McAuley.

Listening to McAuley’s melodic shrieking on songs like “This Is My Heart,” “Anytime” and “I Am Your Radio” wasn’t easy. He sang with uncommon passion and had all the right moves, but it was simply hard to focus on him because it was hard not to focus on Schenker’s playing.