The Crazy World Tour was a concert tour by German rock band

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

, which started on 6 June 2017 in

Montbéliard Montbéliard (; traditional ) is a town in the Doubs Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eastern France, about from the border with Switzerland. It is one of the two Subprefectures in F ...

, France, and concluded on 4 March 2020 in

Kallang Kallang is a planning area and residential town located in the Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the longest river in Singapore. Kallang Planning Area is bounded by Toa Payoh in the no ...

, Singapore. It is not to be confused with the similarly-titled 1990–1991 tour in support of the band's eleventh studio album '' Crazy World''.

Background

On 22 March 2017, Scorpions officially announced the "Crazy World Tour" and the North American dates. They also announced

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...

as their opening act for that leg. With this tour, the band is continuing to celebrate their more than 50 years in the music business. Commenting on the tour,

Klaus Meine Klaus Meine (born 25 May 1948) is a German singer and songwriter, best known as the longtime frontman of the hard rock band Scorpions. Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker are the only two members of the group to appear on every Scorpions album, ...

stated: "When our album '' Crazy World'' was released back in '91, right at the end of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, we toured around a world that was pretty crazy back then, but there was so much hope in the air for a more peaceful future. Now 26 years later, things are getting more crazy every other day. After all these years, 'Crazy World' is still a good motto for our upcoming world tour. We are very much looking forward to seeing all of you out there". On 7 October 2017, it was announced that concerts on 8 October in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, on 11 October in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, 12 October in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

, 14 October in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

, and on 15 October 2017 in

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would be cancelled due to Klaus Meine's severe

laryngitis Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under two weeks. Laryngitis is categorised ...

. Meine had been advised by

otorhinolaryngologist Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspeciality within medicine that deals with the surgical a ...

in Los Angeles to rest his voice, because he could risk permanent vocal damage. On 7 November 2017, the band announced concerts for the spring of 2018 in France and the Netherlands.

Critical Reception

John J. Moser from ''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...

'' for the concert in

Santander Arena The Santander Arena (formerly known as the Sovereign Center) is a 7,160-seat multi-purpose arena, in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was built in 2001. The arena sits on the former site of the Astor Theater; one of several grand movie and theater palace ...

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

said that "In a 95-minute set of 12 songs that kicked off Scorpions' latest U.S. tour, the group was not perfect. At 69, singer Klaus Meine's voice still is amazing, but has started to show a tattered edge here and there. Also as 69, guitarist Rudolf Schenker carried few of the leads – though he was solid when he did and was impressively energetic. But what really carried the night was Scorpions' screaming yet melodic rock – its guitar attack like no other band." Joe Divita from ''

Loudwire ''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August of 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive ...

'' said that performance in

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

was "just as driving and anthemic as any of their biggest hits". He also added that "they visibly have a blast onstage and when you're having this much fun, how could you stop? Why would you want to? One day, the band will inevitably call it a day for good, but until then, we'll turn up each time, cherishing the opportunity as the number of artists from this era dwindle". Chris Bubinas from ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' said about the concert in Place Bell in

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that "Vocalist Klaus Meine, seeming immune to the hands of time, provided vocals that were absolutely flawless as he patrolled and poured himself into the crowd". Bob Gendron from ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' said about the concert in

Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened i ...

in Chicago that "Akin to many of the fans who sang along to nearly every word and occasionally filled in for Meine, the German quintet continues to cling to the straightforward identity it's projected for most of its 52-year career". Kari Kenner from Daily Herrald commented about the concert in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

that "Anyone who saw the German rockers on their previous two visits to USANA Amphitheatre in 2010 and 2012 as part of an announced farewell tour had to have an inkling — or at least an intense hope — that retirement wouldn't stick. The band simply had too much left in the tank from a live standpoint to think about exchanging their leather pants and jackets for stay-at-home loungewear". Azaria Podplesky from ''

The Spokesman-Review ''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base in ...

'' about concert in

Spokane Arena Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (Spokane Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in the northwestern United States, located in Spokane, Washington. Opened in 1995, it is home to the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League. Facility Construction Wi ...

said "Judging by the smiles on the face of each musician as they waved goodbye and tossed picks and drumsticks into the crowd, it's safe to say Scorpions enjoyed the trip down memory lane as much as fans did".

Setlists

Tour dates

Cancelled shows

Personnel

– lead vocals *

Rudolf Schenker Rudolf Schenker (born 31 August 1948) is a German guitarist and founder of the hard rock band Scorpions. He is the rhythm guitarist, primary songwriter and longest-serving original member of the band. He is also the CEO/owner-manager of the Sco ...

– rhythm guitar, backing vocals *

Matthias Jabs Matthias Jabs (born 25 October 1955) is a German guitarist and songwriter. He is best known for being the lead guitarist in the hard rock band Scorpions. He has played on all but the first five Scorpions studio albums starting with ''Lovedrive ...

– lead guitar, backing vocals *

Paweł Mąciwoda Paweł Mąciwoda (; born on 20 February 1967) is a Polish bassist who began playing with the hard rock band Scorpions in 2003 and became an official member in January 2004. Early career Born in Wieliczka, Mąciwoda began playing bass guitar se ...

– bass, backing vocals *

Mikkey Dee Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou (born 31 October 1963), known professionally as Mikkey Dee, is a Swedish musician, best known as the last drummer for British heavy metal band Motörhead from 1992 until its dissolution in 2015. Dee also played temporari ...

– drums, percussion

References

{{Scorpions 2017 concert tours 2018 concert tours 2019 concert tours 2020 concert tours Scorpions (band) concert tours