Uli Jon Roth

Church, Dundee, December 9

The former lead guitarist of German rock giants The Scorpions is dismayed when The Courier breaks the news to him that Brexit has scuppered Dundee’s 2023 European Capital of Culture bid.

“Oh man, that’s so unprofessional of them!” says Uli Jon Roth when he learns that the European Commission waited until just days before Dundee’s presentation before announcing the block of their bid.

However, amid the winds of change, the Dusseldorf-born 62-year-old, who has resided in the UK since 1980 and now lives in Snowdonia, North Wales, is confident that Scotland and the UK will remain an important part of Europe – whatever happens after Brexit.

“I don’t think Brexit is going to bring too many changes,” he insists. “There will be a lot of talk and, in the end, we’ll all have to tighten our belts a little and get on with it.

“The worst will be the customs side of stuff, which will be more difficult for those of us who constantly travel. But other than that I don’t think it’s going to make much of a difference. It never does with politics. Life will go on!”

When Uli brings his brand of neoclassical metal and hard rock to Dundee’s Church on December 9 as part of a UK club tour, it’ll be the first time he’s played in Dundee. However, he reveals it won’t be the first time he’s discovered the city and he’s looking forward to revisiting what he recalls being a “cool” place.

“I looked at a house once in Scotland – I had a spare day in the area and did some sightseeing in Dundee,” he recalls. “It was cool. Generally I did like the vibe.”

Uli – who was romantically involved with Jimi Hendrix’ ex-girlfriend Monika Dannemann – spent his formative years with The Scorpions before leaving in 1978. He was “very happy” in the band for the first four years, he insists. But there came a point when he started to have different musical ideas and wanted to become “a little more free flow and experimental”, going on to form Electric Sun.

Uli pursued these ambitions through his early contributions to the neoclassical metal genre and also invented the Sky-Guitar – a six-octave lead instrument that remains unparalleled by allowing the user to play much higher notes than a standard guitar and allowed him to delve more into classical music.

But having played some of the grandest venues worldwide, Uli says he also enjoys intimate club gigs.

“You become like a big family in a smaller room – you don’t get that on a big stage or in an arena because the people are too far away,” he says.

“In the smaller venue everybody is exposed to the vibrations at the same time. It’s palpable. I’m really looking forward to Dundee.”

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“Those who are about to rock...” Uli Jon Roth is coming to Dundee.