MSG at Icon Supperclub, Palo Alto, CA, USA

6th December 2001

Michael took the stage in Palo Alto tonight and started playing Into the Arena, and completely messed it up. He absolutely could not play the song at all. His timing was a little off on the intro, but when he started the first lead part he just couldn't do it. He was trying to get a handle on it, and then seemed confused and started improvising something, trying to pick it up. Then he took the guitar off, turned to the guitar tech on the side of the stage and said something to him, shaking his head, and then walked off the stage with his head down. The rest of the band finished the song, and then they walked off. The guitar tech came back out and took Schenker's guitar back stage, and then came backout a few minutes later and said "Mr Schenker is very sick, he's got a hundred and four. Give us a few minutes and I'll try to get him back together", and walked off. About ten minutes later the tech and the roadie came out and got the other two V's and split. A while later the guy who books the club came out and said the band wouldn't be playing, and that he didn't know if Schenker was really sick or not, and that everybody would get their money back, that the situation was total BS, etc. The crowd was absolutely apeshit. And that was basically it.

I talked to one of the guys who sells the t-shirts, and he said Schenker really is sick, and that a virus has been going around, etc; he said Pete had it a couple days ago. Who knows. We'll see.

Tom (lovelostlove)

Adendum: Just had an email from the guy who had the unfortunate job of coming on stage ("the guy who books the club"). He wanted to make clear that his point was that whether or not Michael was ill it was bullshit for the fans.. NOT that Michael being ill was bullshit. The club, and he personally, were just as upset about the situation as the audience. He also praised the fans for being very cool about the situation.