Earlier this month, German rock giants Scorpions announced they'd be postponing three European shows due to an unspecified injury suffered by guitarist Matthias Jabs.
And thanks to new photos and footage from the band's set at the Golden Jubilee Bangladesh Concert at Madison Square Garden on May 6, the extent and nature of Jabs' injury have been made clearer.
During the set, the guitarist is seen sporting multi-colored Band-Aids on the index, middle and ring fingers of his fretting hand, while blood is visible on the fretboard of his Boris Dommenget Explorer-style signature guitar.
As a result, it's pretty safe to say his finger injuries are to blame for the postponement of the band's shows in Lisbon, Toulouse and Lille. The dates – originally scheduled for May 10, 13 and 15, respectively – will now take place later this year.
It's unclear whether Jabs' finger wounds were sustained at Madison Square Garden, or prior and were subsequently exacerbated by playing the show.
Either way, it's pure dedication to rock 'n' roll that the guitarist stuck the show out to the end, tackling classics like Winds of Change, Send Me An Angel and Rock You Like a Hurricane in the face of such adversity.
Fortunately, Jabs' injury appears to be relatively minor, as Scorpions are set to resume their European tour in support of their latest record, Rock Believer, at the Accor Arena in Paris tomorrow (May 17).
The band will make stops in Italy, Poland, Finland, Cyprus and more until July 18, before heading to North America for a string of Canada and US shows from August 21. Whitesnake join the group for the North America leg, marking the David Coverdale-fronted outfit's last-ever shows.
Earlier this year, Scorpions rhythm guitarist Rudolf Schenker offered an update on the status of his relationship with his brother and the band's former lead guitarist, Michael Schenker.
In recent years, Michael has taken various potshots at his older brother, including in 2020 when he said Rudolf “doesn't have much talent as a guitarist”, adding that he needed to “pave the path for him”.
In an interview with Guitar Player in April, Rudolf disregarded his younger brother's jabs, saying that he hopes the pair could one day perform together again.
“I tell you one thing: I love my brother,” he said. “He can say whatever he wants to say. He's an amazing guitar player, an amazing person – whatever he wants to say, why not say it? [laughs] If that is what makes him happy, then okay. I wish him all the best.
“I think, sooner or later, we will all be friends again and we will play together again. My life is too happy to put myself into a dustbin over it. I want to live in the sky. I am so happy for my life.”
