The bond between The Scabs and AB is a strong one. In 2007, AB asked them to reunite (they split up in 1996) to play their classic Royalty In Exile in its entirety, as a part of the ◅◅ REWIND series. The three sold-out reunion concerts were an instant success.
And it seems that the best years were yet to come. In 2008, The Scabs played at TW Classic in the good company of none less than The Police and Iggy & The Stooges. In 2019, the band celebrated their 40th anniversary. The associated 40 Years tour consisted of 35(!) sold-out(!) concerts.
2019 was a key year for the band. At the MIA’s, the band was crowned with a Lifetime Achievement Award. But a few days after the presentation, their masterful guitarist – and absolute gem of a person – Willy Willy swapped the temporary for the eternal. It was the wish of ‘the Belgian Keith Richards’ that The Scabs would complete the tour without him.
Enter 2025: The Scabs announce an exclusive spring show entitled The Phoenix Tour. It couldn’t be more appropriate: the band has also risen like a phoenix from the ashes. What’s more, they have a new guitarist on board: Fabio Canini, also known from Sloper, the band encompassing top drummers Mario Goossens (Triggerfinger) and Cesar Zuiderwijk (Golden Earring).
The Scabs, we’ve missed you. And the audience did too. Welcome back!