Location: Zagreb / KC Dražen Petrovič / Croatia
Date: 21.11.2015
Whitesnake, the great hard rock outfit led by the indestructible David Coverdale, have finally returned to stages across the old continent. In 2015 the guys put out an album of reworked Deep Purple classics, written during Coverdale’s stint with the venerable biblical forefathers of hard rock, and heavy metal too. Even though Coverdale keeps insisting it’s the band’s new album, it can’t really be counted as a proper full-length, since there’s no new original material on it. Still, its release is reason enough for a new tour. The Whitesnake name is so big that they don’t even need to record new albums in their golden years, and yet the great David Coverdale is still a big teenager at heart, and with his charismatic nature (one man combining a world-class charmer and a debauched entertainer in a permanently cheeky mood) he effortlessly guarantees the band eternal stage appeal. On top of their rock legend status, of course.
Now, with Whitesnake it’s well known that the lineups keep changing, almost faster than Coverdale’s affairs with women. Although the Doug Aldrich / Reb Beach partnership lasted a good decade, which is more than respectable given the band’s whimsical lineup stability over the years, the time for a change came again. In 2015 it was announced that Aldrich had been replaced by guitarist Joel Hoekstra, who joined the Whitesnake camp from the ranks of the splendid American west-coast AOR rockers Night Ranger. For the purposes of the touring, Coverdale also brought the Italian keyboard virtuoso Michele Luppi into the fold.
Before Whitesnake, the evenings were opened by another act, which you could honestly call a proper live attraction. A band made up entirely of rock superstars. Two of them are closely tied to the Whitesnake name. Brian Tichy (drums) and Marco Mendoza (bass) were both once members of Whitesnake, and the lineup is rounded out by keyboardist Dizzy Reed (Guns N’ Roses), Richard Fortus (Guns N’ Roses), vocalist John Corabi (Motley Crue) and Danish guitarist Soren Andersen, who has worked with Glenn Hughes, among others, and with another Dane, Mike Tramp (White Lion).
Two years ago, when Whitesnake played the big hall of Dom sportova on 15.06.2013, the stands radiated emptiness. You couldn’t say the same for KC Dražen Petrović, which the promoter was just about to sell out. The place was packed to the rafters. When The Dead Daisies took the stage, the total euphoria that came later with Whitesnake’s arrival wasn’t quite there yet, but the veteran stars’ set delivered more than a nice bagful of fun as a warm-up. The band, who released their second studio album »Revolucion« (2015) this year, loaded their setlist heavily with covers too, which kept the crowd firmly in their grip. As expected, the extremely seasoned crew delivered proper stage fun, and John Corabi, slathered in every kind of grease, absolutely nailed his role as frontman. Loads of flirting with the crowd from every member, cheeky, razor-sharp banter among the band, Corabi’s excellent rapport with the audience, and a barrage of explosive power throughout the performance. The Dead Daisies are a collection of magnetic musicians. Whichever one your eye lands on, you’re instantly hypnotized. Whether you’re enjoying the antics of the phenomenal Brian Tichy, the clowning of John Corabi, or especially (always razor-sharp) Marco Mendoza. Take your pick.
But the hall started bursting at the seams when David Coverdale walked out on stage with his crew. The crowd went nuts. After all these years, every generation comes to the shows. And, even more importantly, the share of women in the audience is not shrinking at all. Every time Coverdale spread his arms in the air and demanded a response from the crowd, the gesture set off a wave of euphoria. Especially when he came to the very edge of the catwalk. The sly fox keeps up an incredibly infectious stage presence and approach to the crowd. Even though his voice has drifted miles away from its former form in his later years, it’s the charisma that casts the spell and wins people over. Coverdale radiates teenage exuberance, and it genuinely feels like a young band still looking for their breakthrough on the scene is playing up there.
As for the show itself, we can conclude the following. Despite the problems his voice faces in his later years, Coverdale pulled off the songs at a higher level than we’d gotten used to seeing from him in recent years. He also gets support with the backing vocal harmonies from every member of the crew, and on the tougher numbers bassist Michael Devin covers him with extra vocals too. Doug Aldrich’s departure finally opened the way for Reb Beach, who took the initiative. That gave Reb Beach plenty of room to show off every last one of his skills as an outstanding guitar acrobat and virtuoso. Joel Hoekstra shouldn’t be overlooked either: his solo spots are built on a considerably greater measure of musical form than Beach’s (and Aldrich’s), which guarantees that his solos are exceptionally accessible to the listener. Once again the oldest member of the Whitesnake lineup, Tommy Aldridge, stunned with an incredible drum performance, crowned as usual with a wild drum solo – in a word, a real beast behind the kit.
In short, the Whitesnake crew is breathing at full capacity and delivering a superb live experience. The excellent setlist poured oil on the fire too, combining the highlights of Coverdale’s career with Deep Purple (Stormbringer, surprisingly, got left out) and the band’s famous Whitesnake hits. Besides the expected Purple classics Mistreated, Burn and Soldier of Fortune, You Fool No One, the acoustic Gypsy and You Keep On Movin’ were especially impressive. From the first moment to the last of this latest get-together with the band, I can confirm that Whitesnake shows remain a guarantee of great fun, brimming with positive rock vibes all gathered in one place. The energy flux between the band and the crazed audience created the experience of an unforgettable gig night that flew by in a flash. When the white lights came on in the hall, it was hard to swim out of that spellbound state, that mini-hypnosis, in which we’d spent a good two hours discovering and reliving the world of the one and only Whitesnake.
Judging by the energy that Coverdale, the unique and utterly likable, tireless frontman, still radiates in 2015, there’s no danger the band will suddenly realize they’re old, burnt out and worn down, and that it’s time for so-called farewell tours. No, Whitesnake radiate the energy of potent stallions who keep sinking their teeth into every show. With everything they’ve got. Spellbinding! And it’ll stay that way for at least another fifteen years!
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Setlist:
WHITESNAKE:
1. My Generation (intro)
2. Burn
3. Bad Boys
4. Love Ain’t No Stranger
5. The Gypsy
6. Give Me All Your Love
7. You Keep on Moving
8. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City
9. Guitar Solo (Rob Beach /Joel Hoekstra)
10. Mistreated
11. You Fool No One
12. Drum Solo
13. Soldier of Fortune
14. Is This Love
15. Fool for Your Loving
16. Here I Go Again
—encore—
17. Still of the Night
18. We Wish You Well (taped outro)
THE DEAD DAISIES:
1. War Pigs (intro)
2. Midnight Moses
3. Evil
4. Mexico
5. Hush
6. Lock ‘n’ Load
7. With You and I
8. Angel in Your Eyes
9. Devil Out of Time
10. Helter Skelter
