34

"Hey, I can see some White Lion T-Shirts in the audiance. I'd prefer, if you bought Mike Tramp ones behind there". That's as far as the discussion goes about a White Lion Reunion  according to Mike's first  comment.
Jesus Christ, the past will never let him escape. 

And he will have to live with this fact for another 20 years, that's for sure. I mean, he even would have reformed the cultband, if guitarrist Vito Brata hadn't fought against it. So therfore there's nothing left to do for our danish sunnyboy, who lives in Australia now, then follow his solocarriere furthermore. And he mainly plays in european clubs with pre-White Lion material. Only now and then, when his mood shoots up to 42 degrees, "Broken Heart" is included in the set. Not in munich today though. And 85%  White Lions fans in the audiance are waiting for nothing.  Never mind. Therfore,  Mr. Tramp presents us another bonus this time named Lance Keltner, who is a god damn hell of a guitarist. Jesus wept with every Jimi Hendrix monuments included. But this string acrobat sometimes lets Mike Tramp look like a little quireboy. He is from Texas, - I mean... from Texas! And don't you dare, just saying, he's american. This would be as fatal, as you put austrians and germans in one draw.  And he's absolutely right. By the way, our Dallas cowboy has nothing in common with the famous Jim Keltner, who had a name already when the Beatles were still alive. But nevertheless, Lance can also look back to quite a few very good solo recordings, and is touring throughout europe from time to time. So of course it is mentioned, that he'll be back again in january with the Lance Keltner Band. Yep, Lance, we dig it.
But back to Mike Tramp, who's working himself bravely through the complete material  after White Lion, not leaving out - Freak Of Nature and even two or three pieces of the eightees cultband find their way on the schedule. Nicely stirred, but not shaken - on the rocks. Only "Broken Heart" we don't get served this time, like the lemon on the martini. But however, Tramp is still serving us a solid performance, thanx to brilliant musicianship, exspecially in form of the guitar work of Lance Keltner and his simple personal presence. And the eyes of all these female guests here tonight are sparkling like wonder candles and it gives us a touch of Xmas in advance. Of course we all do like it. As well as the acoustic, and also the visual options. (Even I personally - the guitarist got this somehow something, - if you know what I mean... but I'm probably the only one with this opinion, and I don't have to fear competition) Just kiddin'....

All together the set is a solid performance with only few weak spots. And we are leaving happily, not before we go and fetch our autographs from the danish sunnyboy at the merchandise stall. Hmmm, nowadays, t-shirts and Cds don't sell automatically. You've gotta do something more to push it. One point for you Mike Tramp. At White Lion times you didn't even think about it. But times have changed, and some things don't run automatically, as they used to do in the past. Although, there's definately a life after a broken hea.... sorry, carriere....
Solong, and we see each other in january - Lance.... for sure...

Jimi Hendrix heir

20. 9. 2004 Stuttgart  Schleyerhalle
RUSH (pictures)

more pics h e r e

The older, the better... - it's like old vine. And this is Whitesnake, or better expressed, what's left of it. At least three of the Snakeys are spectacles wearer and aged beyond fifty. Hey, it doesn't matter, when offering a performance like this one here, where granddad is fitter than his grandson. And David Coverdale has just become such a granddad, I mean in private life. Congratulation! The rest of the band you can easily name the heirs of the Ikar.... pardon me... the Bluesrock granddads, thanx to their youthful physical condition. Unfortunately Coverdale's reall grandson can't see this performance conciously yet. And he is fit, very fit with 53 years of age. That's as sure as the snow on the Kilimandscharo. Halleluja, what a man! No sign of any fat on his body, no boldhead in sight. No the long angelshair is getting longer and more each year. And the small wrinkles, who rather prove the life experience, we forget quickly. You just recognize 'em anyway just on a close up. Apart from that as we all know, nowadays we've got enough possibilities to iron those little wrinkles even and straight, in whatever way. Okay, I'm getting silly again, - sorry! Fact is, Mr. Coverdale can easily cope with a 30 year old in every way including the body language. All the female guests in the audiance start getting into sexy movements with sweery eyes in and out of rhythm. Never mind. Up there is the god of Blues Rock orgasm and lets the snake bite with all it's power.

The race start with Deep Purple's "Burn"... yep we are burning, don't worry... All those classic tunes reign down on us. "Gimme All Your Love tonight" - yes in the truest sense of the word, at least emotionally. Once again the sound is absolute shite. (How more often do I have to mention this fact in my reviews? Ain't there any clear and wonderful soundconditions around nowadays, or what?) But thanks to the presence of Mr. Coverdale, this is accepted or should I say, ignored. One thing is for sure. David Coverdale is Whitesnake, and Whitesnake is David Coverdale. No more comment about this.
Tommy Aldridge on drums - one of those three oldies, I mentioned in the beginning. Exept Caverdale himself, he's the man with the most whitesnake experience in the present line up. Because he has been with the group since 1987 in and off. This was at the time, when Whitesnake became a sort of american band. The blues touch vanished and with it also Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden. And mainstream Rock'n'Roll has won the game 'till the very day. Coverdale is the boss and he makes the rules, and anyody else does'nt play an important part. Exept of beeing brilliant musicians. And that's what the all are. Oldie no.3 is Marco Mendoza, also aged beyond fifty something. But compared with Aldridge, his Whitesnake experience goes only back a couple of years. Before that the Sioux indian played the bass for the recarnation of thin Lizzy and other various acts. - Doug Aldrich, one more fabulous guitarist, which got himself a name in the past. Reb Beach, - we all know him from Winger and Dokken. And last but not least Thimothy Drury, who's done a great keyoard job with the Eagles in the past and has put out one great but non successful solorecord. However, all together they produce quite a decent harmony what's up to playing live on stage. That's as sure as the Feng Shui within the crater of the Fuji Yama.

Alright, - "Here We Go Again", a must within a Whitesnake Show, and also a perfectly performed "There Ain't No Love In The Heart In The City", which is not an original of Whitesnake, as I told you in my last review about one year ago. Bet - you've forgotten again... Okay, just to nail it into your brains.... That piece has been written and recorded in 1965  Bobby Bland first time. But however, Whitesnake has at least reborn this track in the seventees. And it is still alive. - That it so far for your general musical knowledge."Don't Break My Heart Again" ... Uihuihuih.... this song is so sexy as David Coverdale himself. But over all, you can't deny, that the band puts the main focus on the so called american era from 1987 onwards. The elderly of us beeing here tonight  miss tracks like "Medicine Man", "Lovehunter" und "The Time Is Right For Love". Probably the poison of the blues rock milesstone has lost it's strenght over all these years in the sense of the snake tooth. But Coverdale has got one more ace with "Still Of The Night", which is also the motto of the tour right now. And this song is already 17 years old, and you can call it an oldie as well. Oldies are Goldies as we know, and Whitesnake take advantage of it. Or should I say, they've got nothing else left. Because tophits, news and records is a strange thing to the group presently. Considering to David, he only tours, because of having all the fun of playing live. Right or not, - he looks great despite his fresh grandfather qualities, movement is everything, a model shape, a sexy flair and most of all, the voice is still the same, like 30 years ago.. What else do yo want?! Long live Whitesnake, with or without  the Blues, eternal youth and most of all sex. And maybe in the future with a grand grandson, at least what's up to the musical Novel Cuisine, without fat and grease, served well and wish you all - bon Appetit'