OK I admit it, I had some misgivings about this show beforehand. Whitesnake have just put out their best album in years with 'Forevermore', and vocalist David Coverdale rolled back the years on that record, belting out anthem after anthem to give a monumental performance. So much so I feared he'd left all his throat in the studio and would struggle to deliver that same thing live, night after night.
The last Whitesnake tour was cut short with the singer having to end prematurely a show and cancel the remaining dates of the tour, and he was diagnosed shortly after with damage to his vocal cords. A statement was issued which said that they were fortunate that it was caught in time, so a prolonged period of rest was prescribed before the singer was given the OK to resume work last year. The resulting album seemed to indicate the vocalist was out to prove he still had it in him, with some huge performances put down on tape.
He's been active once again in the rock transfer market since the last tour, with bassist Uriah Duffy and drummer Chris Frazier being released in favour of new signings, Michael Devin having assumed the bass role and Briian Tichy now behind the kit. Keyboard player Timothy Drury also departed last year, although he plays on the new record, and it is Brian Ruedy who has taken over the ivories for this latest run. So - with three new Snakes, and a month into the tour already for the veteran rock god, can he still deliver the goods live?
He certainly came up trumps at Newcastle, with Tichy now behind the kit the band's sound hits harder than ever and Coverdale had to work hard to elevate himself above the nuclear explosions coming from the back of the stage. The appeal with Coverdale is he always gives 100% every night, he may not hit every note, he may sound rough round the edges sometimes but he never holds back. That was the case last night, he was going for it hard and reaching - and holding - notes that he certainly was not doing in 2008. Perhaps it was the setting (Newcastle being in his native north-east) but, for someone who once declared that he wanted "less strain on the old Calvins" (a quote of his from over a decade ago), the Calvins were under as much strain as ever this night! He does rely on his band to back him up - the harmonies are sounding excellent in this new line-up - but when he was reaching for the fabled lung-busting roar, he got it. It was noticeable that the older songs have been taken down, possibly by as much as a whole step, but Coverdale has set himself a daunting task with this set list. Packed with demanding songs including five off the new album, it's understandable he's arranged them in a lower key in order to perform night after night.
They opened with 'Best Years' as they did in 2008/9, but this was the only 'Good To Be Bad' song performed. With so many new songs played Coverdale took the safe option with the oldies. He dare not drop 'Ain't No Love In The Heart of The City', for instance. So the new ones included 'Love Will Set You Free', 'Steal Your Heart Away', 'My Evil Ways' (which came after the guitar duel and preceded a blistering Tichy drum solo, including a Tommy Aldridge-inspired hit-em-with-the-hands part), the epic 'Forevermore' which showcased the vocal harmonies of the band, and a surprise in 'Fare Thee Well'. For this, everyone apart from Ruedy and Coverdale himself had acoustic guitars - even Tichy, who came out from behind the kit to play alongside the rest of the band. That was about as mellow as it got all night, most of the rest of the night was high-octane stuff. Even 'Is This Love' rocks harder now, with a turbocharger driving the band!
As I've been intimating, the revelation of this new line-up is the drummer. Briian Tichy has lit firecrackers under the band and as a result the whole sound is heavier, harder, and more Metal than ever. Unreconstructed headbangers (raises horns!) will love it, purists who hanker for the older style may not be quite so keen. However, this is the direction that has proved most successful for Coverdale over the years, so for now at least, he's sticking with it. Tichy does have his immense power under control - he's not just a slam merchant - but when he really lets loose, duck! Fellow newbies, bassist Michael Devin and keyboard player Brian Ruedy, are less conspicuous and have blended into the line-up nicely. The two guitarists are now the longest-serving members apart from Coverdale himself, and you know what you are getting by now - Reb Beach is the flashier of the two, but Doug Aldrich has more of a bluesy feel.
The only reservation I did still have after the show was the solo spots - they're getting longer if anything, and as great as the guys are, I've never been a fan of long solos. Tichy's drum solo was also lengthy, and it might have been better to have the spots more spaced out. As it is, only 'My Evil Ways' separated the guitar and drum solos. meaning an extended period with Coverdale off the stage. If the singer does need a mid-set breather, it might be a better idea to revive 'Snake Dance' and have the other guys jam, or maybe even give, say, Reb Beach a song! The lengthy solos do tend to break the momentum of the show, and the mainman may need to look at this part of the show again.
For the most part though, Coverdale has once again triumphed. He hits the big six-oh in a few short months and is aware that he cannot tour like this indefinitely, but if he is planning on taking a different path in future, this is a momentous way to end. So much for my misgivings!
Support was from The Union, with vocalist Peter Shoulder on home territory. He and former Thunder guitarist Luke Morley have established a strong reputation in the short time they've been together, and the live band included Chris Childs (also ex-Thunder) and new drummer Dave McCluskey. They were given only a short time to impress, but they did just that with Shoulder impressing the North East crowd with his own rich, bluesy voice. An immensely talented singer and guitar player in a band that oozes class, he and Morley will be selling out these kind of venues themselves soon if there is any justice. Don't miss these guys. [[posterous-content:pid___0]]
