{"id":49973,"date":"2015-08-01T12:19:41","date_gmt":"2015-08-01T17:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=49973"},"modified":"2015-08-01T12:23:20","modified_gmt":"2015-08-01T17:23:20","slug":"live-whitesnake-concert-review-photo-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2015\/live-whitesnake-concert-review-photo-gallery\/","title":{"rendered":"LIVE! | Whitesnake"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alex Barbieri<\/span>
\n– Senior Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

July 28, 2015 at College Street Music Hall in New Haven, CT. —<\/h3>\n

\"whitesnake13\u201cBe safe, be happy, and don\u2019t let anyone make you afraid.\u201d Those show-closing words by David Coverdale\u2014DC to friends and fans\u2014have become a welcome tradition at Whitesnake shows. It\u2019s also tradition that Whitesnake kicks total ass live, and they held that up on a hot July night in New Haven, Conn.<\/p>\n

It was a shock to many fans when guitarist Doug Aldrich left the fold a few years ago, but in typical DC fashion, the Yorkshireman found yet another perfect fill-in replacement in Joel Hoekstra, who joined the \u2018Snake after a stint in Night Ranger.<\/p>\n

Another welcome addition was the return of drummer Tommy Aldridge, who first joined Whitesnake to tour the massive 1987<\/em> album. \u201cMusical director\u201d and guitarist Reb Beach, bassist Michael Devin\u2014who is newly engaged to \u201cSopranos\u201d and \u201cSons of Anarchy\u201d actress Drea De Matteo\u2014and new keyboardist Michele Luppi, \u201cthe Italian Stallion,\u201d round out the lineup that is, in a word, Incendiary.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s get to the concert review, shall we darling? Not surprisingly, the band opened with a fiery take on Deep Purple\u2019s \u201cBurn\u201d\u2014the first of five Purple tracks to be played that night. There were cheers and even an audible sexual moan in the theater when the band then tore into \u201cSlide It In\u201d and \u201cLove Ain\u2019t No Stranger\u201d next back-to-back. Melodic Rock bliss for many Whitesnake fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cGive Me All Your Love\u201d highlighted the dual guitar prowess of Beach and Hoekstra. Man, can these cats shred. Beach, staring straight out at the audience when he solos, looks like he\u2019s somewhere else, channeling the \u201cGod of Rock\u201d through his fingers. And Hoekstra is better than we knew with tasty leads his trademark. But DC\u2019s gunslingers also both know the importance of emotion and the occasional pause\u2014like that quote from the movie Almost Famous: \u201cIt\u2019s what you leave out that counts.\u201d<\/p>\n

DC dedicated \u201cYou Keep On Moving\u201d\u2014another old Purple track that was a new favorite for many in the crowd\u2014to the late Jon Lord and Tommy Bolin. Followed by \u201cForevermore,\u201d DC\u2019s sincere thank you to his fans for years of love and support. After the pretty acoustic intro, this song explodes like a modern-day \u201cKashmir;\u201d this newish Whitesnake track worthy of becoming a live staple.<\/p>\n

And how did David Coverdale look and sound? The \u201cFountain of Youth\u201d must be nearby his Lake Tahoe home, because at 63, DC is in amazing shape, exuding vigor, and his vocals were very strong all night despite the fact that the guy\u2019s been on tour since the mid-1970s. We should all hope to look and sound as strong as him when we\u2019re his age.<\/p>\n

\"whitesnake2\"<\/p>\n

What can one say about drummer Tommy Aldridge, another classic rock icon in his 60s whose energy and enthusiasm puts many younger musicians to shame. All in attendance witnessed one of the best rock drummers alive\u2014his playing a blur of arms and curly hair, chest-pounding and stick-twirling.<\/p>\n

Bringing the set down, DC thanked the audience for their patience as the band sensually slipped into \u201cIs This Love;\u201d the crowd swaying, couples dancing, the stage bathed in soft, romantic lighting. Whitesnake never shied away from softer musical interludes, which is why in 2015, a Whitesnake show is still filled with beautiful women.<\/p>\n

Finishing the night with a 1987<\/em> album trifecta of \u201cBad Boys,\u201d \u201cHere I Go Again\u201d (\u201cLight \u2018em up Ernesto!\u201d) and \u201cStill of the Night,\u201d DC and company left the audience glowing, sweaty and exhausted. This Whitesnake was killer\u2014tight, confident, fit, and clearly having fun with each other and the fans. Wouldn\u2019t it be great if more of our favorite bands were like that? If you get the chance, catch Whitesnake on tour in 2015, and to again quote Mr. Coverdale, \u201cBe safe, be happy, and don\u2019t let anyone make you afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Setlist:
\n1. Burn (Deep Purple cover)
\n2. Slide It In
\n3. Love Ain\u2019t No Stranger
\n4. The Gypsy (Deep Purple cover)
\n5. Give Me All Your Love
\n6. You Keep On Moving (Deep Purple cover)
\n7. Forevermore
\n8. Guitar Solo (Reb Beach & Joel Hoekstra)
\n9. Mistreated (Deep Purple cover)
\n10. You Fool No One (Deep Purple cover)
\n11. Drum Solo (Tommy Aldridge)
\n12. Is This Love
\n13. Bad Boys
\n14. Here I Go Again
\nEncore:
\n15. Still of the Night<\/p>\n

LIVE! | Whitesnake Concert Photo Gallery<\/h3>\n
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