CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS FROM THE WHITESNAKE SYDNEY SHOW HERE.
After a 14 year absence, Whitesnake hit all the right notes at The Enmore Theatre.
As the lights dimmed and expectation heightened, Whitesnake exploded onstage led by the dynamic frontman David Coverdale. The night’s set started with Into The Night and Best Years Of My Life from the latest release Good To Be Bad. Though unfamiliar to many, the latest offering as summed up by Coverdale is, “Whitesnake head to toe, back to front that covers a multitude of sins.”
Though the line-up has changed many times over, Whitesnake is however 30 years old, and is quintessentially all about David Coverdale. Sure there have been amazing musicians throughout the times that added grit and glamour – Steve Vai, Adrian Vandanberg, Rudy Sarzo et al – but Coverdale is the ringleader. His vocals, onstage charisma and lyrics have earned him the captaincy at the School of Rock.
Coverdale appeared at ease, singing and teasing the audience as he belted out classics Fool For Your Loving and Love Ain’t No Stranger. Despite eligible for a pensioner card, Coverdale looked fit. His crisp white shirt emblazoned with crosses and designer jeans highlighted his penchant for style and mischief. Gone were the poodle hair and sequined jackets, but the hits that made Whitesnake MTV darlings were long remembered as Coverdale coerced the audience to sing along to Is This Love and Here I Go Again.
The remainder of the band were introduced and given ample time. Guitarist Doug Aldrich went into a guitar solo before Coverdale came on to croon Crying In The Rain followed by Ain’t No Love In The City, Give Me All Your Love and, to end the set, Still Of The Night. With little persuasion, Whitesnake re-emerged to the tune of Deep Purple’s Burn with a Stormbringer intermission from the classic 1974 Stormbringer album.
This was Coverdale’s swansong due to its psychedelic mood that echoed Coverdale’s rich vocal range. Burn, on the other hand, was the successful partnership between Coverdale and Glenn Hughes that steered Deep Purple into a soul direction. Nonetheless, the finale was a welcome surprise that inspired me to get out those old Deep Purple records after my lengthy pub-crawl.
