Whitesnake/Def Leppard at The SECC, Glasgow
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:52 amJust back from the SECC in Glasgow after tonight's Whitesnake/Def Leppard gig. Apologies for any typos etc, but I'm shattered!!!!
It's been the case for years that Glasgow has been a Whitesnake stronghold; since the early 80s anyway (hey...I was there!) , and from the opening chords of "The Best Years" the crowd were in the palm of Lord Coverdale's hands. It also became evident that the best singer in Whitesnake these days isn't necessarily the man fronting the band. Coverdale stopped short on numerous occasions and the the rest of the band continued with the sort of backing vocals that would put Stryper to shame. Several tracks ("Can You Hear The Wind Blow", "Lay Down Your Love") from the new opus were aired with some of the older tracks; "Fool For Your Lovin", "Love Ain't No Stranger, which was dedicated to former Snake guitarist Mel Galley, "Is This Love", "Here I Go Again", "Still of The Night", "Ain't No Love". Granted the voice is but a pale shadow of it's former self, indeed at times it was painful to listen to, but the crowd lapped it up. Special mention to the band who were excellent..especially Doug Aldrich...MVP of the year! As the final strains of SOTN rang out, the crowd erupted....really there was no doubt who the vast majority were here to see.
Talking points included the state of Reb Beach these days, Doug Aldrich's leather trousers and Timothy Drury's hair...this can't be real.
I have to say I was a tad apprehensive as Def Leppard approached the stage; Whitesnake really had the crowd baying for more.
The final bars of AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock" shook the packed arena. The lights dimmed and the huge screen behind the band kicked in with a montage of shots from across the years.
The band launched into "Rocket"..from here on in this was a veritable tour de force...really, having seen them during the Hysteria Tour and witnessed Tesla wipe the floor with them, this was a performance which I never thought I'd see from Joe Elliot and the gang. Only two songs were aired from the new album; "Nine Lives" and "C'Mon, C'Mon"..although we had to leave a tad early as the show had over run. Highlights included an amazing version of "Rock of Ages", an acoustic session with "Bringing On The Heartbreak" and "Two Steps Behind You", and a rip roaring version of David Essex's "Rock On". A slick stage production was completely overshadowed by a remarkable performance from the band. Campbell and Collen spent most of the show stripped to the waist belting out riff after riff, with torsos that would shame a couple of men in their 20s!!! The backing vocals..when they were good they were amazing..when they were off...hell, it's a live show! I thought they'd have opted for several tracks from the album, alas, it wasn't the case. Certainly the crowd were more familiar with Whitesnake's new tracks than Def Leppard's.
Whitesnake may have stole the crowd, but the night, for me anyway, belonged to Def Leppard.
Regards,
EME
It's been the case for years that Glasgow has been a Whitesnake stronghold; since the early 80s anyway (hey...I was there!) , and from the opening chords of "The Best Years" the crowd were in the palm of Lord Coverdale's hands. It also became evident that the best singer in Whitesnake these days isn't necessarily the man fronting the band. Coverdale stopped short on numerous occasions and the the rest of the band continued with the sort of backing vocals that would put Stryper to shame. Several tracks ("Can You Hear The Wind Blow", "Lay Down Your Love") from the new opus were aired with some of the older tracks; "Fool For Your Lovin", "Love Ain't No Stranger, which was dedicated to former Snake guitarist Mel Galley, "Is This Love", "Here I Go Again", "Still of The Night", "Ain't No Love". Granted the voice is but a pale shadow of it's former self, indeed at times it was painful to listen to, but the crowd lapped it up. Special mention to the band who were excellent..especially Doug Aldrich...MVP of the year! As the final strains of SOTN rang out, the crowd erupted....really there was no doubt who the vast majority were here to see.
Talking points included the state of Reb Beach these days, Doug Aldrich's leather trousers and Timothy Drury's hair...this can't be real.
I have to say I was a tad apprehensive as Def Leppard approached the stage; Whitesnake really had the crowd baying for more.
The final bars of AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock" shook the packed arena. The lights dimmed and the huge screen behind the band kicked in with a montage of shots from across the years.
The band launched into "Rocket"..from here on in this was a veritable tour de force...really, having seen them during the Hysteria Tour and witnessed Tesla wipe the floor with them, this was a performance which I never thought I'd see from Joe Elliot and the gang. Only two songs were aired from the new album; "Nine Lives" and "C'Mon, C'Mon"..although we had to leave a tad early as the show had over run. Highlights included an amazing version of "Rock of Ages", an acoustic session with "Bringing On The Heartbreak" and "Two Steps Behind You", and a rip roaring version of David Essex's "Rock On". A slick stage production was completely overshadowed by a remarkable performance from the band. Campbell and Collen spent most of the show stripped to the waist belting out riff after riff, with torsos that would shame a couple of men in their 20s!!! The backing vocals..when they were good they were amazing..when they were off...hell, it's a live show! I thought they'd have opted for several tracks from the album, alas, it wasn't the case. Certainly the crowd were more familiar with Whitesnake's new tracks than Def Leppard's.
Whitesnake may have stole the crowd, but the night, for me anyway, belonged to Def Leppard.
Regards,
EME
