Richmond, VA – The audience laid waiting for Whitesnake to emerge and take the stage on May 1st, 2019. At 8:30 PM the viper struck, sending the sold-out crowd at The National in Richmond, VA straight to rock heaven.
Ninety minutes of music, written and played for the sole purpose of kicking ass, started with Coverdale’s iconic howl leading into their 1987 hit, ‘Bad Boys’. The crowd roared with approval as Coverdale belted the lyrics, leaning out over the audience, many of whom joined in the chorus “Bad, Bad Boys!”
David Coverdale (lead vocals), Reb Beach (guitar and backing vocals), Joel Hoekstra (guitar and backing vocals), Michael Devin (bass and backing vocals), Tommy Aldridge (drums), and Michele Luppi (keyboards and backing vocals) played a mix of old favorites and new material from their upcoming album, Flesh and Blood to be released on May 10th.
Leading into their new single, ‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’ the audience was treated to a guitar duel between Joel Hoekstra and long time Whitesnake guitarist Reb Beach. In a word, they were tight (and looked like they were having a lot of fun). ‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’ was released earlier this year and many in the audience sang along… the band loved every minute of it! Not slowing down, they transitioned right into another kicking song ‘Get Up’ off the new album.
Whitesnake veteran drummer Tommy Aldridge kept the show moving with not just one, but two consecutive drum solos. Solo number 1, with sticks, number 2, without! The crowd ate it up!
Sadly, the night was winding down. Their last 3 set tunes, all of which had been on their 1987 Whitesnake album, were performed with full audience participation. Coverdale belted the lyrics with a lot of ‘help’ from the audience. The closing song, ‘Here I Go Again’ was the perfect setup for the ovation leading into the encore number, ‘Still of the Night’. The night was far from still.
Before the show I had the opportunity to talk with several of the fans standing close to the stage. For some, it was their first time seeing Whitesnake (I was one of them), others had fun stories of concerts past. One group of front and center fans had come a long way to see the show. They were two sisters who had first seen Whitesnake around 1987 with their mother (a very cool mother I may add, a Woodstock veteran). Reliving the experience, these two sisters each brought their children to enjoy the show. One could say they were reliving a childhood memory with their own children. How cool is that?!
All in all it was a great night. Coverdale and the band did not disappoint the bitten crowd. For some it was a time to reminisce, for others it was a time to bond in a way only music can bond, and for all it was a night to sit back and rock out to some new and classic tunes! Here’s looking forward to the next time Whitesnake strikes!
Set List
Bad Boys
Slide It In
Gonna Be Alright
Love Ain’t No Stranger
Hey You (You Make Me Rock)
Slow an’ Easy
Trouble Is Your Middle Name
Guitar Duel
Shut Up & Kiss Me
Get Up
(With drum solo interlude)
Is This Love
Give Me All Your Love
Here I Go Again
Encore:
Still of the Night
Whitesnake Photo Album
Looking for more? Check out the video for Whitesnake’s new single, ‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’:
