David Coverdale. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Originally published by L.S. Media. June 18th 2011.
It’s not for nothing that David Coverdale and Whitesnake are continually lauded as one of the fine rock acts of all time, both for their recording history but also for the minimalist but truly jaw dropping live sets. What other bands of the genre make up for in their set by using special effect after quirky special effect, Whitesnake just get down to business and entertains and drags kicking and screaming every bit of energy from every crowd that comes to their shows.
The Wolverhampton Civic Hall is a venue that’s built perfectly to house Whitesnake for a few hours, and on a rain filled afternoon, there was no better place to be as the guys that make up this iconic and devilishly brilliant band strutted and toyed with the packed auditorium.
With a back catalogue that stretches back over thirty years, Whitesnake had plenty of scope to cover the entire set and true to form the band choose some of their finest moments to showcase to the band and have a little left over to give the wild and excited audience a taste of the new album Forevermore.
David Coverdale showed the crowd why he has retained his position of one of the great entertainers of Rock by not stopping bouncing around and playing up to the crowd from the moment the band played the opening songs of the set, the thunderous Best Years, Love Ain’t no Stranger and the radio friendly Is This Love.
The packed crowd were visibly appreciative of hearing tracks from the new album and cheered as loudly as they had for old familiar favourites. These new songs included the title track Forevermore, Love Will Set You Free and the stunning Fare Thee Well.
David Coverdale and the band finished a high octane set with the classics Fool for Your Lovin’ from the Ready and Willing album and Here I Go Again and a storming version of Still of the Night within the encore.
Once more David Coverdale at 59 proves that age is no barrier to providing a cracking night of entertainment for the fans.
Ian D. Hall