By Ruth Sharpe
ONE OF the most legendary bands in hard rock return to Lisbon this June, to celebrate the release of their new Greatest Hits CD, The Definitive Collection. Whitesnake play Lisbon’s Coliseu dos Recreios on June 14 as part of their 2006 Tour, which spans the majority of Europe, Japan and the UK. The British band, originally formed in 1977 by former Deep Purple vocalist, David Coverdale, has enjoyed mainstream success, especially in Europe and Japan.
They were predominantly active during the 1980s, an era which saw guitar driven bands, such as Iron Maiden and AC/DC, coming to the fore. Whitesnake remained very quiet throughout the 90s, but recently came back into the public eye when Coverdale organised a reunion tour in 2003 to celebrate their 25th anniversary. This year also sees the release of their first ever DVD, Live … In the Still of the Night.
Whitesnake’s major success came in 1987 with their self-titled release Whitesnake, which included their biggest hits, Here I Go Again and Is This Love? It was after this that Coverdale fired the whole group, including the co-writer and guitarist John Sykes, transforming the band’s line-up.
Since then, Whitesnake have never reached the same levels of success and have only had two studio releases containing new material, in 1989 and 1997. The release of a Greatest Hits CD in 1990 and the unplugged album, Starkers in Tokyo, in 1997 have kept their fan base interested, making sure they continue to sell out venues worldwide.
Interestingly, the Algarve has a special place in the frontman’s heart, as it is where he retreated to when his first marriage was breaking up, and it served as the inspiration for the album Saints and Sinners. It was this album that produced one of the seminal Whitesnake songs, Here I Go Again (which later reappeared on the 1987 Whitesnake album).
The extensive European tour aims to portray an entirely new perspective of the 30-year multi-platinum career of David Coverdale. He describes it as “an appropriate time to be playing good, uplifting, positive rock ‘n’ roll.” With their blend of hard rock, soul, blues and balladry, Whitesnake offer a healthy dose of positive, feel-good music, setting them apart from the melancholic bands currently leading the way in the modern music scene.
• Tickets for this unique concert, at the intimate Coliseu dos Recreios venue in Lisbon, can be bought from www.ticketline.pt, Fnac stores and from CTT branches (post office) at the price of 30 euros.
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