Liverpool, England - Media Reviews

Whitesnake, Def Leppard and Thunder, Summer Pops, Liverpool By Barry Turnbull

DEF Leppard and Whitesnake stepped out of a musical timewarp to rock 'n' roll back the years.

The two thoroughbred icons of 1980s stadium bombast provided an unashamed gallop down Memory Lane at a bouncing Echo Arena Liverpool last night. And indeed the memories did come flooding back; a flurry of dry ice, razor-like guitar riffing, fist- clenching, pompous posturing - and just like way back then, it was a big barrel of fun. The former monsters of rock would perhaps struggle to fill the bigger venues by themselves these days, but together they fuse into a potent retro double-act which has gone down a storm across the country.

Liverpool has never really been metal territory but on this occasion the arena almost rocked itself off its foundations and into the Mersey. I actually remember the release of Def Leppard's first EP in 1979 which was bought by a friend of mine who enthused about 'the next big thing'. He was right. However, I was only able to tell him this last week when an email landed from him 27 years after we last had contact.

The band were raw and even cutting-edge at a time when punk was imploding, but metamorphosised into a stadium band of high-quality harmonics amid heavy riffing. I saw them a number of times at their peak and have to say they still don't miss a beat.

Vocals from Joe Elliott and back- up harmonies were still belted out like years ago, as the sons of Sheffield blasted through a series of anthemic classics like Photograph, Pour Some Sugar On Me and Hysteria. The only problem being near the front of the stage was the noise and distortion slaughtered the trademark harmonics . There were a couple of outings from the latest album, Songs From The Sparkle Lounge, but the material fails to fire. unlike the tracks that triggered the sale of 65m units. A rousing performance with only difference being frontman Elliott's appearance being a little porkier than what I remember but aren't we all of a certain age?

Wild and hairy mic stand manipulator David Coverdale remains a timeless rock god. The flowing locks, deep velvet throaty roar and flirty gestures all remain in place. Whitesnake made themselves a pretty hard act to follow, belted out their own catalogue of favourites like Fool for your Loving and Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City. Coverdale is the ultimate showman, strutting around the stage, egging on the audience, and loving every minute of celebrating the band's 30-year history. Like Def Leppard, the band features a twin guitar attack that includes Reb Beach, former Winger fret wizard. The band conjured up a barnstorming finish with Here I Go Again, but for some reason soldiered on with a last unnecessary song.

Both bands went down a storm but I reckon Def Leppard shaded it. Liverpool was truly rocking.

By Liverpool Daily Post 2008.

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Whitesnake/Def LeppardSummer Pops ECHO Arena By Luke Traynor

IT was the loudest music to come out of Liverpool's new arena so far and provided 200 minutes of the most strident hard rock to hit the city for years.

Thunder opened up proceedings and soon got into their stride with The Devil Made Me Do It and a faultless version of the classic Love Walked In - Danny Bowes' impressive vocals making us sit up and take notice.

Next came a preening and swaggering David Coverdale, a genuine legend in rock, who opened with Best Years (plenty of trademark grabbing of crotch throughout) and moved on to great versions of Fool For Your Lovin' and Can You Hear The Wind Blow as the Snake's frontman tossed around his mic stand with all the exuberance of a pouting majorette. Lay Down Your Love was one of their highlights which was soon followed by the classic Is This Love. Such was the Coverdale effect that one woman fainted on cue to this rock anthem and she sat recovering to a quite unbelievable and technically impossible guitar duel from the Snake's two leads.

The band's sound was massive and complemented by a forever quipping Coverdale and amazingly proficient musicianship that was never better showed off than on Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City and an incendiary encore of Still Of The Night.

On to Def Leppard and nice guy frontman Joe Elliott immediately launched into an explosive Rocket and steadily cranked up the hysteria by ploughing through a majestic Animal, a wonderfully arrogant Make Love Like A Man and the beautiful When Love And Hate Collide. Like Whitesnake's guitarists, Leppard's own virtuoso axeman Phill Collen was quickly bare chested and joined Elliot at the front of the stage's extended walkway for lovely acoustic versions of Two Steps Behind and Bringing On The Heartache.

The Pyromania boys just have too many great songs and it's tribute to their sustained brilliance that Hysteria, Pure Some Sugar On Me, Rock Of Ages and a titanic Armageddon It were the tracks of the night. Leppard were clearly loving the crowd's reaction and Elliott ended by informing us: "It's been a real pleasure doing this tour and seeing people who want to hear this kind of music." No, Joe, the pleasure was all ours.

By Liverpool Echo 2008.

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