As I sit here writing this, one thing above all else is apparent, travelling up & down to Dublin in one day is getting harder & harder. Despite travelling in comfort (nice motor Dixie's da) & with excellent company (Dixie, Toni, McCaffs), getting back to Derry after 3.00am fucks you up big style for days afterwards. Now, I suppose not drinking might help & maybe trying to get some kip at some stage but let's face it alcohol & gigs go hand in hand like rip-off & Dublin, sleep's not an option either because not only do I snore but I rant like a mad man which I do enough of when I'm awake.

Anyway, on to the gig. The Point is still the best venue in Ireland to see a concert offering great sound, comfort (if you want it) & about 5 bars (18 euros for 4 pints GRRRRR) it was good to stand in the foyer chatting & just watching the crowd. I was comforted to see that there are still several thousand people out there that refuse to be swayed by what constitutes rock/metal these days; where else could you have a serious conversation with somebody about AC/DC t-shirts?

I had heard nothing but good reports about Whitesnake new boy Doug Aldrich so I positioned myself about 15 feet in front of him to see what the craic was & I have to say I didn't move for the next couple of hours, this boy can play. Whitesnake opened up with Bad Boys & the 1st thing I noticed was that they seemed really up for it, Coverdale let a scream out & off they went no fannying about. For a man of 52 Coverdale moved like he was 20 years younger covering every inch of the stage, getting the crowd going during solos & throwing the mikestand around the place with a complete disregard for health & safety at work regulations. The band were throwing shapes left, right & centre whilst their playing was spot on as you would expect from a band put together by Mr. Coverdale. Next up a double 'Slide It In' whammy of the title track, then 'Slow 'n' Easy' which is one of my favourite 'Snake songs, I had watched the band doing this song on the Whitesnake website from early on in the American tour & Coverdale came across like he was struggling with the high notes, but I'm pleased to report that there was no such problem in Dublin, he was hitting the spot each time & putting everything into it. What followed was a lovely version of 'Blindman' performed by Cov on his own, I know that he is doing this at all of the shows but I personally believe that by doing a song like this he is acknowledging that the pre '1987' is as important to him & us as the material that brought him to worldwide attention (either that or he likes the song).

I can't say that I remember what order the rest of the songs were in, so bear with me as I tell you some of the many highlights. I have to confess that I almost wet myself when they played 'Walkin' In The Shadow Of The Blues' I love this song & was genuinely surprised to hear it played with as much conviction as the more popular material. Now, I think that when it comes to Whitesnake most fans are divided into preferring pre & post 1987 material, me, I prefer pre but what do I know, anyway I think that they got the balance just right with enough of each to keep everybody happy. Obviously the inclusion of 4 songs from 'Slide It In' helped as this more or less was the bridge between the 2 phases in Whitesnake's past.

"What about the rest of the band?" I hear you cry, well as I mentioned before Doug Aldrich had been highly praised & he didn't disappoint. He handled all of the material with ease & I'm sure he'll get over being described as Coverdale's "bastard son" with some intense psychiatric treatment. As for Reb Beach & Marco Mendoza, again I have to say that they really seemed to be up for this gig but if I have a criticism it would be that they seemed to prefer keeping to their own side of the stage & it wasn't until near the end of the gig that they ventured to our side of the arena. This leaves Tommy Aldridge
on the drums, what can I say, between him & old Cov they have more wrinkles than an elephant's scrotum but by Jesus he can play. I don't think I've seen a drummer play with such intensity; basically he was a blur of arms & hair as he beat seven shades of shit out of his kit. You will hear people say that the drummers in thrash bands are the fastest with two bass drums but if they had heard the speed at which this guy pounded his at the end of 'Still of The Night' they may change their minds. This all leads to what for me was about the only disappointing part of the night…solo spots. One solo spot I can just about handle but a guitar solo from Mr. Aldrich then Bass & drum solos was a bit much in my book & was a cue for a visit to the bog for a Jimmy riddle. Believe me when I say that this for me was the only thing that I can complain about in an otherwise fantastic show.

It is worth mentioning the audience at this stage. The Point which I believe holds 10,500 punters was almost full & I took the time to look around the auditorium once or twice to see that the balconies were full & that even though the ground floor was not seated it was pretty packed. I had also seen Deep Purple in the Point last year which was all seated which doesn't really suit a Rock 'n' Roll show & to be honest having a 15 year old in a bright yellow bib Tell me to sit down because I had the audacity to stand up & enjoy myself makes me want to perform random acts of violence. Audience participation was high on DC's priorities, getting as many sing-a-longs going as possible as classic after classic was played especially during 'Ain't no love in the heart of the city' & I have to confess to being quite hoarse after the gig.

Well then, in conclusion I have to say that this was a special gig for me as I've been listening to Whitesnake for 17 years & it's always good to be in the presence of a legend like David Coverdale who didn't disappoint in any way, shape or form. In these days of manufactured disposable assembly line pop & Coldplay style self-pity inspired balls it's refreshing to see a band go out on stage rip the place up, give the punters a good time & basically HAVE FUN whilst playing their own instruments. Mr C mentioned at the gig that they would be back next year; I really hope that this happens because I'll be there & I would encourage you to do the same. See ya then my friend.

KELLZ

Contact KELLZwith any comments at kellz@freeuk.com

SET LIST (IN NO ORDER)
Bad Boys
Slide it in
Slow 'n' Easy
Walkin' In The Shadow Of the Blues
Cryin' In The Rain
Love Ain't No Stranger
Is This Love?
Fool For Your Lovin'
Still Of The Night
Guilty Of Love
Here I Go Again
Gimme All Your Love
Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City
Blindman (Coverdale only)
Soldier Of Fortune (Coverdale only)
Bass, Drum & Guitar solo spots