Rock Never Stops Tour Live in Los Angeles
By
Tokemaster General,
Contributor
Friday, August 29, 2003 @ 11:52 PM
| Rock Never Stops Tour, Featuri
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REVIEW BY: Lisa Shannon
There’s a lot to be said for the hard rock groups of the ‘80s and ‘90s who come back around to tour. I’ve read some reviews of this particular tour that have said the bands should hang it up and retire, that there is no longer a place or audience for them.
I wholeheartedly disagree with such reviews.
Slaughter
Now, I have always been a fan of Slaughter, but even fans can be disappointed in performances of their favorite bands. This wasn’t one of those times. The 30-minute set was packed full of music both new and old, including “Wild Life,” “Fly To The Angels,” “Up All Night,” “Mad About You,” “Spend My Life” and “Killing Time.” Singer Mark Slaughter, brave soul that he is, even ventured out into the audience; something I’ve personally only seen him do in larger venues. Though drummer Blas Elias wasn’t present due to a prior commitment, Bobby Rock filled in for him nicely, and gave fans a mini Vinnie Vincent Invasion reunion. In addition to Mark Slaughter, guitarist Jeff Blando and bassist Dana Strum skillfully worked the stage and the audience with great enthusiasm and energy. From beginning to end, the entire set was delivered wonderfully. Fantastic show guys!
I do have one complaint: the sound. There’s loud, which is how I like it, and then there’s blaring-to-the-point-of-ridiculous-distortion loud. The instrument levels were up too high and drowned out both lead and backing vocals for a good portion of the set. They were never really dialed in, and that was a shame.
For more information on Slaughter, please go to: www.slaughterweb.com.
Kip Winger
As unusual as it may sound, Kip Winger performed an acoustic set on the heels of Slaughter. One man, one 12-string guitar -- that’s it. I’ve always known that Kip was a talented musician and songwriter. What I didn’t know was that he could perform a set such as this and bring an audience to its feet all by his lonesome. To put it simply, I was astounded. “Seventeen,” “Miles Away,” “Down Incognito” and other Winger hit songs were all delivered incredibly, receiving enthusiastic applause after every song. There were multiple standing ovations. It was a very refreshing set, and blew the minds of many audience members, including myself. What else can I say? See this man perform!
For more information on Kip Winger, please visit his website at: www.kipwinger.com.
Warrant
All right. I admit it. I’ve never really been a big fan of Jani Lane and company. However, I have to say I was impressed with what I saw of their live performance. Each band member was energetic and engaging, and Jani Lane worked the stage wonderfully. My friend and I were late for this set, but when we came in I was a little surprised to see a crowd on their feet. But then I have to remember that we were in Warrant country. The L.A.-based band still draws a crowd, there’s no doubt about it. My favorite line of the evening comes from Jani Lane: “…and now the song that never f**king dies!” He means Warrant’s hit, “Cherry Pie,” which brought the rest of the audience to their feet and kept them on them until the end of the set. One thing I would suggest is that Jani Lane not smoke onstage. It just isn’t attractive! Other than that, these guys sounded great and gave a high-end show.
For more information on Warrant, please visit their website: www.warrantweb.net.
Whitesnake
The last time I saw Whitesnake was 13 years ago. I was actually afraid to go to this show because I didn’t want anything to ruin my memory of the last show. What was I thinking??
The minute the lights went down and the band stepped onto the stage, the entire audience was on its feet. Reb Beach, formerly of Winger, joins the lineup of Marco Mendoza, Doug Aldrich, Tommy Aldridge, David Coverdale, and Timothy Drury. Whitesnake proved beyond doubt that it still has what it takes to rock the house.
The set consisted of every hit or popular song Whitesnake has in its arsenal. From “Bad Boys” to “Slide It In,” “Fool For Your Loving,” and “Crying In Rain,” “Love Ain’t No Stranger,” “Deeper the Love” and “Still of the Night,” and their biggest hits, “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love,” the band kept the audience enthralled, energized, and rockin’ as if we were 17 all over again. David Coverdale commanded the audience with ease, drawing them in to participate in the show. Doug Aldrich (lead guitar) and Tommy Aldridge (drums) gave their usual outstanding solos. Marco Mendoza’s bass solo and Reb’s guitar duel with Doug were showstoppers as well.
After a few minor sound issues, the levels were dialed in perfectly. The only item that bothered me was the echo effect that was used on a number of songs. Too much use of it, but that’s just my opinion.
The friend with me at this show had never been to a hard rock concert in her life. She knew a few of the hit songs from each group, but had never experienced it live. She’s never really been into this kind of rock music. So I asked her what her favorite performance of the night was. With an ear-to-ear grin, she says “Whitesnake!” This just goes to prove that even non-rockers can appreciate a good show when it is given.
For more information on Whitesnake, please visit their website at: www.whitesnake.com.
In summation….
I traveled from San Jose to Los Angeles for this show. That’s 300+ miles of one-way driving. Would I do it again? Definitely. This show is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time.
Should any of these bands hang it up? Absolutely, unequivocally, no. They may not be peddling new material, but they still have what it takes to entertain the masses. They are talented musicians and entertainers who give their audiences a show well worth the money.
For information on the Rock Never Stops Tour 2003, please visit www.rockneverstops.com.
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