Whitesnake…In The Still of The Night
The Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues Show
Live at Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
By Robin Steeley
“I have always felt an emotional connection to my audience…I think the emotional and physical release of a good rock
show has untold healing qualities…its great therapy!!!”…..David Coverdale
Tonight at the Roseland Theater the house is packed to capacity with an over 21 crowd. I expected to see mullets
everywhere but surprisingly it’s a diverse mixture of demographics from the curious twenty-something’s to the die
hard baby boomer holding Whitesnake’s first album on vinyl.
After a lengthy wait, Whitesnake finally takes the stage, silhouettes in the dark, lights blazing. They opened with “Burn/Stormbringer” before rushing headlong into “Bad Boys” Finally stopping to take a breath David Coverdale addresses the crowd, saying “It smells like Bob Marley’s asshole in here!”, which I thought was hilarious since the room was indeed clouded with pot smoke. They played “Aint No Love” the guitarists seemed to be pulling the music from within them, powerful chords played with intense emotion. The solos were done in a simple spotlight, a silhouette in the dark. Later in the set Tommy Aldrich does a furious drum solo, playing feverishly bare handed. Before you knew it Coverdale was humping poles, saying it should be “slippier” and we needed something to “grease it up with”. He continued with the stage antics throughout the set. Still sexy as hell after all these years, he grabs his crotch while screaming into the mic. I love his accent; his voice is as beautiful and far reaching as ever. His tone is deep, rich, husky and with an incredible range. He has no problem reaching the highest of all notes with no effort. The rest of the band are no shadow players either, full of effortless guitar solos and a thumping, consistent bass line delivered by one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen in music, Uriah Duffy.
By the song “Slow and Easy” it is a full on explosive rock show, blazing lights and loud pulsing music you can feel thumping in your bloodstream During “Is This Love” the audience was singing louder then the band. And when he played “Here I Go Again” it was like a shock wave went through the room and the adrenaline hopped up 100 notches and the crowd went wild, singing so loud everything else but the infamous lyrics were drowned out. The same thing happened when he played their last song of the night, the classic “Still Of The Night”, before announcing simply “Be safe,
be happy, and don’t let anyone make you afraid” before the band all bowed together and walked off stage, something you just don’t see anymore.
Overall It was a powerful experience, it really took me back to my youth, as coincidentally many of my “firsts” were with this band. The first time I got really high, the first time I drank, the first time I went to a concert, and the first pit I ever went into were all at my first Whitesnake concert, Day On The Green, 1985, with Poison, Whitesnake, and Motley Crue.
The whole line up is energetic and putting on a great show, full of smiles, rock and roll, and having fun. Uriah and
Coverdale both smiled in my face and sang the words to the songs with me as I was rocking out while trying to take
pictures at the same time. I love the crowd interaction, the easy smiles, and the overall connection to everyone
there. Whitesnake is as solid as that sold out arena show I saw 20 years ago. It has lost none of its glamour,
class, or intensity over the years.
Who knew I would be Standing here 20 years later and they would still be just as good.
Set List
Burn/Stormbringer
Bad Boys
Ready & Willing
Love Aint No Stranger
Aint No Love
Slow & Easy
Judgment Day
Snake Dance
Crying In The Rain
Is This Love
Slide It In
Gimme All Your Love
Here I Go
Feeling Hot/Take Me With You
Still Of The Night
Whitesnake 2005 is
David Coverdale on vocals, Doug Aldrich on guitar, Tommy Aldridge on drums, Reb Beach on guitar, Uriah Duffy on bass
and Timothy Drury on keyboards
