The faboulous Deep Purple frontman’s group Whitesnake line-up David Coverdale -voc, Joel Hoekstra – lead guitar, Reb Beach – guitar, Michael Devin – bass, Tommy Aldridge – drums and Michele Luppi – key & backing vocals is keep touring Europe with 'The Greatest Hits Tour 2016′.
The signs look very promising for that day. The weather wasn’t too rainy and even the sun looked out from the clouds. Charlotta Hotel on 6th August, around 2pm. Black Mercedes vans park on the hotel’s driveway. They pick up Whitesnake musicians to the Charlotta Amphitheatre for the before concert sound check.
Photo by Chris Willow
The sound and light Coverdale’s technicians are running on the stage, making the gear, sound and light ready for the show. Musicians tune up to the David’s voice which is playbacked from the tape digitaly recorded especially for such a purpose. We can hear the next chords of the guitars, keyboards, drums beat and vocal sound checks in an ampty amphitheatre yet.
Photo by Chris Willow
„The Answer” a Northern Irish hard rock and bluesy rock band opens for Whitesnake as a support act late afternoon.
Their music is just simple but lacks of dynamic and interesting arrangement, compositions are not too briliant and they are not any danger for Whitesnake boys.
Past 10 pm in the night the smoke and thunders coming out of nowhere and driving like rain. It is Whitesnake twist on the lightning again. Dark clouds gathering over Charlotta breaking the night, Coverdale starts singing and it is nowhere to hide. They kicks off with ’ Bad Boys’ in the falling rain, fans yelling and screaming 'David !’ David ! and Whitesnake ! Whitesnake ! In such a situation it would not be very fair to hide at the deep stage – Coverdale just walked out close to his audience and was getting the rain storm slams together with them.
And the crowd (especially women) showed their love to him for that and throw their underwear on the sage which occured in white and red bras – Polish national colors.
David glitzy hung them on his microphone. The pheromones, euphoria and singing adrenaline were at work.
The Greatest Hits Tour 2016 covered most of David’s hits which were on his LP called 'Whitesnake’ released in 1987, which went platinum 8 times’.
The most interesting bluesy tune at Charlotta show – „Slow an’ Easy”.
together with ’ Fool For Your Loving’
rocked out 4 thounsed alike audience.
„Here I Go Again” number is placed on the set list too. It is well known for Polish fans as it has been shown on Polish TV very often. This video clip apart from David and Whitesnake, starring his wife, a well known pretty model and actress Tawny Kitaen.
Funny story – the great track 'Crying In The Rain was played when it stopped raining for a while, in the gap betwen one rainstorm and the other. The drum solo linked with this song thundered down wet enough audience.
Reb Beach’s jetty guitar solo in ‘Slide It In’ was shreded in the heavy rain seemed to dry out wet to the bone people. David was hoarse a bit but it was his risk as he got wet while 'crying in the rain’ together with his audience and asking rhetoricaly through the micrphone ‘Is this Polish summer ?
Charlotta Whitesnake concert was musically and repertoirely very successful, well played and spontanousely received by the viewers, inspite of terrible weather. And it would be great if on grande finnale we could get a new version of DeepPurple’s mighty’ Strmbringer’ of his last CD ‘The Purpe Album’ but it didn’t happen. Insted of it they ended up with their ‘Still Of The Night’ head banger with an explosive guitar solo delivered by Joel Hoekstra in the front of the crowd.
The recreational-enterainig resort Charlotta has offered for its guests, apart from the concert of rock giants, its outstanding location – underneath the hill – wide pond with the restaurat ‘Gosciniec’ on the small island and the cotage-hotel on the water just besides and up hill – there are hotel setting, amphitheatre and parking lots on the field. Everything would be just OK if they would have better staff. The unpleasant front desk staff and ‘check your coats and cynism at the security ‘ literaly scared off the visitors . And it was unfair from the organizer, if it is about admission tickets because if you bought them at Ticketpro or Charlotta office box you overpaid a great deal, as the parking lots attendants and staff guys were selling Whitesnake III sector tickets for 70 PLN ( Ticketpro internet and Charlotta office box price 190 PLN ) and I sector tickets for 150 PLN ( Ticketpro internet and Charlotta office box price 280 PLN). There is nowhere in the civilised Europe that admission tickets are sold in dumping prices by the organizer’s employees much cheapper than they offer regulary. Usually tickets on the day of the concert are sold at the same price or higher one. But here at Charlotta Setting the unexpected pleasant surprise for fans wanting to see their idols ! Viva Charlotta !
Chris Willow – The Messenger