Let’s talk about Whitesnake, shall we darlings? Grab a cup of tea and belly up while we reminisce back to the peak of their stardom – at Donington in 1990.
I can’t let it go unsaid that my personal Whitesnake jam is the “Slide It In” LP from 1984. That record featured John Sykes on guitar, fresh out of a stint with Thin Lizzy and their awesome (but most metal, and final) album “Thunder and Lightning.” Sykes would stay on board with David Coverdale and company through the recording and touring cycle of “Slide It In” and the recording of the follow-up, 1987’s “Whitesnake,” but depart before the latter’s release.
The self-titled album was HUGE, going 8x Platinum in the U.S. alone on the back-to-back-to-back hit chain of “Still of the Night,” “Here I Go Again,” and “Is This Love.” The follow-up “Slip of the Tongue” didn’t come close in sales or charts, but by then Whitesnake was one of the biggest names in rock, coasting on the power of the `87 record as they descended on the annual rock fest at the UK’s Castle Donington for a headline slot on August 18, 1990. The record and tour featured the dual-wizardry of guitarists Adrian Vandenberg (Vandenberg) and Steve Vai (Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth), a pairing strong enough to put asses in seats regardless of the name on the marquee. Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Blizzard of Ozz) and Tommy Aldridge (Blizzard of Ozz, Thin Lizzy) on bass and drums completed the uber-strong star-studded lineup.
Donington 1990, and the year 1990 itself, were perhaps special as they ushered out the era of the giant hair-metal bands. While bands like Mötley Crüe, Metallica, Skid Row, and Iron Maiden would continue to play the festival for years to come, metal was declining in popularity and would be replaced by grunge as the genre-of-choice for cool kids everywhere in a couple short years.
30 years later to the day, on August 18, 2020, from their own living rooms to ours, the Donington lineup of Whitesnake reunited for the first time since the day that tour ended for an hour long Q/A round-table and reminiscing-fest (sans Vandenberg who repeatedly tried, but couldn’t secure the bandwidth needed to actively participate). Coverdale, always the proper, articulate, British gent, led the discussions with the help of his wife (“Vanna Whitesnake” for the occasion) and forged ahead with his usual humor, grace, and old-English vocabulary, a true delight in itself. The discussion, while interesting to a degree, was a bit more indulgent, suffering from the awkward and ever-present Zoom-talk-overs and missed questions. Still, it was a nice bit of nostalgia and cool to hear what it was like for Sarzo to step into Whitesnake after the success of Quiet Riot and Ozzy, what Vai remembered specifically about that night, and how it was especially cathartic for Coverdale himself who was at the time entrenched in some alluded-to deep personal problems.
Following the round-table, 30 years to the minute after they took the stage at Donington, they released the video of the entire concert, lifted from the Jumbo-tron film crew by their manager after the show, and recently restored and remastered to it’s best VHS-grade glory.
No one in their right mind would think Vandenberg and Vai, with all their flashy skill, do the blues-licks of Sykes the justice they deserve (especially on my fave Slow an’ Easy). The outfits and stage-moves are ridiculous, the songs are full of innuendo, and the extended guitar and drum solos aren’t much more than an excuse to take a leak or check your phone. And while I’d probably prefer a club show from the “Slide It In” tour, “Live At Donington 1990” is a fun watch of a landmark moment in time, made even more grandiose by the creative and cool down-to-the-minute 30 year celebration of the event. The band is on fire, the songs are great, and it’s a worthwhile look back on an era long-gone.
“Let’s `ave a luukacha, Donington, shall we!”
Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos. Follow them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
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Twitter: @jeremyportermi | Instagram: @onetogive & @jeremyportermusic
