google5fdb2843fc4f1b5b.html Rock Chic: Whitesnake and Def Leppard, Dublin

Friday 2 July 2010

Whitesnake and Def Leppard, Dublin

Here we go again......but definitely not on our own.

Whitesnake and Def Leppard are back again for another short UK tour. Massive surprise as you could have been convinced last year's reunion would have been it. This time they are back and they've bought some old friends with them, in the shape of Journey.
You can't help but get the feeling that this year the majority of the mostly over 40 crowd at Dublin's O2 Arena are only here to see the Californian rockers, with a sea of 'Revelation' and 'Escape' t-shirts filling the first 5 rows. As soon as the band hit the stage, the crowd are singing in unison to their opening number 'Separate Ways'. This 14,000 strong karaoke continues through the set, and bursts the place at the seams when the band storm out 'Don't Stop Believing'. At this point even the non-believers are rocking.
Next to adorn the stage are the sex oozing, hair flowing, bare-chested monsters of rock that are Whitesnake. Coverdale owns the stage with an air of arrogance that would make your eyes water. But this is what the band are about and the crowd love it.
Belting out hits such as 'Still of the Night' makes you realise that Whitesnake are still very much top of their game, even if their game is one of cliché, big hair, OTT leather and innuendo.
Def Leppard round off this 5 hour explosion of guitars and glory with a mind-blowing set. This band may not be as playful as Journey or as provocative as Whitesnake, but they certainly know how to work the crowd after all these years. All the usual antics apply, with Rick Savage delivering a brain buzzing solo during the Lep verion of 'Rock On', played on his signature Union Jack guitar - slap bang in the middle of Dublin city.
Joe Elliot smouldering talent and ease as he swaggers the stage. A highlight of the set has to be Joe proving he can still hit the heights of 'Love Bites'. Not one of their most popular hits, but tonight who would know. 'Pour some sugar on me' 'bounced off the walls with such force, makes you wish you had a mile-high perm and a wind machine. The band know, the crowd knows that these days you can't take this stuff too seriously, but once you know that you're in for one hell of a rock ride.
Obviously 'Do you wanna get rocked?' is the question of the night that everyone was waiting for. I think you know what the answer might have been......

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