Whitesnake “Good To Be Bad” CD Listening/Performance @ The Cutting Room (4/10/2008)

This evening’s fun was one of those cool rare opportunities that stick in your memory for years after they happen and this particular one focused on the eighties Metal giants Whitesnake who were presenting their latest CD to a select group of media entities. The new album is called “Good To Be Bad” and comes care of SPV Records which is one of PiercingMetal.com’s favorite providers of Metal content in terms of releases and bands. I had to admit that I felt like a fan boy myself when I learned that singer David Coverdale would be present to meet with us at the intimate setting of The Cutting Room in NYC. This turned to pure euphoria when I learned that joining Coverdale would be guitarist Doug Aldrich and that the pair would entertain us all with new and classic Whitesnake songs. I couldn’t let the legions of Metal heads that read my words feel left out of the event so I present the full scope of the night along with many photos that can be enjoyed by scrolling past the logo below.

Logo - Whitesnake

Artist: Whitesnake
Venue: The Cutting Room (New York, NY)
Event: “Good To Be Bad” CD Listening & Performance
Date: 4/10/2008
Label: SPV Records

The Metal airwaves of the eighties rumbled with their powerful chords and albums such as “Slide It In” and “Whitesnake” forever became cemented into the hearts of Hard Rock and Metal fans around the world. The band which was actually formed back in 1977 by former Deep Purple front man David Coverdale achieved the largest level of notoriety during that decade based on a powerhouse lineup and incredible songs that were radio staples, and had videos that were in constant rotation on MTV. In today’s music world Coverdale fronts a completely new lineup of players and is ready to unleash on the world an incredible piece of music with “Good To Be Bad”. It’s an album that will not only appeal to those who seek the best reminders of their favorite Hard Rock of the past but also one that works well in today’s scene as consistently solid and a reminder about why this band is as loved as it is.

Tonight at the intimate setting of The Cutting Room in New York City, I had the honor of being a part of an Industry exclusive album listening that found the one and only David Coverdale and guitarist Doug Aldrich present to not only answer questions but more importantly to jam out on several classics and those that are destined to be such. The atmosphere of The Cutting Room is rather pleasant and the perfect environment for such an event with a massive front bar and a back room area that has a small stage. Doug would play acoustic guitar while David sang and interjected the tunes with doses of standup comedy. Acting the proper English gentleman, Coverdale informed all in attendance that Whitesnake was on a mission from God to get this album into everyone’s hands and when asked how long it took to record it he chimed back “fifteen years”. Much of the commentary was left to light jesting between the crowd and David and when another participant yelled will there be a video, the singer asked if that was someone from the record label and how much money they had to do one. They began the set with the classic “Gimme All Your Love” and went right off to a new tune “Can You Hear The Wind Blow”. Coverdale mused that it was probably odd to do all this new music that many had not yet heard but then again he recalled how Deep Purple had done almost the entire new album “Burn” back in the day before it came out and the audience didn’t seem to mind. “All I Want All I Need” came up next and it is actually the first ballad on the new album. It will definitely serve the need for another solid slow track from the band. “Lay Down Your Love” sounded good acoustically and had some of the audience catching on and helping with the chorus. It’s a bluesy number that’s very reminiscent of the Coverdale Page side project.

The singer sounded and looked good this evening and was in quite a charming mood which you could feel from the stage. Aldrich was doing some justice on the guitar and when there were pauses he would indulge us with some solo flair. Sadly there was no drummer onstage tonight even though there were drums set up – Coverdale thanked the drummer for not showing up tonight and then yelled “where the fuck is Carmine (Appice)”. I’m pretty sure that no drummer was ever setup to play tonight but it would have kicked this thing up a notch even more if there had been. Coverdale would often ask the crowd if they were done yet or what song did they want to hear and while one young lady would yell “Still Of The Night” they would not comply. Truly a shame as it would have been cool to hear that one done with a minimalist approach. They would pull a surprise out of the hat and deliver the soulful blues number “Aint No Love In The Heart Of The City” and a slightly reggae tinted “Fool For Your Loving”. Some members in the audience screamed for “Slide It In”, and David spoke a few words of it in a dramatic fashion and said that Shakespeare had actually written the number. For their last song they would pummel everyone with “Here I Go Again” and it was a tune that found everyone in the place singing along – and judging from the smile on Coverdale’s face he really approved of this. It’s a tune that I think everyone has a special affinity for and it proved tonight to be stronger than ever.

After the truly intimate performance David and Doug enjoyed some talk time with those in attendance and took a number of candid photos with those who wanted them. They really seem excited about the new album and how the people will receive it. The venue had been playing it in the background all night and based on what was heard I think that it is going to impress and satisfy all the people who have been anxiously awaiting something new from the band. It’s powerful stuff to say the least. Sadly the other members of the band were not present tonight but for those who are unaware of the new roster they are Reb Beach (guitar), Uriah Duffy (bass), Timothy Drury (keyboards) and Chris Frazier (drums). “Good To Be Bad” will hit the streets on 4/22/2008 and also have a special edition version that features a number of bonus live tracks to enjoy, so if you love those extras you can be rest assured that this version will be right up your alley. Make sure to get yourself a copy of the new album and watch the concert calendars for the upcoming live appearances as well.

Set List:
1. Gimme All Your Love
2. Can You Hear The Wind Blow
3. All I Want All I Need
4. Lay Down Your Love
5. Fool For Your Lovin’
6. Deeper The Love
7. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City
8. Here I Go Again

Official Website: www.whitesnake.com

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