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Whitesnake at Castle Donington
Whitesnake will play this year at the Download festival in Castle Donington. The festival will run on the weekend of June 12-14 with Coverdale and his boys reportedly appearing on the 14th, just before headliners Def Leppard. Festival passes and packages go on sale Friday, February 13, at 9 a.m. (more info). Live Nation presale starts on Thursday, February 12, at 9 a.m. on www.livenation.co.uk (you need to register at downloadfestival.co.uk and/or livenation.co.uk for the presale). Individual day passes might be available at a later date, depending on the sales of weekend packages.
In preparation for the Donington show, Whitesnake will also tour for three weeks around Europe, starting with an open air in Sandnes, Norway on May 21. That tour will include headlining several festivals, and playing some low-key, smaller venues outside of major cities. We will post the details as soon as we get them.
Thanks to Blabbermouth.net and Nigel Young for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
I can’t believe that Whitesnake goes stronger on tour than Deep Purple…
February 13th, 2009 at 10:29Def Leppard over Whitesnake as headline guest? Did I read that right? Not to bash D-L, both were 80’s classics.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:17I just hope that Coverdale this time will be singing as he did back in the good old days. 2008 was painfull to see and listen to.
February 13th, 2009 at 17:11Def Leppard are crap rubbish and I can’t believe they are above Whitesnake…
February 13th, 2009 at 21:43people are strange…or beter insane!!!!
We should be used to the fact by now that they already toured together in 2008 and the Lepp’s closed the shows and had the production honors, with a big stage set and everything… whats new concerning the pairing and who is actually headlining between the two?
It’s obviously not about who’s better, since when has it been, when the touring industry is led by a bunch of pencil neck dweebs who have no idea whats really entertaining? It’s about who’s ‘bigger…’ always has been, always will be.(since when is bigger ever really better? pretty rare isn’t it?) Take comfort he’s even interested in existing, considering those stakes.
February 14th, 2009 at 08:15Seems a bit strange Whitesnake playing arguably a support slot when they headlined Donington in 1983 and 1990, I may be getting old but it just seemed far better back then, I wish we could have something like ‘Monsters of rock’ with a similar line up to 2006 and a larger attendance of course, when the rest of the line up is confirmed, I’ll decide whether to bother going or not. I’m not sitting through hours of Norwegian ‘We’ll burn your church down after we reach puberty first’ death metal or goatee bearded, baggy jeaned hoodies trying to receate the awful early 90’s grunge era.
February 14th, 2009 at 10:50I can’t understand why ‘Def Nerds’ are considered bigger than whitesnake…
February 14th, 2009 at 12:58It is a popularity contest, in the last 29 hours the Rock Station here has played songs from:
February 14th, 2009 at 13:28Def Leopard – 9 (somewhat inflated had a 1/2 hr. special)
Zep – 6
Ozzy – 6
Sabbath -3
WS – 2 (same song)
Dio – 2 ” ”
Rainbow – 1
DP -1……………….Go Figure
this is an english thing…
as for paul rodgers one of the top 3 best singers of the story…
in my country deaf leppard and paul rodgers for example are surely not so big…
February 14th, 2009 at 15:50Def Leppard are one of most known band in Italy mainly since Hysteria,and all old rockers know the old LP like High And Dry and…and..
Def Leppard belong to the best era which is the NWOBHM,from England: I thank very much England for having gift to the people this kind of music,the real rock that give me good vibration and satisfaction since I was teen ager..now I am 40 and I love these all bands always.
After DP,BS,LZ a lot of bands were born in England,the most known IRON M.,SaXoN,Thin Lizzy (they were from Ireland but they started their dproduction in England..),Judas P…and of course Def Lepp.
What are you saying Roberto? I don’t agree..
February 14th, 2009 at 16:05sorry : for having given
February 14th, 2009 at 16:06You appreciate def leppard and this is a question of taste, no problem…(eve if I think they are rubbish)
February 14th, 2009 at 18:30But if you are honest you can’t say that they are so famous as you told in our country…
@8
“It is a popularity contest”
And the winner is, YOU!
Stoffer takes the cake once again with the briefest yet most effective summery.
Cheers to that, it really needs no wheel spinning.
Post of the year so far!
February 14th, 2009 at 19:47Cheers to You CG
February 15th, 2009 at 02:47in fact…def leppard…just popularity contest…(BUT in UK)
February 15th, 2009 at 14:53Why bother DC…..Your voice is gone anyway, unless a miracle restores it to former glory! As far as DEF LEPPARD is concerned….Merely a pop band in disquised as “Rockers”….I call it harmless “Pussy Metal”!!!ROCK ON!
February 15th, 2009 at 15:26Not trying to make a different point here other than the popularity contest thing but, just for grins the last 24 hours of radio here (they post their songs online):(
February 15th, 2009 at 15:53Def L – 7
Zep -7
Sabbath – 3
WS – 2
Dio – 1
Dixie D w/SM -1
Trapeze -1
Joe Sat -1
DP -0 Sorry but true,no love..this weekend for DP
to#8— DP #1 to Zep’s #6. Great ratio from where I am from. It’s more like DP#1 to Zep’s #50 to the Rolling Mummies #49.
February 15th, 2009 at 16:48very sorry to hear that :{ #18
February 15th, 2009 at 16:54Up until and including Hysteria, Leppard was very good Rock Band. They did as do many others…..(the first that comes to mind is Wishbone Ash and even Purple). Wishbone Ash was slowly gaining a huge following. Their twin guitar sound and vocals were unmatched at the time. They then put out their most successful album ‘Argus’. They became huge for just a moment. Then they quickly followed up with ‘Wishbone 4’, which strayed away from the sound that the fans went wild for and finally gave them their credit due. Lineup changes and never coming close to repeating that classic albums quality put the nails in their Success Coffin. They never recovered from that and the rest is history. Purple actually did the same with ‘Machinehead’. When “Made in Japan” exposed them to the masses and they then were instantly successful putting Purple and ‘Machinehead’ into the realm as a Household Name, their bickering and inner turmoil caused a lackluster follow-up and them the lineup changes and again, their Honeymoon with the industry was over. Seems to be the nature of the Success Beast for some the Greatest Musicians whom are taken for granted.
Even Purple has swapped headlining on there tours. Hence the Bananas Tour whereby they would share the bill with Lynyrd Skynrd and trade off various nights as Headliners depending on their venue.
Yes, it’s all about the food chain and who is at the top at the time. Nothing new. But, many times it is the fault of the Band and their actions and decisions along the way that puts them in those positions….
Leppard and Whitesnake together is good bill in my opinion. Plus, Vivian Campbell was once in Whitesnake, so why not? Plus, there new Album is actually pretty good and does go back to and is reminiscent of the Pyromania days.
Snakes and Leppards. It’s a Zoo out there……
Cheers
February 15th, 2009 at 17:56I have to agree Tracy, after an album like Hysteria and all the creature comforts that came with such a huge hit, I can’t name many bands that have repeated such a success ever again… something about the club med vacation it can finance comes to mind… hard to come back and compete with such a thing.
I also agree it’s a good pairing, much better than w/Motley.
February 15th, 2009 at 23:04Both WS and Lep have decent albums out after too long out of the game, they should be more respected for their efforts.(but David is definitely hurting on stage, sadly)
I also have to mention that the industry seems to have a vacuum effect on artists that succeed as much as WS and Lep once did… it’s like they think that once you’ve conquered and divided, that you have nothing but a ‘comeback’ vibe to present, even after two years of milking a magnum opus… a criminal fact, absolutely! It’s like they’re saying, “what gives you the right?” For crying out loud, that’s some serious bullshit, but it is what it is.
February 15th, 2009 at 23:09Roberto
I really don’t know what’s in your head when you said Def Leppard was a crap! Maybe their music isn’t your cup of tea, but to be OBJECTIVE (I’m a huge Def Leppard fans, also Whitesnake – of course in their early days) you really goin’ wrong. Who’s the real loser (CRAP is really negative hurting label!) between the two, let’s see :
1. One thing you have to remember is : DEF LEPPARD NOW IS DEF LEPPARD THEN while WHITESNAKE NOW IS NOT WHITESNAKE THEN EXCEPT THE COMMANDER!
Viv Campbell came because Clark was death, and the most extraordinary fact is they keep Rick Allen instead of the fact that he’s lost one of his hand by accident. What else could be dramatically amazing than this kind of friendship, can you tell me?
In the other hand, Whitesnake was one of the band which has the most frequent personal changes I’ve ever known. Count it. I really had no idea why he fired Micky Moody after 5 years together. And very strange how he fired all 1987’s personal after the release (Vandenberg was on session job) as 1987 was one of the greatest rock album. At that time 1987, Def Leppard was still carry on with one handed Rick Allen.
2. Donnington 1990 – That’s the end of an era for Mr. Coverdale and Whitesnake as big star. If you saw the concert, it’s where Coverdale had his worst day ever, his vocal so so horrible, sick, and strained. So what Donnington’s 09 gonna be?
3.If you went to one or more of the Def Leppard – Whitesnake England tour (billed as the best collaboration tour of 2008 in UK!!), you even would realized the reason and the facts why Whitesnake go as opener and Def Leppard as the closer act!! Coverdale lost his voice as many said, while Def Leppard gave an energic performance. Remember, Whitesnake and Def Leppard started together at 1978.
Some might said Def Leppard music were overproduced and the lyrics was somehow bored. But they still survive with original members, the musicianship as well as the friendship still there to be admired, selling tickets all over the world especially America where hard rock became falling down these days. So why they are crap?? You need to learn the facts before posting something like this one
February 16th, 2009 at 14:12I just want to see how old lions such as Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Heaven and Hell, Yes, will roar through these years. I give the edge surely for Deep Purple!! Can’t wait for new album and tour…
Donnington 2009 will be a place for these rock bands to prove that they are still alive and well. Can’t wait for it (I mean the bootleg, hehehehe…)
Cheers!
February 16th, 2009 at 14:20#23 your last paragrahp very true, however I THINK David Coverdale is considered a Rock Icon (because of his DP ties) and huge 80’s success at par with D-L. That gives W-snake the edge. D-L are 80’s Icons–not Rock legends. Can not argue with the longevity and probably great friendship these guys have together.
February 16th, 2009 at 19:36andre
February 17th, 2009 at 22:49Def leppard music, this is what I am talking about, sound crap to me…I simply don’t like their songs and style…despite this I could easly believe you that they are wonderful people…
Latest 24 hour playlist:
February 18th, 2009 at 03:01Zep -8
Def -5
DP -1
Sabbath
-1
WS -1
Trapeze -1
Tommy Bolin -1 Rainbow & Dio – 0
I really had no idea there was that much Def played on the air, they are good but not THAT GOOD!!
LZ were made for FM tunes
DP for Rockers
February 18th, 2009 at 08:58AndreA, you are 100% correct!!
February 18th, 2009 at 11:39thank you dear friend…
February 18th, 2009 at 12:36Roberto, I got your thinking.
February 19th, 2009 at 00:38But, I think you should say their music is crap, not the band. Def Leppard is one of those bands who had great musicianship as well as friendship. Just read their history (but you do no have to listen their music, hehe..)
Cheers
February 19th, 2009 at 00:42Saw Whitesnake and Def Leppard on the recent UK tour – it was a no brainer for the headlining act. I’m not a big fan of Def Leppard but they were head and shoulders above Coverdale and his hired crew, oh and he couldn’t sing either. As a fan of early Snake I was very sad..
February 19th, 2009 at 16:28Hey guys, whats up? Coverdales voice is still great! It seems that almost everyone relates DC’s vocals to around 79-81? Am I right? Lord have mercy gentlemen those songs back then weren’t as demanding vocally as most of his newer material, I used to sing in an amateur band back in the 80’s, so I know that his earlier work aside from live version of Mistreated, not counting Crying in the Rain were a little easier to sing. My amateur band Wicked Lester did Ready n Willing also An’t Gonna Cry No More. We also did a lot of Thin Lizzy, because of the twin guitars, we had some pretty decent guitar players in that band. So come on guys lighten up!! I’m definitely going to the Cincinnati Oh. gig, and I’ll give you a real honest review of his voice OK? Cheers BP Hey Tracy, thanx for the Gillan Morocco review!
April 15th, 2009 at 16:27……Saw Whitesnake in Holland and Brussels…..great show ….DC …superb voice…you will be suprised…so DONNIGTON …ARE YOU READY ?????
June 14th, 2009 at 13:37saw whitesnake and leppard in dublin on friday night 12th june 09, yes leppard headlined, but the snakes were by far the best band on the night, coverdale at his best
June 15th, 2009 at 03:47