By Rahul Shrivastava

So there I am, in the Centurian bar before the gig, with a pint of bitter, talking to a couple of other Whitesnake fans.

We talk about many things, from the demise of Sunderland AFC, to the rising house prices in Jesmond, and who is prepared to travel to Glasgow to see Deep Purple later this year.

But all the while, the same topics keep cropping up. What will Whitesnake be like? Can David Coverdale still scream like he used to? Is Doug Aldrich a suitable guitarist for the band? Will they play the old stuff? And has Tommy Aldridge still got his 'Keegan' perm?

Entering the Arena

David Coverdale and Reb Beach

We down our pints and head for the venue in my mate's car, listening to a bit of Stretch (anyone remember this lot?) and gearing ourselves up for a night of good time rock n' roll.

Entering the Arena, I buy a Whitesnake programme (Not bad either. Even has older pics of the band. Look, there's Ian Paice!) before realising I have nowhere to put the damn thing without ruining it.

Shoving and cramming the programme into my trouser pocket, we hit the floor just as Y&T take the stage.

Now in all honesty, I know very little about this band, apart from the fact that their drummer once played with Deep Purple's Ian Gillan and Dave Meniketti is supposed to be a little bit special on the guitar. And indeed he was.

Emotive playing

His playing was very emotive and he put his heart into it despite the Arena not having filled up properly yet. The rest of his band were a tight unit and complemented him well.

After a 25 minute break, it was the turn of Gary Moore to impress the ever-increasing crowd.

The thing with Gary, and this was confirmed during his set, is that I always find myself waiting for the guitar solo in most of his tracks, rather than enjoying the vocals too.

His vocals ranged from average to poor, especially during the Free cover Wishing Well, but when he plays the guitar, the man just demands attention. Brilliant.

Doug Aldrich solo spot

His encore of Parisienne Walkways left you breathless. I dislike the souless studio version somewhat, but this song is an absolute monster live, and watching Gary perform it in front of me was definitely the guitar highlight of the evening.

Another break followed which seemed like eternity. I had previously seen David Coverdale and Whitesnake back in 1997 and if this concert was half as good, I'd have gone home happy.

After the speakers finished blasting out the Deep Purple classic Burn (with a young David Coverdale on vocals), the lights went out and the Snake hit the stage, launching into a ferocious version of Bad Boys.

Strutting his stuff

The first thing that comes to mind is that this is no band scenario. Whitesnake IS David Coverdale. And the guy is just an astonishing frontman.

For Coverdale, it is an art. He has the audience purring all night. It's a fine skill. And the way he commanded that stage was fabulous. Twirling the mike stand looked so effortless as he strutted his stuff before an enthusiastic crowd.

And his voice? Superb. While perhaps sticking to lower registers more often than he used to, he can still scream like a wild cat, and the bluesy notes are still there, especially when he did the impromptu acapella requests from the crowd.

As for the backing musicians, Tommy Aldridge was stunning, especially during his drum solo which is the best I have heard this side of a Cozy Powell 1812 overture. And yes, that perm was still there!

Tommy Aldridge drum solo

The guitarists were not quite in the same league as David and Tommy though, with Doug Aldrich's generic heavy metal solo spot failing to impress me much after the heroics of Meniketti and Moore before him.

As for the set-list, it was not bad, though a few more of the older, bluesier Snake classics would have been welcome, such as Blindman, Lovehunter or Don't Break My Heart Again.

Worth the wait

But we still got the thunder that was Walking in the Shadow of the Blues, and the old ballad Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City, which had the whole Arena singing along. A beautiful moment.

The crowd favourites like Fool For Your Loving, Still of the Night and Here I Go Again were ripped apart by Coverdale and his band in emphatic fashion.

A better frontman you will never see, and a more entertaining gig unlikely. This was worth waiting for and I hope it is not another six years before Coverdale comes back to Newcastle.

Once the show ended, it was time for a few drinks at the Arena's after-show rock night before heading home, with my ears still ringing, to uncrumple the Whitesnake tour programme from my pocket, crack open a beer, and settling down to read.