Mike Tramp is
best known as the singer of White Lion, a band that is still fondly remembered
by droves of loyal fans, myself included. Since White Lion ceased to be, Mike
kept building a solid repertoire of his own songs, the most recent contained
within the album “Museum”.
Keen to strut
his stuff the old-fashioned way, Mike grabbed a guitar and embarked on a trek of
European clubs starting in England and scheduled to end in Denmark, his country
of origin. The last of his England dates was in London, so armed with my camera
and a cheerful sense of anticipation, I conveyed to the heart of London’s live
scene.
Dave Winkler
(www.facebook.com/dave.winkler.9210)
Dave Winkler was
the only support act. Normally he plays guitar with Parkway, a Melodic
Rock/Power-Pop band from London. Tonight, however Dave performed solo for the
very first time - so his jitteriness was perhaps understandable. The set
featured acoustic versions of Parkway songs, some of his own compositions and
other songs with a special meaning for him. His tribute to the recently deceased
Jimi Jamison (Survivor) was a good indication of his musical interests.
Despite having a
good ear for melody, Dave’s show was nothing to write home about. It was mildly
entertaining though his effort to engage with the audience was commendable. Each
song was preceded with an explanation of its significance for him, generally
involving a humorous tone. Some self-deprecating jibes were occasionally used to
give himself added confidence (“With my band this one usually get a great
reaction so I hope I won’t fuck this up”).
Set-list:
Waiting For You
Something
Last Mistake
Outta My Head
I’m Always Here (Jimi Jamison cover)
Before The Song Is Over
Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper cover)
RATING: 59/100
Mike Tramp
(http://miketramp.dk)
Very
casually, Mike Tramp strolled onto the stage to deliver his set: a mix of
acoustic versions of White Lion and of Freak Of Nature songs together with a
selection of his own material. He peppered his show with lots of stories,
anecdotes and friendly banter, sometimes meandering incomprehensibly but always
being very entertaining. He even joked about his own jokes and throughout the
gig took every opportunity to name-drop countless Metal bands, such as King
Diamond, Dio, Ozzy and Skid Row.
From the opening
‘Little Fighter’ – one of the White Lion songs performed – it became clear that
this was not really a gig in the traditional sense. With zero security staff, no
fancy lights, no stage props, this was more like a gathering between longtime
friends in someone’s back garden. This sense of intimacy gave rise to a magical
aura within which laughter roared, tears fell and memories were rekindled.
For me the
performance’s highlights were ‘When The Children Cry’ and ‘Hymn For Ronnie’, the
latter being a song he wrote mere days after Ronnie James Dio’s passing. But
also the numbers taken from his solo albums went down well, particularly
‘Cobblestone Street’ and ‘Mother’.
The Danish lion
still roars!
Set-list:
Little Fighter
Revolution
Tell Me
Trust In Yourself
Turn the Other Way
Hungry
Road to Valhalla
Endless Highway
And You Were Gone
Hymn for Ronnie
What Am I
Wait
Cobblestone Street
Mother
Warsong
Better Off
Broken Heart
Radar Love (Golden Earring cover)
When The Children Cry
Farewell To You
RATING: 82/100
Attending:
Chris Galea |
