|
On a cold St Patrick’s Day, former White Lion singer
Mike Tramp rolled into
Long Island’s party town Farmingdale, to commence us to his new formation of
“Mike Tramp’s White Lion” at the Long Island’s premier rock club The Downtown.
A wise choice, considering the hefty crowd attendance that night, cheered on
by radio station WBAB disc jockey and reining king of Metal Shop, Mr. Fingers”
himself.
The question asked by many is why White Lion broke up. Was
it the Grunge revolution of the nineties or simply internal conflicts? With
many hits, successful albums and sold out tours it is an infamy that the guys
could not persevere on like their counterparts Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and
Aerosmith. White Lion were known for precisely crafting catchy songs
combined with instrumental wizardry from master guitarist Vito Bratta.
 With
their hit singles “Wait”, “Little Fighter” and “When the Children Cry”, they
stormed the concert halls across the world, leaving teenage girls weeping and
guys with sore necks from head banging. The deadly mix of good looks, striking
songs and a great stage act made them headliners in no time and soon the boys
from Brooklyn were on their way to Hollywood. Little did they know that the
gravy train would soon end after their final yet fantastic album “Mane Attraction”.
This album was loaded with hot songs and truly showcased the talent of the band.
It was also released around the time “grunge music” started hitting the airwaves,
leaving the album prey to greedy record executives scrambling to climb aboard
the new wave of rock music, therefore putting metal acts on the lower rung of
the totem pole of promotional budgeting.
Mike Tramp came to America in the early eighties from his native Denmark to
seek out the American music dream. After the White Lion period he recorded various
solo albums and participated in a band called “Freak of Nature”. A recent documentary
on VH1 about White Lion probably sparked the idea to go back on the road again
under the same moniker. Currently he is a residing in Australia and indeed reviving
the White Lion legacy with a world tour in different venues like this performance
in Farmingdale, NY.
With a new cast of great musicians plucked from various countries
including Australia, Denmark and America, he is ready for the kill and hungry
to bring back the memory of the eighties. After a spineless yet reliable set
by the faceless eighties one hit wonder group “Enuffz’Enuff, Mike Tramp hit
the stage under loud applause with the White Lion favorite “Hungry for
your Love”. Any aficionado of White Lion’s music will agree, that seeing Mike
Tramp back on stage sparked mixed emotions similar to meeting a long lost girlfriend
who you were very fond of, but for some reason had no appreciation for at the
time. It was a magical point in time you thought would last forever, yet came
to an abrupt end!
Mike still has his looks and is in good shape with tattoos
fashionably across his body. Backed by a very strong band, Mike strummed with
ease through the White Lion greatest hits list. His voice still intact
and boisterous stage personality impressed the jaded Long Island audience and
soon enough he persuaded them to sing along with great songs such as “Little
Fighter”, “Lady of the Valley” and the infectious “Tell Me”. As the band
plays “Broken Heart”, you can’t help but wonder if indeed the lyrics-“you can’t
fight the pain of a broken heart”, are written all over Mike’s forehead. He
is passionate and angry about the loss of his White Lion success days and wants
the world to know he is back to shake everyone up with crushing songs like “Lights
and Thunder”,” Radar Love”, “Love Don’t Come Easy “ and “Wait”.
 In
between the songs Mike amused the crowd with a comedy-like rap he dubbed himself
as a David Lee Roth knock-off. Not claiming to be bitter, he profusely scolded
on today’s TV shows and music scene, reminiscing the days when MTV played metal
videos and clubs were packed with music lovers supporting bands. Indeed, it
must be difficult for someone like Mike, to adapt in today’s world as a believer
of great rock n” roll music while being plagued with pitiable shows such as
American Idol where spiritless wanna-bees who have not paid their dues on the
live circuit, are rocketed to instant fame. Perhaps Mike Tramp will have to
date a Baywatch starlet, write a book on the rock n’ roll lifestyle and be featured
in a VH-1 reality show to get White Lion to play and sell–out Madison Square
Garden in fashion with the recently reunited Motley Crue.
As the spirited concert draws a near, the remaining late-night crowd is exhausted
yet sad to see the end in sight. The worn-out fans barely have the energy to
cheer, but are rescued by the band eager to play an encore.
The band will next head out to Ohio to preach and teach another
surprised crowd the principles and lessons of rock n “roll- a great service
provided by Mike Tramp and the band in these times of lethargy and indifference.
For more information, check out
http://www.miketramp.com,
http://www.drummertroy.com
and the
Mike Tramp FanPage.
|