Mike Tramp’s White Lion Are Set To Rock Australia

‘It was pretty crazy, looking back at the time, I actually think that the train went so fast that you almost cannot retell the story. It happened so quickly that a lot of the decisions we made were because there wasn’t time to think it through. There was no time to go home and read the contract. So, you said, what the fuck? I’m going to sign it right on the spot! forty years later you kick yourself and say ‘why the fuck did I sign that?’ That’s what you did when you were twenty five years old because at twenty five years old you only knew so much. You knew the price of hairspray, you knew what kind of jeans you wanted to wear, and you knew that there was no such thing as saying no!’

Mike Tramp, the legendary front man of hard rockers White Lion, recalls the heady days of extravagance as he prepares to tour Australia performing the songs of the once MTV headline grabbing band. However, why now is the important question.

‘When White Lion was a band, there was no such thing as mobile phones! They’d only done three Star Wars and there was only one Jaws. Let’s just go back to how ridiculously long ago that is. Sometimes nothing better has come around, so let’s bring back the old stuff.’

‘It is tough to erase good memories that people have through music. Sometimes it’s something that I stray away from, but when I’m basically faced with it and hear people express the joy of hearing a song, I cannot run away from it. Just knowing that the powerful memories that people have through rock and roll is irreplaceable, enormous. When you can bring back that kind of memory thirty five years later, to an audience thirty five years older, that still just puts a smile on their face, reliving that memory – or just closing their eyes and say ‘that rock and roll was great.’ What am I going to say to that? New music can’t do that. One of the great things about playing these songs now in packed clubs is the intensity, the closeness with the audience and that you’re able to communicate to them without screaming.’

The Danish born, American styled rocker hasn’t forget how he got here and why, after all this is man who at the turn of the century emigrated to Tasmania first, then Melbourne, for a decade and he loved it.

‘I’m very pleased that I have that connection and the almost ten years I was there and the music scene, Melbourne, especially Melbourne, really, really liking Melbourne. The years I was there and the venues, I played Adelaide many times, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra a couple of times, I’m just happy to have the memories.’

‘One thing that I discovered coming to Australia – and Melbourne specifically – is that I got a whole different understanding of the background of AC/DC. The lyrics of Bon Scott made complete sense to me whereas before they were just rock and roll lyrics, now they suddenly made a lot of sense in a different, very unique way. The approach of the band’s attitude, the look. I saw the tradesmen going to work every single day in the Ute in the Blundstones, high waisted jeans and singlets. That’s Bon Scott right there, that’s AC/DC! They are the working man’s band. So if nothing else, that discovery to me meant everything.’

Back to the tour on hand, while Mike Tramp graced the boards with many bands – including the criminally underrated Freak Of Nature – the setlist is all White Lion.

‘This kind of tour calls for both the band wanting to play certain songs that are musically challenging and a greatest hits set list. There are certain songs you have to play to be fair to the audience, and then there’s a certain songs that the band want to play. It’s a great mixture, not just the titles of the songs, but also different keys, different grooves, that it doesn’t just all sound like one. It’s not a greatest hist set, but the greatest hits are there. It’s a kick ass set.’

‘The songs of White Lion performed well in a very mature and very strong musical version is worth seeing. This is a no frills show, but it’s classic rock and roll. You know what, in reality, it’s not my best line, but imagine AC/DC performing White Lion. I’m going to throw some jokes in between the songs too.’

Interview By Iain McCallum

Tickets to Mike Tramp’s White are on sale now from Silverback Touring…