European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Former Ratt becomes a Whitesnake for a amps Scott Childress Whitesnake s David Coverdale unleashes his vocal fury in Dortmund. By Jon Connor staff writer t o hear him on stage you would t know that guitarist Warren. Demartini Only joined Whitesnake in may.,. Demartini 31, previously  late heavy Metal Rock act Ratt joined the newly re formed Whitesnake  after being asked by group founder lyricist and vocalist David Coverdale. Al always admired the band Quot he said citing Whitesnake s blues background before a show with Zzz top recently in Dortmund Germany. Quot he seems to be really Happy with the Way things Are Groove in Quot Demartini said of. Coverdale a notorious task master Quot he just sings his ass off Quot and Quot puts 1000 percent into every tune Quot Demartini said. The newest version of Whitesnake is on the Road supporting this year s release Whitesnake s greatest hits. Coverdale a briton formed Whitesnake in 1978. The band originally played ramp a influenced hard Rock not unlike the music of his previous group deep purple. Quot the original concept of Whitesnake Quot wrote Coverdale in the liner notes for the 14 song compilation Quot was to be a vehicle for Good Rock n Roll songs a gathering of musicians with a passion for expression under a creative umbrella to present ramp a based  the group peaked with the 1987 release of Whitesnake which sold 10 million copies worldwide and spawned the no. 1 hit Here i co again and the no. 2 hit is this love along with the top 40 Rock Anthem St of the night a. And this would be the history that Demartini could t turn Down. Not bad for someone that began strumming in 1978. A athe group played a nine song one hour set to an enthusiastic crowd of 16,000 at the Dortmund s Westfa Lenealle. Thanks to Demartini the audience got plenty of hot licks to cheer about with his energetic no holds barred approach. It was t difficult learning the songs he said because he already knew Whitesnake s hits Quot it was t too painful Quot Demartini said. Adding that Coverdale told him to Quot just do your own thing Quot during rehearsals. Quot it s been a Good time he said of touring with Coverdale Quot hell have a cigarette and. Drink after a show with you Quot Demartini said Quot you can t rehearse like you re going to. Play Quot Demartini pointed out. The european tour which kicked Oft june 20 in , Russia will include. Appearances in France Sweden Spain England and Ireland. For Demartini being on the Road is a / something of an abrupt change in lifestyle he and his wife Kathy whom he met before Quot Ratt did anything Quot were married five years. Ago. A. A. A but it s his 4-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter that Don t quite understand their dad s need to be. Away from Home. After Ratt s 1990 demise and before joining Whitesnake Demartini took it easy and Quot really just enjoyed  he said he did t miss the music scene for a minute. Quot i m starting to think now you Don t have to live in los Angeles to stay in the business. You do if you re starting Quot Demartini said who grew up in Chicago and san Diego with five other siblings. Asked about today s new groups Demartini said l get off on it. I Don t think its  the biggest difference Demartini said is that today s music deals with life s realities As opposed to the nonstop party attitude that dominated music of the last decade. For so Scott children Warren Demartini knew. Whitesnake  before he joined the group. Die laughing at London s dead funny by Edward Karam staff writer i t s a mixed Blessing for Richard. The president of the dead funny society when comedian Benny Hill Dies. Although Hill s death throws him into a depression the news comes in the midst of his weekly sex therapy session with his wife Ellie. It s therapy that the sex shy Richard David Haig hates and luckily their neighbor Brian interrupts at just the right us wrong moment. Terry Johnson s new comedy dead funny a appropriately playing at London s vaudeville theatre is loaded with pratfalls comic routines and witty repartee but it s also a serious play about the importance of laughter. Quot neither of you would recognize a joke that did t have its trousers round its Ankles Quot Ellie says summing up Richard and Brian accurately. The irony in Johnson s play is that the Only person who has a real sense of humor is Zoe Wanamaker s desperately unhappy Ellie tossing off Bon Mots and barbs As. Smoothly As she knocks Back a Martini. Wanamaker provides a solid Center to the play moving from anguish to sarcasm to puckish wit As she tries to interest her indifferent husband in their foundering marriage and Cope with the intrusions of his dead funny colleagues. Wanamaker s wounded look when Richard advises her Quot Haviari affair Quot is heartbreaking. But Ellie s resilience is finally rewarded As laughter comes to her Rescue. Although Ellio s sense of humor is an innate response to her misery at least she tries to Deal with her problems. The dead funny gang which includes a married couple Nick and Lisa rehash music Hall Zoe Wanamaker and David Haig mine for laughs in Quot dead funny. Courtesy photo routines As a Way to mask their. Unrewarding lives and a multitude of sins. But the laughter they raise is forced and hollow. As the society a members meet for a costumed tribute to Benny Hill their lives disintegrate hilariously and painfully. Haig in a far cry from his Randy Groom in the current hit movie four weddings and a funeral wins some sympathy for Richard a pompous and irritable victim of childhood abuse until he gradually reveals a despicable Side. Beatie Edney has fun with Lisa a buxom dim bulb who thinks her headaches Are a psychic Herald of death and who says things like Quot i  Homo semitic Quot she s easy to like and too easy by far. And Danny Webb s Nick trapped in a Job he hates and a Sham marriage is drinking himself into bitterness. Compared to them Niall buggy s exuberantly Fey Brian is endearing with a Knack for popping in at the wrong moment. But his Irish warmth belies a naughty secret he s got to get off his Chest. Play dead funny theater vaudeville. Ticket prices from 8 pounds to 22.50 pounds run dates open nearest tube Charing Cross phone 071-636-9987 this May sound a bit weighty but pain has always been interwoven with great comedy. Think of Chaplin s Little tramp near starvation eating that shoe in the cold Rush. Chaplin himself is invoked at the beginning As his song smile plays while the curtain goes up Quot smile though your heart is aching smile even though it s breaking. Quot in any Case Johnson who is also the director keeps the laughter bubbling. There s a great bit involving a sex guidance video and one with Nick doing a chinese accent full of double Lentendre and there s one honest to gosh joke in terrible taste with a punchline that s a knockout. Best of All Johnson s first act curtain is a Corker with a Benny Hill twist that will keep you smirking through intermission. There Are occasional minor obstacles for an american audience. The allusions to British comedians will probably be As unfamiliar As their portraits which hang Over sue Plummer s living room set but in Many cases it s the context that counts More than the specific name. Except for some catch phrases and a stretch in act ii that s a bit obscure the references Aren t a big problem. As the dead funny society s memorial evening deteriorates into who s afraid of a Virginia Woolf and second comedian Dies the undies drop the skirts come off and the custard pies end up where custard pies always do. But you won t take laughter lightly again. On disc wild colonials fruits of life dec our a never mistake the wild colonial for an a a. Band a what with Angela Mccluskey is throaty Scot woman vocals and a violin dominated celtic Friendly sound that s warm even by coffeehouse standards a if. You weren t tipped ahead of time. This largely acoustic debut is invitingly human music no less so for being a Little unformed around the edges. A Chris Willman lbs Angeles times Forrest Gump the soundtrack various artists epic sound Rex because Many movies try to evoke a specific period or Milieu their soundtracks end up almost As specially items defining a fairly narrow slice of musical taste. Not Forrest Gump. The soundtrack. Rather than fall into the trap of hipper than thou obscurantism the album follows Gump across three decades of mainstream american culture listening to roughly the  music As anyone with an am radio. Sure there Are classics Here a Elvis Presley a hound dog aretha Franklin a respect and their ilk a but there s also plenty of Corn Tike the rooftop singers walk right in or b. J. Thomas raindrops keep falling on my head. And in the end its the balance struck Between the two that makes the musical world of Gump seem so honest and unpretentious. A a . Considine the Baltimore Sun it takes a thief coolie Tommy boy Iven the buoyant Charm and infectious spirit of his Lakeside powered pop hit fantastic. Voyage it s hard to imagine coolie exuding the kind of menace normally associated with gangsta rap. But make no mistake a there a some very scary stuff on it takes a thief. Coolie makes no Bones about the violence inherent in the gangsta lifestyle offering brutal depictions of desperate living in mama in a in love wit a gangsta and ruthless larceny in the title track. At the same time he a just As honest about the dehumanizing effect of crack addition painting vivid portraits of shame and desperation such As the raps county line and n a closet. Yet no matter How bad things get he never quite Joses his sense of humor and that a As exemplified by ghetto cartoon and its ilk a is ultimately what keeps coolie on track a . Considine the Baltimore Sun . Thomas top o it h e c h a its pop singles 1,1 swear All-4-Ono 2. Stay i missed you Lisa Loob and  \. 3. Regulate Warren g. And Nate Dogg 4. Any time any place a and on and on Janet Jackson 5. Don t turn around Ace of base 6. Fantastic voyage coolie 7. Can you feel the love tonight Elton John 8. Back and Forth Aaliyah 9. Fund fled a brat 10. If you go Jon Secada top albums a 1. A the Hon King soundtrack 2. Purple Stone Temple pilots 3. The sign Ace of base 4. Regulate. G Funk Era Warren g 5. Who i am Allan Jackson 6. August amp everything after counting crows 7. Not a moment too soon Tim Mcgraw 8. Aii-4-one, Aii-4-Ona 9. Super unknown sound Garden 10, get up on it Keith sweat country singles 1. Summertime blues Alan Jackson 2. Every once in a while Blackhawk 3. Foolish Pride Travis Tritt 4.1 wish i could have been there John anderson5. Lifestyles of the not so Rich and famous. Tracy Byrd 6. Think no problem David balt 7. One night a Day Garth Brooks 8.1 take my chances Mary Chapin Carpenter 9. National working woman a Holiday Sammy Kershaw 10. Hats my baby Lari White country albums 1, not a moment too soon Tim Mcgraw a a a ?. When love finds you Vince Gill. 3. Read my mind Reba Mcentire 4. Kicking it up John Michael Montgomery. 5. Soundtrack to Quot Maverick a various artists. 6. Ten feet tall amp bulletproof Travis Tritt. 7. Rhythm country amp blues various artists a a. In pieces Garth Brooks 9. Hard work no Man Brooks amp Dunn 10. War paint Lorrie Morgan a latin tracks 1. Amor pro la i do Selena 2. St the Vas Jon Secada 3. Quller a i Icard 0 Mont an e r 4. Vido la mafia 5. The Cono co Ricardo Arjona 6. Pero quo Neces dad Juan Gabriel 7. Mas y Mas los fantasias Del Caribe 8. Una Noche de Amor the Barrio Boazz 9. Ella is Tony Vega 10. To y to Luis Miguel rap singles 1. Fund fled a brat 2. Regulate Warren g. And Nate Dogg 3. Back in the Day Ahmad 4. Ease my mind arrested development 5. Got me waiting heavy d amp the Boyz 6. Sweet potato pie Domino 7. Pumps and a bump Hammer 8. Brooklyn the Brooklyn dodgers 9. Players Ball outcast. 10. Fantastic voyage coolie album Rock tracks 1. Fall Down Toad the wet sprocket 2. Come out and play offspring 3. Vaseline Stone Temple pilots 4. Black Hole Sun sound Garden 5. Girls amp boys blur 6. Prayer for the dying Seal 7. Shine collective soul 8. Selling the drama live 9. Stay Lisa Loeb amp nine stories 10. Big empty Stone Temple pilots jazz albums 1. Breathless Kenny g. 2. Tenderness Al jarred .3, after the storm Norman Brown 4. Backbone Bony James 5. Sax by the fire John Tesh project 6. Hardcastle Paul Hardcastle 7. Positivity incognito 8. Smooth. Gerald Albright 9. Love Nancy Nancy Wilson 10. Heart to heart Diane Schuur . King. A compiled by billboard focus a entertainment editor. Deedee Arrington Doke editorial assistant Cindee Morrison listing contributors staff writers Marian Hamilton sue. Palumbo Nancy a Tomer also Ferenc Pajtas Joe Olano a a ,. Send entertainment news tips Story ideas and listings tithe stars and stripes Epler Tainer in uni 29480, Apo a 09211 or civilian up Sfach 1 1 14 37, 64278 Darmstadt Germany. Telephone Dan 348-8350, Civ. 06155-g01350. A Tel fax 06155-601416. Outside Germany the country code s 49 drop the 0 irom the prefix. 20 the stars and stripes Friday july 22, 1994 the stars and stripes 21