Whitesnake

By JONATHAN DONALDSON

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If you've ever been pregnant, or had a scare, you've probably walked by David Coverdale of Whitesnake. The original sex panther, Coverdale found fame with Deep Purple before unleashing anthems like "Here I Go Again" and "Is This Love." We got 10 minutes with Doug Aldrich, their shirtless, golden-haired axe wielder, a week before their Mansfield mêlée with Judas Priest. Like Cousin Eddie says in Vacation, "Nothing but the best!"

YOU TRIED OUT FOR KISS RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THOSE GUYS?

They were talking about adult things, like what cars they were buying. One of them was dating a famous actress—I hadn't even had a girlfriend yet.

THAT MUST HAVE BEEN AN IMPORTANT CONNECTION.

They were coming to town, and I thought I could get tickets. So I called Gene and said, "Hey, this is Doug." He said: "Who?" And I said, "Doug, the guitar player," and he said, "Don't ever call here again."

WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF THE 'SNAKE?

David is Whitesnake.

I ALWAYS LOVED WHITESNAKE VIDEOS. THERE WAS ALWAYS A CHICK AND I KNEW THAT IN TWO MINUTES, SHE WOULD BE IN LINGERIE ON THE HOOD OF A CAR.

Those songs had sexy riffs, so the two almost went hand in hand. Plus, David is a real sexy cat. I always looked up to those guys and wondered how the heck they got so many girls.

WHEN METAL WENT UNDERGROUND IN THE '80S, WHERE DID ALL OF THOSE METAL CHICKS GO?

They're still there. They come out. Some of them have kids of their own now, and they bring the family. It's cool to see the 15- to 16-year-old kids in the front row, knowing they're getting exposed to David Coverdale, one of the "real deal" guys.

DO YOU HAVE HOT CHICKS IN THEIR 30S AT THE SHOWS?

Oh, yeah. There's some beautiful, smoking-hot chicks that come to the shows. But I'm married.

[Whitesnake with Judas Priest. Tue 7.7.09. Comcast Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield. 508.339.2333. 7pm/all ages/$20-$45. livenation.com]