BLABBERMOUTH.NET
VANDENBERG's new lineup made its live debut last night (Friday, November 12) at the
Planet Rockstock festival in Trecco Bay, South Wales, United Kingdom. Video footage of the concert can be seen below.
Last month,
VANDENBERG recruited
Mats Levén as its new lead singer. The powerhouse Swedish vocalist is known for his work with
Yngwie Malmsteen,
CANDLEMASS and tours with
TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, among many other bands.
VANDENBERG guitarist
Adrian Vandenberg commented: "To say I'm excited about working with
Mats Levén would be an understatement. It's a huge privilege to work with a vocalist of
Mats's world-class calibre, who's just as passionate about kick-ass rock and as motivated and dedicated as I am. A one-of-a-kind signature voice, commanding stage presence, very experienced but as far from running on automatic pilot as humanly possible and a great guy.
"
Mats and I are working on our new songs for the next
VANDENBERG album as we speak. We're pushing and inspiring each other to keep raising the bar and are coming up with great, very exciting stuff."
Mats says: "I'm thrilled to join
VANDENBERG and to be recording the new album. I've been a fan since the '80s, and I'm honored to be soon sharing the stage with my Dutch amigos."
VANDENBERG's 2021 lineup is completed by bassist
Randy Van Der Elsen (of NWOBHM heroes
TANK) and drummer
Koen Herfst (
EPICA and
DORO).
"I believe the vibe we have with this turbocharged lineup is wonderful," concludes
Vandenberg. "We are not at all a nostalgia act, trying to recreate what happened all those years back. This is a brand-new dynamic band with a name that has a legacy, and I couldn't be happier with the way it's turned out."
Led by master guitarist
Adrian Vandenberg, the Dutch foursome released three quality albums during the early to mid-'80s, namely, the self-titled 1982 debut (spawning the U.S. hit single
"Burning Heart"),
"Heading For A Storm" (1983) and
"Alibi" (1985). They achieved commercial success and earned much acclaim. The band toured the U.S., Japan and Europe playing with the likes of
OZZY OSBOURNE,
KISS,
RUSH,
SCORPIONS,
MICHAEL SCHENKER and more.
Last year,
VANDENBERG released a new studio album called
"2020". The LP featured Chilean-born
Ronnie Romero on vocals, a singer who forged a formidable reputation over past years with
Ritchie Blackmore's
RAINBOW. There were also two celebrated guests on the album, namely bassist
Rudy Sarzo (
WHITESNAKE,
OZZY OSBOURNE,
QUIET RIOT,
DIO) and drummer
Brian Tichy (
WHITESNAKE,
OZZY OSBOURNE,
FOREIGNER,
BILLY IDOL). While nine of the songs were freshly written by
Vandenberg himself, there was also a new rendering of
"Burning Heart", perhaps the band's most famous anthem.
Vandenberg has had an impressive career. He was a member of
WHITESNAKE for 13 years at the height of their fame, contributing the solo on their No. 1 hit
"Here I Go Again". He spent many years duelling with
Steve Vai on guitar and has returned for many reunions. He was part of supergroup
MANIC EDEN, and more recently released a number of albums with
VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS.
Vandenberg previously said about
Van Der Elsen and
Herfst's additions to
VANDENBERG: "
Koen has been voted Holland's best hard rock drummer now for several years. He has the sort of fire in his belly that would make any greats such as
John Bonham and
Ian Paice smile.
Randy was highly recommended to me and has a lot of experience. Like
Koen, he is a brilliant musician."
Vandenberg live at Planet Rockstock 2021 - Official event page
Posted by Caryn Cook on Friday, November 12, 2021
Amigos! We couldn’t have wished for a more heartwarming ‘Welcome back you Dutch/Swedish fuckers’ than the one we got treated to by our English friends at the Rockstock festival last nite! Our VERY FIRST TIME ONSTAGE TOGETHER as a band! Thanks so much to promotor Jon and his great crew for taking such good care of us and the fantastic rockin’ crowd present for an unforgettable night! Right now we’re having a modest afterparty at Brighton airport, even though the coffee doesn’t exactly have the same bubbly festive vibe as the royally flowing champagne in our dressing room after the show..?But as always: a party is a state of mind! Have a great weekend you guys!☠️?
#vandenberg #rockstock #hardrock #classicrock #matsleven #koenherfst #randyvanderelsen #adrianvandenberg johanvosmeijer #raymondtabak #ralphroelvink #willemwibobooltink
Posted by Adrian Vandenberg on Saturday, November 13, 2021