Live | Mike Tramp’s White Lion [support: Foxy Venus] – Nieuwe Nor – Heerlen [NL]

4 May 2025

Under the motto “Lights & Thunder Over Europe 2025”, Mike Tramp’s White Lion is on the road, and last Sunday the affable Dane was at Poppodium Nieuwe Nor in Heerlen. With just under 200 visitors, this cozy venue was pretty busy.

FOXY VENUS

The honor of warming up the crowd was to the young sleaze rockers of Foxy Venus from Eindhoven [NL]. With an age of around 20 years and younger, we can talk about a band of the newest generation. The hair/sleaze metal and stage presentation, including considerably tousled hair and 2 background singers, was like being transported by time machine back to these golden times. In any case, singer Amber Fares and her bandmates know how to put on an energetic show and the audience could appreciate it all.

As a bouncer, this Dutch band also played the Vengeance classic ,,Rock And Roll Shower’’. Nice band, which can definitely grow, but at least they have the right drive, attitude and love for 80s sleaze/ hair metal.

MIKE TRAMP’S WHITE LION

After a brief change over, it was then time for Mike Tramp’s White Lion to take the stage. Those who are familiar with Mike‘s recent Songs Of White Lion records know that he has managed to rewrite the songs to a pitch that suits the range he has these days. So the high pitched vocals of the 1980s have given way to the warm and distinctive voice the man [who is also now 62 years old] has now.

So fans who came to hear the White Lion classics in their original pitch will be somewhat disappointed.

The band that Mike has gathered around him knows how to perform the songs just fine. Bassist Claus Langeskov and drummer Kenni Andy provide the right drive and punch under the songs. Guitarist Marcus Nand knows how to respectfully lay down the parts originally written by virtuoso Vito Bratta. And especially with a high dose of respect for this man!

Mike has managed to develop into a charismatic gentleman on stage over the years. He really pays tribute to the band that he and Vito founded in the mid-80s and which enjoyed enormous success. Regularly between songs he tells how songs were created or anecdotes from the heyday. But let’s not forget that the message behind songs like ,,Cry For Freedom’’ or ,,All The Fallen Men’’ are certainly more than relevant these days. And if the gig is also on May 4 [Remembrance Day], then they even get an extra thick load.

MIKE TRAMP’S WHITE LION – THE CONCLUSION

Vocally, the sympathetic frontman has certainly had to compromise. His voice is soft in the mix and, unfortunately, not very powerful. Does that matter? Well, judging by the reactions of people I spoke to, not really, because the vast majority enjoyed this trip down White Lion’s memory lane.

Afterwards it also turned out that Mike wasn’t quite fit, so we’ll take that into consideration as well.

Most importantly, I saw a band and audience who were enjoying themselves. And after the gig, plenty of time was taken to take pictures with people and hand out autographs.

A pretty successful evening in my book!!!

MIKE TRAMP’S WHITE LION SETLIST

Lights And Thunder
Hungry
Lonely Nights
Out With The Boys
All The Fallen Men
El Salvador
Little Fighter
Living On The Edge
Tell Me
Love Don’t Come Easy
Cry For Freedom
Broken Heart
When The Children Cry
Wait

THE ENCORE

Lady Of The Valley

All photos by Raymond Helebrand