White Lion and Freak Of Nature frontman Mike Tramp has announced his return to the U.S., set for the spring of 2014. Tramp will be performing White Lion classics as well and new material off of his brand new record Cobblestone Street.
The tour will begin on March 19th in Hollywood, California at the legendary Whisky A Go Go and continue into May — including an extended stay on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise.
Tramp’s Cobblestone Street is a departure from the sound that most people would expect from a singer, that has been around since White Lion crashed on to the hard rock scene in the ’80s. Rock fans have gotten to know Mike Tramp as a legit rock singer and frontman that looked like he was born to be just that. Therefore many might find it surprising that Tramp’s roots and musical upbringing lie deeply buried in folk music.
Heavily influenced by fellow Danish artists with acoustic guitars and international stars like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, Tramp says that all of his songs through 35 years on the music stage have always come from sitting with the old faithful acoustic guitar playing and singing. That White Lion songs like When The Children Cry, Broken Heart and Wait, and Freak Of Nature’s Rescue Me later have ended up as epic rock classics is just a question of arranging them in that way with the band in the rehearsal room, but all songs have always been fit to play around the campfire or in the back of a shady bar.
Despite playing White Lion songs live, Tramp gets tired of reunion questions. “When I say there isn’t going to be any White Lion reunion, why is it so damn hard to understand?”, Tramp said early last year. “We don’t want to play together and I personally don’t want to do that kind of stuff anymore. In 20 years I have not spoken to Vito (Bratta, guitarist) more than possibly 5-6 hours. It’s a fact, just let it be. What has Vito done since White Lion’s break up 9/2/91? Nothing… Doesn’t that speak loud and clear? Why would you want to marry the person who you divorced long ago or hang out with the kid who bullied you all through your high school years, just as an example?”
Tramp also told Sleaze Roxx in an interview that his idea to bring back White Lion several years ago was a complete mistake. “The reason I broke up with the band was because I was done with it. The reason you file for divorce is because the love is gone — you get tired of it. But I needed to do it to find out I’d made the mistake. I made the decision when I was on tour for my second solo album, and when you’re playing to like 25 people and when people are goading you and saying “Oh, if you put White Lion back together you’d play festivals and make big bucks’…”
Mike Tramp U.S. tour dates:
3/19 The Whisky A Go Go – Hollywood, CA
3/20 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
3/21 Count’s Vampd – Las Vegas, NV
3/23 The Network – El Paso, TX
3/27 Bourbon Street – New Port Richey, FL
3/28 Coconut Creek Casino – Nectar Lounge – Coconut Creek, FL
3/29 Monsters Of Rock Cruise
3/30 Monsters Of Rock Cruise
3/31 Monsters Of Rock Cruise
4/1 Monsters Of Rock Cruise
4/2 Monsters Of Rock Cruise
4/4 Largo Cultural Center – Largo, FL (with Tesla’s Frank Hannon)
4/9 Concert Pub North – Houston, TX
4/11 Leon’s Lounge – Oklahoma City, OK
4/12 Someplace Else – Arlington, TX
4/14 The Rutledge – Nashville, TN
4/16 The Deadhorse Music Hall – Pittsburgh, PA (with Y&T)
4/17 The Chance Theater – Poughkeepsie, NY
4/18 Mexicali Live – Teaneck, NJ
4/19 The Palace Theater – Stafford Springs, CT
4/20 Armory Ballroom – Manchester, NH (with Queensryche)
4/23 Revolution Music Hall – Amityville, NY
4/25 Rock N’ Roll Heaven – West Seneca, NY
4/26 Holiday Inn Ballroom – Warren, PA
4/27 Lewie’s Lounge – Bradford, PA
4/28 Davisson Brothers Music Hall – Morgantown, WV
4/29 Empire – West Springfield, VA
5/1 The Hot Spot – St. Louis, MO
5/2 Tailgators – Bolingbrook, IL
5/3 Club Diesel – Detroit, MI
5/4 The Firehouse – Richmond, IN
5/6 The Vanguard Music Hall – Tulsa, OK
5/8 Eck’s Saloon – Lakewood, CO
5/9 The Fort 21 -Greeley, CO
5/10 TBA – Wyoming
5/11 Muddy’s – Idaho Falls, ID
5/14 TBA – Tacoma, WA
5/15 El Corazon – Seatlle, WA
5/16 TBA – Portland, OR
source: sleazeroxx.com
27 Responses
Ok Eddie,
It’s time you dragged out Vito out again, this time on “That Metal Show” as it’s in New York now. We need to know where he’s at today, as I think the last time you interviewed him was back in 2007? Maybe if you could re-unite both Mike and Vito on the show (if possible)?
And who knows? One day, we could see “The X-Recluse tour” featuring both Vito and Jake E Lee trading licks…
Nothing has changed for him since 2007, it’s the same! He is out of the entire business. And I have offered.
We know he gave a number of reasons for this in the 2007 interview. Is he still basing this on the same reasons? Can he physically play at the moment? Someone like Jason Becker would give anything to play again.
Vito’s got every right to decline. But at least if we had a better idea as to why, it might be easier to understand. Maybe it’s just a lack of motivation…to me, it sounded like he just wasn’t interested…
Out of the business? How can anybody with chords & riffs like EVH be out of the business. This guy was all over his guitar like Hendrix & EVH, I saw it. I can understand the Jakester, however; Vito? So many rumours. Muscles done in the fingers, another Vito wanting his piece of Vito and veto-ing his hand, doesn’t care, why should I kill myself for the same bank account figures as ’87 implode, clubs with ya Mike, I’ll pass. We need him on the show to be honest. I saw the vids of Mike and his lion, yea, I saw his point, it was brutal.
I for one am just impressed a Mike Tramp post got this many comments. Nobody wants to post about Vai or poor Jeff. But Mr. Tramp is getting action…go figure.
If a post of a Quiet Riot tour dates were posted I’m sure it would get action. Now appearing in room #5, to the right of the Petrewski Family Reunion: Quiet Riot…tickets at the card table outside or talk to Murray.
Worse yet, they got bumped from the dressing room to accommodate Arne Schickelstein, keynote speaker for the Podunk Iowa regional aluminum siding summit.
vito went out like a true champ. last album done by zito, others by michael wagner….you cant top that shit!! played like a god on those 3 major label albums, plus fight to survive. leave them wanting more…wish lynch, and now jake, had done that. i have nothing but respect for vito!!! lee, shut your piehole