The Snakes

Former Whitesnake guitarists Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody came together again in 1997 with the intention of revisiting the classic songs from their previous band. They assembled a lineup that included Norwegian vocalist Johnny Lande, also known as Jørn Lande, along with keyboardist Josh Phillips, bassist David Levy, and drummer Mark Brzezicki. This ensemble embarked on a tour promoted under the title "An Evening of Whitesnake Music." Following the tour, they chose to create an album consisting of new songs, resulting in Once Bitten from 1998. This recording incorporated drummer Willy Bendiksen in place of the previous percussionist and saw an exclusive release in Japan. It paved the way for the subsequent live album Live in Europe, captured during performances that same year and featuring additional keyboard work from Don Airey. The addition of bassist Neil Murray, another former member of Whitesnake, came next, at which point the band, now including singer Robert Hart and drummer John Lingwood, opted to rebrand itself as Company of Snakes.