Adrian Vandenberg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adrian Vandenberg
Vandenberg in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Adriaan van den Berg
Also known as	Adje, Ad
Born	(1954-01-31) 31 January 1954 (age 71) The Hague, Netherlands
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal, glam metal, blues rock
Occupation(s)	Guitarist
Years active	1978–present
Associated acts	Teaser, Vandenberg, Whitesnake, Manic Eden

Adrian van den Berg, born on January 31, 1954, is a famous Dutch rock guitarist. He is known as Adrian "Adje" Vandenberg. He became well-known for playing guitar in the band Whitesnake in the late 1980s. He also started his own band called Vandenberg in 1981. In 2013, Adrian started a new band called Vandenberg's MoonKings. They released their first album in early 2014.

Early Life and First Bands

Adrian van den Berg was born in The Hague, a city in the Netherlands. He started his music career as the main guitarist for a Dutch band called Teaser. This band released an album with their own name in 1978.

After Teaser, Adrian formed his own band, simply named Vandenberg. This band released three albums in the 1980s: Vandenberg, Heading for a Storm, and Alibi. They were very famous for their song "Burning Heart," which had cool guitar parts. Another popular song was "Friday Night." The band toured a lot, even opening for other big bands like the Michael Schenker Group in 1982 and Kiss in 1983.

Adrian's Music Career

Joining Whitesnake

In the early 1980s, David Coverdale from the band Whitesnake asked Adrian to join his band. David was impressed by Adrian's guitar skills and his ability to write songs. Adrian first said no because his own band, Vandenberg, was doing very well. Their song "Burning Heart" was a big hit.

However, by 1986, Adrian decided to join Whitesnake. He helped finish their album Whitesnake (also known as 1987 in Europe). Adrian played the guitar solo on their number one hit song "Here I Go Again." Another guitarist, John Sykes, played most of the other guitar parts on that album.

After a very successful world tour, Adrian helped write all the music for Whitesnake's next album, Slip of the Tongue. He couldn't record the guitar parts himself because of an injury. So, Steve Vai played the guitars on that album. But Adrian was well enough to join the band for the tour, playing alongside Steve Vai.

Adrian also returned to Whitesnake for other tours, like the "Greatest Hits" tour in 1994. He worked with David Coverdale again to write songs for the 1997 album Restless Heart. On this album, Adrian played all the guitars. He also worked with David Coverdale on an acoustic album called Starkers in Tokyo.

Adrian Vandenberg in 1990

After Whitesnake and Guest Appearances

After his time with Whitesnake, Adrian played in a band called Manic Eden. This band included singer Ron Young and Adrian's former Whitesnake bandmates, bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Tommy Aldridge. The band stopped when Adrian rejoined Whitesnake for their 1994 tour.

Adrian is also a talented artist who paints. He used his airbrush skills to create the cover art for his band Vandenberg's albums Heading for a Storm and Alibi.

When Whitesnake played in the Netherlands, Adrian's home country, he sometimes made surprise appearances. He joined them on stage at the Arrow Rock Festival in 2008 and the Sweden Rock Festival in 2011.

Music in the 2010s

In 2011, Adrian wrote a song called "A Number One" for a Dutch football team, FC Twente. He released this song under the name "Vandenberg." There was a disagreement about him using the band name without his first name. However, a court decided that Adrian had the right to use the name "Vandenberg."

Vandenberg's MoonKings

Vandenberg's MoonKings in 2014

Adrian formed a new band called Vandenberg's MoonKings in late 2013. The band members are Adrian Vandenberg on guitar, Jan Hoving on vocals, Mart Nijen-Es on drums, and Sem Christoffel on bass. Their first album, MoonKings, came out on February 21, 2014.

On November 3, 2017, the same band released their second album, "MoonKings MK II." This album mixes classic rock sounds from the 1970s with a heavier, more modern rock style.

Discography

Guest appearances

• 1990 – Steve Vai – Passion and Warfare (backing vocals)
• 2022 – Star One - Revel in Time (guitar solo on "Revel in Time")
• 2024 – Michael Schenker – My Years with UFO (guest guitarist in the song "Too Hot to Handle")

See also

In Spanish: Adrian Vandenberg para niños