Boston-based scribe Deb Rao recently spoke with WHITE LION drummer Troy Patrick Farrell for Glam-Metal.com.

As previously reported, POISON and RATT (without bassist Juan Croucier) will team up for a summer tour, which is slated to kick off on June 13th in Greenville, South Carolina and wrap up on September lst in West Palm Beach, Florida.

White Lion has been confirmed as the support act on the upcoming tour. The group's drummer, Troy Patrick Farrell, recently checked in with details about the upcoming tour.

Q: White Lion has been confirmed to appear on the upcoming Poison/Ratt 2007 Tour. Troy would you like to confirm this rumor for us.

A: "The rumors are true. I know a ton of bands wanted the slot. It's a great opportunity for us and the band will deliver. We haven't been over exposed and I think they made a great choice. Trust me, it's wasn't a hasty one. They really looked at all options and made the best choice for the best package and we appreciate it."

Q: What can the fans expect to see from White Lion on the upcoming summer tour? Will the band be premiering any new songs or just staying with the classics?

A: "Ya know, we are the first band. So we have a small time slot. A lot of people will be re-introduced to White Lion and this new line up. It’s unfair to bombard them with new material, so we'll stick to the Hits. Expect to see some one off's here and there, where we do 90 minutes... Maybe at some point, we can throw a new one or two."

Q: These days who is performing in White Lion? This tour will feature the new version of White Lion without Vito Bratta. Is that correct?

A: "Vito hasn't been in the band since '91. So expect the '05 version. Tramp, Jamie, Henning and myself in the USA, Jerry Best on bass for Claus who has to sit this USA tour out. We play White Lion the way it's meant to be played. So no surprises. We do kick some ass though!"

Q: White Lion will also be performing at the Gods of Metal Festival on June 2nd and Sweden Rock Festival, on June 8th, and Rocklahoma on July 13. As a new unit, how important will it be for White Lion to showcase the new band and reach a new audience in the top European and U.S. Metal festivals this summer?

A: "It's not a new unit. We toured USA in '05 for 35 dates, did nine weeks in Indonesia/Europe (for 15,000 people) and sold out most shows in November and December of '06.The Poison tour however is a much more exposed tour. So yes, we'll reach more people than we did in '05 and are very happy to be a part of this."

Q: Earlier this year, White Lion toured Europe. What countries did you visit? How was the response? Are there any favorite memories from Europe that you would like to share with us?

A: "We did Turkey, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Norway etc… We did great. Ask the promoters. We killed. I had no idea it was going to be like it was. Good memories, too many. Turkey was and is my favorite place, great people and venues. I still get emails from fans and it means a lot.

Q: Were any of the European shows filmed for a possible DVD release?

A: "We did Bang Your Head in '05. Expect something from that this year."

Q: Is White Lion working on a new studio release for 2007?

A: "Yep. The first since '91. It will be released sometime late this fall."

Q: Would you say the album resembles the formula and sound from the early White Lion days?

A: "Of course. White Lion fans want to hear White Lion and that's what they will get. Mike is still the voice. We will not try to re-invent the wheel. When and if people see the new White Lion, they should expect to hear something familiar, and that they will, not recycled but familiar."