One of the biggest hard rock tours of the year has hit a boulder. Due to health issues, David Coverdale has announced that Whitesnake will not be joining the Scorpions on their late summer tour.
It’s a major blow to what would have been an epic tour. It arguably could have rivaled ‘The Stadium Tour.’ Which features Joan Jett, Poison, Def Leppard and Motley Crue. As it’s part of a final tour that Whitesnake are/were intending to trek on. However, Scorpions and opening act Thundermother intend to soldier on. The tour begins in Toronto, OT on August 21st. And goes through the fall. October 21st in Las Vegas.
The tour stop has come after a series of shows in which Reb Beach has been absent due to health issues. Covid? Most likely. And frankly I don’t know why publicists can’t just be honest. Whitesnake aren’t the only act that has had cryptic ‘health issues’ delaying and cancelling shows. The list can be countless at times.
Coverdale is in his 70’s. And when a major health issue hits it can be a crucial moment for said patient. So it’s completely understandable why Whitesnake would bow out. However, I wouldn’t plan on David Coverdale and co. picking up steam in the near future. Like I said. The man’s over 70. His voice is, while not horrible by any means, a shadow of its former self. Downtuning keeps things in perspective. And there’s nothing wrong with that. And while he does have some excellent help from band members, preventing the band from using backing tracks. It’s still not quite enough to fill in the gaps.
Either way, Whitesnake are legends beyond measure. David Coverdale has a seat at the council of nine for frontmen. And I understand why he wouldn’t want to hang it up just yet due to illness. We’ll see what the future holds. Long live Whitesnake.
